Hack/Slash #21 – Review

By Tim Seeley (Writer), Emily Stone (Art), and Mark Englert (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m quite a fan of the Hack/Slash formula. It successfully blends a variety of genres into one extremely satisfying product. One part bloody horror story, one part buddy action comedy, one part grounded drama, and one part supernatural thriller, Hack/Slash somehow manages to work on nearly every level. While the series has hit a few bumps here and there, it always keeps me coming back for more because the basic concept is just so much fun. Simply put, you should be reading Hack/Slash.

The Story: The latest chapter of Hack/Slash sees Cassie’s past catching up with her in a big way. Longtime fans will either love or loathe the surprise returns in one of the more oddball issues of the series. Let me just say that it features one of the more interesting uses of an old lady in a comic book. Yep…

What’s Good: Story-wise, Hack/Slash #21 scores more points with me for what it sets up than for what actually happens. Though that’s not to say it isn’t a fun and entertaining issue. In fact, it might actually be one of the funniest comics I’ve read in quite some time. The bits with the elderly lady, Muffy, are so ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh. Cassie and Vlad even get in on it with some great character moments both humorous and, at times, poignant. Good work Mr. Seeley.

Also worth mentioning is the art team of Emily Stone and Mark Englert. They provide solid visuals throughout the book, with a few extremely stand-out moments. I’ve been a bit hard on Emily Stone in the past (mostly regarding facial consistency and the occasionally sketchy panel), but Hack/Slash #21 features some of her best work. And that work is complimented well by Mark Englert’s effective, quality coloring.

What’s Not So Good: A lot of your enjoyment of the latest Hack/Slash arc will probably rest on what you think of the returning characters. I can easily imagine at least one of them annoying or irritating people, so I can easily imagine his (or her?!) return falling flat. Personally, I think introducing new characters might have been more interesting, but I’m not exactly against how things now stand.

Another not so good thing is that some of Stone’s pencils tend to look a bit sketchy and rough at times. While it doesn’t really distract from the otherwise nice visuals, an extra layer of polish would have helped. I say that especially because Hack/Slash is extremely close to being a consistently good to great looking series as Stone’s solid work continues to improve.

Conclusion: Hack/Slash #21 is a surprisingly funny installment to an extremely entertaining series. While some may find themselves a bit irked by the returns, I believe most will be forgiven by the time they hit the cliffhanger of an ending. I look forward to seeing where Tim Seeley and his creative team take things from this point on.

Grade:  B

-Kyle Posluszny

Dead Irons #1 – Review

By James Kuhoric (writer), Jason Shawn Alexander (artist), Jae Lee (cover artist & character design)

The Story: What is the story?  I’ve read this issue twice now and can safely say that it does little more than barely introduce the Irons siblings, supernatural bounty hunters in the Old West who are just as happy killing the townsfolk they encounter in their travels as they are the bounties they pursue.

The Good: Jae Lee’s cover is wonderfully morbid and evocative, and I’m sorry to say it totally sold me on the issue in the first place.  Alexander’s art is clearly influenced by Lee’s, who also serves as Art Director for the title, and is heavily saturated in scratchy inks and shadows.  It’s a great style for this kind of story though, and one of this issue’s few redeeming qualities.

The Not So Good: Kuhoric’s script here is a confused mess of disconnected scenes that suggest the idea of a story without actually telling one.  The dialogue is a melodramatic nightmare that had me groaning as hard as I was laughing.  For example, take this passage from the first page: “Pain.  It’s the only thing in this world you can count on.  We’re born in pain.  Suffer with it every day on this land.  And die in it.  If we’re lucky, the pain leading us to death is brief and not an extended agony.”  What!?  Who talks like that?  Hard to say, as Kuhoric never even introduces his characters.  The whole issue is full of these moments, and while I’m sure Kuhoric is taking his story quite seriously, it’s that same emo streak that comes off looking ridiculous.

Conclusion: A moody, pretentious first issue that goes to great lengths to convince you how dark and serious it’s going to be, but forgets to be entertaining in the process.  You don’t need this.

Grade:  D

-Tony Rakittke

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

The Goon #30 – Review

By Eric Powell (story and art), Dave Stewart (colors)

The Story: As Goon’s battle with the Labrazio and the Lonely Street gang rages on, the Buzzard continues his mission to discover the secret to destroying Labrazio, but is betrayed by the Priest.  Meanwhile, Franky is challenged with a moral dilemma that has nothing to do with a knife to the eye…yet.

The Good: Ever since the release of the original graphic novel Chinatown, The Goon has matured and evolved into a more dramatic, thoughtful story; and although I first resented that change, much preferring the blatanly tongue-in-cheek humor, I have since found myself thoroughly drawn into Eric Powell’s new direction on the book.  What I love most about this title is how Powell is able to draw from so many influences and weave them into such consistently entertaining stories.

The Not So Good: Also around the time Chinatown was released, and maybe even a little before then, I noticed a significant change in the style of Powell’s art that unfortunately, has never quite agreed with me.  While Powell’s early issues were more illustrative of a typical comic book, his art now has a subdued, streamlined look that seems to want to highlight Dave Stewart’s washed out, sepia toned colors.  In hindsight, I actually think the art and color better compliments the dramatic tone of the story, but there is still a dreary look about it that I’ve never enjoyed.

Conclusion: Month after month, this is one of the few titles that I most look forward to.  The Goon continues to impress with its deft mix of sly humor, drama, and horror.  This is really great storytelling, and a perfect example of why we need to see more creator-owned titles being published and supported.

Grade: B+

-Tony Rakittke

The Cleaners #1 (of 4) – Review

By Mark Wheaton & Joshua Hale Fialkov (story), Rashan Ekedal (art), Jon Graef (colors)

If the TV shows “CSI” and “Supernatural” got drunk and hooked up at a party, they could have given birth to this little gem of a comic, the first in a four-part limited series. In fact, this first issue even reads like a pilot episode, and I mean that in a good way.

“The Cleaners” are a for-hire team of trauma scene cleaners led by Robert Bellarmine, a former doctor whose attention to detail and methodical nature I think are meant to remind us of Gil Grissom. In beautifully detailed double splash pages, Bellarmine moves through crime scenes explaining the nature of his work in jargon that sounds appropriately technical, but is still accessible to the reader. I especially loved how captions explain Bellarmine’s tools, or highlight interesting facts about the crime scene. While working for a high profile client, Robert is told about a big job that covers a neighborhood. He arrives to find a total bloodbath, and begins putting the residents at ease as he cleans up the mess.

Bellarmine’s investigation suggests a local blood bank or waste disposal company is probably dumping its supplies in order to cut costs, but the end of the issue reveals something even darker and more disturbing lurking in the city. Something that does not want to be found.

It can be hard to find new, original ideas in comics, but this is definitely one of them. Although this first issue was a little light on plot, Wheaton and Fialkov have still written an excellent fusion of noir and supernatural horror that loves its genres and respects their trappings.  And to compliment the unique tale, Rashan Ekedal’s art is suitably detailed and gritty, proving to be the right choice to realize Wheaton and Fialkov’s story. I can’t wait to grab the next issue and see where they go with this.

Grade: B+

-Tony Rakittke

Broken Trinity #1 – Review

Ron Marz, (Writer) Stjepan Sejic, and Phil Hester (Art)

As I have come to learn since becoming a comic book critic, the first part of an event or a new creative run is tough to review. It must hook the reader in some way while at the same time going through the (possibly boring or redundant) motions necessary to set up the story arc. Things can really get off on the wrong foot if the set up (a necessary evil) isn’t sufficiently compelling (check out Uncanny X-Men #500 for proof). I mention this because I feel that Broken Trinity #1 is a great example of how to properly set up a new storyline without making it feel like a boring chore to read.

There are two storylines at work in this issue, both of them serving to bring the elements of this event together. One of them, a visually striking Viking skirmish that quickly escalates into an epic battle between supernatural forces, serves up the action while establishing new elements in the Top Cow Universe. The other storyline works to bring almost all of the main players together in a way that feels both logical and natural given the continuity. While I honestly have no idea as to where things will go from here, the set up is solid and full of enough combustible elements to make for a great event. One thing is for sure, the creative team working on this series set quite a high bar with the First Born event, so they have their work cut out for them if they hope to clear it.

As for the writing, Ron Marz does a great job in this issue. The dialogue during the Viking battle is suitably epic and the characters drive the story well in the present day scenes. While I wish he would have spent a touch more time establishing the Celestine character, I have a feeling more will be explained sooner than later. Marz deftly puts the pieces in place while keeping a sense of mystery about what exactly is going on and, honestly, he’s got me hooked. While this story could really go either way at this point (since so much is still up in the air), it is off to quite a start.

I expected some nice work from the team of Stjepan Sejic and Phil Hester, but I’ve got to say that they really exceeded every expectation. The Viking scenes are absolutely stunning, a display of what I suppose I’ll call beautiful brutality. The supernatural characters look fantastic as well, though I will readily admit that they are nothing more than extremely impressive looking fantasy clichés. My only true complaint is that, like nearly all of Sejic’s books, there is a noticeable drop in detail/quality from time to time, but I can excuse that considering it must take quite some time to create the more impressive stuff. A book needs to get out at some point, so I can overlook that for the most part.

Overall, I’m really enjoying the first part of the Broken Trinity event. It manages to avoid getting bogged down by the necessary set up while creating the hooks that make me want more as soon as possible. (Grade: A)

-Kyle Posluszny

Spooks #4 – Review

Ryan Schifrin, Larry Hama (Writers), R.A. Salvatore, Geno Salvatore, Ryan Schifrin (Story), Adam Archer, and Jonny Rench (Art)

The final part of the Spooks mini-series serves as both an end and a beginning. It’s an end in that this supernatural story concludes with an action-packed, satisfying conclusion. On the other hand, it’s a beginning in that it helps lead into the new Devil’s Due series Spooks: Omega Team which debuts in July. While a few things bothered me about this series as a whole, Spooks #4 is a solid, fitting conclusion to the events that have been brewing since issue #1.

To put it as simple as possible, this finale pulls out all the stops. On one side we have the United States Army and its supernatural team, while on the other we have a sorceress, a vampire clan, a werewolf pack, a medusa, and some zombies that used to be former U.S. soldiers. If you want some crazy monster-fantasy action, this is the book for you. Heck, they even throw a fighting Abe Lincoln monument into the mix! It’s crazy stuff in all the right ways, that’s for sure.

On to the critical part, Spooks is something that I have enjoyed quite a bit, however, I would put it more into the mindless summer blockbuster category than something that will stick with me for years to come. The action hits all the right notes, even when it gets a bit silly, and the art team does a good job with keeping the action both gory and easy to follow. My biggest complaint would have to be that the dialogue is occasionally awkward and, from time to time, incredibly cheesy. This problem is far from crippling, but it did take me out of the story’s world from time to time as I found myself shaking my head over the absurdity.

All in all, if you’ve been following the Spooks story, you are sure to find a solid conclusion with this last issue. As I said, the creative team pulls out all the stops to create some impressive (and interesting) combat scenarios. Fun and satisfying. (Grade: B)

-Kyle Posluszny

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

Spooks #1 (of 4) – Review

By: R.A. Salvatore, Geno Salvatore (story), Ryan Schifrin (story & script), Larry Hama (script), Adam Archer (art), Jonny Rench (colors)

I picked this comic just for the great cover art! It reminded me of the old box art for computer games from the 80s. Check the awesome animated cover at www.spooksthecomic.com – first time I’ve seen something like that.

The United States Department of Supernatural Defense (BPRD… I mean DPSD) has specially trained forces on its payroll to protect us from supernatural enemies. We first meet Zach Ramirez, who’s using silver bullets to kill a loose werewolf, but the beast doesn’t die. I guess the “normal” rules don’t apply here. The werewolf bites Zach on his arm but he’s one of the 0.0001% of the population that is immune to werewolf bites.

The main plot goes on about this witch who is raising an army of evil doers to conquer the world once and for all. She has the werewolves on her side and even a headless horseman that she animates from the dead. Vampires join her swelling army as well, but each race has their own agenda. This group from hell is completed by a bodyguard figure in the form of a Frankenstein-esque monster.

I really don’t like having all these monsters together in a kind of crossover world. I’d rather deal with one species per story. I hope the book gets enough sales to make it into an ongoing series (right now it’s a four issue miniseries). I’m intrigued on what’s going to happen next but I don’t mind if I have to skip on it. The only way to guarantee a buy from me is if issue #2 cover is done by Staples. (Grade: C-)

-Daniel Yanez