Cluster #1
Boom Studios 2015
Created, Written, & Lettered by: Ed Brisson
Created & Illustrated by: Damian Couceiro
Coloured by: Michael Garland
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: In the distant future, as mankind discovers life on other planets, it needs soldiers to defend its colonies and outposts across the stars. In order to increase the number of boots on the ground, criminals are offered the opportunity to serve in the place of incarceration. But as wars wage on and more soldiers are needed, small-time crimes are given long-term punishments. When a group of prisoners serving their time as soldiers become stranded and abandoned on a war-torn planet, they’ll need to work together to survive and uncover the truth behind Earth’s role in deep space.
Review: This is another instance where I wasn’t too expectant, but BOOM! has this uncanny knack for putting out some incredibly good books. And this one already has layers to it that are intriguing. So on Earth if you commit a crime and are given a life sentence, you can volunteer for a program to commute that sentence to 15 years if you fight in a military unit. From my point of view however, there is something shady about this whole thing too and as the story unfolds you’ll believe that too.
We open with Samara Simmons who was driving while inebriated and got arrested, and was trying to alert the police of a passenger in her car but apparently as cops sometimes do, they aren’t listening to her. So already we’ve got some drama where she’s concerned. She’s woken up from cryosleep when they approach the prison planet.
Welcome to the program as we learn how they keep the prisoners in line and it’s a bomb in their chest, very Suicide Squad to me. It seems that Midlothian, the planet they are on, is scheduled for terraforming and human habitation but another race wants the planet for themselves and is destroying the towers hoping to drive them off world. Now it’s claimed that humans were here first but I’m not sold on that. We do have a habit of overstating things and claiming land that really is someone else’s.
Thanks to the itnterior artwork though, we get a look at the aliens through a holographic image. Which of course mutes the details but gives you a good idea of what they look like and to me they have this vampire-esque look to them, and I can’t wait to really seem them in greater deatail. While of course the characters look great here too, especially Grace with her blue hair and tattoos. Plus some of the other in-mates of various species have their own unique looks which makes for some really interesting visuals.
Samara is interesting, why she hates her father and doesn’t want his help and is darn willful about anyone helping her will hopefully be revealed as the story moves along. But for now I’m content to let her motives be more of a mystery. She’s strong though, maybe not physically but emotionally and she’s smart, and she makes for a good leader if she’d really put her focus into that. And we see glimpses of that in this premiere issue.
First mission out and things go horribly wrong and Samara’s group is stuck out in the wild. Being targets for their opponents and having to try to make it back before supplies run out. Suddenly its about survival and it has that horror story setting of a group alone without help trying to get through alien terrain, and how many will survive remains to be seen.
This is a book to keep your eye on and if things keep going this way by issue five or six. It could be in contention for most exciting new series of 2015.
Boom Studios 2015
Created, Written, & Lettered by: Ed Brisson
Created & Illustrated by: Damian Couceiro
Coloured by: Michael Garland
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: In the distant future, as mankind discovers life on other planets, it needs soldiers to defend its colonies and outposts across the stars. In order to increase the number of boots on the ground, criminals are offered the opportunity to serve in the place of incarceration. But as wars wage on and more soldiers are needed, small-time crimes are given long-term punishments. When a group of prisoners serving their time as soldiers become stranded and abandoned on a war-torn planet, they’ll need to work together to survive and uncover the truth behind Earth’s role in deep space.
Review: This is another instance where I wasn’t too expectant, but BOOM! has this uncanny knack for putting out some incredibly good books. And this one already has layers to it that are intriguing. So on Earth if you commit a crime and are given a life sentence, you can volunteer for a program to commute that sentence to 15 years if you fight in a military unit. From my point of view however, there is something shady about this whole thing too and as the story unfolds you’ll believe that too.
We open with Samara Simmons who was driving while inebriated and got arrested, and was trying to alert the police of a passenger in her car but apparently as cops sometimes do, they aren’t listening to her. So already we’ve got some drama where she’s concerned. She’s woken up from cryosleep when they approach the prison planet.
Welcome to the program as we learn how they keep the prisoners in line and it’s a bomb in their chest, very Suicide Squad to me. It seems that Midlothian, the planet they are on, is scheduled for terraforming and human habitation but another race wants the planet for themselves and is destroying the towers hoping to drive them off world. Now it’s claimed that humans were here first but I’m not sold on that. We do have a habit of overstating things and claiming land that really is someone else’s.
Thanks to the itnterior artwork though, we get a look at the aliens through a holographic image. Which of course mutes the details but gives you a good idea of what they look like and to me they have this vampire-esque look to them, and I can’t wait to really seem them in greater deatail. While of course the characters look great here too, especially Grace with her blue hair and tattoos. Plus some of the other in-mates of various species have their own unique looks which makes for some really interesting visuals.
Samara is interesting, why she hates her father and doesn’t want his help and is darn willful about anyone helping her will hopefully be revealed as the story moves along. But for now I’m content to let her motives be more of a mystery. She’s strong though, maybe not physically but emotionally and she’s smart, and she makes for a good leader if she’d really put her focus into that. And we see glimpses of that in this premiere issue.
First mission out and things go horribly wrong and Samara’s group is stuck out in the wild. Being targets for their opponents and having to try to make it back before supplies run out. Suddenly its about survival and it has that horror story setting of a group alone without help trying to get through alien terrain, and how many will survive remains to be seen.
This is a book to keep your eye on and if things keep going this way by issue five or six. It could be in contention for most exciting new series of 2015.
V-Wars #10
IDW Publishing 2014
Written by: Jonathan Maberry
Illustrated by: Alan Robinson
Colours by: Jay Fotos
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: Major new character revealed! As the search for a v-gene screener heats up, LaShonda and Taurus are on the hunt for a powerful new player on the scene, Strega! But, when an opportunity arises for LaShonda to let Taurus die, will she allow her prejudice of vampires over-ride the needs of the mission?
Review: Sometimes writers can fall into a genre, thankfully the only genre Maberry is in is horror. Because with the Vampires he’s created here being totally different from his zombie book make for such a delightful contrast in reading. It’s almost interesting though that you could make an arguement that this mirrors modern day living where we fight those with different beliefs and ways of life than our own. And if it keeps going the way it is, than neither side will ultimately win. If you wanted to argue that point that is.
There are three different openings for this book each one as startling as the others. To start off we see the transaction of the screener and it’s provocative, alluring, and hinted at with side views and imagination not full on, much to my chagrin. Moving quickly to LaShonda and her own inner struggle of working with a vampire partner to Dr. Swann’s meeting on a personal jet. Each one sets the stage for some intricate storytelling and character development that is incredilbe to see.
Yet when reading this story, you begin to see that someone seems to playing all the different story lines like a game of chess, each one's actions directly affecting the others. It’s a wonderful drama unfolding before us. It’s very rare to see such complex writing with so many seperate threads weaving in and out of each other that is so well done.
The characterization is excellent too, though I’m a bit upset with LaShonda and her attitude. It’s starting to get on my nerves and the sooner she realizes that things aren't as cut and dry as she thinks they are, and that a myriad of different people of varying backgrounds can work together the better we’ll be. In the meantime however the progression of how she behaves and turning into more of a monster than any of the vampires around them is quite the development.
Luthor Swann is he getting himself in bed with the Devil or will he do what he believes is the right thing. Granted he’s seen heroes and villains on both sides of the war and he is an advocate of peace and understanding between the species. But he’s one voice and at times too soft, so how can he become stronger and with more force to his words?
Even though Dr. Swann told LaShonda what the white lady is capable of. He dismissed one fact that seems to be extremely true and that’s how we end this issue. And I’ve got to admit it’s more exciting than I thought it would be.
IDW Publishing 2014
Written by: Jonathan Maberry
Illustrated by: Alan Robinson
Colours by: Jay Fotos
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Summary: Major new character revealed! As the search for a v-gene screener heats up, LaShonda and Taurus are on the hunt for a powerful new player on the scene, Strega! But, when an opportunity arises for LaShonda to let Taurus die, will she allow her prejudice of vampires over-ride the needs of the mission?
Review: Sometimes writers can fall into a genre, thankfully the only genre Maberry is in is horror. Because with the Vampires he’s created here being totally different from his zombie book make for such a delightful contrast in reading. It’s almost interesting though that you could make an arguement that this mirrors modern day living where we fight those with different beliefs and ways of life than our own. And if it keeps going the way it is, than neither side will ultimately win. If you wanted to argue that point that is.
There are three different openings for this book each one as startling as the others. To start off we see the transaction of the screener and it’s provocative, alluring, and hinted at with side views and imagination not full on, much to my chagrin. Moving quickly to LaShonda and her own inner struggle of working with a vampire partner to Dr. Swann’s meeting on a personal jet. Each one sets the stage for some intricate storytelling and character development that is incredilbe to see.
Yet when reading this story, you begin to see that someone seems to playing all the different story lines like a game of chess, each one's actions directly affecting the others. It’s a wonderful drama unfolding before us. It’s very rare to see such complex writing with so many seperate threads weaving in and out of each other that is so well done.
The characterization is excellent too, though I’m a bit upset with LaShonda and her attitude. It’s starting to get on my nerves and the sooner she realizes that things aren't as cut and dry as she thinks they are, and that a myriad of different people of varying backgrounds can work together the better we’ll be. In the meantime however the progression of how she behaves and turning into more of a monster than any of the vampires around them is quite the development.
Luthor Swann is he getting himself in bed with the Devil or will he do what he believes is the right thing. Granted he’s seen heroes and villains on both sides of the war and he is an advocate of peace and understanding between the species. But he’s one voice and at times too soft, so how can he become stronger and with more force to his words?
Even though Dr. Swann told LaShonda what the white lady is capable of. He dismissed one fact that seems to be extremely true and that’s how we end this issue. And I’ve got to admit it’s more exciting than I thought it would be.