SENYC Report: Marvel – The Next Big Thing

Marvel came out in force for Special Edition: NYC. Though they easily flattened the competition when it came to number of panels, this was the one to see if you wanted to know what was coming from the House of Ideas.

The panel was moderated by Senior VP of Publishing Tom Brevoort and featured a slew of top name talent. This included Senior X-Men Editor Mike Marts, fan favorite writer Peter David, Storm writer Greg Pak, and Deadpool editor Jordan D. White. There was even a surprise guest in the form of Katie Kubert, the former editor of Batman and Detective comics who had announced her departure from DC less than twenty-four hours before!

American Vampire #5 – Review

By: Scott Snyder & Stephen King (writers), Rafael Albuquerque (art), Dave McCaig (colors) & Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Both of our American Vampire heroes (?) get some payback against their enemies.

What’s Good: I really enjoyed this issue.  It has a little bit of everything: Action, love, slimy-yet-cool villains, bad vampire and vampirettes getting staked… And a lot of great Rafael Albuquerque art!

From what I understand, this is the last oversized issue of AV and it ties up both of its story lines with real style.  Snyder’s story finishes up what has amounted to an origin story for Pearl as Pearl and her boyfriend lay waste to the old-school Euro-vampires.  This is just some cool vampire-staking action and was a lot of fun to read.

For the first time, King’s origin story of Skinner Sweet held a candle to Snyder’s work.  I really enjoyed how this story played out with Skinner triumphing over John Book, but making a new enemy along the way.  Skinner is really a bad dude, but for some reason I find myself rooting for him because he is fun, irreverent and cool.  His character wouldn’t work at all if he weren’t a little likable and I have to give credit to the creators for pulling this off.

American Vampire #4 – Review

By: Scott Snyder & Stephen King (writers), Rafael Albuquerque (art), Dave McCaig (colors) & Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Pearl, the new American Vampire, finds a potential ally in her fight against the Euro-vamps.  And, in the past, we continue to follow Skinner Sweet and learn a little more about the weaknesses of American Vampires.

What’s Good: I can say that after issue #4 that this is going to really be a good comic series.  “What do you mean?  You’ve loved this comic so far?”, you say.  What I mean by that is that I’m a sucker for novelty so I love the first few issues of a lot of comics.  Heck, I enjoyed the first couple issues of Azrael.  But, by issues #4, you had better have built some good story or I’ll stop caring.

So, we knew that this comic would have some cool vampire scenes and great art from Rafael Albuquerque, but I think it’s also pretty clear that Scott Snyder has built a story that is compelling.  I’m very interested and curious about what will happen with Pearl and her war against the old Euro-vampires.  It’s also a good plot development that she has a boyfriend (and former Marine) to help her in this war.  Everyone knows that Marines kick ass!

The highlight of the Skinner Sweet story is that we’re learning some of the weaknesses of the American Vampire.  One of the things that gets tiresome about vampires is that they have the “rules”: no sunlight, no garlic, blah, blah….  And those rules are pretty much the same in every form of media, so much so that the viewer/reader pretty much knows the rules going into the story.  Here there is a sense of discovery as we learn what the American Vampires can/can’t do.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that Rafael Albuquerque’s art is great.  I could look at this stuff all day!  I would say that his style is perfect for this kind of Old West-themed book, but I’d bet he can do a variety of styles.

American Vampire #3 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (writer – Story A), Stephen King (writer – Story B), Rafael Albuquerque (art), Dave McCaig (colors) & Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: American Vampires have neat and unique abilities and don’t get along that well with their old-world counterparts.

What’s Good: This is another really strong issue of American Vampire.  I think that Vertigo has a winner on its hands!  You should definitely be picking this up in issues or making room on your bookshelf for the trades!

A great thing about this series is that it is turning vampires (as a theme) on their ears.  One of the boring things about traditional vampires (for me) is all the rules: you can kill them with wooden stakes, they cannot go out in the sun, they hate garlic, you can’t see their reflection in the mirror, etc.  Because of these persistent themes, vampire stories get a little predictable and you can usually see the “twists” coming a long way off.  I also loathe the gothic crap that comes with traditional vampires, the frilly clothes, the angst and introspection that comes with being centuries old, blah, blah.  Yuck!

That stuff is out-the-window with American Vampire.  The basic idea is that some old-fashioned vampires somehow have unintentionally created a kind of mutant vampire (i.e. the “American Vampire”) and these AVs have different abilities and weaknesses.  In this issue, we learn a little more about those abilities, but we also learn that the old-fashioned vampires (OFVs???) aren’t too happy with their mutant children and the feeling is mutual.  So, we’re shaping up to get a nice little vampire war.  Very cool and very fun.

American Vampire #2 – Review

By: Scott Snyder & Stephen King (writers), Rafael Albuquerque (art), Dave McCaig (colors) & Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Fresh vampires are being “born” in America and they’re “new and improved” compared to the classic models.

What’s Good: Rafael Albuquerque!  Goodness, goodness what nice art!  After I read this, I actually started poking around online to see if the original art pages were for sale.  It’s that good!  (Didn’t find them, btw…).  What’s all the more impressive is that this two-story issue has slightly different artistic styles for each tale, and Albuquerque nails them both.  And what until you get a load of his lady vampire!  Bravo!

So, once you finish looking at the pretty pictures, you can enjoy the really fun story.  Like issue #1, the issue is split into two stories.  The first story again focuses on a struggling actress named Pearl in 1925 Los Angeles, whereas the second focuses (again) on a cowboy/criminal named Skinner Sweet in the wild west of the 1880’s.  I really enjoyed both stories and it helped indicate the direction for this series (it wasn’t clear after issue #1).

The cool thing about these stories is that Skinner spans both and seems to be a pretty neat character.  In his own tale, he’s the new vampire, but in Pearl’s story, he’s the father/mentor.  I especially like that he and Pearl seem to have new fangled (pun intended) abilities compared to old-fashioned vampires.  You’ll love the words of wisdom that Skinner gives to Pearl!

The Stand: American Nightmares #5 – Review

By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Writer), Mike Perkins (Art), and Laura Martin (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The Stand’s pace is really starting to get to me as a comic fan. While the writing and artwork is quite fantastic all around, it’s difficult to be completely satisfied with tiny chunks of a massive story. Maybe I’ll trade wait Soul Survivors, the next chapter of The Stand comic series.

The Story: Nick Andros visits two very different places in his dreams as he hopes to make it through the night. Larry Underwood awakes and makes a grisly discovery. Stu Redman meets up with Harold and Frannie, warning them that their destination is not a place they want to be.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: The worst thing I can say about the final issue of The Stand: American Nightmares? That it doesn’t feel at all like a conclusion to anything. Nothing terribly exciting happens, there’s no killer cliffhanger, and everything just sort of inches forward in a way that lays the groundwork for the next mini-series. Does that mean it’s a bad comic though? Not at all.

From the revealing dialogue to the almost folksy narration, The Stand: American Nightmares #5 is an effective read. As expected, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s scripting gives every character a realistic voice and a satisfying level of emotion. In addition, the slow storytelling style almost forces you to invest in the characters so that the lingering sense of dread feels all the more unsettling.

As for the artwork, it’s as good as I’ve come to expect from the team of Mike Perkins and Laura Martin. From horrific details to subtle emotion, Perkins and Martin truly bring Stephen King’s story to life. I honestly have no complaints.

Conclusion: The last part of American Nightmares is about as technically sound as a comic can get. That said, it’s a bit boring and lacks the sense of urgency that should leave readers dying for more.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

The Stand: America Nightmares #3 – Review

By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Script), Mike Perkins (Art), and Laura Martin (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The slow pace of The Stand is starting to get to me as a monthly reader. I realize that the book is adapting a fairly large work and that Stephen King is an author that likes to take his time with telling a story, but I always go into a new issue of the comic adaptation accepting the fact that I may get less of the story than I’m ready for. The comic is damn fine-looking and extremely well-written, but the current pace is making me think about trade-waiting the next part of the story.

The Story: Larry Underwood and Rita Blakemoor make their way out of New York, encountering all sorts of grisly things along the way. The situation they find out turns out to be much worse than they had imagined…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: While limited in scope (as far as how many characters are in it) compared to earlier issues, American Nightmares #3 is one of the best chapters of The Stand yet. The story of Larry and Rita’s trip through (and out of) New York is thrilling, intense, brutal, and almost perfectly executed. If I have any complaint, it’s that the characters that the issue focuses on aren’t all that interesting or likable. Rita has some unique quirks and Larry’s attempt at personal redemption is well-written, but personally, I feel like I don’t have any real emotional investment in either character. It hurts the overall impact of the book, but only a small amount.

On a technical level, the latest issue of The Stand is quite brilliant. The occasional stomach-churning artwork by Mike Perkins and Laura Martin looks fantastic when on display, though the most effective scenes show almost nothing. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has to write his way through a number of panels that are completely black except for the dialogue and it works far better than you might expect. The scenes are surprisingly creepy as Larry deals with horrors that cannot be seen.

I could probably go on some more about what I like, but I really don’t want to ruin anything. So let me just say that my interest in the series has been renewed thanks to the impressive work by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Mike Perkins, and Laura Martin. I look forward to seeing more focused issues in the future.

Conclusion: American Nightmares #3 is probably my favorite issue of The Stand (so far). Be sure to check it out!

Grade: A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Tower: Fall Of Gilead #1 – Review

By Stephen King (creator), Peter David and Robin Furth (writing), Richard Isanove (parts), Dean White (color assists).

The Story: It’s the beginning of the end of Gilead as Farson’s forces, headed by the evil wizard Martin, have make their move against the Gunslingers. Roland deals with the realization of the matricide he has committed, while Cort makes a fatal stumble into one of Martin’s traps.

What’s Good: This is a “professional” comic, meaning, that there is an A list team onboard with experienced editors that have clearly worked out every nuance of this comic long before it has hit the shelves. Additionally, it is hard to go wrong with adapting an already legendary story, such as Stephen King’s Dark Tower. All that being said, this comic still rocks in and of itself.  It is masterfully written and conceived. Many scenes, especially with Roland and his mother, are unforgettable.

As always in the Dark Tower series, the art is beautiful. I’m not convinced that nothing is lost from the lack of Jae Lee on this arc, but Richard Isanove does a yeoman’s job filling in. His designs are very detailed and impactual. Roland’s expressions and overall  countenance are stark and powerful. You feel his horror and grief as wakes up to the reality of the murder he has committed.

What’s Not So Good: Well, Jae Lee is Jae Lee and him not doing pencils hurts this issue. Also, this issue veers away from Roland’s journey and basically just rehashes what we saw in the last issue of Treachery and in the Wizard one-shot. There is a lot of story to tell and spending a whole issue to get to one scene where Steven confronts Roland, is a bit wasteful. However, to be honest, I am nitpicking in finding things not to like in this issue as it mostly superb.

Conclusion: If you’re not reading this series, I recommend going out and getting the trades and jumping on board. With the exception of this not being a new creation, the Dark Tower series is comic book creating at its finest. I came to the Dark Tower series late and had to play catch-up, but it quickly became apparent to me that all the praise and rave reviews of this series is well warranted. The Fall of Gilead looks to be as strong as the previous installments. Whether it holds up the first arc, A Gunslinger is Born, is yet to be revealed, but I think it has the potential. I almost hate buying this series in single issue as it is very hard to wait to the next installment.

One last praise: Because of the extremely well crafted writing and gorgeous art, the Dark Tower series is, to me, highly re-readable. And this is what I ask for in a comic, the fact that it can be and needs to be visited again and again, rather than just a one and done like most titles on the shelf. Highly recommended!

Question for readers of the Dark Tower novels and comics: Would you want to see a comic adaptation of Roland’s adventures post-Gilead, i.e., his journey to the Dark Tower?

Grade: B+

-Rob G

The Stand: American Nightmares #2 – Review

By Stephen King (Creator), Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Script), Mike Perkins (Art), and Laura Martin (Colors)

The Story: The tension continues to mount as American Nightmares rolls on. A starving convict, a pyromaniac named The Trashcan Man, and Randall Flagg take up a majority of the issue. While the other surviving characters think of possible destinations that could provide safety.

What’s Good: The creative team behind the Marvel adaptation of The Stand impresses on nearly every level. The script by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is impressively tight, especially considering how dense Stephen King’s writing can be. That said, it also manages to be necessarily descriptive and entertainingly wordy in the appropriate places. As for the visuals, Mike Perkins and Laura Martin absolutely nail the brutal tone of the story with their disturbingly detailed work. The art team makes you truly fear Captain Tripps, Randall Flagg, those that run wild, and how distressingly bleak the entire situation has become.

What’s Not So Good: For as much as I’m enjoying the series, the pace is starting to wear on me a bit. While it worked extremely well in Captain Tripps by highlighting the ominous spread of a virus, American Nightmares suffers because of it since so much still needs to be introduced or explained. In other words, Nightmares (so far) lacks the sense of direction that made Tripps so satisfying.

Conclusion: While The Stand: American Nightmares #2 is quite impressive on a technical level, it proves to be a rather unsatisfying chapter in a much larger work.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

The Stand: Captain Trips #4 – Review

By Stephen King (Creative & Executive Director), Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Script), Mike Perkins (Art), and Laura Martin (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve never read the novel it’s based on, so I can’t really comment on how effective the adaptation is. That said, I am definitely enjoying every bit of The Stand: Captain Trips. From the weighty, slow burn storytelling to the memorable visuals, everything about the series just feels right. It’s the perfect thing for when I feel like I’ve had my fill of superhero comics for the month.

The Story: Captain Trips continues to spread like wildfire as people drop like flies in a number of states. A storm approaches, both literally and figuratively, as the cast tries to cope and brace for the worst. Randall Flagg continues his travels as well.

What’s Good: Everything about the issue works for me. The artwork is absolutely perfect for the grim tone and impending doom present throughout the book. As for the script, it effectively increases the tension and builds the drama without ever resorting to something that feels like a blatant hook to grab readers. Long story short, Captain Trips continues to be a prime example of an adaptation that respects the source material and makes fantastic use of the comic medium.

What’s Not So Good: The only thing I can possibly say that might be regarded as a negative is that the series is not going to appeal to everyone. And the latest chapter isn’t going to change any minds. The series almost demands patience and I know some people will be turned off by that.

Conclusion: Marvel’s adaptation of The Stand continues to impress. If you liked the first three chapters, you will love the fourth. I highly recommend it.

Grade: A

-Kyle Posluszny

The Stand: Captain Trips #3 – Review

By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (writer), Mike Perkins (art), Laura Martin (colors)

The Story: As far as the arc of this series, this issue stands as the “day before” the world is decimated. The Captain Trips virus continues its deadly crawl across the United States. We watch the individual stories surrounding our main characters unfold with a twisted sense of irony, knowing Captain Trips will make all their struggles, experiences, hopes, and dreams utterly mute. In this issue, we’re introduced to two new characters, Lloyd Henreid and “Poke” Freeman, career criminals of whom only one will make a lasting appearance in the series.

What’s Good: Aguirre-Sacasa’s Omni-present narrator tells the story seamlessly.  Also, the dialogue is concise, revealing, and dramatic as it compliments the narration boxes that tell the crux of the tale. Perkins’ art is fabulous. From the subtle signs of a character becoming ill, to the posture of covert military agents surveying their kill, Perkins excels at creating captivating, ultra-realistic scenes to tell this story.

What’s-Not-So- Good: Not too much! I have minor criticism on some of the narration, specifically a narration that reads, “And that made Larry sad,” that sounds a little corny at times. Also, I have no idea what is going on with the gunfights and the subsequent damage caused by them. Why are people exploding and being incinerated by bullets? Is everyone using exploding shells?

Conclusion: From any standpoint, this is a great book that merges many different styles of comic book creating. I have never read “The Stand,” but that has played no part in how much I like this book. Even though very little transpires in this issue, the slow build is enjoyable and keeps me wanting more.

Final Grade: A-

-Rob Galinsky

The Stand: Captain Trips #1 – Review

By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (writer), Mike Perkins (art), Laura Martin (colors)

I tried numerous times to read this novel as a kid, but it was just too dense for me. When the mini-series came on TV I completely forgot to watch it. So there was definitely some enthusiasm going into this book. I don’t know much of the story, only its basic premise: There’s a viral outbreak in America and The Stand is about those who survive the plague. I’m a fan of survival horror stories and this debut issue wasted no time in getting me involved with the characters and their soon to be post-apocalyptic future.

I can’t say how faithful this is to the novel, but being a first time reader, myself, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa impressed me with his ability to introduce to an ensemble cast, quickly set the tone, and pace the spread of the of the virus. What I could have done without, however, are the character profiles at the end of the book. Seeing these instantly told me that these characters would most likely be survivors. For new readers like me this serves nothing more than to spoil the story. Bad call, Marvel.

Mike Perkins carries over the fantastic style he delivered in Captain America to The Stand. His work here is much more grounded in reality. In fact it may be too grounded in reality – there’s a few scenes that look a little too photo referenced for their own good. But all in all, this is a beautiful book that’s further accented by Laura Martin’s brilliant coloring. Unlike The Dark Tower series that Marvel’s been putting out The Stand needs no prior reading. And for that, I highly recommend it to just about anyone looking to dip their feet into Stephen King’s world. (Grade: A-)

– J. Montes

Locke & Key #2 – Review

By Joe Hill (written), Gabriel Rodriguez (art) & Jay Fotos (colors)

This book is getting a lot more interesting this time around. The storytelling is excellent thanks to Joe Hill’s interesting use of narrative.

The issue starts with a novel recap from the previous issue in the form of a comic book made by Bode, the youngest of the Locke family. Bode is still going through the door that transforms him into a ghost, hearing conversations, and watching his family without them noticing. He tries to convince his brothers to go through this door as well, but they don’t believe him.

While roaming around, Bode goes into the well-house and discovers that someone is at the bottom of the well (check out the cover). Frightened, he goes to get assistance from his brother and sister, but after they can’t find anything, they belittle and shrug him off. Bode visits the well once more, this time as a ghost, and he finds a woman who asks him to come back to talk to her (which he does). He befriends her, but it seems like this woman has some sinister agenda in store for our little hero.

The cost is the same as the previous issue ($3.99), and even though we only get 22 pages, the story is so well written and full of new information that it’s completely worth the price. The only negative thing that I can say is we only get to see one of the doors. I want the Locke family to start going through the other ones! Check out the 5 page preview at Joe Hill’s website if you’re interested. This is an excellent comic book.

One off-review note… What the heck is a young George W. Bush doing on the cover of The Executioner? Creepy. (Grade: A)

-Daniel Yanez

Locke & Key #1 – Review

By Joe Hill (written), Gabriel Rodriguez (art) & Jay Fotos (colors)

I bought two of Joe Hill’s books, but I never read them (a novel and a short stories compilation). They’re supposed to be good and the critics were praising his work before the revelation of who Hill’s father (Stephen King!) came to be. What’s also interesting is this book has already been optioned as a movie. So, is it any good?

Locke & Key’s story is told through flashbacks. Two teen psychos attack and murder a father of three siblings. Eventually, the older brother gets his revenge as well as his mother. After the funeral they move to a mansion called Keyhouse, in Lovecraft, Massachusetts (you can probably see where this is going with a town by that name). The youngster roaming inside the mansion finds a key, and opens a door. When he crosses through only his spirit does leaving his shell of a body behind. Scared, he goes back through the door, wakes up back in his body, and slams the door shut.

I’m really intrigued by all the doors that dwell in this mansion and the different effects they’ll impose on the people that cross them. For a first issue, it’s an excellent read, and a sharp supernatural thriller. The comic costs $3.99 as many IDW comics do, but I can’t complain too much on the price this time. You get 32 pages of story, a glossy “key” on the cover (okay, it’s a little gimmicky), and one heck of a debut issue. (Grade: B+)

-Daniel Yanez