Derrick's 2014 FCBD Bonanza!
FCBD Round-Up
Reviews written by: Derrick Crow
16 books, 29 stories; and who said I didn’t love my job? Seriously though, guys, this was a ton of work and I’m so thankful to have the chance to not only score such a wide load of books this year, but to be able to sit here and give you my thoughts on all of them. It took me awhile, and a lot of concentration was devoted to this but here it is, and I really hope you all enjoy what I have to say! Until next year!
Mouse Guard, Labyrinth, and other stories – by Various
Archaia Entertainment
Summary (from the back of the book): Archaia remains committed to producing the highest quality graphic novels from some of the world’s most talented comic book creators. Archaia has received multiple Eisner Awards for its published work, including the 2011 Wisner Award for Best Anthology - Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard –and back-to-back Eisner Awards for Best Graphic Novel Album for 2011 and 2012.
In 2012, Archaia published the first-ever Free Comic Book Day hardcover to widespread critical acclaim.
Now experience some of the most original voices in sequential storytelling as Archaia proudly presents the second volume of its Free Comic Book Day original graphic novella hardcover anthology series.
Featuring all-new, never-before-seen short stories from the worlds of David Peterson’s Mouse Guard, Royden Lepp’s Rust, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, The Jim Henson Company’s Farscape, Sean Rubin’s Bolivar, and Tom Hammock and Megan Hutchison’s Will O’ The Wisp.
Mouse Guard by David Peterson
Review: Let me just start out by saying that I am very happy with Archaia’s dedication to FCBD and what it really means. First off, they entice you in with a beautiful hardcover book FOR FREE but then also gives you 6; count them SIX complete short stories. Nothing screams “shut up and take my money!” more than that. And you don’t even have to give them any. Now on to the Mouse Guard story, this was pretty good for what it was. There wasn’t a lot here but it was a nice little tale to tie into 'The Black Axe' arc from the main title. I have not read that story yet, but I like when Mouse Guard focuses on its mythology and history from old mice telling younger mice of these fantastical stories. It really opens up this world and shows off the richness that makes it so wonderful. And for an FCBD comic I think it works in getting intrigued by this world at large. Although the characters seem to be one-off for this story alone, so they probably won’t play a big role in the main book. Again, I’m behind on my Mouse Guard so I could also be wrong.
Final Score: 3 Sisters of the black axe out of 5
Rust by Royden Lepp
Review: This one doesn’t have much to it in the way of meat. It’s a few pages long and sees Jet testing out a jetpck but in order to do so he has to go into freefall. So either succeed or die. And it’s only a test run, so that’d be very anticlimactic to die now. Regardless, it is a fun little story but sadly doesn’t work in enticing the reader to check out more of the wonderful world of Rust. The artwork, like with Mouse Guard before it, is beautiful with its sepia toned look which I think is really unique and I know is used in the main title as well.
Final Score: 3 Freefallin’ test runs out of 5
Labyrinth by Jim Henson [Written by Adam Smith, Illustrated by Kyla Vanderklugt]
Review: This is my favorite of the Archaia anthology stories, just putting that out there. It features a giant, but loveable beast named Ludo who is being hunted by some bandits and is saved by the titular Labyrinth. When faced with a riddle to spare his life he finds some help from an unlikely source and it’s pretty damn adorable. I found this story to be fascinating, fun and very endearing. Ludo, for what little we know of him I love and just like standard Jim Henson fair the beasts seen in this are truly sights to see. The art in this is great as well, one thing the anthology has going for it is every story has beautiful art it seems. This would make me want to go pick up more Labyrinth comics.
Final Score: 5 Loveable Ludo’s out of 5
Bolivar by Sean Rubin
Review: This one features a small story focusing on some immigrants who came across Ellis Island back in the day and their daughter having a conversation with our main protagonist, Sybil about it. I know the whole series is about Sybil and her friend’s adventures, which if you haven’t read the book I’ll let you go discover who her awesome friend is, but for this story to be new reader friendly I didn’t really find it to be so. There is some iconic American imagery in this but as to what it means is lost on me since the story is all about not noticing what is in front of you. It just didn’t seem to work for me and seemed really out of place to introduce people to this world.
Final Score: 1 Last Living [Spoilers] out of 5
Will O’ The Wisp by Tom Hammock and Megan Hutchison
Review: Like the others before it, this tale is also a one-off short. Showcasing Missy, the Raccoon from the series as she goes out for a night on the town while her owners are asleep; this story is fun, and it does entice me to pick up the series but it could have been better. As it seems like there was no underlying message to Missy’s adventures but it is nice to see the respect she gets around town. The artwork in this is okay, it’s clunky in some areas but otherwise pretty solid. A lot of purple as well.
Final Score: 3 Hoodoo Charms out of 5
Farscape by The Jim Henson’s Company [Story and Art by Ramon K Perez]
Review: I actually know next to nothing about Farscape, you could even say this is my first real exposure to it. But I do know it was once a TV show and is now getting a movie. And I have wanted to check out the show for a while. I had no idea who these characters were in this story, but I still found it to be quite fun. The aliens were intriguing and the banter made me laugh. I don’t know if I’d want to check out any more Farscape comics from this, but I do believe the TV show is calling my name. Also, in my opinion, this story has the worst art of the entire book. But it still isn’t far from bad, so that’s definitely good.
Final Score: 3 Exploding Mines out of 5
Reviews written by: Derrick Crow
16 books, 29 stories; and who said I didn’t love my job? Seriously though, guys, this was a ton of work and I’m so thankful to have the chance to not only score such a wide load of books this year, but to be able to sit here and give you my thoughts on all of them. It took me awhile, and a lot of concentration was devoted to this but here it is, and I really hope you all enjoy what I have to say! Until next year!
Mouse Guard, Labyrinth, and other stories – by Various
Archaia Entertainment
Summary (from the back of the book): Archaia remains committed to producing the highest quality graphic novels from some of the world’s most talented comic book creators. Archaia has received multiple Eisner Awards for its published work, including the 2011 Wisner Award for Best Anthology - Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard –and back-to-back Eisner Awards for Best Graphic Novel Album for 2011 and 2012.
In 2012, Archaia published the first-ever Free Comic Book Day hardcover to widespread critical acclaim.
Now experience some of the most original voices in sequential storytelling as Archaia proudly presents the second volume of its Free Comic Book Day original graphic novella hardcover anthology series.
Featuring all-new, never-before-seen short stories from the worlds of David Peterson’s Mouse Guard, Royden Lepp’s Rust, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, The Jim Henson Company’s Farscape, Sean Rubin’s Bolivar, and Tom Hammock and Megan Hutchison’s Will O’ The Wisp.
Mouse Guard by David Peterson
Review: Let me just start out by saying that I am very happy with Archaia’s dedication to FCBD and what it really means. First off, they entice you in with a beautiful hardcover book FOR FREE but then also gives you 6; count them SIX complete short stories. Nothing screams “shut up and take my money!” more than that. And you don’t even have to give them any. Now on to the Mouse Guard story, this was pretty good for what it was. There wasn’t a lot here but it was a nice little tale to tie into 'The Black Axe' arc from the main title. I have not read that story yet, but I like when Mouse Guard focuses on its mythology and history from old mice telling younger mice of these fantastical stories. It really opens up this world and shows off the richness that makes it so wonderful. And for an FCBD comic I think it works in getting intrigued by this world at large. Although the characters seem to be one-off for this story alone, so they probably won’t play a big role in the main book. Again, I’m behind on my Mouse Guard so I could also be wrong.
Final Score: 3 Sisters of the black axe out of 5
Rust by Royden Lepp
Review: This one doesn’t have much to it in the way of meat. It’s a few pages long and sees Jet testing out a jetpck but in order to do so he has to go into freefall. So either succeed or die. And it’s only a test run, so that’d be very anticlimactic to die now. Regardless, it is a fun little story but sadly doesn’t work in enticing the reader to check out more of the wonderful world of Rust. The artwork, like with Mouse Guard before it, is beautiful with its sepia toned look which I think is really unique and I know is used in the main title as well.
Final Score: 3 Freefallin’ test runs out of 5
Labyrinth by Jim Henson [Written by Adam Smith, Illustrated by Kyla Vanderklugt]
Review: This is my favorite of the Archaia anthology stories, just putting that out there. It features a giant, but loveable beast named Ludo who is being hunted by some bandits and is saved by the titular Labyrinth. When faced with a riddle to spare his life he finds some help from an unlikely source and it’s pretty damn adorable. I found this story to be fascinating, fun and very endearing. Ludo, for what little we know of him I love and just like standard Jim Henson fair the beasts seen in this are truly sights to see. The art in this is great as well, one thing the anthology has going for it is every story has beautiful art it seems. This would make me want to go pick up more Labyrinth comics.
Final Score: 5 Loveable Ludo’s out of 5
Bolivar by Sean Rubin
Review: This one features a small story focusing on some immigrants who came across Ellis Island back in the day and their daughter having a conversation with our main protagonist, Sybil about it. I know the whole series is about Sybil and her friend’s adventures, which if you haven’t read the book I’ll let you go discover who her awesome friend is, but for this story to be new reader friendly I didn’t really find it to be so. There is some iconic American imagery in this but as to what it means is lost on me since the story is all about not noticing what is in front of you. It just didn’t seem to work for me and seemed really out of place to introduce people to this world.
Final Score: 1 Last Living [Spoilers] out of 5
Will O’ The Wisp by Tom Hammock and Megan Hutchison
Review: Like the others before it, this tale is also a one-off short. Showcasing Missy, the Raccoon from the series as she goes out for a night on the town while her owners are asleep; this story is fun, and it does entice me to pick up the series but it could have been better. As it seems like there was no underlying message to Missy’s adventures but it is nice to see the respect she gets around town. The artwork in this is okay, it’s clunky in some areas but otherwise pretty solid. A lot of purple as well.
Final Score: 3 Hoodoo Charms out of 5
Farscape by The Jim Henson’s Company [Story and Art by Ramon K Perez]
Review: I actually know next to nothing about Farscape, you could even say this is my first real exposure to it. But I do know it was once a TV show and is now getting a movie. And I have wanted to check out the show for a while. I had no idea who these characters were in this story, but I still found it to be quite fun. The aliens were intriguing and the banter made me laugh. I don’t know if I’d want to check out any more Farscape comics from this, but I do believe the TV show is calling my name. Also, in my opinion, this story has the worst art of the entire book. But it still isn’t far from bad, so that’s definitely good.
Final Score: 3 Exploding Mines out of 5
Grimm Fairy Tales –Age of Darkness #0
Zenescope
Summary (from inside the book): Zenescope’s Grimm Fairy Tales is one of the longest running and most popular independent comic book series in the world. As it approaches its 10th year in print, this epic, action and fantasy series continues to fascinate by re-telling classic tales for a new generation of readers while following the iconic Sela Mathers in her journey to keep the Grimm Universe safe from evil.
Assumed extinct for thousands of years, the most powerful and terrifying creatures to ever exist in the Grimm Universe are on the cusp of returning. They are the Bloodknights, and their sole purpose is to hunt down and exterminate good highborns. Controlled by the Dark Queen, the Bloodknights will have their sights set on the most important Highborn of them all… Dr. Sela Mathers.
This special Free Comic Book Day edition of Grimm Fairy Tales #0 ties into the upcoming landmark Grimm Fairy Tales #100 issue and Grimm’s epic Age of Darkness event!
Grimm Fairy Tales Annual 2014 Age of Darkness Prequel by Joe Brusha, with art by Sheldon Goh
Review: I say this is a prequel, I think it is a prequel, it reads like one. So I’m going to assume it is. This isn’t a full story, as it is more of a preview, it’s pretty standard fair but I do find the set up for the Bloodknights, and the Bloodknights themselves intriguing. This does do a good job at getting me pumped for the event and I’ll be excited to see where the story goes from here. Interesting to me though that this story continues in GFT 2014 Annual and not Grimm Fairy Tales #100. Also of note, the art in this is great to look at and fits the tone pretty well.
Final Score: 3 Bloodknights out of 5
GFT Dark Queen – Age of Darkness One-Shot Preview by Joe Brusha, with art by Eric M EsQuivel
Review: There’s really nothing I can say about this one, it’s 2 pages long and is previewing a one-shot. There’s 4 panels total and it doesn’t really do much to entice me to pick it up. The art is great, I think I like it better here than I did in the previous story, and the Dark Queen could be interesting but I don’t see enough here to get me fully invested.
Final Score: 1 Pretend Tyrant out of 5
Robyn Hood – Age of Darkness One-Shot Preview by Joe Brusha & Pat Shand, with art by Larry Watts
Review: This too is just a preview of a one-shot and again only 2 pages long, but there’s a lot more panels and wording to get me somewhat invested. I don’t know a lot about Zenescope’s Robyn Hood character, but she seems to be very much influenced by Green Arrow in the same way he was influenced by the original Robin Hood. To be honest, looking at this I only thought I was reading a cross between GA and a Shield agent going on a mission together. And the cliffhanger fell on deaf ears, though to those who follow this series perhaps they’ll have any clue as to who the mystery woman is. The art here is my least favorite of the three, it’s good but it doesn’t have that stylized look that the first two stories had.
Final Score: 1.5 Technomancer’s out of 5
Zenescope
Summary (from inside the book): Zenescope’s Grimm Fairy Tales is one of the longest running and most popular independent comic book series in the world. As it approaches its 10th year in print, this epic, action and fantasy series continues to fascinate by re-telling classic tales for a new generation of readers while following the iconic Sela Mathers in her journey to keep the Grimm Universe safe from evil.
Assumed extinct for thousands of years, the most powerful and terrifying creatures to ever exist in the Grimm Universe are on the cusp of returning. They are the Bloodknights, and their sole purpose is to hunt down and exterminate good highborns. Controlled by the Dark Queen, the Bloodknights will have their sights set on the most important Highborn of them all… Dr. Sela Mathers.
This special Free Comic Book Day edition of Grimm Fairy Tales #0 ties into the upcoming landmark Grimm Fairy Tales #100 issue and Grimm’s epic Age of Darkness event!
Grimm Fairy Tales Annual 2014 Age of Darkness Prequel by Joe Brusha, with art by Sheldon Goh
Review: I say this is a prequel, I think it is a prequel, it reads like one. So I’m going to assume it is. This isn’t a full story, as it is more of a preview, it’s pretty standard fair but I do find the set up for the Bloodknights, and the Bloodknights themselves intriguing. This does do a good job at getting me pumped for the event and I’ll be excited to see where the story goes from here. Interesting to me though that this story continues in GFT 2014 Annual and not Grimm Fairy Tales #100. Also of note, the art in this is great to look at and fits the tone pretty well.
Final Score: 3 Bloodknights out of 5
GFT Dark Queen – Age of Darkness One-Shot Preview by Joe Brusha, with art by Eric M EsQuivel
Review: There’s really nothing I can say about this one, it’s 2 pages long and is previewing a one-shot. There’s 4 panels total and it doesn’t really do much to entice me to pick it up. The art is great, I think I like it better here than I did in the previous story, and the Dark Queen could be interesting but I don’t see enough here to get me fully invested.
Final Score: 1 Pretend Tyrant out of 5
Robyn Hood – Age of Darkness One-Shot Preview by Joe Brusha & Pat Shand, with art by Larry Watts
Review: This too is just a preview of a one-shot and again only 2 pages long, but there’s a lot more panels and wording to get me somewhat invested. I don’t know a lot about Zenescope’s Robyn Hood character, but she seems to be very much influenced by Green Arrow in the same way he was influenced by the original Robin Hood. To be honest, looking at this I only thought I was reading a cross between GA and a Shield agent going on a mission together. And the cliffhanger fell on deaf ears, though to those who follow this series perhaps they’ll have any clue as to who the mystery woman is. The art here is my least favorite of the three, it’s good but it doesn’t have that stylized look that the first two stories had.
Final Score: 1.5 Technomancer’s out of 5
Street Fighter #0
Udon/Capcom
Summary (from inside the book): “Hey Street Fighter Fans! You're holding in your hands a preview of Udon's line of Street Fighter Original Graphic Novels! As you can see they're bigger than regular comic books, they have amazing art, great stories, and are available in amazing hardcover collections! Look for Udon's full line of Street Fighter Graphic Novels from your local comic book retailer!"
Hong Kong Hustle - by Jim Zub, with art by Hanzo Steinbach
Review: A small, but complete tale featuring Sean, Ken, and Chun-Li as Sean gets himself into trouble in Hong Kong and ends up needing just a bit of assistance. This story isn't heavy, and there really isn't a lot here. Just a fun little romp to see some of our favorite characters in action on the streets of Hong Kong. The art is fantastic, the best of this little anthology. Vibrant and expressive, and the action shots look good too. This, as far as I'm aware, isn't previewing anything other than just giving us a taste of what some of this world is like. Overall, it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed it.
Final Score: 3 Thugs hittin' on beautiful women out of 5
Your Enemies Closer – by Ken Siu-Chong, with art by Takeshi Miyazawa
Review: My least favorite of the three, but did feature one of my personal favorite female characters from SF, Juri Han. The story was okay, it had some slick action but even though it had a lot more depth to it than Hong Kong Hustle there was something about it that just fell flat for me. Perhaps it was because this was the most preview-y of the stories (while still being somewhat complete) and alluded to a few story lines and happenings without actually expanding on the obviously more interesting material. The art, as well, wasn't incredibly bright. Juri looked great but everything else just felt more angled and.. generic.
Final Score: 2 signs of the Illuminati out of 5
Beyond the Hills – by Chris Sarracini, with art by Joe NG
Review: This one was my personal favorite of the three, and had the best art. I've always love Akuma in every medium I've seen him in. So to know there is a comic dedicated to his origin is something I'll definitely be picking up. Again, a somewhat complete preview story, this shows off Akuma reacting to the underground rings of Tokyo and the shady dealings going on. It was nice to see his outlook on honor and power and how the two react to one another. Likewise, the art in this is pretty stellar. Closer to the art style in Hong Kong Hustle with vibrancy and nice action scenes everything just seems to flow seemlessly.
Final Score: 4 Rigged Underground Fights out of 5
Udon/Capcom
Summary (from inside the book): “Hey Street Fighter Fans! You're holding in your hands a preview of Udon's line of Street Fighter Original Graphic Novels! As you can see they're bigger than regular comic books, they have amazing art, great stories, and are available in amazing hardcover collections! Look for Udon's full line of Street Fighter Graphic Novels from your local comic book retailer!"
Hong Kong Hustle - by Jim Zub, with art by Hanzo Steinbach
Review: A small, but complete tale featuring Sean, Ken, and Chun-Li as Sean gets himself into trouble in Hong Kong and ends up needing just a bit of assistance. This story isn't heavy, and there really isn't a lot here. Just a fun little romp to see some of our favorite characters in action on the streets of Hong Kong. The art is fantastic, the best of this little anthology. Vibrant and expressive, and the action shots look good too. This, as far as I'm aware, isn't previewing anything other than just giving us a taste of what some of this world is like. Overall, it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed it.
