Super Dinosaur #2 – Advance Review

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Jason Howard (artist & colorist), and Rus Wooton (letterer)

The Story: The Kingstons fit out SD with some new Arctic gear as he and Derek go up North to battle Tricerachops and a new enemy…the Exile.

The Review:  I’ll admit that I’ve often not been kind to Robert Kirkman when chatting about comics.  It’s long been my opinion that everything the man has done outside of the Walking Dead and Invincible have, well, not been very good.

So, honestly, I’m shocked at just how much I’ve been enjoying Super Dinosaur.  It’s something very different from Kirkman, and it succeeds utterly.  It reminds me strongly, both in look and storytelling, to the cartoons I watched as a kid, and I think that any guy in their twenties who got up at 8 on Saturdays will get a real good nostalgia trip from this comic.

Story-wise, in being an all-ages comic, Kirkman seems intent on moving at a breakneck speed so as to capture the attention of even the most hyper-active kid.  A lot happens and there are tons of action scenes mixed in with the character moments.  As far as pacing goes, this one keeps you reading, to be sure.

I love the addition of a new villain, and better than that, I love the fact that this villain is at odds with main bad guy Max Maximus.  I’ve always loved when cartoons do that: introduce a new villain whose nastier and more powerful than the perennial big bad.  It opens a whole new realm of threats while offering the potential for new motivations, and possible allegiances, with the former villain, in this case Maximus.  It’s a tried and true technique that I’ve always loved.  Hell, it’s one of the reasons I’m such a Dr. Doom fan, for instance.

While the action is an absolute blast, Kirkman does strong work with the small character moments as well.  Erin and Erica remain compelling characters, with Erica’s opening up a bit about her unhappiness giving a sympathetic human face toe character.  Kirkman also has SD express his loneliness at not having any dino-friends.  Much like the introduction of a new villain, this is an avenue with huge potential, showing some sure to be rocky roads ahead in Derek and SD’s friendship.  It’s a familiar tale, sure, but the sheer energy of Kirkman’s world and the nostalgia it conjures are enough to make it a good one.

Super Dinosaur Origin Special #1 – Review

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Jason Howard (artist & colorist), and Rus Wooton (letterer)

The Story: Derek Dynamo tells of the origins of his buddy SD, the creation of SD’s harness, the discovery of Inner Earth, and the blossoming of Max Maximus’ villainous tendencies.

The Review:  I’ll admit, comic books weren’t a huge part of my childhood.  That said, I watched a lot of cartoons.  Super Dinosaur is totally something I would’ve watched religiously.

That said, this is a tough issue to grade.  As an actual comic book, it isn’t very good.  It’s basically an atomic bomb of exposition.  The idea of “showing not telling” is completely thrown out the window and finds itself buried by heaps of text.  This isn’t a master class on comic book storytelling, to be sure.

Yet, I actually liked this issue more than I disliked it, and I think that’s testament to how fun Kirkman and Howard’s world and characters are.  I skipped the first issue of Super Dinosaur, but I liked what I saw here enough to give #2 a go.  The characters are just so likable and the world is just so crazy, the sort of crazy that only a wide-eyed kid could dream up.  Indeed, this almost read’s like a kid’s fantasy.  There’s an enthusiasm, life, and, well, ridiculousness here that is impossible not to grin at.  With characters named “Super Dinosaur” and “Max Maximus” there’s a sense of gleeful abandon that’s infectious.

More than that, Kirkman once again shows, albeit in a very different context this time around, that he excels at writing kids.  Derek sounds like an actual kid, and his youth and vibrance isn’t forced at all.

Super Dinosaur #1 – Review

By: Robert Kirkman (writer), Jason Howard (art & colors), Rus Wooton (letters) & Sina Grace (editor)

The Story: A boy genius and his Super Dinosaur friend fight an evil scientist.

What’s Good: Comics for kids…  Some folks think we need a lot more comics for kids since most of the people reading comics are 30-45 year old dudes and people wring their hands about the “death of comics” and the “need to bring in new readers”.  But, how do we do that when even “safe” titles like Amazing Spider-Man has a bedroom scene every 40 issues and is “burdened” by decades of back-story.

This is a great kid’s comic.  It has the look and feel of a Ben 10-esque cartoon.  The basic story is simple: Derek Dynamo lives with his super-scientist father, Doctor Dynamo and his partner/friend Super Dinosaur.  They come into conflict with Dr. Dynamo’s former lab assistant, Max Maximus and his squad of evil, uplifted dinosaurs over access to some scarce raw material.  The dinosaurs come from some Inner Earth (think Journey to the Center of the Earth) and have been modified by the good/evil doctors.  That’s pretty much the plot and Kirkman explains it all in the first 3-4 pages with the rest of the issue being devoted to dinosaur fights and an interesting plot wrinkle tossed in at the end.

The best thing I can say about this is that it is fun and I think that any adult comic fan with a 7-10 year old boy could try handing this to them.  There is nothing even remotely risqué in this comic and it somehow gives you the confidence that it won’t ever get into bad language and wanton violence or sexuality in the future.  I think you’d be perfectly safe buying this at the comic shop and just handing it to your kid without previewing it first.

Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark #1 – Review

Written and drawn by Jason Howard & Ryan Ottley.  Gray tones by Cliff Rathburn

The Story: A grizzly bear living in the ocean, a killer great white shark living in the forest… Mayhem and chomping ensue!

What’s Good: Everything!  This is the awesome sauce that I wish we got to see more of in the world of comics.  I had heard teasers for this comic for a few months and knew the general concept: What if a killer shark and a killer bear traded places so that the shark was chewing up campers and the bear is attacking fishing boats?  As it says on the cover, “They got mixed up!”   That sounded like a zany enough concept that I had to give it a try, but I didn’t really know what else to expect.

We get two stories.  The Sea Bear story (by Jason Howard, artist of Astounding Wolf-Man) starts off with the bear slaughtering a boat full of people and then zooms off into a zany story that includes cyborgs, killer robots and a sexy bear/human hybrid (yes, you read that right).  The Grizzly Shark story (by Ryan Ottley, artist on Invincible) is even more over the top.  Two scenes that stand out are a teenager who has been bitten in half being dipped into the campfire by his Dad to “cauterize the wound” and a buxom powerwalker getting chomped such that all that is left is the head and boobs.  The whole thing is completely tongue-in-cheek and simply outrageous.

Of course, with the artists also handling the scripting, the art is in perfect sync with the story.

The Astounding Wolf-Man #17 – Review

by Robert Kirkman (writer), Jason Howard (pencils & inks), FCO & Ivan Plascencia (colors), and Rus Wooton (letters)

The Story: Father and daughter make up, father and daughter team up, and father goes undercover.

What’s Good: Yes! I can finally start liking Chloe again! For many issues now, Chloe, has been a poorly written character. She hasn’t sounded her age and almost every line was too painful to hear. I sincerely wanted her to die a painful death.  To me she felt power-hungry, ignorant, and generally nasty, which isn’t good considering that Kirkman was aiming for her to be a sympathy-garnering character lost in emotional pain. Yet, despite all of my Chloe hatred, I couldn’t help but give a little “awww” when she finally spoke to her father this month. While she still isn’t the best written character, she’s not gratingly off this issue.

Meanwhile, Kursk’s broken English is always fun. I loved the dude in Invincible, so it was great seeing him here. What was daring though was Kirkman’s portrayal of him and Thrill Kill as possible rapists. A possible hint of Walking Dead in Wolf-Man? Shocking.

I also enjoyed the depiction of Cecil in this comic, though I’ll admit that Wolf-Man readers may not fully appreciate it if they’re not familiar with the Invincible. This issue again shows a nicer, more human Cecil, a Cecil that Invincible readers have probably forgotten about by now; but through Wolf-Man, Kirkman shows how multi-faceted a character Cecil really is. I also liked that Mecha Maid looks poised to become a major player in the comic; I’ve always thought she was a great character with a lot of potential.

Jason Howard’s art continues to be an enthralling visual treat, as he delivers another faultless issue here.  As is the case over on Invincible, Plascencia’s colouring has taken the art to a whole new level.

What’s Not-So-Good: There’s nothing particularly wrong with Wolf-Man, though I’m still not certain I buy “Chloe, Vampire Girl superhero.” Somehow it just doesn’t feel as substantial as it should.

Perhaps it’s due to how fast and fleeting Chloe and Gary’s reunion was. I suppose that was the point, but given the build-up, it’s still disappointing. Their quick, “barely there” interaction just feels like a missed opportunity that ends up feeling a little vague, and at times cliche. Kirkman finds time to throw in the old “I’m grown up now” line.

The problem is that this was by far the biggest development/moment of the issue and it should’ve been one of the best of the whole series. The rest of the book, while not bad, is really just a case of Kirkman moving the plot along, or moving the pieces across the board in necessary but expected fashion.

Conclusion: Wolf-Man #17 is by no means a bad book, but it could’ve been better. It just does’t feel as important as it should be.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans

Invincible #57 / The Astounding Wolf-Man #11 Crossover – Review

By Robert Kirkman (writer) Ryan Ottley (pencils) Jason Howard (pencils) Cliff Rathburn (inks) FCO Plascencia (Colors)

The Story: After learning that he and his family are being spied on, Invincible erroneously believes his old boss Cecil Sredman to be behind the spying, and confronts him at the Global Defense Agency headquaters.  Cecil declares his innocence and asks Invincible for a favor: apprehend the Astounding Wolf-Man who is wanted for the murder of his own wife. Invincible refuses until he learns that one of his old foes is on a deadly rampage in the same area as the Wolf-Man. Eventually, Invincible apprehends the Wolf-Man, but upon hearing his side of the story Invincible is convinced of the Wolf-Man’s innocence and decides to help him clear his name.

What’s Good: First of all, it is extremely satisfying to experience a complete crossover event in one sitting.  The fact that both of these issues were released on the same day is a great gesture to fans of these two series. I can’t recall ever seeing a crossover like this before. In any case, I can only hope that other creators and companies will follow suit.

The over all story is  told pretty well. Kirkman does a nice job of focusing on each character’s plight during their respective title, while the other hero plays a nice secondary role. For example, the first issue deals with Invincible’s and Cecil’s relationship, while the second issue focuses on the Wolf-Man’s relationship with his daughter and quest for redemption. However, the best part of the story comes when Invincible shuts up the Immortal in mid rant.

It was a great decision to bring Cliff Rathburn to do inks on the Astounding Wolf-Man this month. The transition between titles was smooth. It also seemed like Jason Howard was doing his best to mimic some of Ryan Otttley’s pencils, whic can never be a bad thing.

What’s Not So Good: Seeing these two titles side-by-side like this doesn’t bode well for the Astounding Wolf-Man, which comes off looking like Invincible’s ugly step-sister. Don’t get me wrong, I like the Astounding Wolf-Man, but it doesn’t compare to Invincible in any regard.

Also, some of Jason Howard’s pencils are just odd. There are a couple of panels where it looks like the heroes (specifically Invincible) are wearing diapers as their torso’s are out of proportion compared to their mid-sections.

Conclussion: As far as a self-contained story, this is a good showing by Kirkman’s creations. I especially enjoy the idea of Cecil entering into the Astounding Wolf-Man’s narrative and the over-all sound logic and motivations of the characters. However, if you are looking for some substantial  momentum for either of these series, you will be left unsatisfied.

Grade: B+

-Rob G

The Astounding Wolf-Man #10 – Review

By Robert Kirkman (writer), Jason Howard (pencils, inks, colors), FCO and Ivan Plascenia (colors).

The Story: The main part of this issue revolves around the origin of Zecharia, the Astounding Wolf-Man’s one-time mentor turned arch nemesis. Through the tale of Zecharia’s genesis of becoming a vampire, we learn about the vampire nation and Zecharia’s ultimate plans for it.  We are also treated to some werewolf secrets as Gary, the Astounding Wolf-Man, goes through a dangerous training session with the werewolf who created him.

What’s Good: Zechariah’s origin story may be nicely spun, but its real strength lies in who Zecharia is retelling it to over the course of the issue. This unforeseen relationship adds a nice dynamic to Zecharia’s personality.

Jason Howard’s art is solid as usual in his unique cartoonesque presentation. His drawing of Gary’s daughter on the last page is especially memorable, as he does a better job than the text in capturing the emotion of the scene.  He has become a smoother storyteller and has shed off some of the clunkyness that weighed down some of the beginning issues of this series.

What’s Not So Good: Although this is a a non-Gary/Astounding Wolf-Man story, the training session that he and his new mentor go through doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and seems like a waste of time. The idea was to teach Gary how to escape while injured, but instead Gary just does some lame Lamaze-like breathing exercise.  After the cliffhanger last issue involving this very scene, this was a big let down.

Additionally, I feel that the main characters in this series all have confusing motivations. This is most evident in Zechariah, who Kirkman casts as an overall decent individual who struggles with his curse and who is repentant for his past deeds. We’ve seen many examples to support this portrayal throughout the series. But then Kirkman will supply us with information that Zecharia is really an evil, wanna-be despot. And then we have this issue where both these takes on this character are displayed simultaneously.  I understand that characters, like real people, are dynamic and hard to define. I got it. But too much of this wish-washy character study is drowning any plot tension and making this whole endeavor seem boring. The reader needs to know which side to root for– at least for a little while.

This overall inherent ambivalence that permeates many of the characters’ motivations is what makes the last scene, involving Gary’s daughter’s request to Zechariah, so anti-climatic and uninteresting.

Conclusion: The problems that I discuss above can be easily remedied in the coming issues. Also, it is likely that Kirkman, in typical fashion, is using these dynamics to set up something spectacular. But with a crossover with Invincible next issue, the progression of this story will have to be put on hold for a while– and with it my overall interest in the Astounding Wolf-Man. After such a promising start (see my review for the TPB of this series here: http://weeklycomicbookreview.com/2008/11/09/the-astounding-wolf-man-vol1-tpb-review/), it’s surprising to see such a down-turn in the momentum of this potentially great series.

Grade: C-

-Rob G.

The Astounding Wolf-Man Vol.1 (TPB) – Review

By Robert Kirkman (story) and Jason Howard (art)

The Story: Meet Gary Hampton-millionaire, family man, all around nice guy, who is bitten by a werewolf and thus becomes one, while vacationing with his family in Montana.  Gary has issues adapting to his new powers until he is taken under the wing of Zecharia, a vampire with a mysterious past and seemingly ambiguous intentions.

Under Zecharia’s mentorship, Gary learns to control the beast within and takes on the role of superhero. However, the curse of the werewolf slowly surfaces and seeps into Gary’s life, gradually destroying all he holds dear in shocking, twisted and dramatic ways.

The Good: The story arch featured in this volume ascends swiftly to engage the reader into anxiously awaiting what is to come, while simultaneously making some of the cliché back story retroactively relevant and compelling. Robert Kirkman delivers unexpected valuables with the supporting cast made up in part by a superhero group, werewolf gang, and estranged daughter. These players make Gary’s plight far more interesting than would be on its own. Additionally, Jason Howard’s art is solid and at times, well, astounding. The cartoonish feel to the colors and inks serve to make the more dramatic and mature scenes that much more remarkable.

The Not-So-Good: This story is fast paced and at times almost feels like a daily-serialized strip. Plot developments happen so quickly that they are often unnoticed, or worse, unable to resonate with the reader.  This pacing also caused many of the characters to seem flat. Gary, for example, is defined as a werewolf, then superhero, then emotionally unstable individual rather then being revealed to become these things. Basically, there is a lot of telling and not enough showing in the beginning issues.

Conclusion: This arch is ramped up and excellent by the final issue, but the first few installments are not nearly as good. The problem is without these back-stories the end wouldn’t resonate or be very interesting at all. Many things are left open for Kirkman to play with and Gary’s wife is set up to possibly play a haunting and gripping role down the line. Overall, this is a good trade to pick up, especially if you’re a Kirkman fan.

Grade: B+

– Rob. G

The Astounding Wolf-Man #5 – Review

By Robert Kirkman (writer), Jason Howard (art)

This book’s on a bimonthly schedule, so I can’t gripe about it being late. But, it’s really hard to get back into each time I pick it up. It’s not that the series is bad, it’s actually pretty decent. And there’s no denying that the concept of a crime fighting werewolf, is a fascinating one, but the story is moving so slow that it’s tough to remember what’s happened in previous issues. Luckily, I was able to remember bits and pieces of the story and its characters thanks to the expository dialog Robert Kirkman so deftly snuck in.

This issue doesn’t give as many more answers, but it does dabble in the history of the werewolves, their power, and their bloodlines. It’s all told through hearsay (ala Zachariah), so we don’t get any cool flashbacks or anything like that. Instead, the series stays grounded to its urban roots with Wolf-Man bolstering his prominence among his superhero peers. Some refuse to believe he’s a good guy while others extend him an offer to join their superhero union (which he may be considering, given his financial situation). We also get to see how this new lifestyle is impacting on those at home; in particular, it’s taking a toll on his daughter.

I’ll give Kirkman credit for touching upon all his running subplots on a consistent basis. The problem is we don’t get enough time with any of the characters this month or any month. If we got this book on a monthly basis, I’d be pleased, but the bi-monthly schedule really hurts.

The Astounding Wolf-Man (and new readers) would really benefit from a synopsis page at the beginning – and I know that’s not asking much either. Kirkman devotes three pages just to the letters column alone. I’m sure one page of “things that went on before” wouldn’t hurt. Heck, you could even put it on the masthead like you do with Walking Dead! If you’re curious about this book my advice is to wait for the trade. It’s just too hard to keep up with on a bimonthly schedule. and I know Jason Howard does most of the work, and it’s probably the cause of the schedule, but if all it takes is hiring a colorist to speed things up, I’m all for it!  (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes