The Living Corpse Annual #1 (Guest Starring Hack/Slash) – Review

By Ken Haeser (Writer, Art, & Colors), Buz Hasson (Art), and Chris Hewitt (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve never checked out an issue of The Living Corpse, but seeing as how it’s annual features a guest appearance by Cassie Hack and her partner Vlad (of Hack/Slash fame), I figured it was about time to do so. Who knows? Maybe it will hook me enough to make me want to catch up with the series.

The Story: Cassie and Vlad, while investigating the legend of the Jersey Devil, find themselves in The Living Corpse’s territory. While the creature may not be all the legend makes it out to be, there is something worse for the three to worry about…

What’s Good: A simple, fun, comical, and stylish read, The Living Corpse Annual #1 proves to be quite entertaining. While not exactly mind-blowing, the one-shot succeeds largely because it is calibrated to deliver the story in a way that will probably satisfy almost any comic reader (of approriate age this), regardless of how familiar he or she is with the characters involved. And that really counts for something when so many comics are so heavily steeped in continuity or part of some longer plot. The dialogue is mostly humorous, the story is interesting enough, and the artwork is quite unique and eye-catching (love the way the Jersey Devil looks). In short, you really can’t ask for a whole lot more from a one-and-done comic character crossover that seems to be attempting to be welcoming to (mature) readers of all sorts.

What’s Not So Good: By far the biggest negative about the book is the price tag ($4.99) it’s stuck with. I’m all for simple and fun entertainment, but something as lightweight as The Living Corpse Annual should have a comparably lightweight price. Simple as that.

The other negative involves the artwork. For every few impressive panels, there is one that is lacking in some way. Either it suffers from looking too simplified (especially in small panels) or has character work that just looks odd. I mean throughout the book Cassie Hack seems to have a head that morphs into different shapes. And, as another example, in one panel Vlad almost looks like a teddy bear…seriously.

Conclusion: If you are looking for a slick, fun horror-comedy comic book, you can’t really go wrong by picking up The Living Corpse Annual. Then again, there are better comics that can be bought at a much cheaper price.

Grade: C (+ or – depending on your opinion of the price issue)

-Kyle Posluszny

Hack/Slash #21 – Review

By Tim Seeley (Writer), Emily Stone (Art), and Mark Englert (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m quite a fan of the Hack/Slash formula. It successfully blends a variety of genres into one extremely satisfying product. One part bloody horror story, one part buddy action comedy, one part grounded drama, and one part supernatural thriller, Hack/Slash somehow manages to work on nearly every level. While the series has hit a few bumps here and there, it always keeps me coming back for more because the basic concept is just so much fun. Simply put, you should be reading Hack/Slash.

The Story: The latest chapter of Hack/Slash sees Cassie’s past catching up with her in a big way. Longtime fans will either love or loathe the surprise returns in one of the more oddball issues of the series. Let me just say that it features one of the more interesting uses of an old lady in a comic book. Yep…

What’s Good: Story-wise, Hack/Slash #21 scores more points with me for what it sets up than for what actually happens. Though that’s not to say it isn’t a fun and entertaining issue. In fact, it might actually be one of the funniest comics I’ve read in quite some time. The bits with the elderly lady, Muffy, are so ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh. Cassie and Vlad even get in on it with some great character moments both humorous and, at times, poignant. Good work Mr. Seeley.

Also worth mentioning is the art team of Emily Stone and Mark Englert. They provide solid visuals throughout the book, with a few extremely stand-out moments. I’ve been a bit hard on Emily Stone in the past (mostly regarding facial consistency and the occasionally sketchy panel), but Hack/Slash #21 features some of her best work. And that work is complimented well by Mark Englert’s effective, quality coloring.

What’s Not So Good: A lot of your enjoyment of the latest Hack/Slash arc will probably rest on what you think of the returning characters. I can easily imagine at least one of them annoying or irritating people, so I can easily imagine his (or her?!) return falling flat. Personally, I think introducing new characters might have been more interesting, but I’m not exactly against how things now stand.

Another not so good thing is that some of Stone’s pencils tend to look a bit sketchy and rough at times. While it doesn’t really distract from the otherwise nice visuals, an extra layer of polish would have helped. I say that especially because Hack/Slash is extremely close to being a consistently good to great looking series as Stone’s solid work continues to improve.