Final Score: 3 Thugs hittin' on beautiful women out of 5
Your Enemies Closer – by Ken Siu-Chong, with art by Takeshi Miyazawa
Review: My least favorite of the three, but did feature one of my personal favorite female characters from SF, Juri Han. The story was okay, it had some slick action but even though it had a lot more depth to it than Hong Kong Hustle there was something about it that just fell flat for me. Perhaps it was because this was the most preview-y of the stories (while still being somewhat complete) and alluded to a few story lines and happenings without actually expanding on the obviously more interesting material. The art, as well, wasn't incredibly bright. Juri looked great but everything else just felt more angled and.. generic.
Final Score: 2 signs of the Illuminati out of 5
Beyond the Hills – by Chris Sarracini, with art by Joe NG
Review: This one was my personal favorite of the three, and had the best art. I've always love Akuma in every medium I've seen him in. So to know there is a comic dedicated to his origin is something I'll definitely be picking up. Again, a somewhat complete preview story, this shows off Akuma reacting to the underground rings of Tokyo and the shady dealings going on. It was nice to see his outlook on honor and power and how the two react to one another. Likewise, the art in this is pretty stellar. Closer to the art style in Hong Kong Hustle with vibrancy and nice action scenes everything just seems to flow seemlessly.
Final Score: 4 Rigged Underground Fights out of 5
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers – by Stefan Petrucha, with art by PH Marcondes
Saban/Papercutz
Summary: Take place shortly after the two-parter episode “White Light” from the original series, this is a small adventure that is supposed to be an “unseen” adventure from the show. Our heroes drive out to the desert so Zordon can send Rita back out into deep space after being put back in her dumpster in which she was freed from at the beginning of the show. Along the way Lord Zedd gives them a foe to fight in the form of Billy's car the Rad Bug. How will our heroes ever stop it?
Review: Where to even begin? I'm a huge Power Rangers fan, growing up and seeing the show and watching all the way until Mystic Force began. So to see some further adventures of it in any form is great – the recent news of the big screen reboot has me all sorts of giddy! I picked this up not really expecting much but to at least be entertained. I have my own thoughts on how the MMPR could best be served but I really don't have any qualms with what we ended up with as kids.
So upon reading this I noticed three things about it that I liked quite a bit: The story is in fact really well written, it's campy but it's also incredibly true to the original material, it's tone and style. I honestly did feel like I was watching a quick lost adventure of the original series and that really made me smile brightly. The second thing is the art, the art is morphinominal. Everything looks great and I'd love to see an ongoing of the MMPR with PH Marcondes doing the art forever. It's slightly manga-inspired, it's crisp, clear cut, and very dynamic.
The third thing was the very helpful character bios at the beginning on each of the Power Rangers and where they stand in the group. Though I found it odd the Bulk & Skull had character bios despite never featuring in this adventure.
Overall, a pretty good book for FCBD. Although, I'd appreciate it if they proof read their facts better. The White Ranger's weapon of choice is the sentient dagger Saba, not the Dragon Dagger, and near the end of the story Kimberly calls Skull “Spike” which I found amusing but inaccurate to his name (and it was no nickname she was givin' him).
Final Score: 3 Sentient Walkie Talkies out of 5
Saban/Papercutz
Summary: Take place shortly after the two-parter episode “White Light” from the original series, this is a small adventure that is supposed to be an “unseen” adventure from the show. Our heroes drive out to the desert so Zordon can send Rita back out into deep space after being put back in her dumpster in which she was freed from at the beginning of the show. Along the way Lord Zedd gives them a foe to fight in the form of Billy's car the Rad Bug. How will our heroes ever stop it?
Review: Where to even begin? I'm a huge Power Rangers fan, growing up and seeing the show and watching all the way until Mystic Force began. So to see some further adventures of it in any form is great – the recent news of the big screen reboot has me all sorts of giddy! I picked this up not really expecting much but to at least be entertained. I have my own thoughts on how the MMPR could best be served but I really don't have any qualms with what we ended up with as kids.
So upon reading this I noticed three things about it that I liked quite a bit: The story is in fact really well written, it's campy but it's also incredibly true to the original material, it's tone and style. I honestly did feel like I was watching a quick lost adventure of the original series and that really made me smile brightly. The second thing is the art, the art is morphinominal. Everything looks great and I'd love to see an ongoing of the MMPR with PH Marcondes doing the art forever. It's slightly manga-inspired, it's crisp, clear cut, and very dynamic.
The third thing was the very helpful character bios at the beginning on each of the Power Rangers and where they stand in the group. Though I found it odd the Bulk & Skull had character bios despite never featuring in this adventure.
Overall, a pretty good book for FCBD. Although, I'd appreciate it if they proof read their facts better. The White Ranger's weapon of choice is the sentient dagger Saba, not the Dragon Dagger, and near the end of the story Kimberly calls Skull “Spike” which I found amusing but inaccurate to his name (and it was no nickname she was givin' him).
Final Score: 3 Sentient Walkie Talkies out of 5
Top Shelf Kid's Club FCBD 2014
Top Shelf Kids Club
Summary (from the back of the book): For the first time ever, we're bringing you 26 pages of full color free comics! The Top Shelf Kids Club is so excited about our newest book, Maddy Kettle by Eric Orchard, that we're sharing part of it with you now – Plus a thrilling introduction to Rob Harrell's Monster on the Hill! Dive in and get to know them here... then you can read their complete adventures in the full-length graphic novels shown here. Thanks for reading, and welcome to the club!
Maddy Kettle (Book One): The Adventure of the Thimblewitch PREVIEW – by Eric Orchard
Review: This was honestly a nice little introduction to the world of Maddy Kettle. There is a nice twist to this story that got me kind of hooked, but I also felt this preview was a little to quick. At least it felt it for some reason or another. Maddy seems immediately relatable with her awkward parents situation and the predicament she is in has me intrigued. Also, her floating frog is pretty frickin' sweet. The art too is great and seems to fit nicely in the area of kids comics. It's expressive yet somber and where we find Maddy at during this tale I think that's rather apt.
Final Score: 4 Floating Frogs out of 5
Monster on the Hill PREVIEW – by Rob Harrell
Review: This one - I must admit - I adored. It starts off rather routine with a family and their excitement for seeing a new town when a monster invades and they run and hide in terror. The kicker is at the end when we find out that all the towns have Monsters on the Hill and they've become town attractions, so the family, while truly terrified, also truly LOVED being terrified. It's pretty awesome and just screams comic gold. The art too fits the story well. It's sort of a cross between Wallace and Gromit, and Simpsons style. I know that sounds really really weird but that's the best I could think of. I didn't have any qualms with this one.
Final Score: 5 Monsters on a hill out of 5
Top Shelf Kids Club
Summary (from the back of the book): For the first time ever, we're bringing you 26 pages of full color free comics! The Top Shelf Kids Club is so excited about our newest book, Maddy Kettle by Eric Orchard, that we're sharing part of it with you now – Plus a thrilling introduction to Rob Harrell's Monster on the Hill! Dive in and get to know them here... then you can read their complete adventures in the full-length graphic novels shown here. Thanks for reading, and welcome to the club!
Maddy Kettle (Book One): The Adventure of the Thimblewitch PREVIEW – by Eric Orchard
Review: This was honestly a nice little introduction to the world of Maddy Kettle. There is a nice twist to this story that got me kind of hooked, but I also felt this preview was a little to quick. At least it felt it for some reason or another. Maddy seems immediately relatable with her awkward parents situation and the predicament she is in has me intrigued. Also, her floating frog is pretty frickin' sweet. The art too is great and seems to fit nicely in the area of kids comics. It's expressive yet somber and where we find Maddy at during this tale I think that's rather apt.
Final Score: 4 Floating Frogs out of 5
Monster on the Hill PREVIEW – by Rob Harrell
Review: This one - I must admit - I adored. It starts off rather routine with a family and their excitement for seeing a new town when a monster invades and they run and hide in terror. The kicker is at the end when we find out that all the towns have Monsters on the Hill and they've become town attractions, so the family, while truly terrified, also truly LOVED being terrified. It's pretty awesome and just screams comic gold. The art too fits the story well. It's sort of a cross between Wallace and Gromit, and Simpsons style. I know that sounds really really weird but that's the best I could think of. I didn't have any qualms with this one.
Final Score: 5 Monsters on a hill out of 5
The Adventures of Jellaby – by Kean Soo
Capstone
Summary: Jellaby is a monster, an incredibly adorable and innocent monster. He has a friend named Portia and they go on awesome, fantastic, imaginative adventures. And this book highlights a few while also giving a preview of the first Jellaby book.
The Adventures of Jellaby: The Lost Monster (Book One) PREVIEW – by Kean Soo
Review: I'll just start out with the art, because these thoughts will reflect my outlook on the art for all the stories in this book (all the art is Kean Soo): I really like the art style Kean Soo incorporates, it's very innocent and simple which is perfect for the story at hand. It also makes Jellaby look like a perfectly frightened little thing and it's adorable. My only problem is that throughout all of this, I thought Portia was a guy until I heard her call Jellaby “honey.” With Portia being so indistinguishable as a girl or guy may be purposeful but I do wish I could've been able to tell easier. As for the story in the first preview, it's good but it's a standard preview. Showing you a little to get you interested which it did, but there just wasn't much meat to it. We get to see Portia meet Jellaby for the first time and that's about it.
Final Score: 3 Lost Monsters out of 5
The Knot – by Kean Soo
Review: This one actually was a full short story instead of a preview. It features a new addition to the cast, Portia's friend Jason and their attempt to first beat Jellaby in tug-o-war match and then untie the knot of rope tied around Jellaby. This is just a fun little tale, not much substance but enough for a kid to enjoy or anyone who just likes seeing big, cute purple monsters. The friendship between Jason, Portia and Jellaby is infectious and I love seeing Portia treat Jason with some contempt like a real person and not just being overly excited all the time about everything.
Final Score: 3 Unfathomable Knots out of 5
Pirates – by Kean Soo
Review: Just like The Knot, this is a full short story and not really a preview of anything. The three are playing Pirates and it's fun seeing Jellaby get in on the action and not really know what's going. It's not that he's dumb, just that's he a monster so obviously he wouldn't understand everything human going on around him. And Jasonbot 2000 who is powered completely on Pocky was the most amazing addition, it's not everyday you see Pocky placed within a comic book for any reason. I love Pocky so seeing it in here made me really happy.
Final Score: 3 Pocky Boxes out of 5
Capstone
Summary: Jellaby is a monster, an incredibly adorable and innocent monster. He has a friend named Portia and they go on awesome, fantastic, imaginative adventures. And this book highlights a few while also giving a preview of the first Jellaby book.
The Adventures of Jellaby: The Lost Monster (Book One) PREVIEW – by Kean Soo
Review: I'll just start out with the art, because these thoughts will reflect my outlook on the art for all the stories in this book (all the art is Kean Soo): I really like the art style Kean Soo incorporates, it's very innocent and simple which is perfect for the story at hand. It also makes Jellaby look like a perfectly frightened little thing and it's adorable. My only problem is that throughout all of this, I thought Portia was a guy until I heard her call Jellaby “honey.” With Portia being so indistinguishable as a girl or guy may be purposeful but I do wish I could've been able to tell easier. As for the story in the first preview, it's good but it's a standard preview. Showing you a little to get you interested which it did, but there just wasn't much meat to it. We get to see Portia meet Jellaby for the first time and that's about it.
Final Score: 3 Lost Monsters out of 5
The Knot – by Kean Soo
Review: This one actually was a full short story instead of a preview. It features a new addition to the cast, Portia's friend Jason and their attempt to first beat Jellaby in tug-o-war match and then untie the knot of rope tied around Jellaby. This is just a fun little tale, not much substance but enough for a kid to enjoy or anyone who just likes seeing big, cute purple monsters. The friendship between Jason, Portia and Jellaby is infectious and I love seeing Portia treat Jason with some contempt like a real person and not just being overly excited all the time about everything.
Final Score: 3 Unfathomable Knots out of 5
Pirates – by Kean Soo
Review: Just like The Knot, this is a full short story and not really a preview of anything. The three are playing Pirates and it's fun seeing Jellaby get in on the action and not really know what's going. It's not that he's dumb, just that's he a monster so obviously he wouldn't understand everything human going on around him. And Jasonbot 2000 who is powered completely on Pocky was the most amazing addition, it's not everyday you see Pocky placed within a comic book for any reason. I love Pocky so seeing it in here made me really happy.
Final Score: 3 Pocky Boxes out of 5
Project Black Sky feat. Captain Midnight & Brain Boy – by Fred Van Lente, with art by Michel Broussard
Dark Horse
Summary (from inside the book): Genius inventor and expert fighter pilot Jim Albright – a.k.a. Captain Midnight – recently rocketed out of the Bermuda Triangle and found a future where his legacy has been corrupted. Matt Price is the world's most powerful telepath and the U.S. Secret Service's most powerful asset when it comes to national security – just don't call him Brain Boy! Each hero has crossed paths with Project Black Sky, a rogue agency originally created by the U.S. Government to protect Earth from extrateresstrial threats. But neither hero anticipates Black Sky's involvement in the threat that awaits them in the Nevada desert...
Review: Another 20+ page free comic with a complete story. Man, I do wish more FCDB comics were like this. And it was a good story to boot, complete with amazing art work. Van Lente concocts a great introductory story to these characters, who I hadn't met yet and offers a wild ride to boot with a nice twist ending and some interesting additions (such as sign language) into the story. I definitely got a Captain America vibe from Captain Midnight, which I'm sure I'm supposed to, it's not necessarily a bad thing but if it weren't for the summary I wouldn't know there's actually a unique spin on the character. I did like Brain Boy's arrogance, it meshed nicely with Midnight's gung-ho approach to situations and I wouldn't mind seeing these two just be a team in a series called 'Captain Midnight & Brain Boy'. The art is fantastic, Broussard has this style to him that reminds me much of Jerome Opena and a scratchiness that reminds me a bit of Leinil Yu but Broussard handles that much better than Yu does. This definitely has me interested in the further adventures of these characters and the mystery that is Project Black Sky.
Final Score: 5 Experimented on “Monkeys” out of 5
Dark Horse
Summary (from inside the book): Genius inventor and expert fighter pilot Jim Albright – a.k.a. Captain Midnight – recently rocketed out of the Bermuda Triangle and found a future where his legacy has been corrupted. Matt Price is the world's most powerful telepath and the U.S. Secret Service's most powerful asset when it comes to national security – just don't call him Brain Boy! Each hero has crossed paths with Project Black Sky, a rogue agency originally created by the U.S. Government to protect Earth from extrateresstrial threats. But neither hero anticipates Black Sky's involvement in the threat that awaits them in the Nevada desert...
Review: Another 20+ page free comic with a complete story. Man, I do wish more FCDB comics were like this. And it was a good story to boot, complete with amazing art work. Van Lente concocts a great introductory story to these characters, who I hadn't met yet and offers a wild ride to boot with a nice twist ending and some interesting additions (such as sign language) into the story. I definitely got a Captain America vibe from Captain Midnight, which I'm sure I'm supposed to, it's not necessarily a bad thing but if it weren't for the summary I wouldn't know there's actually a unique spin on the character. I did like Brain Boy's arrogance, it meshed nicely with Midnight's gung-ho approach to situations and I wouldn't mind seeing these two just be a team in a series called 'Captain Midnight & Brain Boy'. The art is fantastic, Broussard has this style to him that reminds me much of Jerome Opena and a scratchiness that reminds me a bit of Leinil Yu but Broussard handles that much better than Yu does. This definitely has me interested in the further adventures of these characters and the mystery that is Project Black Sky.
Final Score: 5 Experimented on “Monkeys” out of 5
Magika #0: “Friends Like These” – by Kevin Juaire & David Lawrence, with art by Wilson Tortosa & Sebastian Cheng
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: Anna and Niko have found themselves in the world of Magika, a place fill with wonder and flourishing with the bizarre. Teamed with their friends, Narsi, Nik and Nak, in this adventure they take on the ferocious Apple Ogres. Will they survive?
Review: Well, it's a FCBD issue and an all ages comic, so you probably know the answer to the above question; but that doesn't stop this from being a fun adventure all around and a great introduction to te world of Magika. All the characters are pretty likeable, and it's nice to see innocent but easily fixable quarrels among friends than high school b.s.; the art is also wonderful, and like Finding Gossamyr last year continues to prove to my silly mind that you can tell a good story and have painted art. A lot too happens here and it feels like it goes at a fresh pace while still seeming to commit well to the FCBD length imposed upon it. Though towards the end the story may go a little too fast but not enough to be of detriment.
Final Score: 4 Apple Ogres out of 5
The First Daughter #0: “The Last Daughter” – Created by Chris Crosby and Mike Rosenzweig, with the story by Chris Crosby and art by Tina Francisco
Summary: Take the President of the United States of America, and imbue his daughter with super powers that allows her to go out and fight alien and monster threats... what do you get? The First Daughter, that's what.
Review: It sounds like too silly of a premise and ripe for disaster thankfully though this was anything but. I found myself really enjoying it and there is a few added twists thrown in that I found myself really digging. An entire secret history of First Daughters and Sons saving the world? I love it. The art as well is pretty good, I really like the character designs and Tasha's fighting suit. Though her hair style seems to be half Yugi's hairstyle (from Yu-Gi-Oh, duh) and an afro. It's such a unique combination. Definitely want to check out more of The First Daughter.
Final Score: 4 First Daughters out of 5
Shadow Children #0: “Child's Play” - Created by Kevin Juaire, story by Kevin Juaire with art by Vincenzo Cucca
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: There is a world where lost children go to escape the painful reality that is our world. This other place, is called Elseworld and it gives them anything they help make them happy. At the same time, some of these children are special. We call them Shadow Children, and it is a scary thing to see their evolution of powers because the Shadow Children never forget their origins.
Review: This is a tale that starts out really solid and straight forward, with kids acting like kids who've known one another for awhile. But as it goes there is this painful realization that this story is overall just really disjointed and doesn't know exactly what information it wants to convey to the reader. It wants to introduce us to the characters, while showing what a day in the life of Elseworld is like for them, but also show years passing and their ability to return to the real world if they so choose PLUS adding in their unique abilities. But the attempt comes off as busy, and all over the place and by the end I don't find myself really all that interested anymore and that's a damn shame. The art is great though as it gives this world breath and life, while giving each character a unique look. I wouldn't mind seeing more Cucca's work, but probably not with Shadow Children attached.
Final Score: 1 Shadow Child out of 5
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: Anna and Niko have found themselves in the world of Magika, a place fill with wonder and flourishing with the bizarre. Teamed with their friends, Narsi, Nik and Nak, in this adventure they take on the ferocious Apple Ogres. Will they survive?
Review: Well, it's a FCBD issue and an all ages comic, so you probably know the answer to the above question; but that doesn't stop this from being a fun adventure all around and a great introduction to te world of Magika. All the characters are pretty likeable, and it's nice to see innocent but easily fixable quarrels among friends than high school b.s.; the art is also wonderful, and like Finding Gossamyr last year continues to prove to my silly mind that you can tell a good story and have painted art. A lot too happens here and it feels like it goes at a fresh pace while still seeming to commit well to the FCBD length imposed upon it. Though towards the end the story may go a little too fast but not enough to be of detriment.
Final Score: 4 Apple Ogres out of 5
The First Daughter #0: “The Last Daughter” – Created by Chris Crosby and Mike Rosenzweig, with the story by Chris Crosby and art by Tina Francisco
Summary: Take the President of the United States of America, and imbue his daughter with super powers that allows her to go out and fight alien and monster threats... what do you get? The First Daughter, that's what.
Review: It sounds like too silly of a premise and ripe for disaster thankfully though this was anything but. I found myself really enjoying it and there is a few added twists thrown in that I found myself really digging. An entire secret history of First Daughters and Sons saving the world? I love it. The art as well is pretty good, I really like the character designs and Tasha's fighting suit. Though her hair style seems to be half Yugi's hairstyle (from Yu-Gi-Oh, duh) and an afro. It's such a unique combination. Definitely want to check out more of The First Daughter.
Final Score: 4 First Daughters out of 5
Shadow Children #0: “Child's Play” - Created by Kevin Juaire, story by Kevin Juaire with art by Vincenzo Cucca
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: There is a world where lost children go to escape the painful reality that is our world. This other place, is called Elseworld and it gives them anything they help make them happy. At the same time, some of these children are special. We call them Shadow Children, and it is a scary thing to see their evolution of powers because the Shadow Children never forget their origins.
Review: This is a tale that starts out really solid and straight forward, with kids acting like kids who've known one another for awhile. But as it goes there is this painful realization that this story is overall just really disjointed and doesn't know exactly what information it wants to convey to the reader. It wants to introduce us to the characters, while showing what a day in the life of Elseworld is like for them, but also show years passing and their ability to return to the real world if they so choose PLUS adding in their unique abilities. But the attempt comes off as busy, and all over the place and by the end I don't find myself really all that interested anymore and that's a damn shame. The art is great though as it gives this world breath and life, while giving each character a unique look. I wouldn't mind seeing more Cucca's work, but probably not with Shadow Children attached.
Final Score: 1 Shadow Child out of 5
Darchon #0: “The Friend of Darchon Blaque” - Created by Benny Powell, a story by Mort Castle with art by Ricardo Jaime
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: Well, that's hard for me to pen down really. I believe this is the story of a man who sees monsters for real and finds comfort in his comic book hero Darchon who also sees monsters, and fights them.
Review: If you're wondering why the summary is so short or reads like I'm not sure what I'm talking about. Well it's because I sure as hell don't know what I'm talking about with this story. It's pretty awful, and even more disjointed than Shadow Children. Does our main character Lestor Bensink really see monsters? Is it just an illusion made out of his own sick mind? Is he crazy? Is Darchon real or is he just a comic book creation? Who was narrating the book if Lestor could speak to them? What is actually going on in this FCBD introductory story? I really, frankly, don't know. And the art is bad too. Moving on.
Final Score: 0 Monsters speaking gibberish out of 5
Duel Identity #0: “Duel Identity” - by Elaine Lee, with art by Francis Nuguit
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: Our main lead finds herself as the hero AND the villain of her own story as she chooses to see life by both ends. After an interview with the press, Andromeda finds herself on a mission to assassinate a man who is selling the world's first hyper-anonymous internet provider.
Review: This one was rather interesting, and I wouldn't mind checking more of it out to see where the writers take this fascinating idea. A hero who consciously makes herself a hero by day and a villain by night is intriguing and used here effectively, I thought. Andromeda finds herself in a bind when she runs into several people she knows when carrying out her assassination and it's kinda cool to see her try and get out of it. The art is alright, nothing special but not awful either. I think it fits the story well.
Final Score: 3 “Boyfriends” out of 5
Pandora's Blogs #0: “No Stone Unturned” - Created by David Campiti, story by David Campiti & David Lawrence with art by Jinky Coronado & Larry Tuazon
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: Pandora runs a blog where she documents her every day life in Legends, Florida. Apparently she often comes across the weird and wonderful while she's at it.
Review: “Apparently” in the summary there because if that is indeed what she does, and then documents her encounters on her blog, that's not what I'm seeing happen here. That's how it LOOKS on the cover and by some of the wording on the first page, and further emphasized by what happens at the end of the story. But Pandora herself never runs into anything supernatural in this story and honestly comes off as pretty uncaring and more worried about her precious dance than help her new friend when he runs off while screaming he's in pain from a medical emergency. And then by the end she simply doesn't care what happens to him when he goes missing. I'm honestly not sure if I was supposed to care about her or not, but I certainly didn't relate to her on a human level. The art reminds me of the style from the Avalon High manga, it's very generic teen drama art style so I can take it or leave it.
Final Score: 1 French man suffering from disease out of 5
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: Well, that's hard for me to pen down really. I believe this is the story of a man who sees monsters for real and finds comfort in his comic book hero Darchon who also sees monsters, and fights them.
Review: If you're wondering why the summary is so short or reads like I'm not sure what I'm talking about. Well it's because I sure as hell don't know what I'm talking about with this story. It's pretty awful, and even more disjointed than Shadow Children. Does our main character Lestor Bensink really see monsters? Is it just an illusion made out of his own sick mind? Is he crazy? Is Darchon real or is he just a comic book creation? Who was narrating the book if Lestor could speak to them? What is actually going on in this FCBD introductory story? I really, frankly, don't know. And the art is bad too. Moving on.
Final Score: 0 Monsters speaking gibberish out of 5
Duel Identity #0: “Duel Identity” - by Elaine Lee, with art by Francis Nuguit
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: Our main lead finds herself as the hero AND the villain of her own story as she chooses to see life by both ends. After an interview with the press, Andromeda finds herself on a mission to assassinate a man who is selling the world's first hyper-anonymous internet provider.
Review: This one was rather interesting, and I wouldn't mind checking more of it out to see where the writers take this fascinating idea. A hero who consciously makes herself a hero by day and a villain by night is intriguing and used here effectively, I thought. Andromeda finds herself in a bind when she runs into several people she knows when carrying out her assassination and it's kinda cool to see her try and get out of it. The art is alright, nothing special but not awful either. I think it fits the story well.
Final Score: 3 “Boyfriends” out of 5
Pandora's Blogs #0: “No Stone Unturned” - Created by David Campiti, story by David Campiti & David Lawrence with art by Jinky Coronado & Larry Tuazon
Red Giant Entertainment
Summary: Pandora runs a blog where she documents her every day life in Legends, Florida. Apparently she often comes across the weird and wonderful while she's at it.
