United States of Murder Inc. #1 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Michael Avon Oeming (Artist), Taki Soma (colorist)

The Story: What if the mobs never waned in influence? What if they just got bigger?

The Review: This is a fascinating high concept for a crime comic. As much as I have always adored Brubaker and Phillips’ Criminal book, there is something inherently awesome in seeing an alternate world in which the mobs never lost their footing in America. This issue succeeds in building up this world in a very organic manner that never steps on the toes of the story that it is trying to tell as we follow Valentine Gallo through his initiation into the ‘family’.

Bendis introduces a lot of characters here who feel new and fresh and yet instantly familiar; the mysterious female accomplice, the joker of a cousin, and the slightly haunted mother. All of these characters felt incredibly real upon reading and helped to sell the believability of this world. The dynamic between Valentine and Jagger Rose is interesting in and of itself as the latter attempts to diffuse any sexual tension from their partnership early on in a hilarious scene. It seems clear that despite being a made man that Valentine is somewhat emotionally and sexually stunted, an early scene shows him in bed with two women looking terribly confused and the relationship established with Jagger shows us that Valentine is not quite the man he tries to carry himself as.

Further muddying Valentine’s self-image is the killer reveal at the end of this issue when our protagonist discovers that his entire existence has been something of a lie, this was a very unexpected twist and puts the character between a rock and a hard place, throwing up questions of identity and loyalty. Bendis and his artists have established a firm foundation for this series moving forward with a likeable, interesting cast and a fantastic, dramatic hook that will keep people coming back for subsequent issues.

Powers: The Bureau #9 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Michael Avon Oeming (Penciler/Inker), Nick Filardi (Colors).

The Story: The curious case of Extreme and his many, many pouches.

The Review: As a Screenwriting/Playwriting student at a university, I’ve always appreciated that the comics industry not only has room for a writer that has more of a naturalistic voice for dialogue and pacing, but also that his writing style has been embraced and led to such astonishing success. That said, I’ve started to feel that the delays with his creator owned books such as Brilliant, Scarlet and Powers are really starting to diminish my enjoyment of them.

I’m not assigning blame to Bendis, I’m not sure if blame for the book’s delays can be laid at his feet, whether its the demands of artists workloads or a confluence of events, what I do know is that when I opened this book I had no recollection of the previous issue. Despite being a tad foggy on the particulars of issue #8 I still found this issue to be a great read, other than the Retro Girl sub-plot that gets a little movement at the close of this chapter, issue #9 is business as usual for detectives Pilgrim and Walker as they interrogate 90’s throwback Extreme. The Hollywood setting of this arc really does play to the strengths of Powers VH1 Behind the scenes take on super-heroes behaving badly, as Hollywood is the epitome of celebrity excess, so to is the 90’s the epitome of super-hero excess. Bendis and Oeming tie these two elements together with their hilarious send up of 90’s extremism in the form of, well, Extreme. The former “mentor” of the teen super-group The Circle is suspected of having a hand in their deaths and this issue alternates between the detectives interrogation of him and the flashback sequence detailing their final, fateful mission.

The art in this book is some of the most idiosyncratic on the stands, Oeming excels at both the moody, shadowy interrogation room scenes as well as the bright, poppy, Kirby-esque invasion sequences, other than perhaps Mike Mignola or Chris Bachalo I’m hard pressed to think of any working artist that is more singularly unique than Oeming. His partnership with Bendis at this point is a well oiled machine, there is never a duff panel, never a confusing sequence, and the over-cross hatched double page spread this issue is hilarious.

Loose Ends #2 – Review

By: Jason Latour (writer), Chris Brunner (artist) & Rico Renzi (colorist)

The Story: A series of flashbacks gives us more details on our protagonists.