Conclusion: Hack/Slash #21 is a surprisingly funny installment to an extremely entertaining series. While some may find themselves a bit irked by the returns, I believe most will be forgiven by the time they hit the cliffhanger of an ending. I look forward to seeing where Tim Seeley and his creative team take things from this point on.

Grade:  B

-Kyle Posluszny

Mercy Sparx #3 – Review

By Josh Blaylock (Writer), Matt Merhoff (Pencils), and Bill Crabtree (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The first two issues of Mercy Sparx hinted that there may be quite a bit of depth to the new series beyond the slick concept of a devil-girl hunting rogue angels. However, writer Josh Blaylock has so far seemed more interested in letting Matt Merhoff go crazy with drawn out fight scenes as opposed to actually getting to the real meat of what Mercy Sparx is going to be all about. While I have enjoyed the brutal, fairly creative devil-girl vs. rogue angel action, the story needs to move beyond that in order to keep me hooked for the long term. I know the debut mini-series ends next month in order to pave the way for the ongoing. Whether I make the jump to the ongoing will largely depend on how things develop as the mini wraps up.

The Story: A meeting with Pastor Collins leaves Mercy quite upbeat as it seems her task on earth is finally complete. The elation is short lived however as the she-devil learns that her task wasn’t exactly heaven sent. It turns out more is at stake than Mercy could have realized.

What’s Good: I hoped for more story and that’s exactly what Mercy Sparx #3 delivers. The character, world, and series instantly became a lot more interesting upon learning the true nature of Mercy’s job. And while the plot twist isn’t exactly original, the stylish artwork and interesting character design leaves me looking forward to the future of the series. In addition, the twist puts Mercy in quite an interesting position heading into the conclusion of the mini-series/ launch of the ongoing. In other words, it looks as though Mercy Sparx could have a very bright future.

What’s Not So Good: There is quite a bit still up in the air regarding the plot developing through the mini-series. A fairly large amount of questions have yet to be answered and while I’m sure they will be addressed in the future, it makes it difficult to judge how satisfying the mini-series will ultimately end up being. Another negative worth mentioning is how the plot twist is both predictable and quite generic. Sure, the whole idea works and lends itself well to an ongoing, but I hope that there ends up being more to the series in the long run.

Conclusion: Mercy Sparx continues to be a fun series that gets by largely on its cool concept and attractive, stylish visuals. If you’ve liked it so far, I’m sure you will end up liking where the series goes next. In my humble opinion, Mercy Sparx is a keeper.

Grade:  B

-Kyle Posluszny

Mercy Sparx #2 – Review

By Josh Blaylock (Writer), Matt Merhoff (Art), and Eduardo Medeiros (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I really enjoyed the first issue of Mercy Sparx. It featured some incredibly stylish artwork, an interesting lead character, and an intriguing plot. In other words, it’s got potential. Time to find out if the series can begin to make good on that potential.

The Story: Mercy squares off against another muse, this time she’s up against Elysa. As it turns out, word about Mercy and her tactics has gotten around to other fallen angels, so the latest target doesn’t go down quite as easily as the last. Meanwhile, the plot thickens as some more is learned about what forces are behind Mercy’s mission.

What’s Good: Despite being heavy on the action and fairly light on story, the second issue of Mercy Sparx is actually a bit more enjoyable than the first. Though to be honest, I’m not exactly sure why that is. Maybe it’s the inspired gadgets Mercy wields. Maybe it’s that the artwork that looks a bit more polished and, as a result, handles the action scenes a lot better. Maybe it’s that the end of the issue hints at a plot that strikes a chord with me because of how fascinating I find the use (and abuse) of religion. Or maybe it’s because the book is just downright fun. Whatever the case, the Mercy Sparx #2 leaves me hoping the series develops a following large enough to warrant a long, successful run.

What’s Not So Good: While the book definitely leaves me wanting more, it also leaves me slightly unsatisfied. The ending hints that there is a whole lot more story to tell, but if there is, it needs to be paced throughout each individual issue better. I mean I love a good catfight as much as the next guy, especially one filled with fun gadgets and witty banter, but that can only get a series so far. Here’s to hoping that chapter three puts a little more meat on the bone for people to chew on.

Conclusion: I highly recommend checking Mercy Sparx out for those of you looking for something you simply can’t get from Marvel or DC. The character is interesting, the artwork is perfect for the tone of the story, and the long-term potential is definitely present. I can’t wait for more Mercy.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny