Mercy Sparx #3 – Review

By Josh Blaylock (Writer), Matt Merhoff (Pencils), and Bill Crabtree (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The first two issues of Mercy Sparx hinted that there may be quite a bit of depth to the new series beyond the slick concept of a devil-girl hunting rogue angels. However, writer Josh Blaylock has so far seemed more interested in letting Matt Merhoff go crazy with drawn out fight scenes as opposed to actually getting to the real meat of what Mercy Sparx is going to be all about. While I have enjoyed the brutal, fairly creative devil-girl vs. rogue angel action, the story needs to move beyond that in order to keep me hooked for the long term. I know the debut mini-series ends next month in order to pave the way for the ongoing. Whether I make the jump to the ongoing will largely depend on how things develop as the mini wraps up.

The Story: A meeting with Pastor Collins leaves Mercy quite upbeat as it seems her task on earth is finally complete. The elation is short lived however as the she-devil learns that her task wasn’t exactly heaven sent. It turns out more is at stake than Mercy could have realized.

What’s Good: I hoped for more story and that’s exactly what Mercy Sparx #3 delivers. The character, world, and series instantly became a lot more interesting upon learning the true nature of Mercy’s job. And while the plot twist isn’t exactly original, the stylish artwork and interesting character design leaves me looking forward to the future of the series. In addition, the twist puts Mercy in quite an interesting position heading into the conclusion of the mini-series/ launch of the ongoing. In other words, it looks as though Mercy Sparx could have a very bright future.

What’s Not So Good: There is quite a bit still up in the air regarding the plot developing through the mini-series. A fairly large amount of questions have yet to be answered and while I’m sure they will be addressed in the future, it makes it difficult to judge how satisfying the mini-series will ultimately end up being. Another negative worth mentioning is how the plot twist is both predictable and quite generic. Sure, the whole idea works and lends itself well to an ongoing, but I hope that there ends up being more to the series in the long run.

Conclusion: Mercy Sparx continues to be a fun series that gets by largely on its cool concept and attractive, stylish visuals. If you’ve liked it so far, I’m sure you will end up liking where the series goes next. In my humble opinion, Mercy Sparx is a keeper.

Grade:  B

-Kyle Posluszny

Mercy Sparx #2 – Review

By Josh Blaylock (Writer), Matt Merhoff (Art), and Eduardo Medeiros (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I really enjoyed the first issue of Mercy Sparx. It featured some incredibly stylish artwork, an interesting lead character, and an intriguing plot. In other words, it’s got potential. Time to find out if the series can begin to make good on that potential.

The Story: Mercy squares off against another muse, this time she’s up against Elysa. As it turns out, word about Mercy and her tactics has gotten around to other fallen angels, so the latest target doesn’t go down quite as easily as the last. Meanwhile, the plot thickens as some more is learned about what forces are behind Mercy’s mission.

What’s Good: Despite being heavy on the action and fairly light on story, the second issue of Mercy Sparx is actually a bit more enjoyable than the first. Though to be honest, I’m not exactly sure why that is. Maybe it’s the inspired gadgets Mercy wields. Maybe it’s that the artwork that looks a bit more polished and, as a result, handles the action scenes a lot better. Maybe it’s that the end of the issue hints at a plot that strikes a chord with me because of how fascinating I find the use (and abuse) of religion. Or maybe it’s because the book is just downright fun. Whatever the case, the Mercy Sparx #2 leaves me hoping the series develops a following large enough to warrant a long, successful run.

What’s Not So Good: While the book definitely leaves me wanting more, it also leaves me slightly unsatisfied. The ending hints that there is a whole lot more story to tell, but if there is, it needs to be paced throughout each individual issue better. I mean I love a good catfight as much as the next guy, especially one filled with fun gadgets and witty banter, but that can only get a series so far. Here’s to hoping that chapter three puts a little more meat on the bone for people to chew on.

Conclusion: I highly recommend checking Mercy Sparx out for those of you looking for something you simply can’t get from Marvel or DC. The character is interesting, the artwork is perfect for the tone of the story, and the long-term potential is definitely present. I can’t wait for more Mercy.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Echoes of the Damned #1 – Review

By James Pascoe (Story & Script), Roger Robinson (Story & Art), and Idalia Robinson (Colors)

The Story: Dante Cortez is a member of the Los Angeles F.B.I.’s Behavioral Sciences Unit that is ready to call it quits. He’s also a pill-popping alcoholic haunted by his dreams and an event from his past. When a brutal murder with similarities to other unsolved cases takes place, Dante is once again drawn into the world he had hoped to escape from.

What’s Good: For the start of a supernatural noir tale, Echoes of the Damned #1 does a great job of hitting all the right notes. Dante Cortez is just the right type of disturbed, depressed character that thrives in such a bleak setting. And what a setting it is. Dante’s world is brought to life through moody, stylish artwork that brings a nice sense of weight to each and every scene. It goes a long way toward elevating the fairly generic set-up. While I can’t go into much detail regarding the plot beyond what I’ve already mentioned, I will say that I look forward to seeing where the story goes following one hell of an intriguing cliffhanger.

What’s Not So Good: Despite the overall quality of the writing and presentation, the first issue of Echoes of the Damned doesn’t exactly break any new ground. You have seen this type of character before and you have seen elements of the plot in a variety of different forms of entertainment. And while I really enjoyed the stylish artwork, there are a few instances where the level of detail takes a noticeable dip. Also worth noting is that some of the action is poorly choreographed, though it is hard to tell whether it is the fault of the artist, the panel layout, or the dark coloring (or some combination of the three).

Conclusion: For the most part, you really can’t ask for a whole lot more from a #1 issue. If you are into supernatural stories or the noir genre at all, Echoes of the Damned may be right up your alley. Give its promising debut a shot.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Mercy Sparx #1 – Review

By Josh Blaylock (Writer), Matt Merhoff (Artist), and Eduardo Medeiros (Colors)

The Story: Mercy Sparx is a sexy demon from Sheol, a place located between Heaven and Hell. Her once dead-end life now has purpose as she serves as a bounty hunter for Heaven by bringing in rogue angels living among humanity. In this debut, Mercy Sparx is tasked with bringing in the muse Serendipity, currently living on earth as D.J. Dip. It doesn’t exactly go smoothly.

What’s Good: This comic instantly makes a good impression, thanks to the memorable visuals by Matt Merhoff and colorist Eduardo Medeiros. The look seems to inspired by tattoo artwork and it perfectly fits the tone that writer Josh Blaylock seems to be going for. Along with the amazing art, the idea of Mercy Sparx alone, is interesting, having us look forward to the character’s development. While she comes across as fairly one-dimensional in this first issue, it is not difficult to see how her attitude and lot in life could lead to some compelling scenarios. Especially considering the divine powers she is dealing with. With angels, demons, God, and the underworld in play, the story could easily become much more than the sum of its parts. The concept that this book introduces so far could easily become much deeper than your average bounty hunter story.

What’s Not So Good: As stylish and fun as this book is, it does have some flaws that could be damaging in the future if not addressed early on. The most glaring problem is that the bounty hunting action does not flow quite as well as it should, something that could prove distracting if the series winds up being full of action. The other thing I noticed is that Mercy’s bad attitude could easily come off as annoying to some readers. While I have no problem with her tone this early in the series, she will need some added depth in order to become truly endearing. Neither issue I pointed out crippling at this stage of the game, but they are things that should be taken into consideration for the future.

Conclusion: Mercy Sparx #1 is a promising, fun debut for a character loaded with potential. If a sexy, bounty hunting, metal-head of a demon sounds interesting, be sure to pick this one up.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny