Derrick Crow's Quick Thoughts Reviews
4 stories in one book!
Mouse Guard by David Peterson
Archaia Entertainment
Overall Summary: For Free Comic Book Day, Archaia is proud to present a square flip book containing a collection of original short stories from some of its all-ages-friendly titles! In David Petersen's Mouse Guard short, a young Sadie is told a mouse fairy tale about proving one's self and the best trait to look for in love. Royden Lepp's Rust tells how rocket-boy Jet Jones learns an important lesson while helping the younger members of the Taylor family with their daily chores on the farm. This spectacular, free one-shot also includes original short stories from Sean Rubin's upcoming, enchanting dinosaur tale, Bolivar; Jim Henson's fantasy classic, Labyrinth (an Archaia original graphic novel by Ted Naifeh, Adrianne Ambrose, and Cory Godbey is in the works); and Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos' justice-seekin' boy hero, Cow Boy. As an added bonus, there's also fun Pantalones, TX activity pages by Yehudi Mercado!
Review: Mouse Guard is one of those titles that I truly yearn to read more of. It seems so fun and I love reading stories set in the middle ages; and what better than one starring cute mice? I do own a few Mouse Guard books, Legends of the Guard by various creators, and the last 2 years of FCBD Mouse Guard books. But I have yet to read the series proper. I really need to get on that. For this short story Peterson channels his local folk legend vibes and brings them to life in a beautifully illustrated and realized story of two mice separated by their skills in all manners but still bound by their true love for each other. The only negative thing I’d say about this story is that the ending is way too abrupt and gives no real resolution to the main narrative of the story. He should’ve been given either one more page or made his story shorter by a page.
Final Score: 4.5 Mice Guards out of 5
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth – Sir Didymus’ Grand Day by Cory Lodbey
Review: I’ll admit, I’m not very well versed in the infinite realm of Jim Henson’s universe. I do love the Dark Crystal and the Muppets hold a special place in my heart, but past that my experience with the man is limited. The story follows the day in the life of Sir Didymus from the Labryinth universe; he’s a bipedal dog creature thing that is essentially British. He is telling the story to the reader through a diary entry. As far as entry level stories go to a universe, this one wasn’t very great. Perhaps it was just my tastes but I didn’t get much out of it. Though I will say the art is exquisite.
Final Score: 2 Ludo creatures out of 5
Cow Boy by Nate Cosby & Chris Eliopoulos
Review: I think I’ve only ever read one Cow Boy story, but this one, while offering even less than Sir Didymus’ story did, I did have more fun with it. Probably because of the very fun experimentation the story played with. As you have to turn the story completely 360 degrees in order to read the story in its entirety. The reason why is pretty funny. The art is very kid friendly and sort of Charlie Brownish, I though it complimented the tale quite nicely.
Final Score: 2.5 “Flips” out of 5
Rust by Roy Lepp
Review: I want to read more of this series. It was very sweet and added some mystery to this character I am just meeting. Rust is a farm boy with a jet pack and giant robot. That just sounds awesome. When two little girls try to sly their way into getting Rust to fly them onto the giant robot with his jetpack, he greets their attempts with humor and kindness instead of what the other villagers would have you believe. There really wasn’t a lot to this story but I found the sheer kind heartedness of the character heartwarming. The sepia tone to the overall story fits real well with the namesake of the comic and the Steampunk feel to the whole adventure.
Final Score: 4 Giant Robots out of 5
Bolivar by Sean Rubin
Review: A short, fun little story of a girl trying to get her doodle of a dinosaur identified by a dinosaur expert to no avail. Hilarity ensues. I really enjoyed this little short and the ending was spot on funny. I like to see little fun stories like this once in a while and the girl was absolutely adorable. Plus I’ve grown up with a firm love for dinosaurs so that too was a real treat.
Final Score: 3 Iguanodon’s out of 5
Archaia Entertainment
Overall Summary: For Free Comic Book Day, Archaia is proud to present a square flip book containing a collection of original short stories from some of its all-ages-friendly titles! In David Petersen's Mouse Guard short, a young Sadie is told a mouse fairy tale about proving one's self and the best trait to look for in love. Royden Lepp's Rust tells how rocket-boy Jet Jones learns an important lesson while helping the younger members of the Taylor family with their daily chores on the farm. This spectacular, free one-shot also includes original short stories from Sean Rubin's upcoming, enchanting dinosaur tale, Bolivar; Jim Henson's fantasy classic, Labyrinth (an Archaia original graphic novel by Ted Naifeh, Adrianne Ambrose, and Cory Godbey is in the works); and Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos' justice-seekin' boy hero, Cow Boy. As an added bonus, there's also fun Pantalones, TX activity pages by Yehudi Mercado!
Review: Mouse Guard is one of those titles that I truly yearn to read more of. It seems so fun and I love reading stories set in the middle ages; and what better than one starring cute mice? I do own a few Mouse Guard books, Legends of the Guard by various creators, and the last 2 years of FCBD Mouse Guard books. But I have yet to read the series proper. I really need to get on that. For this short story Peterson channels his local folk legend vibes and brings them to life in a beautifully illustrated and realized story of two mice separated by their skills in all manners but still bound by their true love for each other. The only negative thing I’d say about this story is that the ending is way too abrupt and gives no real resolution to the main narrative of the story. He should’ve been given either one more page or made his story shorter by a page.
Final Score: 4.5 Mice Guards out of 5
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth – Sir Didymus’ Grand Day by Cory Lodbey
Review: I’ll admit, I’m not very well versed in the infinite realm of Jim Henson’s universe. I do love the Dark Crystal and the Muppets hold a special place in my heart, but past that my experience with the man is limited. The story follows the day in the life of Sir Didymus from the Labryinth universe; he’s a bipedal dog creature thing that is essentially British. He is telling the story to the reader through a diary entry. As far as entry level stories go to a universe, this one wasn’t very great. Perhaps it was just my tastes but I didn’t get much out of it. Though I will say the art is exquisite.
Final Score: 2 Ludo creatures out of 5
Cow Boy by Nate Cosby & Chris Eliopoulos
Review: I think I’ve only ever read one Cow Boy story, but this one, while offering even less than Sir Didymus’ story did, I did have more fun with it. Probably because of the very fun experimentation the story played with. As you have to turn the story completely 360 degrees in order to read the story in its entirety. The reason why is pretty funny. The art is very kid friendly and sort of Charlie Brownish, I though it complimented the tale quite nicely.
Final Score: 2.5 “Flips” out of 5
Rust by Roy Lepp
Review: I want to read more of this series. It was very sweet and added some mystery to this character I am just meeting. Rust is a farm boy with a jet pack and giant robot. That just sounds awesome. When two little girls try to sly their way into getting Rust to fly them onto the giant robot with his jetpack, he greets their attempts with humor and kindness instead of what the other villagers would have you believe. There really wasn’t a lot to this story but I found the sheer kind heartedness of the character heartwarming. The sepia tone to the overall story fits real well with the namesake of the comic and the Steampunk feel to the whole adventure.
Final Score: 4 Giant Robots out of 5
Bolivar by Sean Rubin
Review: A short, fun little story of a girl trying to get her doodle of a dinosaur identified by a dinosaur expert to no avail. Hilarity ensues. I really enjoyed this little short and the ending was spot on funny. I like to see little fun stories like this once in a while and the girl was absolutely adorable. Plus I’ve grown up with a firm love for dinosaurs so that too was a real treat.
Final Score: 3 Iguanodon’s out of 5
Scratch9 by Rob M. Worley & Jason T. Kruse
Hermes Press
Summary: Scratch9, the worlds greatest superhero cat returns for free comic book day with a special reprint issue #1 of the title and features all new cover art by Armand Villavert, Jr. Scratch9, as fans of the title already know, is the Eisner Award nominated all-ages comic book featuring a cat with the ability to summon any of his 9 lives to aid him in his adventures! Hermes Press' Scratch9 FCBD issue will also offer bonus material and tons of surprises!
Review: I had never even heard about Scratch9 until this comic. Apparently it’s a big deal in the indie world and I can see why. Cats are huge these days, but more than that this was a pretty solid story, regardless of if I found the cliffhanger ending to be a little hokey. But this is a kids comic and the premise is pretty intense. I’m really looking forward to more. I think it helped that this was a full issue so I was able to get a better understanding of this world and its origins. Everything about it screams cliché, even if the basic premise is anything but. I still enjoyed it tremendously though. The art is bright, bold and zany it goes hand in hand with the ‘tails’ of Scratch. Heh, get it?
Final Score: 3 (of 9) lives out of 5
Hermes Press
Summary: Scratch9, the worlds greatest superhero cat returns for free comic book day with a special reprint issue #1 of the title and features all new cover art by Armand Villavert, Jr. Scratch9, as fans of the title already know, is the Eisner Award nominated all-ages comic book featuring a cat with the ability to summon any of his 9 lives to aid him in his adventures! Hermes Press' Scratch9 FCBD issue will also offer bonus material and tons of surprises!
Review: I had never even heard about Scratch9 until this comic. Apparently it’s a big deal in the indie world and I can see why. Cats are huge these days, but more than that this was a pretty solid story, regardless of if I found the cliffhanger ending to be a little hokey. But this is a kids comic and the premise is pretty intense. I’m really looking forward to more. I think it helped that this was a full issue so I was able to get a better understanding of this world and its origins. Everything about it screams cliché, even if the basic premise is anything but. I still enjoyed it tremendously though. The art is bright, bold and zany it goes hand in hand with the ‘tails’ of Scratch. Heh, get it?
Final Score: 3 (of 9) lives out of 5
Avatar: The Last Airbender by Gene Luen Yang & Ryan Hill
Dark Horse Comics
Overall Summary: All-ages adventure! Star Wars joins fan-favorite villains Darth Vader and Boba Fett! Then explore the upcoming Dark Horse series Captain Midnight, where the search for the missing superhero is on! And the smash hit Avatar: The Last Airbender follows Mai as she deals with her broken heart . . .
Review: Avatar is an amazing cartoon series. It is one of America’s greatest cartoon achievements in my opinion. But I haven’t read any of the comic tie-ins to this world until now. This features Mai after Zuko has, SPOILERS, taken over as the Fire Nation Emperor and is attempting to rebuild the once-proud and peaceful nation. Mai and his relationship is over, she’s working with her aunt at a flower shop and she is miserable. She has a great aunt; she just doesn’t want to be there. After a date with another boy goes wrong Mai gets to prove just how much she has truly changed since we first met her in the original cartoon. I’ve always found Mai interesting, like she wasn’t good or evil, she was just bored. And if I remember correctly that’s exactly how they painted her in the original cartoon as well. But she was never a fan favorite I don’t believe, so to focus a story on her is a bold move. And I think it worked out for the best, as it also gave us a peak into the animosity some people still hold towards their new rule and how loyalty can not only bring friends together but also tear families apart.
Final Review: 5 Fire Nation soldiers out of 5
Star Wars by Brian Wood & Ryan Odagawa
Review: I’m a huge Star Wars fan, really. But I mean when I heard Brian Wood was going to write a Star Wars story based off of what Lucas original has planned I was like “cool, let’s do this.” I wasn’t overly excited, but I do like Brian Wood so I wasn’t scared for it either. This story was meh, it was okay. But it really isn’t anything to write home about. It’s your standard fare of someone attempting to take Darth Vader’s life and Vader outmaneuvering the hit-man with superb ease. Not once during this story did I ever think Darth Vader was in real trouble, and with the rather pointless addition of Boba Fett (one of my favorite characters) there to help kind of keep Vader safe, I knew it was just a matter of time till Vader caught up to the hit-man, which he did and disposed of him with laughable ease. This comic was also filled with the kind of narration that has the main character narrating every movement he makes to us even though I can clearly see what he’s doing on this page. I don’t know how overly narrated narration boxes became a thing in comics. But it needs to stop.
Final Score: 1 Mandalorian out of 5
Captain Midnight by Joshua Williamson, Pere Perez, & Roger Robinson
Review: I highly enjoyed this story, and it really has me interested in reading more Captain Midnight, a series I originally wasn’t too stoked about. Set in a time where there seems to be only one known superhero who worked for the U.S. government, it lays the foundation for learning how this world reacts to this character, how they see him instead of how he sees us. And what his mere presence can mean for those around who’ve never even met him. And then right when we’re about to go “I want to read more about this hero,” it’s stripped away and gives us a new mystery to continue in Captain Midnight #1, which I am now totally psyched for. Whether or not the first page sets up the last page reveal, I actually didn’t see it coming so it was a very nice surprise. The art goes back and forth between Perez and Robinson, personally I like Perez’ artwork better but Robinson’s art fit the pulpy tone the best. While the styles are drastically different, the transition between the two is pretty seamless.
Final Score: 4 Grim Ghostly Pilots out of 5
Dark Horse Comics
Overall Summary: All-ages adventure! Star Wars joins fan-favorite villains Darth Vader and Boba Fett! Then explore the upcoming Dark Horse series Captain Midnight, where the search for the missing superhero is on! And the smash hit Avatar: The Last Airbender follows Mai as she deals with her broken heart . . .
Review: Avatar is an amazing cartoon series. It is one of America’s greatest cartoon achievements in my opinion. But I haven’t read any of the comic tie-ins to this world until now. This features Mai after Zuko has, SPOILERS, taken over as the Fire Nation Emperor and is attempting to rebuild the once-proud and peaceful nation. Mai and his relationship is over, she’s working with her aunt at a flower shop and she is miserable. She has a great aunt; she just doesn’t want to be there. After a date with another boy goes wrong Mai gets to prove just how much she has truly changed since we first met her in the original cartoon. I’ve always found Mai interesting, like she wasn’t good or evil, she was just bored. And if I remember correctly that’s exactly how they painted her in the original cartoon as well. But she was never a fan favorite I don’t believe, so to focus a story on her is a bold move. And I think it worked out for the best, as it also gave us a peak into the animosity some people still hold towards their new rule and how loyalty can not only bring friends together but also tear families apart.
Final Review: 5 Fire Nation soldiers out of 5
Star Wars by Brian Wood & Ryan Odagawa
Review: I’m a huge Star Wars fan, really. But I mean when I heard Brian Wood was going to write a Star Wars story based off of what Lucas original has planned I was like “cool, let’s do this.” I wasn’t overly excited, but I do like Brian Wood so I wasn’t scared for it either. This story was meh, it was okay. But it really isn’t anything to write home about. It’s your standard fare of someone attempting to take Darth Vader’s life and Vader outmaneuvering the hit-man with superb ease. Not once during this story did I ever think Darth Vader was in real trouble, and with the rather pointless addition of Boba Fett (one of my favorite characters) there to help kind of keep Vader safe, I knew it was just a matter of time till Vader caught up to the hit-man, which he did and disposed of him with laughable ease. This comic was also filled with the kind of narration that has the main character narrating every movement he makes to us even though I can clearly see what he’s doing on this page. I don’t know how overly narrated narration boxes became a thing in comics. But it needs to stop.
Final Score: 1 Mandalorian out of 5
Captain Midnight by Joshua Williamson, Pere Perez, & Roger Robinson
Review: I highly enjoyed this story, and it really has me interested in reading more Captain Midnight, a series I originally wasn’t too stoked about. Set in a time where there seems to be only one known superhero who worked for the U.S. government, it lays the foundation for learning how this world reacts to this character, how they see him instead of how he sees us. And what his mere presence can mean for those around who’ve never even met him. And then right when we’re about to go “I want to read more about this hero,” it’s stripped away and gives us a new mystery to continue in Captain Midnight #1, which I am now totally psyched for. Whether or not the first page sets up the last page reveal, I actually didn’t see it coming so it was a very nice surprise. The art goes back and forth between Perez and Robinson, personally I like Perez’ artwork better but Robinson’s art fit the pulpy tone the best. While the styles are drastically different, the transition between the two is pretty seamless.
Final Score: 4 Grim Ghostly Pilots out of 5
The Stuff of Legend by Mike Raicht, Brian Smith & Charles Paul Wilson, III
Th3rdWorld Studios
Summary: Return to the fantastic world of Gossamyr as Th3rd World's critically acclaimed, all-ages series continues in an brand new, original, adventure just for Free Comic Book Day! The Lorelarks are tasked with chronicling the tales of Gossamyr. But when a young novice feels that the growing legends of Jenna and her brother Denny might become a danger to the siblings, she is moved to action and challenges the code of her order. Also in this issue, the saga of the New York Times Bestselling Graphic Novel, The Stuff of Legend continues!
Review: The Stuff of Legend is another comic I really really want to read one day. The story premise is simple but as this story, which is basically a recap of certain events of past events to get us ready for what comes next, shows us, it’s really something deeper. And if I’m to believe what is probably a big spoiler in this comic for those who have not read any of the past stuff, then I am going to be really upset for my favorite designed character (I do know who the characters are for this series). The art is gorgeous and gives us a rich glance into this world known as “The Dark.” I really can’t wait for more.
Final Score: 4 Brave Toys out of 5
Finding Gossamyr by David A. Rodriguez & Sarah Ellerton
Review: Out of all the comics I read from FCBD, this is one that surprised me the most. I really wasn’t expecting to like it. I’m not a huge fan of digitally painted artwork; you know the kind that looks like an actual painting on the page (except for Alex Ross’ stuff). And I’m really still not a huge fan of the artwork in this but it’s growing on me. It’s just that I normally associate this type of artwork with a bad story, don’t ask me why, I’m really not sure. But I actually quite enjoyed this issue and it has since caused me to add the Finding Gossamyr vol. 1 trade to my Amazon wish list. Like The Stuff of Legend, this is basically a recap of everything else that has already happened. Though doesn’t give away any massive spoilers, the world this story inhabits is very rich and has me intrigued for many things in it, like how the spells people cast are governed by math they do in their head. I’m not a fan of math in any way, and already I’m interested to see how that works exactly.
Final Score: 3 Lorelarks out of 5
Th3rdWorld Studios
Summary: Return to the fantastic world of Gossamyr as Th3rd World's critically acclaimed, all-ages series continues in an brand new, original, adventure just for Free Comic Book Day! The Lorelarks are tasked with chronicling the tales of Gossamyr. But when a young novice feels that the growing legends of Jenna and her brother Denny might become a danger to the siblings, she is moved to action and challenges the code of her order. Also in this issue, the saga of the New York Times Bestselling Graphic Novel, The Stuff of Legend continues!
Review: The Stuff of Legend is another comic I really really want to read one day. The story premise is simple but as this story, which is basically a recap of certain events of past events to get us ready for what comes next, shows us, it’s really something deeper. And if I’m to believe what is probably a big spoiler in this comic for those who have not read any of the past stuff, then I am going to be really upset for my favorite designed character (I do know who the characters are for this series). The art is gorgeous and gives us a rich glance into this world known as “The Dark.” I really can’t wait for more.
Final Score: 4 Brave Toys out of 5
Finding Gossamyr by David A. Rodriguez & Sarah Ellerton
Review: Out of all the comics I read from FCBD, this is one that surprised me the most. I really wasn’t expecting to like it. I’m not a huge fan of digitally painted artwork; you know the kind that looks like an actual painting on the page (except for Alex Ross’ stuff). And I’m really still not a huge fan of the artwork in this but it’s growing on me. It’s just that I normally associate this type of artwork with a bad story, don’t ask me why, I’m really not sure. But I actually quite enjoyed this issue and it has since caused me to add the Finding Gossamyr vol. 1 trade to my Amazon wish list. Like The Stuff of Legend, this is basically a recap of everything else that has already happened. Though doesn’t give away any massive spoilers, the world this story inhabits is very rich and has me intrigued for many things in it, like how the spells people cast are governed by math they do in their head. I’m not a fan of math in any way, and already I’m interested to see how that works exactly.
Final Score: 3 Lorelarks out of 5