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: American Nightmares #4 – Review

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

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I thought the last issue of American Nightmares was pretty great. While it didn’t advance the story a whole lot, it made up for its shortcomings by being incredibly intense and disturbing.

The Story: Stu Redman and artist Glen Bateman discuss the nature of Captain Tripps and nightmares. Lloyd debates cannibalism in the name of survival and is approached by a Randall Flagg. Frannie and Harold pass the time by relaxing.

What’s Good: In The Stand: American Nightmares #4, the writing is excellent, the realistic artwork is genuinely unsettling, and the plot inches forward enough to keep things interesting. In other words, the fourth chapter of American Nightmares delivers… Well everything you’ve come to expect from The Stand and the creative team of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Mike Perkins, and Laura Martin… Nothing more, nothing less.

What’s Not So Good: I hate to knock something that’s so well done for moving forward at a slow pace (especially considering the source material), but The Stand: American Nightmares #4 reminds me of why trade-waiting is so appealing to some people. The trade format just works better for some things and I’m fairly certain The Stand is one of those things. I’ll be sure to stick around for the conclusion of American Nightmares next month, but I doubt I’ll be picking up the next mini-series as a monthly unless American Nightmares #5 leaves me with that “I can’t possibly wait” feeling.

Conclusion: American Nightmares #4 is very good, but it’s also pretty slow. If you’ve been following The Stand from the beginning, then you should already know what to expect.

Grade: B

-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

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