Ghost #3 – Review

By: Kelly Sue DeConnick & Chris Sebela (story), Geraldo Borges (pencils), Andy Owens (inks), Dan Jackson (colors)

The Story: Well, if a demon possession doesn’t ruin your childhood memories, nothing will.

The Review: While a new series that starts with a B- is not doomed by any means, it’s definitely not a good sign of things to come. Presumably, the first issue calls for the creative team to put their best feet forward, with the idea that they might have to take a few steps back later on. When the first issue fails to inspire, as Ghost #1 did, it places a burden on the creators to rev up their game the next time around instead of slowing down to a coast. Unfortunately, #2
didn’t do that, either.

That leaves this issue in a bad spot, having to meet the near-impossible task of making up for the deficiencies of its predecessors. To cut to the chase, it fails. Nearly every weakness that’s sprouted in the last two issues simply takes deeper root here, starting with our protagonist. In terms of likability or any kind of relatable quality, Elisa is simply untouchable, and not just because she’s literally untouchable, though this is a problem as well.

Empowered: Internal Medicine – Review

By: Adam Warren (story & black-and-white art), Brandon Graham (color art)

The Story: I need 20ccs of ninja stars, stat!

The Review: Empowered is an interesting series in a number of ways, but one of them is the method of its release. Unlike a monthly series or even serialized graphic novels like DC’s Earth One line, Empowered is typically released in trade paperback volumes comprised of as many short chapters as the story demands. The upside is that Empowered is a tighter and more detailed world than many series can provide. The unfortunate side effect is, of course, that Empowered doesn’t come out all that often.

So, while it may delay volume 9 a bit, fans of this strange little ‘superchica’ that could will likely be happy to know that Adam Warren has released another Empowered one-shot. This story is a fun, fairly self-contained romp through the fascinating periphery of Emp’s world. It’s less a lost chapter than a micro-sized volume, complete with all the wit, action, and unique turns of phrase that would entail. While the shorter size obviously limits Warren, he merely takes fewer detours and takes advantage of the lower expectations on the issue to craft a complete little package.

Ghost #2 – Review

By: Kelly Sue DeConnick & Christopher Sebela (story), Ryan Sook & Drew Johnson (pencils), Andy Owens (inks), Dave McCaig (colors)

The Story: Finally, we learn who keeps drinking all the milk in the house and leaving the carton.

The Review: Reading this issue, it occurred to me that DeConnick isn’t very focused on making her various titles very new reader-friendly.  The most recent Captain Marvel #1 pretty much dropped us in at a rather uncertain point in the heroine’s life and did very little to catch you up to speed on what was happening.  At least Ghost comes with recap pages that give you some idea of where things stand in Elisa’s life.

But that’s not enough to excuse DeConnick (or Sebela) from the hard work of properly ingratiating the characters or giving us a clearer idea of who they are, what they do, how they’re related to our protagonist.  A few times, you get the distinct sense that they’re making inside references to events that preceded this series, events which anyone who didn’t actually read the Ghost mini wouldn’t be privy to.  Consider Vaughn half-joking to Caroline that he “half-saved” her life, to which she responds, a bit coldly, “You think that’s funny?”

“No.  No, I do not,” he immediately responds.

Abe Sapien #11 – Review

by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie (Writers), Max Fiumara (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Abe learns he is not exactly as effective as in his B.P.R.D. days at battling weirdness as a battle between necromancers emerge in a special corner of America.

The Review: This title is a rather odd one in the larger schemes of things that is known as the Mignolaverse. While some titles have a clear role and a certain angle to cover, Abe Sapien possess one that doesn’t really make the character truly shine in the best of ways most of the time. With the series focusing more on how everyday people live with a resurgence of horror and unexplained events in a more post-apocalyptic world filled with killer creatures, the series got quite close a good number of time to greatness, yet never quite reached it in a way that was consistent.

This very issue, in its own ways, is a perfect example of this, with some decidedly great ideas being presented to the readers as well as some potent character moments, yet it never really converge together to create bigger or more satisfactory moments. There are some points that get across, yet it’s always more elusive ones that never truly satisfy in the best of ways.

One of the better example is the way the very town of Payson seems to be affected by some kind of zombie outbreak. With Abe trying to investigate what’s happening with a bunch of hippies on a golf course close to the town, there are hints of the horror and their implication in the more ominous events in the past few issues. There are, of course, some hints toward their role in the grand mystery and some moments of gore and terror that are rather well done, yet the very mystery of what is happening and just how it happened is left a bit on the side. With Abe not getting any answer and the problem reaching its very worst outcome, there is easily a sentiment of disappointment that permeates this chapter.

Abe Sapien #10 – Review

by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie (Writers), Max Fiumara (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Despite the help he gave them, it seems some citizens are actually not that fond of Abe.

The Review: It’s always frustrating to see a book handle some elements very well, yet others in ways that put things down in terms of general quality. The characters could be great, yet the story and direction pointless. The setting could be amazing, yet the art could also no match the scope. There are always tons of things that can go wrong when creating anything, with fiction not being an exception.

Abe Sapien is a book that has a potentially great handle, a very well put-together characterization for its lead character, yet there are quite a few things that don’t let the book be as great as it could in the divided version we get every months.

One of the area where it excels is in how it handle the supernatural, with both Mignola and Allies presenting a bit of necromancy, its effects and its price. Not stopping at just introducing those kind of elements, the way the supporting cast reacts to such news, how Abe perceive and acts around the subject along with the intricate mysteries of how it works and how it changes the world permeates the book with an identity of its own.

Abe Sapien #9 – Review

by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie (Writers), Max Fiumara (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: In his pilgrimage, Abe discovers a little town who may have a problem with virulent dead horses as well as other unseen ones.

The Review: I have a certain fondness for what is dubbed the Mignolaverse, the universe in which titles like B.P.R.D., Hellboy in Hell, Lobster Johnson and many other series take place in. Having started my comic fascination with the greatest creation of Mike Mignola, I have been a fan ever since I opened the first trade, Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction.

However, that being said, being a fan does not render me blind to occasional weaknesses in some comics done in this universe. While I have a certain respect for what Scott Allie and Mike Mignola are trying to do with Abe Sapien, there seems to be a few faults that doesn’t always allow the title to reach the potential it once reached.

One of the best aspect of the book is in how it portrays the general civilian and how they are trying to cope with the way things are in the world. Some try to interact with the weirder aspects, while some try to go on with their life just like in this comic. The sense of community and how Abe changes some things and try to interact with them is perhaps one of the most enjoyable angle of this issue. His general soul-searching does not allow for him to be placid when others are in need of help, which makes his general discussions and his actions rather nice to read.

Empowered vol. 8 – Review

By: Adam Warren (writer/artist)

The Story: THAT EBON-CLAD MISTRESS MAGE DEIGNED SPOOKY TAKES THE MOST BOUNTIFUL WENCH WITH A MILLION SIGHS ON ‘ONE HELL OF AN ADVENTURE.’

The Review: After a brutal wait, Empowered is finally back with another full-sized volume, ready to delight and intrigue. Despite the series’ reputation as a semi-erotic supercomedy, both elements fall far behind the drama of the plot; even our heroine herself bemoans the grimness that her stories have demonstrated recently. But never mistake drama for darkness or change for decline, for Adam Warren’s comedy is sweetened by tragedy and the volume’s introspective plotline is kept aloft by some adorable moments and excellent character work.

Empowered vol. 8 reads as a direct sequel to the past three volumes, particularly the dramatic events of the series’ fifth trade. As such you’ll have an idea what to expect if you’ve read those, not to mention the whole thing making sense. Warren keeps the promise of Ninjette and ThugBoy’s dark secrets on a simmer, providing worthwhile facetime with the beloved characters though their stories don’t advance terribly far. We also get to check in with the SuperDead, Syndablokk, and even Makro to similar effect.

