Dark X-Men: The Confession #1 – Review

By Craig Kyle and Chris Yost (writers), Bing Cansino (Penciller), Roland Paris (Inker)

The Story: Secrets that have been eating at both Scott and Emma– secrets that could break them apart and exile them from the X-Men, must surface.

What’s Good: Kyle and Yost deliver some very fine character and relationship work in this one-shot. Shameful secrets are caustic to a relationship. They’re minor betrayals that eat away at the bridges between people in love. The writing team understands that and shows us the cracks between Scott and Emma, as well as the pain it causes them. There are lots of great elements here, served in non-linear, interrupting dialogue, just the way it would be in real life if two people were grasping at a difficult honesty in a last-ditch try to stay together. Scott and Emma, as all the best lovers can be, are experts at denial. They also live in fear of losing each other, and this, more than any love scene Kyle and Yost could have written, really showed the depths of Scott and Emma’s love. And telling the truth, for each of them, is hard, despite how quickly Scott forces it once he’s made up his mind to do so.

One last bit I really liked relates to how every villain looks in the mirror and sees a hero. Every villain justifies himself. That’s a good rule, but it ignores the role of shame, and of people who know the difference between right and wrong, and either through weakness and choices, do not follow the high road. Scott and Emma both suffer from this and it’s poignant stuff.

The art was quite suited to the emotional moments. The art is a very fine-lined style in spots, but the faces are as expressive as they need to be to carry the emotional weight the writing team has put on the story.

What’s Not So Good: The art team’s style was a bit strained in some of the action flashbacks, with occasionally awkward postures, especially around Wolverine and that last splash page. And where the fine lines and light inks made the emotional story work, they kept the action scenes from having the weight and depth they needed to really evoke tension and danger.

Conclusion: Kyle and Yost deliver a really strong boy loses girl character story, tied to everything that’s going on in the Marvel Universe right now. And I have to say, there’s a lot more to this couple than there ever was with Scott’s relationship with Jean.

Grade: B+

-DS Arsenault

Witchblade Darkness Angelus Trinity Blood On The Sands – Review

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Even though they tend to be ultimately forgettable in the larger scheme of things, I enjoy the random Darkness/ Witchblade one-shots because they always manage to enrich the mythology or characters of the Top Cow universe in some way.

The Darkness: Diyafa by Philip W. Smith II (Writer), Sheldon Mitchell (Pencils), Joe Weems V (Inks), and Arif Prianto (Colors)

Witchblade: Assahiya by Philip W. Smith II (Writer), and Admira Wijaya & Sunny Gho (Art)

Angelus: Chermera by Philip W. Smith II (Writer), Tom Grindburg (Pencils & Inks) and Sunny Gho (Colors)

The Story: In “Diyafa,” a young man seeks out “The Dark Wyrm” that uses the Darkness in order to rescue a loved one. In “Assahiya,” the Witchblade’s balance is divided between two sisters. In “Chermera,” a man must kill a lover that has been corrupted by the Angelus.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The visually impressive Top Cow one-shot Blood on the Sands amounts to more than the sum of its parts. That said, I’m not really sure how much more because I’m certain that Blood on the Sands would have worked better as a mini-series as opposed to a single one-shot. Taken individually, each short story is simple, rushed, predictable, and, truthfully, not all that interesting. But, taken together, each short story weaves together with the current Darkness/Witchblade/Angelus situation surprisingly well.

The artwork is easily the highlight of Blood on the Sands. Each story is done in a specific, (mostly) fitting style that makes up for some of one-shot’s shortcomings. I would love to see each art team given a full issue to work on.

Conclusion: Blood on the Sands is a solid enough fix for fans of the Top Cow universe, but it’s far from an essential read.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Hack/Slash: Entry Wound

By Tim Seeley (Writer & Artist), Mike Norton, Ross Cambell, & Chris Burnham (Additional Art), and Rachelle Rosenberg (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve been looking forward to the Hack/Slash: Entry Wound one-shot since I first heard about it. I may not be part of the target audience since I’m a longtime fan, but more Hack/Slash is always a good thing in my book.

The Story: A radio station host gives the rundown on the “Serial Killer Killer” as Cassie and Vlad head to the site of the next holiday slasher appearance. It’s the Candlemas Murderer’s turn to encounter the Hack/Slash team…

What’s Good: As advertised, the Entry Wound one-shot is sure to feel quite welcoming to new readers. It features a nice looking short story that organically gives a rundown on what Hack/Slash is about and shows the team doing what it does best. In addition, the book also gives readers an introductory letter from writer/artist Tim Seeley and a small pin-up gallery that shows the characters interpreted by various artists. All in all, Entry Wound works surprisingly well as a quality package for new readers.

What’s Not So Good: The story told in the one-shot is pretty lightweight and far from memorable. It does what it needs to do, but nothing more. Also, while I realize that the comic is meant for people new to the series, I still wish there was at least something in it for longtime fans.

Conclusion: Hack/Slash: Entry Wound does a good job doing what it is supposed to do. It’s a solid package for people new to the series and should help the series expand its fan base.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

X-Force/Cable: Messiah War One-Shot Review

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writers) and Mike Choi & Sonia Oback (Art)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The X-event The Messiah Complex was one of the reasons I got back into reading comics. So, needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to the sequel. That said, I’m not really sure what to expect from it, quality-wise. I really like what Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Mike Choi, and Sonia Oback (along with Clayton Crain) have done with X-Force. However, Duane Swierczynski and Ariel Olivetti have left me feeling fairly indifferent towards Cable. While I’ll readily agree that Cable has improved quite a bit since its rocky start, I can’t help but wonder if the crossover will maintain a level of consistency between the different creative teams.

The Story: The Messiah War kicks off with…well… mostly a summary to get readers caught up on the events that have lead to the crossover. Cyclops sends X-Force into the future to help Cable protect Hope, where they run straight into a familiar, unstable mercenary. Meanwhile, Lucas Bishop hits a bar in an attempt to persuade a returning “X” adversary to help eliminate Cable and Hope.

What’s Good: Event one-shots are something of a necessary evil. They must accomplish the rather tricky task of explaining enough about the past in order to make new readers feel welcome while at the same time advancing the story enough to satisfy longtime fans. And as far as that task is concerned, I have to consider the Messiah War one-shot to be a success. Simply put, the creative team manages to present a comic that keeps the old information from feeling stale and the new stuff from feeling too stunted. The narration and dialogue from Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost adequately sums things up by establishing what’s at stake. As for the visuals, Mike Choi and Sonia Oback do a nice job telling the story while, at times, putting forth some of the best work I’ve seen them do. Especially worth noting are the scenes featuring Deadpool, as they are almost worth the price of admission alone. Hilarious and disturbing, just like something involving the Merc with a Mouth should be.

What’s Not So Good: Despite being well handled by the creative team from both a writing standpoint and an artistic standpoint, there is no shaking the “been there, done that” feeling the first half of the one-shot gives off. It seems as though the whole section might have been better suited to being part of one of those free Saga releases so more time could be spent on advancing the War plot. In all honesty, the situation is understandable. But it still warrants a mention or else I wouldn’t be doing my job.

Conclusion: Messiah War definitely gets off to a slow start, but things pick up well enough by the time the first chapter reaches its conclusion. I look forward to seeing where things go next. Hopefully it involves more Deadpool.

Grade:  C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Secret Invasion: War of Kings – Review

By Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (Writers), Paul Pelletier & Bong Dazo (Pencils), Rick Magyar & Joe Pimentel (Inks), and Wil Quintana & Mike Kelleher (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Guardians of the Galaxy #8 definitely piqued my interest in the War of Kings. In addition, the Inhumans mini-series that tied into the Secret Invasion left me wondering about how Black Bolt and company would carry on in the aftermath of the Skrull’s plot. However, I figured it’d be probably worth checking out seeing as how the War of Kings one-shot is helmed by the creative team behind the excellent Guardians series and tells a story about the Inhumans.

The Story: Secret Invasion: War of Kings takes place in the aftermath of the Skrull invasion. With Black Bolt back as the driving force behind the Inhumans, the Kree science projects decide to finally take the fight to those that have wronged them. The Skrulls, the Kree, and the Shi’ar Empire all get a taste of what’s to come in a one-shot that provides all the action and exposition necessary to get readers ready for the War of Kings.

What’s Good: As cool as the Secret Invasion tie-in was at times (loved the way Black Bolt dispatched of his Skrull torturer), I never really “got” why many consider the Inhumans to be so cool. Now I do. They re-establish themselves in a big way throughout the action-packed (extremely colorful) one-shot and it definitely leaves me wanting more. Long story short, I’ve got to hand it to Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning for getting me hooked on an event I had almost zero interest in less than a month ago.

What’s Not So Good: The Inhuman Crystal’s narration throughout the book comes off as a bit too melodramatic and heavy handed for my taste. While I understand that the new Inhuman status quo is literally shaking the group to its very core, a little bit more subtlety would have been welcome. Also, while the artwork looks quite well-done for the most part, it suffers from an annoying lack of detail from time to time. And that’s something I find quite surprising considering the impressive work most of the team has done on the Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Conclusion: Secret Invasion: War of Kings works as an entertaining, action-packed prologue to the War of Kings event. While it has a few flaws, I really enjoyed my time with it. If you are a fan of the Inhumans or are thinking of investing in the cosmic crossover, consider it a must read.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Reign: New Nation #1 – Review

Some Thoughts Before The Review: What it all comes down to regarding Dark Reign: New Nation is whether or not you feel comfortable plunking down about four bucks for what amounts to a handful of extended previews — some of which you already may have seen a bit of in last week’s Dark Reign one-shot (Marvel calls them prologues, but let’s be realistic here). I, for one, decided to take the plunge on the assumption that, in the long run, I would probably be saving myself a bit of cash. Since it would be a bit unfair to judge each story in the one-shot as I normally would an entire comic I will instead give a few thoughts about each and then give a grade to the overall package as a whole.

Secret Warriors: Declaration

By Brian Michael Bendis & Jonathan Hickman (Writers), Stefano Caselli (Art), and Daniele Rudoni (Colors)

Of all the books launching during Dark Reign, I believe Secret Warriors has the most potential. Though, to be honest, the creative team actually draws me to the title more than the concept. Jonathan Hickman’s past works have been quite outstanding and the art team of Stefano Caselli and Daniele Rudoni made Avengers: The Initiative one of the most visually impressive books month in and month out. With all that said, the prologue to Secret Warriors definitely leaves something to be desired. While the artwork looks great, there really isn’t a whole lot to chew on. Nick Fury visits a memorial to Captain America and reflects on the ways Cap is one of the inspirations behind the team of “caterpillars.” That’s about it. While I will still be checking out the series when it launches, the prologue doesn’t consist of anything likely to draw in those that aren’t already interested.

Agents of Atlas: The Heist

By Jeff Parker (Writer), Carlo Pagulayan (Pencils), Jason Paz (Inks), and Jana Schirmer (Colors)

Great looking artwork and an intriguing concept are definitely the highlights of the Agents of Atlas prologue. While I’ve never read the Agents mini-series from 2007, I can easily see the appeal of such an offbeat group of characters. The purpose and information gained from the titular heist does a nice job of building (or creating) interest for a series that is probably going to end up being overlooked by many.

War Machine: Crossing the Line

By Greg Pak (Writer), Leonardo Manco (Art), and Jay David Ramos (Colors)

War Machine’s encounter with someone from his past does a nice job of establishing the character’s mindset and his new place in the Marvel universe. While I’m not exactly sure if War Machine is a series I would follow, the impressive visuals and fairly complete story make “Crossing the Line” the most satisfying prologue in the book.

Skrull Kill Krew: Breakfast in America

By Adam Felber (Writer), Paulo Siqueira (Pencils & Inks), Amilton Santos (Inks), and Chris Sotomayor (Colors)

The Krew’s appearance and subsequent path of destruction in Avengers: The Initiative was one of the more memorable things to happen during Secret Invasion. Now the question is whether or not the fun and brutally over-the-top nature that made the Krew so much fun during the event can be successfully carried over into a new mini-series helmed by a brand new creative team after it. If the cow slaughter in “Breakfast in America” is any indication, it can (and quite easily, I might add).

New Avengers: The Reunion: Suspicion

By Jim McCann (Writer), David Lopez (Pencils), Alvardo Lopez (Inks), and Daniele Rudoni (Colors)

I found The Reunion prologue to be the weakest of the bunch but, the again, I’m not part of the target audience. Since I have no emotional investment in either Hawkeye or Mockingbird, I am pretty much indifferent to the whole mini-series. While the artwork looks nice enough and the storyline definitely has some hooks, I am now actually less interested in The Reunion now I was prior to reading the prologue.

Conclusion: Dark Reign: New Nation serves up a nice taste of the new Marvel offerings, but it is far from essential. Just know what you are getting into if you choose to buy it. I found it to be worthwhile, especially considering that it helped establish my level of interest towards a few things. That said, the price point does sting a bit now that I’ve thought about it a bit more.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Broken Trinity: Witchblade #1 – Review

By Ron Marz (Writer), Nelson Blake II (Pencils & Inks), and Dave McCaig (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I found Broken Trinity to be a pretty successful event for the Top Cow Universe. A fairly important character was killed off and a few new elements were introduced into the ever-changing mythos of the universe that opened up the doors for a number of new storytelling possibilities. In short, it left me satisfied and ready for the future.

The Story: Broken Trinity: Witchblade is the first story to explore the new status quo that exists following the tumultuous event that set the course for the future of some of Top Cow’s major players. And to be honest, not a whole lot really happens outside of some character work. Sara meets Dani at the grave of Celestine, the person that was possessed by the Angelus, and then heads over to give Jackie Estacado some time with his daughter. Also, Jackie takes care of some unfinished business left over from his own Broken Trinity one-shot.

What’s Good: As usual, Ron Marz does some real nice work with the characters in this issue. While not a whole lot happens as far as plot development goes, Marz doesn’t waste any space thanks to his continuing effort to add depth to the characters that he works on. He definitely has a good handle on them.

What’s Not So Good: While the artwork looks nice throughout the book, the style really isn’t to my liking. It just doesn’t seem to fit the characters or the world all that well. That said, I really don’t have any specific complaints on a technical level. The characters look nice, the colors pop, and the emotions on display are well done.

Conclusion: I would consider Broken Trinity: Witchblade to be something I’d recommend only to the bigger fans of either Witchblade or The Darkness. I enjoyed my time with it and came away impressed by the character work. However there really isn’t anything about it that screams “must read.” Base a purchase around how much emotional investment you have in the Top Cow characters.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Ms. Marvel Special: Storyteller #1 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Guiseppe Camunculi (Pencils), Lorenzo Ruggiero (Inks), and Andres Mossa (Color)

The Story: This Ms. Marvel one-shot centers around the return of Gavin, a boy given the ability to alter reality using his imagination as the result of A.I.M. experimentation. He is currently holding a friend named Rich within his storybook reality and it’s up to Ms. Marvel to not only rescue Rich, but also help Gavin understand the dangerous nature of his power.

What’s Good: I found Gavin to be an interesting addition to the Marvel universe when he was first introduced, so it’s nice to see him back in action. And even though this is a Ms. Marvel issue, Gavin and his imagination are really the star of the show. His story is well told and visually interesting, even if it doesn’t necessarily live up to the awesome cover the one-shot sports.

What’s Not So Good: For as dynamic and fun as the artwork is in concept, I find that it falls a bit short in execution. Some scenes look downright sloppy and the character work throughout leaves a lot to be desired. In short, I expected a whole lot more than I got from a visual standpoint.

As for the story as a whole, its biggest flaw is that it doesn’t do enough to explore Gavin as a character concept. There are so many possibilities, yet the plot for this basically boils down to a pretty generic story about how to treat others with respect. While the story is well told, as with the visuals, I expected a bit more than I got.

Conclusion: As a long-time fan of the series, I can’t help but find Ms. Marvel: Storyteller a bit disappointing. The visuals are lackluster and the plot doesn’t exactly go far enough in showcasing a character loaded with potential. That said, there is no denying that it is still a solid, entertaining read. As such, it’s worth it for those able to keep their expectations in check.

Grade: C

-Kyle Posluszny

Hellboy: In The Chapel of Moloch – Review

By Mike Mignola (Story & Art) and Dave Stewart (Colors)

The Story: Mike Mignola returns to the series he created with this creepy one-shot. In it, Hellboy investigates a chapel in Portugal that seems to be causing the strange behavior of an up-and-coming artist. As it turns out, the chapel has quite a dark history and ties to the Middle-Eastern god-monster, Moloch.

What’s Good: Pretty much everything. You really can’t ask for a whole lot more from a one-shot that proves to be as satisfying as this one. Long story short, Mike Mignola’s return to the Hellboy series manages to live up to all expectations. The atmospheric visuals and creepy, intelligent story make this one-shot one of the best reads of a very good month.

What’s Not So Good: Consider this a minor complaint, but it is worth noting that some of the action is a bit confusing due to the stylish nature of the artwork and the dark color palette used. At worst it is slightly distracting and really only an issue in a few panels.

Conclusion: Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch is quite simply, a great comic. I highly recommend it to fans of all types. Whether a new reader just looking for a good story, a casual fan, or a hardcore Hellboy follower, I can almost guarantee that you will find this one well worth the cash.

Grade: A

-Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

Mike Mignola never ceases to amaze me. I think his use of mythology– and more importantly different mythologies, is what makes his stories unique. A lot of writers will pull from the bible, or something else mainstream. How many writers will pull Moloch outta the hat? Part of the reason he’s able to do that is the character of Hellboy and the world he’s created. I do agree with Kyle that parts of the book are hard to follow because of the art style. At the same time most of the people who read Hellboy expect this style and are prepared. Hellboy’s had some really good one-shots and mini-series lately. This book is no exception. Like those other stories, my only problem is that it ends. This is an excellent comic, with great appeal for new and old fans alike.

Grade: A

-Ben Berger

Wolverine: The Amazing Immortal Man & Other Bloody Tales #1 – Review

By David Lapham (Writer), Johnny Timmons (Pencils and Inks), and Jose Villarrubia (Colors), Stefano Guadiano (Illustrator), Matt Milla (Colors), Kelly Goodine (Pencils), Paul Neary (Inks), and Ian Hannin (Colors)

Wow…to be honest, I am not even sure where to begin with this one. Wolverine: The Amazing Immortal Man & Other Bloody Tales is a collection of three, increasingly bizarre, Wolverine stories written by David Lapham. The stories, while solid, vary in quality and the same can be said for the artwork, as each story features a unique art team that tries to capture the “feel” of each tale being told. Taken as a whole, however, this one-shot proves to be quite entertaining if you are looking for something that exists quite a bit outside of the current Wolverine story lines.

Now let me give a quick rundown of each tale before giving my final grade.

The headlining story, The Amazing Immortal Man, is told from the perspective of a thief traveling with a circus freak show that found, employed, and, eventually, betrayed Wolverine. This story serves to show both Wolverine’s humanity, in caring for a fellow circus employee, and how Wolverine’s healing factor appears to the average spectator or, in this case, a traveling ringmaster. The artwork, and even the lettering, gives the story a very retro feel and helps to elevate a fairly basic story quite a bit. It honestly felt as though the book should be tattered and worn on the pages where this story is told – it’s that effective.

The second tale, The Animal Man, is told from the perspective of a man who was saved by Wolverine and, as a result, becomes increasingly convinced that something changed in him after being saved. This is the story of a delusional man obsessed with his savior and David Lapham does an admirable job creating a convincing, if pathetic, vigilante. The artwork, while a bit sloppy, has a gritty feel that fits the dark, violent tone of the story quite well. A nice second story that takes the idea of how being a witness to Wolverine can change someone’s entire life.

The third and final story, Coney Island Baby, is by far the most bizarre and honestly felt like a weird X-Files and Wolverine crossover or something. In this tale, told mostly through Wolverine’s inner monologue, Wolverine is, at first, on the trail of a gangster who killed some innocent people. He quickly discovers that he is actually chasing something much more disturbing and as a result, the three stories are able to come full circle. This story is not for the squeamish as there is a lot of gore and brutality on display. That said, I really enjoyed the dynamic action and character work by the artists. A solid conclusion that helped bring the stories together.

Overall I recommend this one-shot for any Wolverine fan looking for a quick fix. The stories are all solid, the different art styles keep things fresh, and David Lapham shows that he has a nice grasp on both Wolverine and the effect he has on people. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness #1 – Review

Christos N. Gage (Writer), Ben Oliver (Artist), and Jose Villarrubia (Color Art)

I’ve always found the Thunderbolts one-shots to be something of a mixed bag. They work well at giving me my Thunderbolts fix as I really enjoy the dynamics of the team. On the other hand, I can’t ignore the difference in overall quality between the main series and the one-shots. Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato have created something special with the post Civil War Thunderbolts team and the one-shots meant to fill in the long gaps between issues feel both unnecessary and disconnected from the main storyline. With that said, however, I still find the one-shots to be entertaining in their own way as the formula they use, focusing on only a few members at a time, works well enough. Like I said, I need my Thunderbolts fix.

This latest one-shot, Reason in Madness, is no exception to the established formula. We are treated to a fairly dynamic team battle against Biohazard, while Mac Gargan (Venom) is given an offer to rejoin the Masters of Evil, and the relationship/respect between Gargan and Norman Osborne is further explored. The storyline for this one-shot is on par with the rest of them, nothing incredible or complex, but competent and entertaining nonetheless.

Ben Oliver and Jose Villarrubia do a nice job with the art for this issue, though in no way is it even close to the stellar work Deodato has done for the main series. The scenes flow well and the action is easy to follow, but I wish the characters were more detailed and the colors weren’t so flat. As I mentioned earlier, the one-shots have been a mixed bag and the same can be said for the artwork.

Christos N. Gage’s dialogue is, and I hate to keep saying this, a mixed-bag as well. His work with Venom and Osborn is well done and the Masters of Evil storyline is a nice self-contained story, but some minor things frustrated me quite a bit. Penance and Swordsman feel completely out of character with their snappy dialogue, and the lighthearted tone when we get to the scene with the team feels as though it should have been used for a different team book. It is also difficult to place this tale within the Thunderbolts continuity, as Penance talks as though it takes place after the current ongoing arc where he’s made a breakthrough with Doc Sampson, yet there is no mention of the chaos currently gripping Thunderbolts Mountain. That might just be a nitpick, but it bothers me enough to mention.

Overall, Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness is a decent enough read, though hardly necessary. It’s worth picking up if you need a Thunderbolts fix (like me), but just make sure to keep your expectations in check. (Grade: C)

-Kyle Posluszny