Review: “Apparently” in the summary there because if that is indeed what she does, and then documents her encounters on her blog, that's not what I'm seeing happen here. That's how it LOOKS on the cover and by some of the wording on the first page, and further emphasized by what happens at the end of the story. But Pandora herself never runs into anything supernatural in this story and honestly comes off as pretty uncaring and more worried about her precious dance than help her new friend when he runs off while screaming he's in pain from a medical emergency. And then by the end she simply doesn't care what happens to him when he goes missing. I'm honestly not sure if I was supposed to care about her or not, but I certainly didn't relate to her on a human level. The art reminds me of the style from the Avalon High manga, it's very generic teen drama art style so I can take it or leave it.
Final Score: 1 French man suffering from disease out of 5
Finding Gossamyr PREVIEW: Way of the Bladeslinger – by David A. Rodriguez, with art by Sarah Ellerton
Th3rd World Studios
Summary: In the world of Gossamyr, magic is made up of mathematical equations. Eloric, one of the main characters of the series was once a farmer before becoming a Bladeslinger and in this preview we take a look at his roots and the strained relationship he had with his father.
Review: This story wasn't as engaging as last year's Finding Gossamyr preview was, but it wasn't too bad either. Eloric's past seems cliché but works for the character in my humble view. Seeing their unique way of farming, as well was fun to experience. I really like the rich history this world seems to offer and I hope soon I can pick up volume 1 of the collection. The art is beautiful and works really well in the story's favor, meshing well. I like how everything just feels softer and kind of reminds me of the art style for How To Train Your Dragon. An odd comparison I know, but I think it works.
Final Score: 3 Burrowwyrms out of 5
Past the Last Mountain PREVIEW – by Paul Allor, with art by Thomas Boatwright
Th3rd World Studios
Summary: A troll held prisoner by a town escapes and the military must stop its rampage. But at what cost is the troll escaping really worth? And what secret agenda does the creature in fact have?
Review: This is an interesting tale and serves to get me intrigued by the continuing story. It does that well enough, though perhaps a bit more page space could have been devoted to it. Either way I really enjoyed this even if the end is kind of a Debby downer. From what I can gather about the initial ending and premise is that this is sort of an anti-homeward bound, 3 monsters once held captive by humans now on the run for their lives. I'm definitely interested. The art is really sketchy but I like it, I can't really explain why but I thought it fit the story nicely.
Final Score: 3 Monsters on the run out of 5
Past the Last Mountain: Prisoners – by Paul Allor, with art by Chris Evenhuis
Th3rd World Studios
Summary: A simple two-page story devoted to the character of Jorge Diaz, Secretary of Defense in the world of Past the Last Mountain and one of his personal experiences with a monster.
Review: There isn't much here as it's only two pages, but it did serve to give Jorge a bit of humanization. Probably based off what we will eventually see him do in the main book. And at that it does excel. A little fairy who's also his partner, seems rather sad at her predicament found within where he has her captured. And while she doesn't seem resentful towards him because you can tell they've been together for awhile, it is also easy to tell that she wishes every day that she could be free. The art by Evenhuis is beautiful and I'd love to see more of it.
Final Score: 3 Goblins out of 5
Th3rd World Studios
Summary: In the world of Gossamyr, magic is made up of mathematical equations. Eloric, one of the main characters of the series was once a farmer before becoming a Bladeslinger and in this preview we take a look at his roots and the strained relationship he had with his father.
Review: This story wasn't as engaging as last year's Finding Gossamyr preview was, but it wasn't too bad either. Eloric's past seems cliché but works for the character in my humble view. Seeing their unique way of farming, as well was fun to experience. I really like the rich history this world seems to offer and I hope soon I can pick up volume 1 of the collection. The art is beautiful and works really well in the story's favor, meshing well. I like how everything just feels softer and kind of reminds me of the art style for How To Train Your Dragon. An odd comparison I know, but I think it works.
Final Score: 3 Burrowwyrms out of 5
Past the Last Mountain PREVIEW – by Paul Allor, with art by Thomas Boatwright
Th3rd World Studios
Summary: A troll held prisoner by a town escapes and the military must stop its rampage. But at what cost is the troll escaping really worth? And what secret agenda does the creature in fact have?
Review: This is an interesting tale and serves to get me intrigued by the continuing story. It does that well enough, though perhaps a bit more page space could have been devoted to it. Either way I really enjoyed this even if the end is kind of a Debby downer. From what I can gather about the initial ending and premise is that this is sort of an anti-homeward bound, 3 monsters once held captive by humans now on the run for their lives. I'm definitely interested. The art is really sketchy but I like it, I can't really explain why but I thought it fit the story nicely.
Final Score: 3 Monsters on the run out of 5
Past the Last Mountain: Prisoners – by Paul Allor, with art by Chris Evenhuis
Th3rd World Studios
Summary: A simple two-page story devoted to the character of Jorge Diaz, Secretary of Defense in the world of Past the Last Mountain and one of his personal experiences with a monster.
Review: There isn't much here as it's only two pages, but it did serve to give Jorge a bit of humanization. Probably based off what we will eventually see him do in the main book. And at that it does excel. A little fairy who's also his partner, seems rather sad at her predicament found within where he has her captured. And while she doesn't seem resentful towards him because you can tell they've been together for awhile, it is also easy to tell that she wishes every day that she could be free. The art by Evenhuis is beautiful and I'd love to see more of it.
Final Score: 3 Goblins out of 5
Dry Spell #1 PREVIEW – by Ken Krekeler
Action Lab Comics
Summary: There's not really anything I can put here, I have no idea where to even begin on what Dry Spell is about.
Review: Unlike Darchon though, this WAS more straightforward, there just wasn't ENOUGH material here to go on. A few pages long, we're introduced to a man who is being told by a mysterious voice to take a woman he meets in a dark alley by force before getting attacked by an energy powered woman who seems to take offense to what he is about to do. That's it, nothing of real substance but at least I wasn't overly confused. The art is pretty good, dark, but fits the mood really well.
Final Score: 2 Assholes out of 5
Action Lab Comics
Summary: There's not really anything I can put here, I have no idea where to even begin on what Dry Spell is about.
Review: Unlike Darchon though, this WAS more straightforward, there just wasn't ENOUGH material here to go on. A few pages long, we're introduced to a man who is being told by a mysterious voice to take a woman he meets in a dark alley by force before getting attacked by an energy powered woman who seems to take offense to what he is about to do. That's it, nothing of real substance but at least I wasn't overly confused. The art is pretty good, dark, but fits the mood really well.
Final Score: 2 Assholes out of 5