Unlike most Empowered volumes, this one is only separated into two long stories. The first is kind of a break after the crazy drama of the past few volumes that deepens the world, sets up future developments, and examines what Hell means to the capes. At times it feels a little less relevant than some of Emp’s chapters and the use of Hell-related expressions to transition from scene to scene can feel a tad gimmicky, but there’s no denying that the story needed a moment to cool down nor that Warren hasn’t proved that there’s nothing trivial enough to not be a potentially game-changing plot point down the road.

The Massive #18 – Review

By: Brian Wood (writer), Garry Brown (art), Jordie Bellaire (colors) and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

The Story: The feud between Callum Israel and his old enemy Bors comes to a head.

Review (with SPOILERS): I don’t review The Massive every month because I feel like I always say the same thing: In The Massive, Brian Wood has created a fascinating world, but has stuck us watching the most boring man remaining on the planet.

Unfortunately, this issue was another example of the same problem.

In this story arc, we’ve seen Callum Israel and his colleagues from Ninth Wave drive their boat to Scandinavia to hassle whalers.  Apparently, anti-whaling was a big deal for Ninth Wave pre-Crash and Callum just can’t let go.  Because of the Crash, these whalers aren’t doing any sort of “commercial” whaling anymore: they’re now going out in longboats and hand-throwing harpoons at the whales.  The meat goes to feed the people of the village.  Nothing too sinister about this anymore.  And, the whalers are lead by a former oligarch named Bors who Callum used to battle with in the pre-Crash world.  Obviously life has changed for Bors and there are no more political power-plays, no more Ferraris, etc.  Bors is now a simple man who leads a bunch of whalers.

The Massive is intensely frustrating because there isn’t enough of a consistent thread through the various stories to really make a coherent narrative.  None of the stories seems to have any closure.  I mean, if you gave someone the first trade paperback of The Massive, they might wonder if our protagonists ever found the missing ship.  They might say, “Wow.  That was great.  They’re already up to issue #18?!?  Don’t SPOIL it for me, but I’ll bet it was awesome when they found all their friends on the missing ship….”  Except that plot-line seems to have been discarded.  Not “resolved”….just discarded.  Nobody in this issue even mentions the missing ship which had previously been cause for steaming around the world on a wild goose chase.  It’s just frustrating because Brian Wood is a new writer where it would be safe to assume that he just doesn’t know what he’s doing; Wood is an experienced pro who has told excellent long-form tales before.  So, there is a part of me that still wonders if it’s just me.  Am I not getting it yet?

Ghost #1 – Review

By: Kelly Sue DeConnick & Christopher Sebela (story), Ryan Sook (art), Dave McCaig (colors)

The Story: It takes a ghost to scare the crap out of a demon.

The Review: Ever since I dropped Justice League Dark, I’ve been looking for another, more urban, supernatural series.  Coffin Hill isn’t really cutting it at the moment, and although Fatale is brilliant, it doesn’t put too much weight on its occult elements.  I’m looking for a series that can convince me there’s a whole other world hidden in plain sight right before us, that even in the least natural setting, the supernatural can still exist.

In this respect, Ghost fits the bill, sort of.  Truth be told, I was drawn more to the creative team than the premise, which has obvious similarities to Angel (small band of do-gooders led by otherworldly figure), Grimm (hunting creatures disguised as humans), and especially Special Unit 2 (Chicago setting).  With so much in common with other series, Ghost needs to work that much harder to set itself apart, and this issue doesn’t quite do so.

Abe Sapien #8 – Review

by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie (Writers), Michael Avon Oeming (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: As it turns out, Abe had a pretty interesting rescue mission involving Xibalba in 1983.

The Review: Like many readers, I am always a bit wary of fill-in issues. When the regular artist or writer needs a break for whatever reasons, it is usual to see them being replaced for an issue or two, which then leads to stories on the side or to an artist that doesn’t necessarily fit visually with the rest. Those kind of issues aren’t necessarily bad per se, but for those waiting a month to see the plot progress and the characters develop, it can become a certain exercise in frustration.

Thankfully, Mike Mignola and Scott Allie are still there, as they instead provide for a flashback issue with a different artist, opting for a complete tale that puts Abe in a B.P.R.D. mission. However, is the story good and does it actually adds to the general themes of the book?
All in all, this story might not be absolutely essential to the ongoing themes of the apocalypse and how Abe tries to define himself personally, but it still does delivers plenty of stuff that fans of the Mignolaverse might enjoy. There is action, mystery and a good dose of the supernatural that make this complete story rather interesting on its own.

Hellboy in Hell #5 – Review

by Mike Mignola (Writer/Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Hellboy helps a man cheat a demon in order for him to keep his soul.

The Review: Boy has it been a while since the last issue. While it is understandable that Mike Mignola has been a little busy in the last few months (co-writing Baltimore, B.P.R.D., Sledgehammer 47, Lobster Johnson one-shots and Abe Sapien will do that to you), the lack of presence of this delightful series was something that was rather sad for me. Still, better late than never, as the latest issue arrived this very week. However, with all the time that passed, does this issue actually satisfy and continue the story where it left?

In a way, Mignola makes the smart choice of giving readers something more akin to a side-story, one that does not focus exactly on the titular character himself. Telling a complete story all the while, he is able to play with his strengths and manage to give readers something satisfactory.
One of the better aspects of this issue is its atmosphere, with Mignola giving plenty of space to panels upon which there is no texts at all. Focusing instead on the characters and their place in the surreal environment they are in, the story becomes that much more eerie and magical, leaving the panels where they focus on the text and context to be that much more striking. Much of this effect is actually a result of the economy of space Mignola put in his panel, with every elements there for a reason. His sense of depth, his composition and the combination of motion with a certain restraint in the movement of so much create something that should appear static, yet doesn’t.

Abe Sapien #7 – Review

by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie (Writers), Sebastian Fiumara, Max Fiumara (Artists), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Monsters attack one of the group that Abe was with as he tells a bit more about his situation and his feelings about the B.P.R.D.

The Review: If there’s something I truly hate, it’s middle of the road issues, in term of quality that is. If a series is good, I’ll read and enjoy it. The end. If it’s utterly bad, I’ll at least know it’s not worth my cash and time, so I’ll stop reading it and that would be the end of it. It’s always a bit frustrating to see a book do well in some parts, while terribly in others, as it leaves a potential to either become totally on one side or the other. It both please and disappoint, which leaves all kind of mixed feelings in terms of appreciation.

This issue of Abe Sapien is unfortunately one of those, as there are plenty of ideas along with some terrific scenes, yet it doesn’t really satisfy as a whole. It’s a bit of a shame, as the latest issue had been pretty good and the series as a whole did things differently enough to make this whole take on the Mignolaverse rather interesting.

Hellboy: The Midnight Circus – Review

by Mike Mignola (Writer), Duncan Fegredo (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Hellboy gets into shenanigans while travelling to a circus that may or may not come from hell during the night.

The Review: People rejoice, for the great team behind some impossibly great Hellboy stories are reunited for an original graphic novel. Indeed, Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo and Dave Stewart, those behind such stories as Hellboy: The Wild Hunt and The Storm and The Fury are back as they try to tell an original story featuring a much younger Hellboy, one with perhaps a tiny bit of innocence still left in him. While it may be particularly great for fans of the beast of the apocalypse, is it perhaps something that readers unaware of the mythos of the series might enjoy? More importantly, is it good?

It is my belief that the answer to both these questions would be in the positive, as Mignola is able to mix childlike sensitivities, a feeling of horror and the Hellboy mythos flawlessly without alienating any of these aspects in favour of the others.

Speaking about each of those aspects, the childlike sense of wonders comes directly from the point-of-view of the titular character, Hellboy himself. In this story, though, readers are treated to a much younger protagonist. Gone is the tough supernatural detective, replaced by a character much more akin to the younger self readers grew to love from stories such as Pancakes. The innocence of Hellboy is not only a particularly refreshing take on the character, but it is also what propels much of the story forward. His fears and his sense of wonders plays a huge part in the atmosphere of the story, magnifying everything as it passes right through the emotions of the character.

It is a blessing then that he is written very well, with a certain sense of mischief, of adventure and a desire to be part of something. Like a lot of children, Hellboy simply doesn’t know any better and gets in trouble, which is the highlight of the story as things he doesn’t understand begin to gravitate toward him. Despite his wishes and what he’d like to be, the story plays a huge part on developing certain traits of his. Being part excitable and gullible, it is a wonder to see him get excited about his favourite comic book, Lobster Johnson or when he is being attacked by monkeys and all sort of beasts in the circus. As the point-of-view for the horror and the marvels of this weird world created by Mike Mignola, the younger Hellboy works like a charm.

Abe Sapien #6 – Review

Mike Mignola, Scott Allie (Writers), Sebastian Fiumara (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Walking in Arizona, Abe encounters some more citizens and have a friendly and rather educative talk with them.

The Review: How I missed you, Abe Sapien, during the month of September. In a month filled with villainy, your rather fascinating take on the end of the world and how humanity copes with the unknown and the dangerous was sorely missed. However, now that the previous story arc is finished and that the regular writing team is back, are the themes and the story brought back in full force or is there perhaps something lacking?

It’s a rather nice thing to see that it is still the very same book, bringing back the very strengths that made it good to begin with. In this issue, we get to see Abe in Arizona as he meet other characters who are dealing with the end of the world in their own way. It may be a bit formulaic considering that the two previous arcs did begin in the same way, yet Mignola and Allie adds a lot of depths not only to the main character, but also to the Mignolaverse in the process.

The Massive #15 – Review

By: Brian Wood (writer), Garry Brown (art), Jordie Bellaire (colors) and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

The Story: Will Georg launch the missiles from the Russian sub?  Can Cal and Mag stop him?

Review (with SPOILERS): It’s a little depressing how this series can’t quite capitalize on its tremendous promise.  Brian Wood and his artistic collaborators have created a fantastically interesting world in The Massive.  There is so much potential in this world and Wood seems like the type of writer who is interested in telling thought-provoking tales that have a coherent theme and message, yet we keep getting issues like this one.

I actually had to retype this review a couple of times.  The first effort turned into this 2000 word screed where I was ripping apart various scenes of the comic in a blow-by-blow fashion.  I realized that nobody wants to read THAT.  So, I tried again and had the same thing happened.  Then I restarted a third time and it got a little better, but still not quite the tone I wanted…..and now we have this.

Let’s just say that there are a LOT of problems with this issue.  Mostly, it just isn’t clear what is going on.  The opening scene is really confusing.  I mean, I saw Mag get the abort signal and saw him leave the bathroom, but really didn’t understand the impact of Georg being left behind until much later in the issue.  The thing is, there was no dramatic purpose to the opening scene being vague and unclear; it’s not a mystery that “pays off” later in the issue.  It was just sloppy storytelling.  You could blame the artist a little bit since it is mostly a silent sequence and the art really isn’t very clear, but I’m not sure how he could have done better.  I think Wood just wrote a scene that was pretty tough to illustrate and then there was no subsequent communication between artist and writer to fix it.  I wonder if that’s the kind of thing that happens when you’re writing The Massive, X-Men and also wrestling with the Lucas/Disney braintrust over your Star Wars outlines?

Lobster Johnson: Scent of Lotus #2 – Review

By: Mike Mignola & John Arcudi (story), Sebastián Fiumara (art), Dave Stewart (colors)

The Story: Lobster beats off a monkey and shoots at a woman

The Review: After reading several of these Lobster Johnson minis, I must confess that I have no idea why Mignola-Arcudi seems so committed to the mini format for these stories.  Obviously, there’s a thirst out there for the big Lobster and Mignola has the ideas to satiate it.  I figure if he’s willing to put out three minis in less than year, why not get off the pot and just transform it into an ongoing?  Seems like all of us would get more out of that than the system in place now.

For one, perhaps Mignola-Arcudi could have spent more time developing the political and historical meat which forms the basis for Scent of Lotus’ plot.  While I don’t really approve of writers taking broad, oversimplistic views of real-world events or ideas, using history as a springboard for a story lends it some easy credibility and adds nice color to your usual comic book adventure.  Unfortunately, the historical complications stop pretty much at a brief reference to the Mukden Incident, with little original material added on to make it worth the mention.

Creepy #13 – Review

By: Josh Simmons, Dan Braun, Peter Bagge, John Habermas, Cullen Bunn & Archie Goodwin (writers), Dean Haspiel, Bagge, D.W. Frydendall, Lukas Ketner, Tyler Crook and Reed Crandall (art), Nate Piekos & Bagge (letters)

The Story: More short horror stories from Uncle Creepy…

Review: This is another issue where the new Creepy stories don’t quite measure up to the reprinted classic story (Note: There is always a reprinted classic in contemporary Creepy).  The problem these new stories have is that they’re a little too cartoony in their artistic style and that cartooning is often incompatible with anything being truly horrific or unsettling.

The classic reprint in this issue (The Squaw, by Archie Goodwin & Reed Crandall, reprinted from Creepy #13, February 1967), shows how a serious tone can make an outwardly silly story “work”.  The Squaw sees a young couple in Europe on their honeymoon – who are characters only in the sense that they give the reader someone to see the unfolding story through.  They meet a loudmouth American businessman on vacation named Elias.  Why honeymooners want to hang out with a solo male tourist isn’t really explained, but Elias is basically the popular stereotype of Teddy Roosevelt: full of piss and vinegar, seeking danger, talking about animals he’s shot…..  The trio sees a mother cat playing with her kitten and Elias decided to toss a rock at the cats to scare the cats as a joke….except the rock crushes the kitten.  Oh….how the mother cat is pissed off, but she’s just a silly cat.  What can she really do to big man Elias?  Later the group tours the torture museum and Elias insists on getting inside one of the devices just to see what it was like.  You know….he wants ADVENTURE!  Of course, this is a terrible idea and as readers, we KNOW something bad will happen.  As the museum assistant is holding the jaws of the apparatus open and allowing Elias to experience the adrenalin rush of almost being skewered to death, the CAT shows up and claws the assistant’s face, the apparatus slams shut, Elias dies horribly and karmic justice is served.  The End!

Abe Sapien #5 – Review

by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi (Writers), Max Fiumara (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Abe discovers along with other survivors the dead body of a person he had a conversation with in the last issue as he tries to elucidate just what is happening in the area he currently is in.

The Review: When a creative team reach a certain height, one that seems to show the true potential of a title, it is usually great. Readers that follow a title or a character and that see it develop into something that they become invested in is something that is truly pleasant when it comes to reading any long work of fiction, be it comics or anything else for that matter. However, there are always time when the readers wonder if those in charge of such a feat can keep it up and continue their quality streak.

The latest issue of Abe Sapien, from my own perspective, was truly beautiful to read and look at, with a certain angle being covered that seemed endless in the ways it could be explored. Still, it was the first half of a two-part story, with this issue bringing in the conclusion to that philosophical and much more humane approach to the apocalypse. Does the second part actually continue the satisfying way Mignola and Arcudi approached their themes?

47 Ronin #5 – Review

By: Mike Richardson (story), Stan Sakai (art), Lovern Kindzierski (colors), Kazuo Koike (editorial consultant)

The Story: The ronin launch their assault and avenge the betrayal and dishonor of their master.

The Review: 47 Ronin is probably the most famous and widely recognized classic tale of old Japan. There have been countless TV shows and movies made of the tale and many contemporary works of fiction have referenced the story, such as Robert Deniro’s “Ronin” and Forest Whitaker’s “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai”. There is even a movie of the story starring Keanu Reeves set to open on Christmas Day this year, although I don’t think this comic serialization has anything to do with the upcoming movie and judging from the movie’s trailer, the movie has almost nothing at all to do with the classic story.

Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai have created a faithful, if somewhat uninspired adaption. Perhaps it is Sakai’s cartoon drawings that give the book a very childish look. For one of the bloodiest and dramatic tales ever told, there is no blood and very little drama. Even during the climactic moment when the ronin have their revenge on the dishonest lord that initiated their yearlong odyssey of revenge, the facial expressions on the characters never change. The about-to-be-executed nobleman wears the exact same crazed, eyes bugging out, teeth gnashing expression for 10 consecutive panels and his mouth opens just a little wider and he gets a little cross-eyed as he is having his head hacked off. That’s it. One of the most dramatic moments in the history of literature reduced to crossed eyes and bared teeth. Even after his head is chopped off, washed and placed on a grave, the expression remains pretty much the same. Needless to say, this artistic style makes identifying the characters in the story difficult.

The whole scripted series just seems like a formality. Virtually every panel has dialogue balloons and there is no attempt to build tension. During the yearlong time between the death of their master and their revenge, the 47 ronin disguise themselves as madmen and drunks. Their plan is almost discovered several times during the year and only through guile and luck do they manage to avoid discovery or capture. This version of the story fails to develop any sense of apprehension or terror.  The characters careen along in primarily pastel colors with no shadowing or interestingly drawn angles or points of view. The reader never gets the sense of the larger mission and when the ronin surrender to the law and are sentenced to death, is left to wonder what it all meant.

Lobster Johnson: A Scent of Lotus #1 – Review

By: Mike Mignola & John Arcudi (story), Sebastián Fiumara (art), Dave Stewart (colors)

The Story: Lobster’s no takeout man, but he’s here to deliver justice!

The Review: You might have noticed by now,* but I’m definitely something of a pulp addict.  There’s something about that first half of the 20th century that just appeals to me.  So it’s pretty much impossible for me to resist the allure of Lobster Johnson.  I mean, the name alone is practically worth the price of admission.  But the last couple times I’ve picked up a one-shot, I’ve wound up a bit disappointed with the result.

This has little to do with Mignola-Arcudi’s skills as writers and even less to do with the string of artists they’ve employed for these standalone adventures.  It has more to do with how antithetical a one-shot is to the pulp genre, which established itself on the strength of its serial fiction.  With hardly any timeless significance in the stories themselves, pulp survives for as long as it can keep the audience’s intrigue.  It’s the cliffhangers, the twists, the ongoing mysteries which give pulp its lasting power.

The Massive #14 – Review

By: Brian Wood (writer), Garry Brown (art), Jordie Bellaire (colors) and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

The Story: Callum Israel searchs for a rogue submarine in a flooded NYC.

Review (with SPOILERS): This was another pretty strong issue of The Massive.  Just as with last month, this series is so much stronger when it is exploring this intriguing post-Crash world than when it focuses on the search for The Massive (the missing titular ship).  This is a cool world and it’s entertaining to see what will happen next whereas the hunt for The Massive is dull as hell and us readers don’t care about those missing people because we’ve never met any of them.  Heck…..I’m not sure any of the main characters have even mentioned the name of a single person on The Massive.

I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of that drab storyline, but let’s enjoy this nifty tale while it is in front of us.  Basically, in this issue we see Callum Israel and his crew looking for a rogue Chechen crew-mate who has stolen a Russian nuclear submarine and may want to fire his missiles at Russia.  All of this happens against the backdrop of a Manhattan that is under 40 feet of water and with the US Navy breathing down their necks.  It’s hard not to have a cool issue when you’ve got all these nifty elements and Garry Brown draws all the ships and helicopters really, really well.

I really like how Wood is playing with an idea of what our current world could become.  There’s a huge theme to The Massive that “you reap what you sow”.  That could describe global warming and its role in The Crash or it could describe a former Chechen child-soldier who is about to launch nuclear missiles at his former Russian oppressors or it could describe guys like Callum and Mag who can’t get away from their past working for a private military contractor.  These issues aren’t always handled perfectly, but I applaud any comic that aspires to something better than “giant monsters fighting giant robots!”

Abe Sapien #4 – Review

By: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi (Writers), Max Fiumara (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Abe encounters some new people as he informs himself on how the world sees him and what is happening on a global scale.

The Review: Who could have thought, more than a decade ago, that Mike Mignola would be creating a whole universe as a result of the adventure of a single character, Hellboy? With so many potential, the Mignolaverse had been born when Mignola had created the B.P.R.D title spinning off from the adventures of his own creation. Since then, we have seen the development of a fascinating universe that has now a lot of angle covered, with Hellboy showing us the adventures of the beast of apocalypse we grew to love, B.P.R.D demonstrating us how much the world is kind-of screwed right now and Abe Sapien, which focus a lot more on the human elements of the Mignolaverse, an angle that was under-represented before.

I have to say, I rather like this approach to the character of Abe Sapien and to the world in general, which is put much more in focus in this issue than it had been in the first arc. What we get here is a protagonist that is unsure of his role in the world, how he is affected by it and how he did affect it throughout his actions. Showing us a main character full of questions and with a philosophical approach to things does wonder in making us invested, as Abe is much more like us despite what he looks like. How he interacts with others, how he ponders on such heavy subjects as identity and fate is something that is rather fascinating, which gives us a very different type of book in the Mignolaverse.

The Massive #13 – Review

By: Brian Wood (writer), Gerry Brown (art) & Jordie Bellaire (colors)

The Story: A glimpse of the post-Crash United States.

Review (with SPOILERS): This will be an odd review as I’m traveling and left my issue of The Massive #13 back home.  So, I’m writing purely from memory rather than my customary method where I have the issue next to me and can flip through it for reference.  As such, it’s very much a review about first and lasting impressions.  Who knows????   Maybe THAT is the way reviews should be done all the time?

This issue gave me a bit of storytelling-whiplash as we appear to have totally abandoned this “Where’s the Massive?” storyline from last issue.  Heck, I’m not even sure how they have physically relocated from one part of the world to another.  Weren’t they in the Pacific?  It really makes no sense and if you’re a big fan of the storyline where our protagonists basically steam around the world looking for a missing sister ship…then you will be disappointed with this issue.

Star Wars #6 – Review

By: Brian Wood (Writer), Carlos D’Anda (Artist), Gabe Eltaeb (Colorist)

The Story: Luke goes to save Leia and gets much more involved in the mission that Leia is involved in.

The Review: Did you ever read something that you know is crafted well, yet you could never truly get into for some reason? A novel or a comic that you can definitely see the qualities and the hard work put into, yet did absolutely nothing for you? This is what Star Wars by Brian Wood is doing for me right now.

There are several qualities to this book, like the willingness to stick to the mythos as much as possible, without being redundant. By incorporating some newer characters and giving us a plotline that can be easily placed between the first two films (the original ones, mind you), Brian Wood show inventiveness that does him credit. It can be hard to write in such a revered era while adding new stuff in it without sounding sacrilegious, which I do believe he manage fairly well.

Abe Sapien: Dark And Terrible #3 – Review

By: Mike Mignola, Scott Allie (Writers), Sebastian Fiurama (Artist), Dave Stewart (Colorist)

The Story: Something hits the fan as the truth behind what is happening in the village Abe Sapien is in reveals itself.

The Review: Just who and what is Abe Sapien? That is the question that has plagued him ever since his birth and it has been a plot point that followed him throughout his development in B.P.R.D and that has been compelling enough to provide him with a title of his own. While we had part of the solution, we still had no idea just why Abe Sapien exists and neither does he, which makes for a rather interesting main motivation for our titular character.

However, this has not exactly been the focus of this three-issue arc, which has made us see just how the regular folks of the Mignolaverse had to adapt to the end of the world as they know it. It was a pretty intriguing and well thought-out idea that was presented in great fashion, yet it did not exactly seem like a story that could be only presented via Abe Sapien. It was much more akin to a traditional B.P.R.D story, which made the point of a series focusing on the rather popular character still a questionable matter.