What’s Good: If there was a minor nagging complaint from Loose Ends #1 (which I loved), it was that you left the issue a little unsure about what was going on.  Sure, we’d been treated to a superb comic that featured a gritty come-apart in a roadside honky-tonk, but it wasn’t that clear who these characters were, what they were up to, whether they knew each other, etc.  To some extent, that shows some of the silliness of reviewing single-issue comics because I’m sure the creators sit there, reading the reviews and think, “Sheesh…how about wait for the second issue, guy!”  because things are clearer after a second issue.

This issue again features really stunning art by the team of Chris Brunner and Rico Renzi.  What’s amazing about the art is that is uses a technique that I don’t generally like that much (dot-overlay) to make the flashbacks clear.  Then Renzi colors these flashbacks with a uniform amber that allows Brunner’s inks to just sing.  It’s just a great example of a colorist not gooping up nice art.  THEN, when we get to the more present-day scenes, the colors are all kinds of bright and alive.  The art in Loose Ends is glorious.

And, I’m enjoying the story too.  Part of this issue is a flashback to a bunch of these characters as high school kids.  It allows you to see how they all fit together and really makes some of the events of issue #1 take on greater depth.  What’s cool about this scene is that the information isn’t just served up on a platter for you as I was repeatedly flipping back to check someone’s name from an earlier page.  It was a lot like a puzzle as the pieces snapped into place.  This is a dangerous trick for creators to try because if the comic isn’t captivating, the reader isn’t going to care enough to do the work.  But, Latour, Brunner & Renzi have made such an electric comic that the adventure is awfully fun.

Seeing how this flashback tied up some loose ends also gives me greater hope for the opening scene.  It shows a drug-land shootout that is gritty as hell.  I’ve got zero clue what was going on in this scene, but having see how neatly other scenes are being explained, I’m very confident it’ll all turn out.

Incognito: Bad Influences #1 – Review

By: Ed Brubaker (writer), Sean Phillips (art & letters) & Val Staples (colors)

The Story: What will Zack Overkill do now that he’s one of the good guys?

What’s Good: We use the term “creative team” a lot in comics: “Try this comic.  It has a new ‘creative team’ staring with issue #___.”  But, to use that term thusly is really a disservice to this creative TEAM.  The team of Brubaker, Phillips and Staples has brought us ~30 issues of Criminal and Incognito and they’ve gotten to the point where you can just tell that they don’t have to spend a lot of time giving instruction to one another.  They can just focus on their portion of the creative process because they pretty much know what the next guy will do with their work product.  Not to mention, they know the strengths of the others on the team and can lob meatballs that the other guy can just hit out of the park.

In case you cannot tell, the prior paragraph’s gushing means that Incognito: Bad Influences is a really good comic book.  It picks up some time after the events of the first volume of Incognito.  A year, perhaps??  The reader need not have read the first volume, but you’ll understand what is going on better if you do.  Not to mention that the first volume is an outstanding story of a super-villain in witness protection (think of a mob story, but with super powers).  At the end of the volume, the main character, Zack Overkill seems to have reformed and become one of the good guys.

It appears that this story is going to be more espionage flavored as Zack is sent on a secret mission that will tempt him to fall back into old habits.  An espionage comic is going to play right into the hands of the creative team.  It should be a lot of fun to watch this play out over the next few months.

Criminal #7 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Sean Phillips (artist), Val Staples (colorist)

The Story: In the conclusion to the “Bad Night” storyline, Jacob discovers the full extent of Iris’ treachery, but must think and act fast if he is going to exact his revenge, because Detective Starr is moving in for the kill– especially after Jacob humiliated him after their last encounter.

The Good: What I love most about Criminal is how Brubaker and Phillips strive to make this book as accessible and new-reader friendly as possible.  Storylines like “Bad Night” are short, running no more than four issues in length, and self contained so that after one story ends, another begins with a new cast.  Because stories only have a few issues in which to be told, they are by necessity tightly paced and engaging; Brubaker gets right to the point and introduces you to the cast and sets up the conflict so that he has enough time to let it unfold.

This is important because in an industry dominated by superhero comics with decades of continuity attached to them, a creator-owned crime comic like this needs every inroad it can get to attract readers. And Criminal overwhelmingly succeeds because it is designed to be enjoyed by anybody.  I put this idea to the test and gave my dad, a longtime Mickey Spillane fan, the “Bad Night” storyline and was pleased when he came back to me the next day asking if I had anymore issues to share with him!

The Not So Good: My only problem is that Criminal will be taking a five-month break so that Brubaker and Phillips can release Incognito, another crime story with a superhero twist.  Not a bad problem for a good title like this, really.

Conclusion: Criminal proves that variety really is the spice of life.  This is a quality comic and great entertainment.  Not to be missed!

Grade: A

-Tony Rakittke

The Cleaners #1 (of 4) – Review

By Mark Wheaton & Joshua Hale Fialkov (story), Rashan Ekedal (art), Jon Graef (colors)

If the TV shows “CSI” and “Supernatural” got drunk and hooked up at a party, they could have given birth to this little gem of a comic, the first in a four-part limited series. In fact, this first issue even reads like a pilot episode, and I mean that in a good way.

“The Cleaners” are a for-hire team of trauma scene cleaners led by Robert Bellarmine, a former doctor whose attention to detail and methodical nature I think are meant to remind us of Gil Grissom. In beautifully detailed double splash pages, Bellarmine moves through crime scenes explaining the nature of his work in jargon that sounds appropriately technical, but is still accessible to the reader. I especially loved how captions explain Bellarmine’s tools, or highlight interesting facts about the crime scene. While working for a high profile client, Robert is told about a big job that covers a neighborhood. He arrives to find a total bloodbath, and begins putting the residents at ease as he cleans up the mess.

Bellarmine’s investigation suggests a local blood bank or waste disposal company is probably dumping its supplies in order to cut costs, but the end of the issue reveals something even darker and more disturbing lurking in the city. Something that does not want to be found.

It can be hard to find new, original ideas in comics, but this is definitely one of them. Although this first issue was a little light on plot, Wheaton and Fialkov have still written an excellent fusion of noir and supernatural horror that loves its genres and respects their trappings.  And to compliment the unique tale, Rashan Ekedal’s art is suitably detailed and gritty, proving to be the right choice to realize Wheaton and Fialkov’s story. I can’t wait to grab the next issue and see where they go with this.

Grade: B+

-Tony Rakittke

Kill the Revisionist! (Graphic Novel) – Review

By Chad Lambert (writer) and Chris Steininger (art)

You’ve seen all this before. Take the Highlander, dress him up like Devo, add bits of Wolverine and Daredevil, then have it drawn by a guy who wants to be Matt Wagner so much it hurts, and you have the Revisionist.

Fortunately, in comics originality isn’t as important as style, and Kill the Revisionist! has that in spades. The art is cool, the action fast-paced, the dialogue irreverent, and the plot twisty in several ways I didn’t see coming. It begins at the dawn of time, on a molten and lifeless Earth, to which a tattooed super-criminal has been banished for attempted genocide back in his own dimension. It then jumps to the present day, with the Revisionist stomping on a couple of would-be museum tomb raiders. You see, there’s a crime cartel known as the Cross causing mayhem throughout the city and the Revisionist is the only man standing between them and… whatever it is they’re trying to accomplish. That part’s a bit fuzzy. The Revisionist continues to cross paths with them, sometimes thwarting their evil schemes, but mostly getting his ass kicked. During the day he tries to get a date with Sara, a co-worker at his white collar day job, and making excuses for the bruises on his face. As the novel progresses, the stakes keep getting higher and — wouldn’t you know it — the leader of the Cross turns out to be that ancient, extra-dimensional, super-powered mass murderer.

The Revisionist previously appeared in Digital Webbing Presents, which I haven’t read. A recap at the beginning of the book would have been nice. As it is, the story seems to skate over more than a few details that might have given the story more depth: What exactly is the Revisionist’s day job? Why does he fight crime? And why, with three billion years to craft his revenge, couldn’t the villain come up with a master plan that was a little more sophisticated?

Despite these shortcomings, Kill the Revisionist! is a fast, fun ride. (Grade: B)

– Andrew C. Murphy

Scalped #15 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Giulia Brusco (colors)

With two trades of Scalped already out in stores, there’s no excuse (unless you’re broke) to not be reading this series. It’s really as good as everyone says! Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera are in full stride with issue #15. And that the cover? Brilliant use of negative space and design (the image used for this review is *not* the actual cover).

The “Dead Mothers” story continues as Bad Horse takes Shelton under his wing, teaching him how to use firearms, taking him camping, and just doing a lot of bonding that a father and son might do. Though Bad Horse isn’t exactly the best role model for this boy, it’s great to see him keeping the Shelton out of trouble. The kid’s completely like-able, and I hope Aaron doesn’t kill him off later down the line.

Meanwhile, despite the urging of the people around him, Red Crow is vigilant and determined to find the killer behind Bad Horse’s mother. As awful as Red Crow is as a man, his sense of honor to his former friend is honorable, even admirable. It’s also sad, because Red Crow seems to care more about Bad Horse’s mother than Bad Horse, himself! However, the people Red Crow can’t seem to stop are the Mongols. Mr. Brass, interrogates one of the accessories in the death of Shelton’s mother and while he does get results on Diesel’s whereabouts, the horror that’s inflicted on the man literally made me squirm.

Much like Officer Bad Horse, the ending of this issue left me completely speechless. Aaron’s pacing is spot-on perfect and R.M. Guera again proves that he’s one of the best artists in the industry. Scalped #15 is a hell of a good read. Easily one of the best issues of the series so far. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Criminal Vol.2 #1 – Review

By Ed Brubaker (writer), Sean Phillips (art), Val Staples (color)

This is my favorite Criminal story yet. Ed Brubaker snags you in from page one and doesn’t let go. The beauty of this book is while the story will continue for issues to come, the story presented here is very much self contained. Sean Phillips is in top form on art duty. The facial expressions and body language we renders give so much life to Brubaker’s script while Val Staples does a great coloring job portraying the mood of urban life in the 1970s.

The story follows the lives of two men – one white, one black. Both of their fathers were crime lords, thus in a way, they were raised like brothers. As they’ve grown into men, the white kid (now a man) goes to college and is groomed to take the mantle of his father’s empire. The black kid tries to find his own way, becoming a boxing champ. As the two men go their separate ways, destiny comes in the form of a woman and their lives are once again entangled.

Words can’t begin to describe how enamored I am with this story. It’s honest, hard-hitting, and so well written. Brubaker does such a wonderful job getting you into the heads of both men and their situations. You can’t help but feel sympathy for either of them, despite their faults. When the crap hits the fan (and it does), it’ll leave you gasping for what happens next. Like I said, the story will continue, but with this expanded issue (32 pages), Brubaker is able to keep it all self contained. Don’t wait for the trade to come out. Buy this today. You’ll be happy you did. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Fell #1-8 (Feral City TPB) – Review

By: Warren Ellis (written) and Ben Templesmith (illustrated)

I read this trade reluctantly because I didn’t like Templesmith’s previous work (Wormwood). But you know what? The right script, some realism, and believable characters makes his art shine. Templesmith has been redeemed (at least for me).

Richard Fell is a detective who’s just been transferred to the worst part of town. Snowtown has plenty of drugs, killers, freaks and feral dogs and it seems like it’s always night. With every issue you get a complete story – If you haven’t read any previous Fell issues, it’s still very accessible. There’s not too many books out there where you can pick up any issue and still “get it”. For the faithful who’ve read every issue there are definitely continuity tidbits scattered about.

There’s quite a lot of things to like about this book. The last issue implemented a great idea of using photographs and post-it notes to tell the story. Abstract but very cool. Another thing that stood out with issue #8 is we finally see the dawn of a new day. It’s the first time we, as readers, ever see daylight, and it feels like a premonition of things to come – a brighter future for a dreary city.

This book looks like it could work perfectly as a TV series (Showtime or FX) with Warren Ellis as the head writer, and Templesmith as perhaps the art director. I’d watch it! You can read the first issue here. (Grade: A)

-Daniel Yanez

 

A Second Opinion

Okay, the nun in this book is crazy. Well, this whole book is crazy, actually – but I love it. It’s demented, yet structured fun by Warren Ellis. I know we’re reviewing the trade here, but if you ever pick up the individual issues, they’re only $1.99 a pop – a steal in this day and age!

Sure, you only get like 16 pages of story, but the fact that you’re getting complete stand alone stories in each issue is just fantastic. Fell plays out like a twisted crime story with some good laughs thrown in here and there. Richard Fell doesn’t necessarily make the book good – it’s the characters he meets that do. (Grade: A-)

– J.Montes

 

Scalped #14 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Jason Aaron wastes no time getting to the nitty gritty of this issue. We learn right from the beginning how Bad Horse’s mother died. He plays it cool, but there’s one panel where we actually see him show a hint of sadness. I like how R.M. Guera sneaks that panel in, barely giving us a glimpse of how he feels deep down inside.

Bad Horse meets with the kid whose mother was killed last issue. The kid possesses all the qualities and traits Bad Horse had at his age. Determined not to let the kid go down the wrong path, he does his best to console him. Bad Horse also confronts FBI Agent Nitz who finally confesses that Diesel’s an undercover agent. The fact remains that Diesel is a murderer, but Nitz says to let it go and to only deal with Red Crow.

There’s a lot of frustration in the air, and it’s not just affecting Bad Horse. Each character portrayed in this issue is doing some kind of grieving and it all ends with (at last) the appearance of a character we’ve been waiting a long time for. This book is back to full steam and I’m loving every minute of it. (Grade: A-)

– J.Montes

Scalped #13 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Scalped #13 begins a new story arc, “Dead Mothers”. After four issues of side stories and stuff I consider “filler” material, the main story gets back on track!

This issue starts off in all the right ways. We get three beautiful pages (by R.M. Guera) of Red Crow agonizing over Gina’s corpse. It’s poignant scene that resonates. Bad Horse and the cops bust a meth house and find a strangled mother while they’re cleaning up. This kind of bust is so routine to the officers that they’ve developed a lot of apathy for victims – the children. When it’s revealed who the murderer may be, it seems all too convenient and predictable (at least to the reader), but Bad Horse doesn’t know what we know and rushes off to take the person down.

Jason Aaron weaves two tales here that parallel. When they both finally intersect it becomes tragic and extremely powerful. I thought the first three pages were gut wrenching, but the last three are by far, more moving. R.M. Guera is a masterful storyteller and Jason Aaron is incredibly lucky to have his talent along side. This is easily the most emotional issue of Scalped yet – and the best. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

Scalped #12 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), John Paul Leon (art), Guilia Brusco (colors)

Issue #12 brings Bad Horse back into the story line. He’s plagued with reoccurring dreams of his death. Each time, he dies by Red Crow’s hand and it’s beginning to overcome him. We also learn why he’s working for the FBI – he’s trying to earn back his freedom. But at what will be the ultimate cost of his freedom? His mother tries to give him the answers in a series of prophesying dreams, but it just doesn’t make sense to him.

John Paul Leon does the art chores for this issue, and while his artwork is no where as striking as that of R.M. Guera, he keeps the tone consistent. It’s great to see Bad Horse back after such a long hiatus, but the story continues to chug along.

We get a lot of foreshadowing, yes, but it’s also safe to assume that everything his mom says is easily going to happen anyway. I guess the Bad Horse is too dumb not to figure out the obvious and needs it spelled out to him. Great dialogue as usual by Jason Aaron, but this issue felt like unneeded filler. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

Scalped #6-11 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Giulia Brusco (colors)

Issues #6-11 deliver the grand opening of the Lakota casino. Things aren’t going very smoothly for the opening and Red Crow’s forced to deal with some Asian gangsters who send one of their own to deal with his protester problems. However, he never shows up, leaving me to believe he’ll be around for the next story arc. Meanwhile, the mysterious Catcher enters Bad Horse and Red Crow’s lives and turns things upside down for each one of them.

Catcher’s an interesting character. You’d think a book like this would have a crazy medicine man in it, and he sort of fits the type, but there’s a lot more modern mysticism about him. He’s rugged, weathered, and defeated by alcohol. But he’s still very much a man of the old ways. He sees the strangest things and it’s intriguing when we finally get to see out of his eyes. It’s not a big reveal when we find out who he is. In fact, I had my suspicions since issue #5. It’s also revealed to Bad Horse that there’s another FBI agent on the reservation. It’s quite obvious who it is, but it’s never told to Bad Horse who the person is.

After issue #9 things slow down. We get to learn more of Lakota culture and how awful life can be on a reservation. It’s depressing, to say the least. Issue #11, the final part of the Casino Boogie story line goes out with a whimper, bringing us back full circle to Gina’s demise. We get some answers, but there’s still a lot of outstanding questions looming. I wanted more from this story and felt kind of let down with the lack of resolution with Diesel. It’s also been rough having Bad Horse absent for three consecutive issues. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes

Scalped #4-5 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Lee Loughridge (colors)

Scalped continues strong with its second story arc, “Hoka Hey”. It’s a two issue story that carries a lot of flashbacks. These flashbacks, however, give excellent perspective on the supporting cast. These character moments that show just how complicated things are in Red Crow’s shoes. While he is, for all intents, still villainous, we get to see a few skeletons that shaped him into what he is now. He’s an opportunist, sure, but he also thinks he’s doing the right thing in his own mind.

Then there’s Bad Horse’s mother. She was never a perfect mother and she’s seen as a thorn in the side of progress on the reservation. There’s a scene in issue #4 illustrated by R.M. Guera where there’s few words used. It’s a beautiful montage of flashbacks and emotions, and you just can’t help but feel empathy for her. We also get to see some of Bad Horse’s past. His life outside the reservation made him a better man – a man driven to succeed at any cost. Meanwhile, Carol’s true colors come out and Bad Horse takes things into his own hands. The ending of issue #5 is ominous. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes

Scalped #1-3 – Review

By Jason Aaron (writer), R.M. Guera (art), Lee Loughridge (colors)

Scalped #1-3 contains the first story arc of the series. The arc follows an undercover FBI agent named Bad Horse as he returns to his Indian Reservation in Nebraska. Like many reservations, this one is overrun with poverty, lawlessness, and full of drugs and alcohol. Bad Horse is considered an outcast with a less than reputable family name. He starts trouble with the locals and nearly gets himself killed before being spared by the “tribal leader”, Red Crow – a man full of corruption. Red Crow takes a liking to Bad Horse’s attitude. He makes Bad Horse a cop and uses him to to do his bidding. But some higher-ups in town don’t like Bad Horse’s attitude or reputation. That’s when things get crazy.

R.M. Guera’s art reminds me of Frank Miller in a way. It’s messy, very dark, and distinct all at the same time. The colors by Lee Loughridge are very bland and washed out. I’m not sure if he’s trying to capture the spirit of desolation in the midwest, but it sure instills that essence.

This book is hardcore, probably the most hardcover Vertigo book I’ve read since Garth Ennis’ Preacher. It’s full of testosterone, politics, sex, and things you probably see on an episode of Cops. There’s a lot of tension in this book and there’s usually something that hits the fan in each issue. If you can find these back issues at your local comic store, do not hesitate to pick them up. You can also pick up the first trade paperback, “Indian Country” which collects issues #1-5 for $9.99. Consider me on for the ride. If you’re interested giving this book a read, issue #1 is available as a free download from DC Comics. (Grade: A)

– J. Montes