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

The Corps! #0 – Review

By Rick Remender (writer), Michael Penick (artist), Kevin Cross (colors)

The Story: The Corps! is touted as the elite team of mercenaries that governments won’t hesitate to hire to maintain any sort of deniability. This special preview issue offers eight pages of story and other bonuses like concepts, sketches, and plot elements. All together you’re getting about 24 pages of book (including advertisements) for $0.99.

As for the story, Dusk and her team of operatives are hired to rescue a mayor in Brazil who’ve been captured by one of the ruling drug cartels. However, all is not what it seems and soon our beautiful heroine is faced with a deadly situation when she’s confronted by betrayal from within.

What’s Good: At $0.99 there’s hardly room to complain. Even though we only get eight pages of story, the production values are good and the bonus materials shed some good insight as to how this series is being created. The story twist at the end is unexpected and left me wondering how things could go so badly (for Dusk) so quickly.

This is easily one of the better drawn books at Devil’s Due. Saying Michael Penick’s art is heavily influenced by Steve McNiven is an understatement. Smoke trails, hair, facial expressions – it’s all very similar.  He and colorist Kevin Cross work hard to emulate McNiven and Morry Hollowell’s visual style and almost nail it.  Penick reminds me of how Travis Charest used to ape Jim Lee before finding his own style.

What’s Not So Good: The concept is pretty generic and anyone who reads the pitch on the opening page will be instantly turned off. It doesn’t help that the book has an unremarkable name.

Conclusion: Rick Remender’s name may be the only reason why people continue to buy this book. Because as far as preview/teaser issues go, the story here is slightly above average at best. Were this book written by anyone else I highly doubt people would give this book a second chance. That said, Remender’s good track record will keep me around to see what transpires.

Grade: B-

– J. Montes

Mercy Sparx #0 – Capsule Review

By Josh Blaylock (Writer), Matt Merhoff (Pencils), Eduardo Medeiros (Colors), and Sean Dove (Design)

I’m quite a few weeks late on this one on account of the difficulty I had locating a copy, but it definitely deserves a mention. This zero issue introduces the world to Mercy Sparx, a sexy punk-rock she-demon living in Sheol, a city located somewhere between purgatory, heaven, and hell. She’s living a dead end life, has a bad attitude, and is not entirely sure she even cares anymore at this point. Some, not all, of that changes when a burly demon in a pin-stripe suit interrupts her at a bar to deliver a message from heaven.

While Mercy Sparx as a character feels fairly familiar, the book feels surprisingly fresh thanks to some clever writing and extremely attractive artwork. Josh Blaylock hits just the right tone for a story about a character like Mercy and some lines give me a feeling that the series will end up aiming higher than one might initially expect given the premise. As for the art, the absolutely fantastic character designs are made even better by some vibrant color work. The look calls to mind some classic pin-up and tattoo designs, definitely a good thing that makes this one stand out from the pack.

At only 99 cents, you really can’t go wrong in checking out the premiere of Mercy Sparx. I enjoyed the hell out of it and I’m fairly certain you will to. The October debut can’t come soon enough. (Grade: B+)

-Kyle Posluszny

Spooks: Omega Team #1 – Review

Ryan Schifrin (Creator), Larry Hama (Writer), Tim Seeley (Pencils), and Nick Bell (Colors)

I enjoyed the introductory Spooks mini-series quite a bit. While a little over-the-top at times and inconsistent visually, it accomplished the goal of doing enough things right to make me interested in what an ongoing Spooks series would have to offer. Turns out, it has quite a bit to offer as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

The Omega Team is an elite military unit specifically tuned to deal with supernatural, off the record threats. In this case, the target is Lilithu, queen of the night and she has done something to both U.S. rangers and members of the Iraqi Royal Guard. While I don’t want to spoil anything here, let me just say that the discovery of what exactly happened to the missing people leads to lots of action, some (borderline corny) humorous dialogue, and plot developments that lead me to believe this debut storyline won’t wrap up for at least a few more issues. The thing that strikes me the most about Omega Team is that it clearly isn’t taking things too seriously and that “summer blockbuster” vibe keeps me from being too critical at this point in the game.

