Black Dynamite #1 – Review

By: Brian Ash (writer), Ron Wimberly (pencils), Sal Buscema (inks), JM Ringuet (colors) and Chris Mowry (letters)

I have very mixed feelings about this issue.  Your enjoyment will really come down to how you like your Blaxploitation.  Back in the 1970s when the Blaxploitation genre existed, it was a deadly serious thing.  It was all about strong black men (and women) taking a stand for the community when politicians, police and businessmen didn’t care what happened in urban black neighborhoods.  Being a suburban white kid, I obviously couldn’t really understand it.  But it was clear than films like Shaft, Dolemite, Foxy Brown, Super Fly, etc. came from a place of anger rather than a place of laughter.

Then the 1980s happened and “we” decided all those afros and hot-girls in bell-bottom pants and strong black men learning kung fu was really silly and we started to get films like I’m Gonna Git You Sucker that turned Blaxploitation on its ear and made fun of everything….and I do mean EVERYTHING.  But, within those films, there was always a sense of homage to why the genre existed in the first place.

This story leads off by showing 1970s Black Dynamite fixing a problem in the neighborhood with nunchucks only to be cast out of the community for causing more wreckage than he solved.  After being cast-out, he goes on a walkabout only to be tracked down by the government at the very end of the issue.  I presume that the first issues of this miniseries will detail his exploits in present day with the government – and probably lead him full-circle back to the neighborhood.

Repossessed #1 – Review

By: JM Ringuet (writer/artist/colors)

The Story: A team-for-hire will rid people of possessions.

Quick review (with SPOILERS): This was a pretty entertaining issue.  How much you personally enjoy it will probably come down whether you enjoy demonic possession stories and how you view Ringuet’s art.

The story is pretty direct.  We meet a three-member team that you can hire if/when someone get’s possessed by a demon.  These folks go in there like Ghostbusters and deal with the demon.  The team has a holy(ish) man, a big bruiser with guns and a pretty woman whose role I am unsure of.  You hire them, they show up, kick-ass and the demon is gone.  Very slick and we get a decent amount of action in this first issue.  Some of the action comes from a scene that introduces the characters and their capabilities and the rest is related to what seems a larger story that involves Las Vegas and biker gangs.  Demons and possession aren’t really my thing, but if you enjoy this sort of story,  you’ll probably be satisfied.

Hoax Hunters #0 – Advance Review

By: Michael Moreci & Steve Seeley (writers) & JM Ringuet (art)

Release Date: March 21, 2012

Spoiler-free Advance Review: This #0 issue collects material that appeared as a back-up story in Hack/Slash over the past 6-8 months and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  This first story follows a crew from a TV show called the Hoax Hunters as they investigate a mysterious American “astronaut” from the 1960’s who may or may not be reappearing in modern-day Russia.  So, right away this comic is in my wheelhouse.  I love (and can spend hours) reading websites about things like the Lost Cosmonauts or Bigfoot or Nazi moon bases or the Loch Ness Monster.  Of course, it’s impossible to know what future stories the creators want to fiddle around with, but judging from this comic, their promotional materials and interacting with Moreci on Twitter, I think they’re interested in those sorts of stories too.

So, the creators seem to be interested in cool stuff, but can they tell a story?

Well, this #0 issue shows that they can!  It does what a #0 issue needs to do: establish the characters and the premise for the story.  We meet our core team of 3 folks who are there to investigate the unknown.  There’s nothing too remarkable about the makeup of the team: big, shaved-head black guy + sexy geek-girl + cadaverous science guy.  We’ve seen teams like this before because they’re good for story telling and I’ll credit the creators for not trying to reinvent the wheel.  This team goes out to investigate this weird astronaut and gets more than they expected.  It has a nice pace and while the team seems VERY capable, they’re not so badass that they don’t struggle a little bit and that makes for drama.  So, the story and storytelling check out.

Transhuman #4 – Review

By Jonathan Hickman (Writer) and J.M. Ringuet (Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I was unable to get reviews up for the first three chapters of Transhuman, but let it be known that I have loved the series so far. It tells the story of two companies competing against each other to be the first to bring human modification/evolution to the mass consumer market. One company, Chimera, focused on advancement and alteration through genetic or biological tinkering. The other, Humonics, focused on a more technological approach by using robotics and machinery to modify potential human. Presented as a “mockumentary,” Transhuman has proven to be disturbing, hilarious, and extremely compelling up to this point. I strongly urge all my readers to check it out. Now onto my review of the final chapter.

The Story: Transhuman #4 focuses on the current state of the world, ten years after the takeover of Chimera by Humonics. The unnamed narrator catches up with all the major players that were a part of the transhumanist movement as driven by Chimera and Humonics.

What’s Good: Jonathan Hickman deftly mixes biting humor with an intelligent, disturbing vision of the future to bring his mockumentary to a satisfying finish. Nervous laughter is almost guaranteed upon discovering the identity of the narrator and what mankind’s search for utopia on earth has lead to. And that, readers, is a sure sign that Transhuman is a success.

What’s Not So Good: Though far from a story driven by the artwork, J.M. Ringuet’s visuals never really rise above being average. Even the most impressive scenes look sloppy, muddy, and somewhat unpolished.

Conclusion: Transhuman #4 is a great conclusion to an incredibly entertaining mini-series. Definitely take some time to track it down.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny