REVIEW: What if? Marvel Comics Went Metal With Ghost Rider

Writer: Sebastian Girner

Pencils, inks, and colors: Caspar Wijngaard

Review: Madman

I haven’t read a single comic since the middle of July due to the fact my wife and I welcomed our first child and, well, life got real busy, real fast.

I suppose that goes without saying but, unless you’ve lived it, I doubt you can fully understand just how exhausting parenting can be. That being said, our little bundle of joy is a little over four months old now and is by no means any less exhausting.

So due to the aforementioned mini-human I had to take a step back from the wonderful world of comics, both reading and reviewing, for a few months and my, “to read”, pile is near the toppling over stage.

 So, I figure I’d pop in to say hello and help the HCB guys out with a review. I’m not sure how often I’ll be able to contribute here for a bit yet; I guess that depends on the cooperation of my wife and the mini-human.

We shall see.

REVIEW: Roulette

Story: Jeff Kaufman

Art: Federico Zumel

Colors: James Brown

Letters: Justin Birch

Review: Art Bee

A couple of weeks ago while I was checking out at my LCS, the graphic novel Roulette was sitting on the wire rack with its shiny, foily letters, and we all know how shiny things affect me.

Needless to say the impulse buy was made, and the $9.99 price point made it a bargain.

Afterward while driving home I began to wonder whether or not I had ever heard of Big City Comic Studios (the publisher) and if the company was located in an actual big city.

It would be hilarious if it was located in a small rural town.

Alas it is located in Orlando, Florida…

Roulette is a horror comic more attuned to a slasher film. Like many slasher films the identity of the killer is typically left to the end of the story, and this one is no different. The story begins with the introduction of Kim Barnett, daughter of a wealthy businessman. Kim arranges travel for her fiancé and six friends to Las Vegas for some fun.

Upon arriving the group is given an invitation to download and use an app called Roulette. The invitation says:

 “Would you like to trade places? All participants must download the Roulette app at www.madeyourchoice.com. Each participant will be given a time to meet downstairs and enter the red limousine. Choices will be made. Lives will be changed. Remember, you can always say no.”    

All of their pictures appear on a wheel that spins and randomly selects one, and the first one chosen is Kim. She leaves and enters the red limousine as do they all. The next morning all but Kim wake up in a hotel room. Shortly, the app shows Kim tied to a chair and gagged with a masked man wielding a knife.

“Would you change places?”

REVIEW: Bully Wars #3

Story: Skottie Young

Art: Aaron Conley

Colors: Jean-Francois Beaulieu

Letters: Nate Piekos of Glambot

Review: Art Bee

In middle and high school I had to deal with my share of bullies and even though my school was smaller, it contained several. Granted many of those days were the brightest of my life and they shaped me into the man and father I am today…whatever that is worth.

Imagine my curiosity when Bully Wars by Skottie Young was visible on the shelf at my LCS. When I thumbed through the issue my eyes were shocked to see artwork in a style other than Young’s and that is when the credits revealed, to my amazement, the art belonged to Aaron Conley.

This made me happy. If you are not familiar with this gent, he worked with Ryan Browne on God Hates Astronauts (Image) among other things.

Bear with me on this. I have not read the first two issues.

Bully Wars aims to set all of the bullies in the school into a contest of champions of sorts.

May the Best Bully win…

At first I thought this comic book was going to glorify bullies, but that thought was quickly knocked down, stomped, and shot in the head with the first argument shared between a pair.

REVIEW: Sock #1

Creator, writer, illustrator: Rickman

Review: Will Dubbeld

So, you all wanted a comic about a sock who fights crime, right?

That’s clearly rhetorical.

You know damn well you wanted a vigilante sock book...

Want no longer, as Sock presents three short stories detailing the exploits of a cape-wearing, flying sock of justice.

Upon hearing the sounds of danger, the mild-mannered sock perks from his owner’s laundry basket and wordlessly takes flight, hell-bent on righting wrongs and punishing the wicked!

Seriously, I think it’s a normal sock the rest of the time...

Also, it spins around like Linda Carter in the old Wonder Woman show to transform from normal sock to super-sock.

I feel that’s worth noting...

The first short is a classic go-to setup involving a lovely young lady imperiled by a knife-wielding ne’er do well in a deadend alley. Hearing cries for help, The Sock speeds through the night air and handily defeats the would-be mugger in one of the most bizarre fights I’ve ever seen on the page.

And not just because it depicts a thug getting beat up by a sock.

The Sock first envelopes the guy’s head and pops off, leaving his hair standing on end (presumably from static electricity?).

He then flies into the guy’s mouth, which is gross, because The Sock was going into the wash as the story opened.

Also the author is perhaps a Mick Foley fan.

I don’t know.

Finally, The Sock wriggles up the guy’s pantleg and socks him in the nuts.

Or possibly constricts something; it isn’t graphically depicted.

Either way, dude drops to the ground clutching his breadbasket.

The Sock then flies home, just in time to be tossed in the wash.

REVIEW: MCMLXXV #1

Story: Joe Casey
Art: Ian Macewan
Color: Brad Simpson
Design: Sonia Harris
Letters: Rus Wooton
Review: Art Bee

Why did I pick up MCMLXXV #1 at my LCS?
I wish I could say something like it has a great cover or appealing artwork, but the only reason this comic book came home with me is my fascination for Roman numeration. 
The title of this comic is 1975 by our numerals. Granted, Roman numerals are bulkier to use but just look at how much more interesting they are.
They seem like an entitlement instead of a number. I believe the title is a reference to the time period in which the story takes place, but it is not clear.

Pamela Evans, a cab driver in an unknown metropolis, is the main character in MCMLXXV #1. Our first look at this lady shows her as a badass by her using her cab as a weapon against a large group of ninjas who just happen to be occupying the entire street. She then exits the cab and proceeds to pummel the katana-wielding warriors with a tire iron. We are never given a reason for the group of ninjas being there or whether they were there to attack Pamela or her fare. In addition there is no provocation for Pamela to attack other than the ninjas being in the way.
Is this a story of heroic roadrage?

REVIEW: Swamp Thing Halloween Horror Giant #1

Writer/artist: various 

Review: Will Dubbeld

Well, ‘it’s the season... 

Halloween is one of my most favorite bits of the year. Ghouls and goblins and panhandling urchins rub elbows with Scary Monsters and Super Creeps whilst all-nite horror marathons ride the airwaves.

Granted I can enjoy these flavors year-round, but the whimsy isn’t the same.

Comic companies ofttimes join in the Halloween festivities with a themed one-shot or standalone regular series issue and this year’s big winner is DC Comics.

Which is not a phrase you’ll hear uttered with frequency...

This 100-pager features an original Swamp Thing vignette and several reprinted All Hallows’ pieces.

“Hollow”

The new Swampy bit is scribed by Brian Azzarello with Greg Capullo pencils and is a frankly intriguing story.

I’m fairly behind on my monthlies and unsure if there’s a frame of reference in a book I’ve not read yet, but “Hollow” seems like it sets the stage for an upcoming Swamp Thing series.

It’s extremely vague but follows a young lady named Twiglet who is acting as Swamp Thing’s herald or acolyte after having been rescued by him at some point. 

The rescue is amazing as it features Swamp Thing fighting a giant albino alligator. There’s the price of admission.

Right there...

Azzarello teases an upcoming war with a being/force called The Barren and flexes Swamp Thing’s muscles in a fight with some demon creatures masquerading as trick or treaters.

While usually nonplussed about Azzarello’s writing and persona, this was a win. He comes off as a pupal version of Warren Ellis and Ed Brubaker’s atomic love child who hadn’t fully gestated and always falls short of truly spellbinding writing.

Greg Capullo really hits his stride here, showcasing his omnipresent slavish attention to detail, accentuated by Jonathan Glapion’s inks and colors from FCO Plascencia.

I’m looking forward to following along with this storyline. 

REVIEW: Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men #1

Writer: Evan Dorkin
Artist: Benjamin Dewey
Letterer: Nate Piekos of Blambot
Review: Art Bee

When I first saw this comic book on the shelf at my LCS my first thought was, “sharp cover”, and my second was the Rolling Stones song which is still bouncing around my skull.
My decision to pick it up and review it was cemented by the owner and operator of my LCS, Shawn, saying that it was, “one of the best new comics he has read in a while”. In the past our opinions have been hit or miss on agreement, but in this case, they are fairly close.

Beasts of Burden #1 almost seems like something aimed at children with talking animals and magic. Even though there is no rating on the comic, from what I read in this issue, it seems fine for most ages (8+).
What hit me sideways was the boldness in the artwork. Dewey’s lines are all bold and deliberate providing a since of deliberate destiny for the characters. This is strictly my interpretation and I stand by it. The scenes are very detailed and keep the reader’s focus well. These qualities are one of the driving forces of the issue.