The biggest compliment I can give Larry Hama and his art team is noticing that they definitely have a vision for what type of book Omega Team is going to be. While it doesn’t look as though it will rise above “monster of the month” level of storytelling anytime soon, that doesn’t make things any less enjoyable. The action is clever, the visuals are quite attractive, and the characters could turn out to be fairly unique (though Bettina definitely looks like a buff version of Cassie Hack, another Seeley project). Eventually, this series is going to have to aim a bit higher if it hopes to avoid getting stale, but for the time being it’s best to just strap in and enjoy the ride. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

Hack/Slash #15 – Review

By Tim Seeley, Barry Keating, & Brian Yuzna (Story), Emily Stone (Art), and Mark Englert (Colors)

I was sold on the Hack/Slash Vs. Re-Animator crossover the moment it was announced. Two of my favorite comic characters against an 80’s horror icon? Sign me up! Now, the fanboy in me loves that the tone, use of continuity, and characterization are spot on. The critic in me is forced to acknowledge the slow burn storytelling, disappointing artwork, and the sense (so far) that Dr. West seems to exist more as a storytelling device than the classic character he is.

The storyline for this crossover arc is, surprisingly, quite continuity heavy. It mostly revolves around clearing up the mystery surrounding Cassie’s father (going by the clever alias of Gordon Stuart) as he assists in Dr. Herbert West’s quest to “cure” death. Cassie and Vlad play a fairly minor role in the issue as their scenes mostly center around the search for Mr. Hack. It is a slow and fairly uneventful issue, but it works rather well putting the plot pieces in place. I can’t help but wish that the story wasn’t so steeped in continuity though. While Dr. West’s appearance feels shockingly natural given both Hack/Slash and The Re-Animator storylines, I wish he had gotten some chance to interact with the main characters. At least for this one issue, he feels more like a (well written) plot device than a villain. I hope there is some sort of confrontation before this is all over or else the Herbert West appearance will have been wasted.

I can’t stress enough how well written Dr. West is. Tim Seeley absolutely nails the character and manages to fit him into the Hack/Slash world in an incredibly smooth manner. As for the rest, it’s standard Seeley stuff. He writes a well told story, good character interactions, and clever in-jokes.

Emily Stone’s artwork is solid though somewhat underwhelming. Everything has a somewhat sketchy look to it and the coloring does nothing to hide it. While I generally enjoy her style, I just don’t feel that it fits the story well this time out. Still, as a whole, it’s a book that presents well.

Hack Slash #15 is a solid start to what I hope will turn into a great story. The necessary background is given, the pieces are moved into place, and the guest-star is (for the most part) used quite well. While not quite as strong as I was expecting, it holds loads of potential. Hack/Slash and horror fans in general should make sure to give this one a look. (Grade: B-)

-Kyle Posluszny

Hack/Slash #14 – Review

By Tim Seeley, (Writer) Emily Stone, (Artist) and Val Staples (Colors)

I don’t think I am making too much of a leap when I say that nearly everyone reading this site has, at one point, gotten pissed off at the constant stream of remakes coming out of Hollywood. It seems as though nothing is sacred anymore. I honestly believe that horror fans have gotten the worst of it as rarely is there a day that goes by without news of another remake going into production.

The latest issue of Hack/Slash tackles the remake craze in a way that only Hack/Slash can: by serving up dark humor and loads of gore on the set of a Wizard of Oz remake that’s being directed by the guy who did “Epic Movie 2 and 4 Fast 4 Furious” (Yeah…Tim Seeley gets it). While this one scores big points on concept alone, it isn’t as strong as it could be. There is a lot of potential for gory fun (darkly comic murders inspired by Oz? Sign me up!), but much of it goes unrealized because everything happens way too fast due to the inclusion of odd breaks in the story. I understand the need to advance the three overall series arcs, but it comes across as tacked on when they have next to nothing to do with what the bulk of the issue is about. This one is good, but nearly as great as it could have been.

Tim Seeley serves up some great humor and brings some interesting elements into the series that should play out well in future issues. While I disagree with the way he used this issue to bring those elements into play, I must admit that I am looking forward to the direction the overall plot is taking. In particular, next month looks to be one hell of a ride (80s horror fans are in for a treat).

Emily Stone’s artwork is solid (as usual), but marred by some questionable color work by Val Staples. While the majority of the book looks just fine visually, the gore scenes are hit or miss due to the strange use of pinks and purples for most of the blood. I am able to forgive Staples somewhat though, because a certain scientific serum looks absolutely perfect.

Hack/Slash #14 is a lot of fun, but could have been better. It scores points for concept, comedy, and future plot potential, but not many as were up for grabs. I expect big things next month, so I hope this one makes good on all the promise it holds. (Grade: C+)

-Kyle Posluszny

Hack/Slash #13 – Review

Mark Kidwell,(Writer) Tim Seeley, (Writer/Art) Emily Stone, (Art) Milian Parvanov, and Courtney Via (Colors)

It turns out that last issue was just a bump in the road (no pun intended, I swear) because Hack/Slash is in fine form this month. Just about everything in this issue is an improvement over the last and I think that if read back to back, this issue would actually elevate the last. I almost want to say now that it’s a shame the “Bump” crossover is over so soon because the concept lends itself well to some Cassie and Vlad ass kicking.

And kick ass they do in Hack/Slash #13. Picking up where they left off last month, Cassie, Vlad, and the reporter Phil O’Grady follow the lead to Eddie’s home. There they come face to face with a large number of the wooden horrors and Eddie himself. Much action, bloodshed, and graphic violence ensues in classic Hack/Slash fashion. It really doesn’t get much more complicated than that, but sometimes simplicity works best. The only drawback to the way this story plays out is at one point where the action breaks in order to move the overall story arc forward. Any momentum that had been built up immediately comes to a halt. I understand that the creative team needed to fit this crossover into continuity somehow due the cancellation of “Bump,” but it really does feel like things are coming from a completely different story (which, in a way, they are).

The writing done by Mark Kidwell is much stronger this issue thanks to, what feels like, more familiarity with the characters. He nails a nice buddy movie type vibe that keeps things light in what is, in all honesty, a pretty dark tale. Occasionally, I was frustrated by the way that he wrote Eddie, as it is sometimes difficult to understand what he’s supposed to be saying – but that is a minor complaint. Tim Seeley does a decent job with the series story elements involved, but, again, they feel out of place. He does throw in some nice humor though and the dog creature is quite entertaining. This is a fun read all around.

Thankfully, the artwork is much more consistent than the last issue. Cassie actually looks like the same person throughout the book, Vlad doesn’t have multiple faces, and there is really only one or two instances where things look a bit off. The gory action in this issue has some solid direction and there are a few great scenes even when things slow down. In particular, a humorous silhouette panel of the three main characters sneaking toward the house cracked me up.

Hack/Slash #13 does a lot to accent the “Bump” crossover storyline and I am really happy with how things concluded. Even if the last issue let you down as it did me, be sure to check out this latest issue – it definitely makes up for last month’s shortcomings. (Grade B)

-Kyle Posluszny

Drafted #8 – Review

By Mark Powers (Writer), Rebekah Isaacs (Line Artist), and Joseph Baker (Color Artist)

Trundling effortlessly along the track laid down by Starship Troopers, Ender’s Game, and Battlestar Galactica, Drafted is a tale of humans versus aliens—not ground-breaking by any means, but solidly entertaining.

The twist in this book is that instead of the 24th or 25th century it takes place in the near future, and mankind’s ability to fight the invaders is not home-grown but a gift (of sorts) from a second group of aliens. The bad aliens are H.R. Giger-style giant insects (of course), while the the good aliens are a sort of cross between the big-eyed “grays” of popular folklore and a hood ornament. Normally in this sort of story it falls upon some Heinleinesque übermensh to recognize the impending danger and gather humanity’s defenses; in Drafted, humanity is clueless until the “Benefactor” aliens hand us some weapons and quietly suggest we live free or die.

In this issue, the “World-Eater” bad guys show up early, and humanity’s chosen few are beamed up Rapture-style from wherever they happen to be at the time. The Benefactors are able to wipe out most of the invading fleet as they enter the solar system, but it’s up to the humans to destroy those that got through before they can burrow into the bowels of the Earth like alien tapeworms. What follows is a series of fairly standard dog-fights; substitute flying silver centipedes for Stukkas and you have a pretty good sense of it.

The art is better than average, if stiff at times, and the coloring is wonderful, but a book like this lives or dies by the writing. The premise of this book touches on universal themes (in this case, literally). It’s a monumental challenge, and Powers just isn’t up to the task. The book is fun, thrilling even, but there’s no real sense of scale, or fear, or—most importantly—loss.

Drafted is supposedly being considered for adaptation to a motion picture, but we’re really talking Sci Fi Channel movie-of-the-week. (Grade: B)

– Andrew C. Murphy

G.I. Joe: America’s Elite #35 – Review

By Mark Powers (script), Mike Bear, Mike Shoyket, Pat Quinn (art), and Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colors)

It’s probably a little too late to start reading G.I. Joe: America’s Elite (the series is ending next month), but as I always say, better late than never! Issue #35 is part 11 (of 12) of the “World War III” story line that’s been touted as one of the best Joe stories ever told. Since I’m only familiar with the early issues Marvel put out in the 1980s, there’s not much for me to compare it to (unless you count the TV show, which I’ve seen countless times).

One thing I’ve noticed is how mature this story is. It’s G.I. Joe all grown up, and the war they’ve been fighting with Cobra feels like there’s a lot at stake. The preface is Cobra’s been starting skirmishes around the globe to weaken all the superpowers’ armies. With global defenses spread thin, Cobra Commander unveils a maniacal plan to detonate nukes in Antarctica and the Amazon, creating an ecological catastrophe on a global scale. With Joe forces in disarray, a last ditch effort is hatched to push the remaining forces into the heart of Cobra’s facilities to shut down its communications and higher level technology, while smaller Joe teams go to disarm the nukes.

It’s a wonderful concept that carries a lot of urgency – it’s just too bad I’ll have to wait for the Omnibus to come out to read what I missed. As a stand alone issue, I think I came in at the wrong time. There’s absolutely no character building going on here – and there shouldn’t be! This is the climax of the battle, and everything comes to a head. There’s so many battles taking place concurrently that I found myself getting confused a couple of times. And I’m not sure how regular readers will feel about this, but I thought things wrapped up a little too conveniently and quickly. From what I’ve gathered, Cobra has been very smart thus far, and suddenly, it’s all fallen apart.

The art serves the issue well. I was able to make out most of the Joes by their trademarked designs, though there were a few characters I’ve never heard of before. The storytelling is excellent – the team goes to work producing 22 pages of non-stop action with little cohesion lost. The only thing that feels a bit off is the coloring, which feels a bit rough around the edges at times. But for the most part, the overcoloring and use of “blooming” gives the book a nice “anime” look to it.

I may have come on to this title a bit too late, but I had fun with what I was given. Cobra Commander’s got one more trick up his sleeve and I’m anxious to see what it is. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

Forgotten Realms: Legacy #2 – Review

By R.A. Salvatore (writer), Andrew Dabb (script), Rob Atkins (art)

Even though we only get this title once every two months, it’s always worth the wait. With around 40 pages of actual story, you definitely get a lot of substance, and since this title is adapted from R.A. Salvatore’s novel (of the same name), it’s hard to argue with the quality of the story. Of course, the tricky thing is compressing the story into three issues. So far, Andrew Dabb has done an excellent job, not just with this book, but the entire line of Salvatore adapted titles. He controls the tempo masterfully, while ending each issue at just the right spot. Not an easy task. This issue is probably the first time I’ve seen an abrupt ending, however. It’s not jarring like, say, The Matrix Reloaded’s awful ending, but I was a bit surprised by how it came out of nowhere.

With Legacy #2, we get a big plot twist that involves Regis, who has accompanied Drizzt down into the caverns to investigate the dwarven menace. But with the trap by Drizzt’s sister Vierna sprung, it’s awakened his mind to just how complacent he has become. Making matters worse is the return of Artemis Entriri – Drizzt’s nemesis, who continues his pursuit of one final duel between the two. Unlike many reoccurring enemies who make you groan when they suddenly appear time and again, Artemis shares one common trait with Drizzt: Charisma. He’s a complete bastard in every single way, yet, there’s something about him that’s likable. He’s the rogue we all secretly wish we could be – the perfect bad guy. And every time these two lock blades, it’s more than welcome.

The story really kicks into high gear with long awaited reunions, betrayals, and lots of death taking place. There’s also a copious amount of fighting that fills the pages – so much that it would challenge even the most seasoned artist. How do you keep an ongoing fight (that goes on for pages and pages) fresh? Rob Atkins pulls it off pretty well, finding creative ways to keep the momentum going without showing signs of “artist fatigue”. Perhaps the only criticism I have with the art is that the backgrounds were lacking. Within the Mithril Hall we get a general feeling of what it looks like, but everything looks and feels so vague, devoid of any culture or personality. I realize most of this issue takes place in a series of caverns, but if the colorist added more texture to the rock or gave us more depth, it would have helped. Instead, most of the backgrounds are flat in color.

Forgotten Realms: Legacy #2 is another solid chapter to the life of Drizzt. Consistently good, this series is one of the best fantasy comics being produced today. It’s going to be another long two months for the final installment, but I look forward to it. (Grade: B+)

– J. Montes

FEATURE: Interview with Robert Atkins (Forgotten Realms: Legacy) – Part 2

Part 2 of our interview with Forgotten Realms: Legacy penciler Robert Atkins is now online. Be sure to check out his experience at big conventions, dealing with fans, hitting those pesky deadlines, and what he’s got in store for comic fans in the future. Robert’s work on NBC’s “Heroes” comic book series, is now online! Check it out!

Read Part 2 of the interview here!

FEATURE: Interview with Robert Atkins (Forgotten Realms: Legacy) – Part 1

The first part of our interview with Forgotten Realms: Legacy penciler Robert Atkins is now online! In it, he talks about breaking into the industry, his work at Tsunami Studios, and life as a budding artist. Robert’s work on NBC’s “Heroes” comic book series, is also debuting online today! Be sure to check it out. Part 2 of our interview will be up tomorrow.

Read Part I of the interview here.

Spooks #1 (of 4) – Review

By: R.A. Salvatore, Geno Salvatore (story), Ryan Schifrin (story & script), Larry Hama (script), Adam Archer (art), Jonny Rench (colors)

I picked this comic just for the great cover art! It reminded me of the old box art for computer games from the 80s. Check the awesome animated cover at www.spooksthecomic.com – first time I’ve seen something like that.

The United States Department of Supernatural Defense (BPRD… I mean DPSD) has specially trained forces on its payroll to protect us from supernatural enemies. We first meet Zach Ramirez, who’s using silver bullets to kill a loose werewolf, but the beast doesn’t die. I guess the “normal” rules don’t apply here. The werewolf bites Zach on his arm but he’s one of the 0.0001% of the population that is immune to werewolf bites.

The main plot goes on about this witch who is raising an army of evil doers to conquer the world once and for all. She has the werewolves on her side and even a headless horseman that she animates from the dead. Vampires join her swelling army as well, but each race has their own agenda. This group from hell is completed by a bodyguard figure in the form of a Frankenstein-esque monster.

I really don’t like having all these monsters together in a kind of crossover world. I’d rather deal with one species per story. I hope the book gets enough sales to make it into an ongoing series (right now it’s a four issue miniseries). I’m intrigued on what’s going to happen next but I don’t mind if I have to skip on it. The only way to guarantee a buy from me is if issue #2 cover is done by Staples. (Grade: C-)

-Daniel Yanez