iZombie #4 – Review

by Chris Roberson (writer), Mike Allred (art), Laura Allred (colors), and Todd Klein (letters)

The Story: Gwen gets to know Amon, who explains the existence of monsters, while Horatio fights Claire the vampire.

What’s Good: After three issues of relaxed storytelling, it’s nice to see iZombie really lay down some big ideas.  Readers impatient with the slow pace should be somewhat appeased this month, as the book is given something of a new, or at least unexpected, direction and a great deal of information.

The core of it concerns the existence of monsters in this world and Roberson’s explanation is surprisingly intellectual and yet completely logical.  He brings forth the idea of the soul, but argues that every person has an oversoul and an undersoul.  How this ties into the various monsters who inhabit iZombie is very well put together and it’s great to see Roberson doing some world-building, crafting a kind of mythos that can be drawn upon in future.

The mummy Amon’s back-story is also explored a little bit as he takes Gwen on a tour through his memories, while introducing the above ideas.  I like Amon as a character; he adds a suave, mature voice to the comic that’s a good fit.  He’s a fun character and I look forward to seeing more of him.

Art-wise, this is another solid outing by Mike Allred.  I especially enjoyed his creative paneling, as Amon  inserts himself into his own memories while the page reflects the fact that he and Gwen have gone on mental walkabout.

Welcome to Hoxford #4 – Review

By Ben Templesmith (Creator, Writer, Artist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Welcome to Hoxford has been one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. Gory and disturbing, yet driven by an extremely compelling anti-hero, Ben Templesmith’s latest has definitely satisfied the horror fan within me far more than I ever expected. I can’t wait to see what happens to Raymond and the inmates next.

The Story: It’s Raymond Delgado and the few remaining survivors against a pack of ancient beasts in the blood, action-packed conclusion of Welcome to Hoxford.

What’s Good: Since the final chapter of the series is so focused on the mayhem caused by the clash between man and beast-men, there really isn’t a whole lot to it. The set-up called for action and now it’s delivered. That said, there are a few surprises regarding the nature between the hunters and the hunted as the story makes its way to a satisfying, brutal finish.

What’s Not So Good: As much as I enjoy Templesmith’s stylish artwork, it really doesn’t work that well during scenes heavy on action. And there is a lot of action in this one. The heavy use of gore and dark coloring makes the events more muddled and confusing than gruesome. Templesmith’s art style fits the book well, but a little clarity and direction would have gone a long way.

Conclusion: Welcome to Hoxford #4 is a visceral, slightly disappointing, conclusion to a well executed horror story. While the artwork leaves a bit to be desired while all the action is taking place, it shouldn’t deter anyone interested from giving the series a shot. There is a lot to like about a visit to Hoxford.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Welcome to Hoxford #3 – Review

By Ben Templesmith (Writer and Artist)

The Story: With vicious creatures on the hunt throughout the halls of Hoxford, insane inmate Raymond Delgado fights back. It’s ancient evil versus human evil in a clash that proves just how twisted things can get when two very different types of darkness collide.

What’s Good: This series just keeps getting better and better. Ben Templesmith creates a stylish horror story that creates a conflicting response within the reader in a spectacular fashion. You can’t help but root for Raymond Delgado, the anti-hero of the story, despite the fact that he is pretty much the worst that humanity has to offer. He is a perfect match for the horrors (and inmates) of Hoxford and the only one capable of fully grasping the situation at hand. It makes for one compelling, haunting read.

I also must mention that the other inmates in the cast provide some truly disturbing moments as well. While spoiling anything would ruin some of the more fun moments in the book, let me just say that there are scenes that are definitely not for the squeamish. Templesmith goes out his way to make sure that you don’t forget what type of people are committed to Hoxford and it works to great effect.

What’s Not So Good: As much as I enjoy Templesmith’s visual style, it creates a bit of confusion in this issue since it is so heavy on action. With the unique color palette and copious amounts of gore, sometimes it is difficult to tell exactly what’s happened during some of the more intense scenes. It is obvious bad things are happening, but I wish it was more clear about what bad things are happening. A minor complaint, but worth mentioning regardless.

Conclusion: After a somewhat shaky start, Welcome to Hoxford is quickly becoming one of my favorite stories of year. I highly recommend this one to all horror fans.

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

High Moon – Review

David Gallaher (writer), Steve Ellis (artist)

We here at the WCBR have been enjoying DC’s online imprint Zuda Comics and being a fan of free comics I dutifully strolled on over to the cyber comic rack to peruse the offerings. This one, High Moon, jumped out at me. Had to be werewolves, right? Right. Werewolves in the old west, no less – I liked it already.

The story opens with a child abduction in the Texas town of Blest. A mysterious bounty hunter with a secret (Matthew Macgregor), rolls into town looking for a wanted man and is offered a deal by the townspeople: find the missing child and they’ll help him find his man. A quick, simple intro and we’re on our way.

Macgregor is aided by the town’s deputy who believes wolves are responsible for the abduction, but of course nobody believes him and Macgregor obviously knows more than he’s letting on. The story is well paced, grabbed my interest very quickly, and kept me turning the page. The protagonist is intriguing as is the nature of the man, Conroy, whom he is pursuing. The artwork by Steve Ellis is solid as well. The style of his art really suits the tale and is evocative of the hot and dusty setting where the story dwells. The highest compliment I can pay this comic is that by the end I found myself needing and wanting more. I don’t yet how often the site gets updated and when the next issue gets posted but I will keep my eye out for it because I want to see what happens in the mines!

I think a few words are in order about the reading interface. I found it very user friendly and easy to navigate. One comic page fills the viewer and controls for zooming and turning pages are located on the bottom. Use of the full screen mode, my preferred method of reading, renders the pages much easier to read. In full screen mode, the controls disappear from view but when the mouse is rolled over the bottom of the screen they return. Also in full screen mode you can still zoom in on the page to the point to where it fills the screen. When this is done an icon appears that allows the reader to use the mouse to pan around the different parts of the page. I like to do this when there’s a certain panel or piece or art gets my attention. I found the Zuda viewer a pleasure to use and fun to play around with, and High Moon is a story worth looking into. It’s free – what do you have to lose? (Grade: A)

– Arthur Cooke

The Astounding Wolf-Man #5 – Review

By Robert Kirkman (writer), Jason Howard (art)

This book’s on a bimonthly schedule, so I can’t gripe about it being late. But, it’s really hard to get back into each time I pick it up. It’s not that the series is bad, it’s actually pretty decent. And there’s no denying that the concept of a crime fighting werewolf, is a fascinating one, but the story is moving so slow that it’s tough to remember what’s happened in previous issues. Luckily, I was able to remember bits and pieces of the story and its characters thanks to the expository dialog Robert Kirkman so deftly snuck in.

This issue doesn’t give as many more answers, but it does dabble in the history of the werewolves, their power, and their bloodlines. It’s all told through hearsay (ala Zachariah), so we don’t get any cool flashbacks or anything like that. Instead, the series stays grounded to its urban roots with Wolf-Man bolstering his prominence among his superhero peers. Some refuse to believe he’s a good guy while others extend him an offer to join their superhero union (which he may be considering, given his financial situation). We also get to see how this new lifestyle is impacting on those at home; in particular, it’s taking a toll on his daughter.

I’ll give Kirkman credit for touching upon all his running subplots on a consistent basis. The problem is we don’t get enough time with any of the characters this month or any month. If we got this book on a monthly basis, I’d be pleased, but the bi-monthly schedule really hurts.

The Astounding Wolf-Man (and new readers) would really benefit from a synopsis page at the beginning – and I know that’s not asking much either. Kirkman devotes three pages just to the letters column alone. I’m sure one page of “things that went on before” wouldn’t hurt. Heck, you could even put it on the masthead like you do with Walking Dead! If you’re curious about this book my advice is to wait for the trade. It’s just too hard to keep up with on a bimonthly schedule. and I know Jason Howard does most of the work, and it’s probably the cause of the schedule, but if all it takes is hiring a colorist to speed things up, I’m all for it!  (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

Urban Monsters #1 – Review

By: Andrew Stroscher (creator), Will Wilson & Joanne Moore (writer), Tone Rodriguez & Rick Ross (illustrator) & Nei Ruffino (colors)

A century ago, monsters and mutants started to come out of their closets, becoming part of human traditions and way of life. Some became movie stars, while others had to work hard the old fashioned way to earn their money. In a place where David Hasselhoff is highly regarded as an actor, I guess I’m lucky to be living in real world.

In Urban Monsters, a group of monster companions decide to make it big at Hollywood; it’s a road trip story that follows them as they attempt to make a casting call. We get to see a lot of how this world works. The zombie character of the group gets in a little trouble with the police and accidentally infects one of them – a rare case. Some people outside the big cities are prejudiced against monsters, not allowing them to enter to stores. And when the group gets invited to a county fair, it’s later discovered that it’s plagued with werewolves.

This comic looks like it’s a love project that got approved for publishing. I’m trying to read new independent works whenever I have the chance – sometimes I discover great things, sometimes not so much. Urban Monsters falls in the middle. I don’t know if I should take the comic as a serious piece with social commentary or just as a humor story (or both). I’ll stick around for another issue, but hope to see some changes. (Grade: C-)

-Daniel Yanez