Turf #1 – Review

By: Jonathan Ross (writer), Tommy Lee Edwards (illustrator) & John Workman (letters)

The Story: In Prohibition Era New York City, a family of vampires move in on the mafia.  Meanwhile, an alien crashes out near Coney Island.

What’s Good: Let’s start with the art.  This is a good looking comic book!  It’s the kind of thing that makes the rest of the comics in the stack look pretty pedestrian.  Tommy Lee Edwards is a very talented artist and when you put good artists on titles that they own, care about, and have a financial interest in, you almost always get a “best effort.”  Not only is the book beautiful without resorting to splash pages, but it is consistent!  I didn’t see any bad panels where you think, “That guy is kinda funny looking!”

As for the story, I really enjoyed it too.  Mobsters running booze – mixed with vampires – mixed with space aliens: How can you beat that combo?  The story is really a mob tale that centers on one of the families controlling the bootlegging in NYC in early 1929.  I’d probably enjoy this book if it was just a mob story, but when the new “family” that is muscling in on the action is a clan of vampires… Well,I just love me some wacky stuff.  We do get to see the space alien (who is a bootlegger or sorts too), but it is pretty brief.  I guess we’ll have to tune in for issue #2 to see that play out.

Ross also writes really well.  Even though he is a celebrity-type in the UK and is a big comic book fan, I am 99% sure this is his first time serving as a writer and he does a great job.  He also delivers a solid value: 26 pages and probably 100% more writing than is the norm for a $2.99 book.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

DS’ Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Blackest Night #8 – Just freakin’ awesome! Johns sewed up a tight, cosmic plot in a way that satisfied me intellectually, while delivering some heavy emotional punches! My first epic rating ever!

Most Anticipated: Batman and Robin #11 – Batman versus Robin! What else have you got to say to a Grant Morrison title?

Other Top Picks: Red Robin #11, JSA All-Stars #5, The Flash: Secret Files and Origins #1, Uncanny X-Men #523.

Joe’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: X-Men: Second Coming #1 – It was a close race between this and Blackest Night #8, but Kyle, Yost and Finch pull ahead based on energy alone.  While BN #8 seemed a bit too preoccupied with launching Brightest Day and not enough with finishing Blackest Night, this issue hit all the right beats to make me ravenous for more.

Most Anticipated: Uncanny X-Men #523 – I’m trying really hard not to be a total x-whore here, but I just can’t help it!  I’m eager to find out what happens next in this storyline and this is the place to go!  I only hope the momentum lasts.

Other Picks: S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, Flash Secret Files 2010, Red Robin #11, Demo #3, Avengers The Origin #1, Deadpool & Cable #25, Wolverine Weapon X #12, Turf #1

Alex’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Unknown Soldier #18 – I said it in my review: this was an easy pick of the week.  This was probably the best issue the series has seen since the end of the first arc.  Emotional and volatile, this hit all the right buttons and came with some really great art as well.

Most Anticipated: S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 – Jonathan Hickman fully unleashed on the Marvel Universe.  In other words, espect insanity.  I am prepared to have my mind completely blown and thus far, having seen previews of Dustin Weaver’s art on the comic, I’m already halfway there.

Other Picks: The Flash: Secret Files & Origins 2010, Wolverine: Weapon X #12, Sweet Tooth #8, Invincible Returns, Batman & Robin #11

Dean’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Second Coming #1 – Great start to an event that has been building for years!  I really loved everything about it.

Most Anticipated: Turf #1 – Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards doing a story about 1920’s mobsters and aliens?  Sign me up!

Other Picks: Uncanny X-Men #523, SHIELD #1, Wolverine Weapon X #12, Cowboy Ninja Viking #5