Doctor Who #1 [vol. 3]
IDW Publishing
Writer: Andy Diggle
Penciler: Mark Buckingham
Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Reviewer: Derrick T. Crow
Hypothetical Gentleman [Part 1 of 2]
“They open a window into hypothetical worlds and catch a glimpse of what might have been. The question is… what’s it doing here?” – The Doctor.
Synopsis: The Doctor is an alien, the last of the powerful Time Lords. He is an intrepid traveler through time and space, armed only with his incredible intelligence and his fix-anything sonic screwdriver. He travels alone except for the human companions he befriends, briefly sharing his life with them and showing them the astonishing wonders of the universe. [Text written in the front of the book]
*SPOILERS*
Review: And so begins the next era in the Doctor’s further adventures state-side. This is my first foray into the comics side of Doctor Who, but I have been a fan of all things Who for quite a while. I had wanted to get into the comics sooner but simply kept missing all the best jumping on points. And then I heard Andy Diggle was coming out with this new Who series and I just knew I had to jump in. Ironically it also had to be just as the Ponds (Amy & Rory, the current companions) left the show. And they’re the companions in this episode as well, so it’s has interesting timing.
I kind of have to wonder why they didn’t just wait to debut it alongside the new companion that is joining the TARDIS this Christmas. I can say this because according to Diggle; this comic series will run alongside the show proper, so again, weird timing.
Anyways, the issue follows our gang of the Doctor, Amy and Rory as they land in London, 1851 to visit the Crystal Palace Museum which has finally been put in its rightful place (those of you who have read Doctor Who Special 2012 will get the reference. I have not.).
Alongside that there is a young married couple, Emily and Charles, Emily who is proper lady with a remarkable gift and Charles, an inventor are hosting a séance with Emily being the medium when they are caught for being fakes. That plays into the story, but we’ll get to it in a moment.
Amy and Rory are celebrating their Anniversary (a reference to the latest Power of Three episode perhaps?) when Amy starts lamenting about wanting to spend her anniversary with her daughter, Melody Pond, who we all know grows up to be River Song and Amy and Rory never truly get to raise their child. Rory cheers her up by telling her that everything has happened for a reason, and perhaps if the Doctor never showed up they would never even have had Melody. And maybe there’s even a chance they’ll find a parallel world where Amy is raising Melody as a little girl the way she wanted.
The Doctor takes them to London, 1851 where they make it to the Crystal Palace Museum and the Doctor’s psychic paper allows them in giving him the title of the New Police Commissioner. Inside they come across what the Doctor calls a Quantum Resonator and it ends up freezing one of the employees in time in the place he was standing. The Doctor explains that a Quantum Resonator is a machine that allows us to look into hypothetical worlds that might have been, which is a fascinating concept.
He finds out that Charles is the inventor of it and has him and Emily brought to the Museum. Before they are though Emily has a fit that looks as if she is being possessed but she ends up collapsing instead. There were definitely other forces at work though. Emily explains to the Doctor that she has the power to see into other’s minds and we find out that she is actually a telepath and that during one of her possessive fits she drew up the blue prints for the machine as they were being told to her. Charles used the blueprints to build the machine, but they ran out of money and so sold the Resonator to the museum and was hosting he séances to keep from living on the streets.
The Doctor discovers “Artron Energy” coming from the portal and decides to trace the signal back to its source which is nearby and discovers it is coming from the TARDIS. While he is gone Emily has a seizure and as Rory is tending to her an all-black featureless being appears from the portal only to sink its hand into Rory’s chest.
-End Issue #1-
There is actually a lot to like about this issue, although it took me 2 readings to realize that (that’s more of a testament to me than the story).
So let’s at least get into some of the stuff I did not like first:
It was too quick; I felt this story could have been slowed down a bit more and we see some of the smaller moments. Like a little more Emily and Charles in their daily lives and the Doctor and the Ponds looking through the museum. Also it would have been nice for Amy to have found the machine instead and see that hypothetical world where she was raising Melody like Rory said. That would have been nice. Perhaps we’ll get that in the next issue? To add to that we never see a single hypothetical world through this Resonator so I really hope we do get that next issue. I also felt as if the dialogue was off for these characters. Amy and Rory really didn’t say much and in actuality Rory got more dialogue than Amy, but it mostly him saying “yeah, okay” over and over again. It got kind of annoying. There was also an odd moment where the other employees discover them looking over one of their owns body frozen in time and Amy shouts it wasn’t them, he was like that when they found him and I honestly feel that’s something Rory would have said, or at least she wouldn’t have been so startled about it. Also… we never see these employees again after that. What happened to them?
It also had no sense of urgency. Okay, so a single man was frozen in time. And the employees who work there in the museum do not seem to show any conscious sign of being frightened by it. Neither do any of our characters. So… what is there to be afraid of exactly? The story acts like there’s something horribly terrible going on halfway through all the way up to the end, but you don’t get any real hint of that until the final panel. It’s almost like the character are acting scared because that is how Mr. Diggle is wanting them to act, not how they should be acting.
Things that I liked:
In the long run though, this issue was actually pretty fun. You have the fascinating concept of a machine that lets you see into other what-if worlds, a telepath who is communicating with some other being that is feeding her full on blue prints for this machine, the gang is back together for those of us already missing the Ponds and it does feel like a real Doctor Who story. I also really liked the Doctor in this, other than a few rough moments; his characterization was pretty spot on. I am a huge fan of Matt Smith’s doctor and this sounded and acted just like him so it’s good to see the Diggle has a good handling on how the 11th Doctor is supposed to act. My favorite part though had to be Amy feeling saddened by not getting to raise Melody/River as a child. We never ever get that in the show and it was one thing I thought was sorely lacking in Moffat’s take on the characters from the show. Melody was stolen as a child and that was it. Rory and Amy moved on with relative ease like it never happened. So seeing Amy here actually talking about her guilt over losing Melody, albeit a small moment, was beautiful.
Andy Diggle, I have not read many of your stories but I did enjoy the movie based off your comic The Losers, and I have heard great things about your time on Thunderbolts at Marvel Comics so I look forward to seeing what more you have to offer in the Whoniverse. You obviously understand the show, and what out there ideas goes into making a Who story seem interesting yet still original.
Mark Buckingham, your art is amazing here. The crisp lines and the surrealism of it all along with colors by Charlie Kirchoff make every panel and page look like a gorgeous painting. Easily one of the best parts about this comic is your amazing cover which I cannot stop staring at your gorgeous pages which makes reading this a real treat.
I can’t wait for more.
It seems this series is going to act like a season with Andy Diggle and Mark Buckingham doing the first story, the middle story and the “season finale” story with other writers and artists doing the in between stories. Just like the show. So if this hypothetical worlds idea is going to be a running subplot it will be interesting to see. Or perhaps the being getting in touch with Emily will end up being the big bad for the series? It will be interesting to see how this plays along, and if Amy and Rory will stay for the whole ride, or once the new companion premieres they’ll be booted off the pages for her before the series ends? I guess we’ll see.
I give this story 4 Hypothetical Worlds out of 5.
IDW Publishing
Writer: Andy Diggle
Penciler: Mark Buckingham
Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Reviewer: Derrick T. Crow
Hypothetical Gentleman [Part 1 of 2]
“They open a window into hypothetical worlds and catch a glimpse of what might have been. The question is… what’s it doing here?” – The Doctor.
Synopsis: The Doctor is an alien, the last of the powerful Time Lords. He is an intrepid traveler through time and space, armed only with his incredible intelligence and his fix-anything sonic screwdriver. He travels alone except for the human companions he befriends, briefly sharing his life with them and showing them the astonishing wonders of the universe. [Text written in the front of the book]
*SPOILERS*
Review: And so begins the next era in the Doctor’s further adventures state-side. This is my first foray into the comics side of Doctor Who, but I have been a fan of all things Who for quite a while. I had wanted to get into the comics sooner but simply kept missing all the best jumping on points. And then I heard Andy Diggle was coming out with this new Who series and I just knew I had to jump in. Ironically it also had to be just as the Ponds (Amy & Rory, the current companions) left the show. And they’re the companions in this episode as well, so it’s has interesting timing.
I kind of have to wonder why they didn’t just wait to debut it alongside the new companion that is joining the TARDIS this Christmas. I can say this because according to Diggle; this comic series will run alongside the show proper, so again, weird timing.
Anyways, the issue follows our gang of the Doctor, Amy and Rory as they land in London, 1851 to visit the Crystal Palace Museum which has finally been put in its rightful place (those of you who have read Doctor Who Special 2012 will get the reference. I have not.).
Alongside that there is a young married couple, Emily and Charles, Emily who is proper lady with a remarkable gift and Charles, an inventor are hosting a séance with Emily being the medium when they are caught for being fakes. That plays into the story, but we’ll get to it in a moment.
Amy and Rory are celebrating their Anniversary (a reference to the latest Power of Three episode perhaps?) when Amy starts lamenting about wanting to spend her anniversary with her daughter, Melody Pond, who we all know grows up to be River Song and Amy and Rory never truly get to raise their child. Rory cheers her up by telling her that everything has happened for a reason, and perhaps if the Doctor never showed up they would never even have had Melody. And maybe there’s even a chance they’ll find a parallel world where Amy is raising Melody as a little girl the way she wanted.
The Doctor takes them to London, 1851 where they make it to the Crystal Palace Museum and the Doctor’s psychic paper allows them in giving him the title of the New Police Commissioner. Inside they come across what the Doctor calls a Quantum Resonator and it ends up freezing one of the employees in time in the place he was standing. The Doctor explains that a Quantum Resonator is a machine that allows us to look into hypothetical worlds that might have been, which is a fascinating concept.
He finds out that Charles is the inventor of it and has him and Emily brought to the Museum. Before they are though Emily has a fit that looks as if she is being possessed but she ends up collapsing instead. There were definitely other forces at work though. Emily explains to the Doctor that she has the power to see into other’s minds and we find out that she is actually a telepath and that during one of her possessive fits she drew up the blue prints for the machine as they were being told to her. Charles used the blueprints to build the machine, but they ran out of money and so sold the Resonator to the museum and was hosting he séances to keep from living on the streets.
The Doctor discovers “Artron Energy” coming from the portal and decides to trace the signal back to its source which is nearby and discovers it is coming from the TARDIS. While he is gone Emily has a seizure and as Rory is tending to her an all-black featureless being appears from the portal only to sink its hand into Rory’s chest.
-End Issue #1-
There is actually a lot to like about this issue, although it took me 2 readings to realize that (that’s more of a testament to me than the story).
So let’s at least get into some of the stuff I did not like first:
It was too quick; I felt this story could have been slowed down a bit more and we see some of the smaller moments. Like a little more Emily and Charles in their daily lives and the Doctor and the Ponds looking through the museum. Also it would have been nice for Amy to have found the machine instead and see that hypothetical world where she was raising Melody like Rory said. That would have been nice. Perhaps we’ll get that in the next issue? To add to that we never see a single hypothetical world through this Resonator so I really hope we do get that next issue. I also felt as if the dialogue was off for these characters. Amy and Rory really didn’t say much and in actuality Rory got more dialogue than Amy, but it mostly him saying “yeah, okay” over and over again. It got kind of annoying. There was also an odd moment where the other employees discover them looking over one of their owns body frozen in time and Amy shouts it wasn’t them, he was like that when they found him and I honestly feel that’s something Rory would have said, or at least she wouldn’t have been so startled about it. Also… we never see these employees again after that. What happened to them?
It also had no sense of urgency. Okay, so a single man was frozen in time. And the employees who work there in the museum do not seem to show any conscious sign of being frightened by it. Neither do any of our characters. So… what is there to be afraid of exactly? The story acts like there’s something horribly terrible going on halfway through all the way up to the end, but you don’t get any real hint of that until the final panel. It’s almost like the character are acting scared because that is how Mr. Diggle is wanting them to act, not how they should be acting.
Things that I liked:
In the long run though, this issue was actually pretty fun. You have the fascinating concept of a machine that lets you see into other what-if worlds, a telepath who is communicating with some other being that is feeding her full on blue prints for this machine, the gang is back together for those of us already missing the Ponds and it does feel like a real Doctor Who story. I also really liked the Doctor in this, other than a few rough moments; his characterization was pretty spot on. I am a huge fan of Matt Smith’s doctor and this sounded and acted just like him so it’s good to see the Diggle has a good handling on how the 11th Doctor is supposed to act. My favorite part though had to be Amy feeling saddened by not getting to raise Melody/River as a child. We never ever get that in the show and it was one thing I thought was sorely lacking in Moffat’s take on the characters from the show. Melody was stolen as a child and that was it. Rory and Amy moved on with relative ease like it never happened. So seeing Amy here actually talking about her guilt over losing Melody, albeit a small moment, was beautiful.
Andy Diggle, I have not read many of your stories but I did enjoy the movie based off your comic The Losers, and I have heard great things about your time on Thunderbolts at Marvel Comics so I look forward to seeing what more you have to offer in the Whoniverse. You obviously understand the show, and what out there ideas goes into making a Who story seem interesting yet still original.
Mark Buckingham, your art is amazing here. The crisp lines and the surrealism of it all along with colors by Charlie Kirchoff make every panel and page look like a gorgeous painting. Easily one of the best parts about this comic is your amazing cover which I cannot stop staring at your gorgeous pages which makes reading this a real treat.
I can’t wait for more.
It seems this series is going to act like a season with Andy Diggle and Mark Buckingham doing the first story, the middle story and the “season finale” story with other writers and artists doing the in between stories. Just like the show. So if this hypothetical worlds idea is going to be a running subplot it will be interesting to see. Or perhaps the being getting in touch with Emily will end up being the big bad for the series? It will be interesting to see how this plays along, and if Amy and Rory will stay for the whole ride, or once the new companion premieres they’ll be booted off the pages for her before the series ends? I guess we’ll see.
I give this story 4 Hypothetical Worlds out of 5.
Please Die Diana: Last Praise of Jenna-Dae
Reversal of Fortune
Artist and Writer: Will Jimenez
Reviewer: Robert McClelland
Summary: Parker is like any other teen, she's young, pretty and dying to be thin. One day her BFF introduces her to Ana. Does Ana have all the answers or is Ana just full of it?
Review: Its time to dive into a world that some in real life have had to deal with in their lives. Although this is liable to make you want to scratch your head as at times while reading this, I did feel somewhat confused. As the book seems to jump around at times. A lot of the characters seem to have issues that I know a lot of teens also tend to deal with in real life. Like feeling they are fat and wanting to be skinny. Even though they already are skinny and just can't see that for some reason. There's very little coloring used in the book aside from a few pages and the cover. The art may or may not be to your liking. Just depends on what your preferences is. Although I can see why at one point the art is done in a way that makes it harder to see what one particular girl is doing. Which is probably a good thing since we don't need any parents or what have you getting all offended by adult material. Then again, sometimes its alright to push the boundaries.
Will Jimenez is doing something in this book that I find interesting. As it seems like he's bringing a presence of sorts that is always trying to worsen things for the characters in this book. Even though quite a few of them are trying to fight back. It always seems like the presence gets the upper hand. Jimenez is even showing the ugly side of human nature in how even a parent can get to a low point where they claim their child is just asking for sexual assault cause of something they wear. And that's one of the lowest kinds of parents out there. And a part of me had hoped the father would get what was coming to him for his stupidity. But no such luck. Overall, as I mentioned this book is liable to make you want to scratch your head. As things do seem rather confusing unless you try and read carefully. I just don't recommend doing it while you're stoned however. As you try out this book, be careful to avoid Wubbzyland. As the place seems pretty bad.
3 out of 5 Stars
Oh yes! One more thing! Head on over to this link in order to get yourself a copy!
Reversal of Fortune
Artist and Writer: Will Jimenez
Reviewer: Robert McClelland
Summary: Parker is like any other teen, she's young, pretty and dying to be thin. One day her BFF introduces her to Ana. Does Ana have all the answers or is Ana just full of it?
Review: Its time to dive into a world that some in real life have had to deal with in their lives. Although this is liable to make you want to scratch your head as at times while reading this, I did feel somewhat confused. As the book seems to jump around at times. A lot of the characters seem to have issues that I know a lot of teens also tend to deal with in real life. Like feeling they are fat and wanting to be skinny. Even though they already are skinny and just can't see that for some reason. There's very little coloring used in the book aside from a few pages and the cover. The art may or may not be to your liking. Just depends on what your preferences is. Although I can see why at one point the art is done in a way that makes it harder to see what one particular girl is doing. Which is probably a good thing since we don't need any parents or what have you getting all offended by adult material. Then again, sometimes its alright to push the boundaries.
Will Jimenez is doing something in this book that I find interesting. As it seems like he's bringing a presence of sorts that is always trying to worsen things for the characters in this book. Even though quite a few of them are trying to fight back. It always seems like the presence gets the upper hand. Jimenez is even showing the ugly side of human nature in how even a parent can get to a low point where they claim their child is just asking for sexual assault cause of something they wear. And that's one of the lowest kinds of parents out there. And a part of me had hoped the father would get what was coming to him for his stupidity. But no such luck. Overall, as I mentioned this book is liable to make you want to scratch your head. As things do seem rather confusing unless you try and read carefully. I just don't recommend doing it while you're stoned however. As you try out this book, be careful to avoid Wubbzyland. As the place seems pretty bad.
3 out of 5 Stars
Oh yes! One more thing! Head on over to this link in order to get yourself a copy!
Planet Nestor Presents: The Prologue #0 – Single Issue
Planet Nestor Comics
Writers: Nestor Williams – Additional Story Credit: Nelson Bauza
Penciler: Nestor Williams
Colorist: Nestor Williams
Letterer: Nestor Williams
Reviewer: Derrick T. Crow
Summary: Lately UFO’s have been spotted flying in the sky as we reach our story, but like many of these “sightings” are in today’s media the general masses turn away from it as hoax and government equipment experiments. But, as with all things the media tends to ignore, not everything is as it seems… and in this tale, things get right out bonkers.
Review: And that summary is exactly what we got in this opening to the world of Planet Nestor, which I enjoyed. The story opens up really with a girl with purple hair getting off a bus and meeting up Desiderio Dominguez (Drez, for short) and we find out her name is Tyranny and that she is running from someone and Drez is there to take her to a third party who will escort her to the Bermuda Triangle for safe haven.
Drez to me comes off as the kind of guy who will get drunk, go out and party, make racist remarks even but is in essence actually a good guy. We saw him and Tyranny for very little of this issue – as we jumped around meeting other characters – but I did find myself immediately liking both him and Tyranny.
Next we jump to meet Randy Marlowe, host of Conspiracy Radio; who focuses today’s broadcast on the recent UFO sightings and talks about what they could be, what they have been in the past, and what his beliefs are in that aliens exist. His real reason for being here is mainly to just set the mood for the world this story lives in. If Drez and Tyranny were there to set the mood, Randy is here to set the theme.
And then another jump over to Chuck Nash, an astronaut who is now an old man who is monologing for some unknown reason about the fact that he was the last man to go to the moon and on that mission he brought back moon rocks.
While in space he encountered swirling lights like the Aurora Borealis that seeded within him the passion to continue living a great life. Not sure what he has to do with the story yet, but I wonder if his time in space and the moon rocks will play any sort of factor into the upcoming story.
If you haven’t noticed yet, we do a lot of jumping in this story to meet all the players. And here’s another:
Doctor Keoiki Fukui, of Hawaii, an Astronomer and Astro-Physicist who is based at the Mauna Kea Observatories and Super-Telescopes (in Hawaii) where he is greeted by another Astronomer/Astro-Physicist who tells him that they have encountered another hole ripping open in space that is allowing them to see onto the other side of the universe.
Keoiki, being the smart genius he is says that these rips cannot just be happening this quickly and easily and that it’s possible they are dealing with a highly intelligent species that is controlling time/space. It is through this rip they discover a new habitable planet on the other side of the universe. Could this be Planet Nestor of the comic’s name?
Honestly, I feel as if Keoiki is going to be the story's bad guy. He just gives off that vibe when he talks about how the fate of the world is in his hands and he can’t decide between chocolate and peanut butter to eat while on his break. He just oozes evil, but the kind of evil that thinks what he is doing is right.
It’s the next character we are introduced to, and not even the final one, that we get the most exposition.
A man known only as The Advisor is on call with the President of the U.S.A and is discussing how a little girl that is half-human/alien is put into the care of the government at a young age by mysterious aliens and is told by the aliens that she must be reunited with her father who is an earthling after her alien mother had died. They also tell the government that the little girl is a hybrid who will grow into super human abilities.
So of course the government keeps her (silly aliens not knowing any better) and she grows up under their care instead. Apparently she has started showcasing some super-human abilities but we are not told what, The Advisor is interrupted by a couple of, well, Aliens that he calls the Greys (because they’re grey aliens) that work for him and tell him telepathically that the girl has escaped. Again. They need to keep better watch on her. The Advisor tells them to go grab her and so we meet Drez and Tyranny again.
Tyranny is about to tell Drez who is chasing her when they suddenly started getting picked up and forced into the air by a UFO being piloted by the Greys. It is at this point I realized Tyranny is the half-human/alien hybrid. They never outright say it, but obviously the Grey’s being there means it is her.
During the near abduction they escape the car and hit the ground only to be met by another alien who is more lizard-like in his appearance as he helps the two escape and he brings down the UFO and kills the Greys with his wrist laser.
His name is Keznar, and he is there to save them.
The issue ends and we’re told coming soon: Planet Nestor Presents: Unknown Agenda #1.
The story flounders a bit in its constant sitting/standing heads chit chatting away and its constant exposition into this world we are about to experience. But at the same time gives just enough clues and foreshadowing, along with a few characters that still remain a mystery that it makes you want to read the next story and continue the adventure to wherever the next issue will take us.
Planet Nestor Comics is a relatively small publisher who is native to Florida and I wonder if they happen to only hire Florida residents or if they’re a big enough publisher who gets their books put in secure locations across other states/cross-country; kind of like BlueWater Productions
The whole book was created by the one man show of Nestor Williams; obviously where Planet Nestor gets its namesake and his story here did indeed impress me. Often enough I see small comics who end up not having the snuff to get a decent story across and it sometimes makes me wonder if that’s the reason their small time in the first place, but this… I could see this making it on the country-wide shelves IF the story can continue on as solid as a note as this first issue.
I know that is high praise to give for a single issue but every story must stand on their own in the long run. There are a few things I did not like, however, as I found a few like the character of Chuck Nash to be rather pointless at the place in the story, and perhaps his part could have been left out completely to make room for more story-driven action or more screen time with what will undoubtedly be our main characters; Drez and Tyranny.
I also got tired sitting there reading large amounts of text per panel that may or may not have anything to do with the long run of things, this mostly comes from Randy, the radio host and The Advisor who is just there right now to give exposition that I would have preferred to have seen be revealed over time about Tyranny instead of within the first issue. Little things like that can go a long way in allowing your audience to discover big turning events along with the characters as they experience them.
Also, while I am ranting, Keoiki did seem a tad bit Lex Luthorish for my taste here on his first outing. A man who has everything and so he is very laid back, but obviously has a huge agenda in mind that will not benefit mankind surely. So I hope to see him get fleshed out more as a more three dimensional character.
Finally, his art really impressed me here as well. For a very small indie comic it is hard to find art you would consider fantastic, and while this is not right up to the level many pros in the business are these days (though let’s face it, some of them we still find ourselves asking how they over broke in), it is still easy on the eyes to look at with detailed faces and anatomy, and the colors just relax you the whole way through.
Though there are perspective shots I would like to see redrawn throughout that art just awful… but perspective can be difficult and these are not so bad that they hinder the overall quality.
All in all, a solid opening issue and I look forward to seeing more.
3 Grey Aliens out of 5
Hi there folks, feel free to head on over to the Planet Nestor website to grab yourself a copy of #0!
Planet Nestor Comics
Writers: Nestor Williams – Additional Story Credit: Nelson Bauza
Penciler: Nestor Williams
Colorist: Nestor Williams
Letterer: Nestor Williams
Reviewer: Derrick T. Crow
Summary: Lately UFO’s have been spotted flying in the sky as we reach our story, but like many of these “sightings” are in today’s media the general masses turn away from it as hoax and government equipment experiments. But, as with all things the media tends to ignore, not everything is as it seems… and in this tale, things get right out bonkers.
Review: And that summary is exactly what we got in this opening to the world of Planet Nestor, which I enjoyed. The story opens up really with a girl with purple hair getting off a bus and meeting up Desiderio Dominguez (Drez, for short) and we find out her name is Tyranny and that she is running from someone and Drez is there to take her to a third party who will escort her to the Bermuda Triangle for safe haven.
Drez to me comes off as the kind of guy who will get drunk, go out and party, make racist remarks even but is in essence actually a good guy. We saw him and Tyranny for very little of this issue – as we jumped around meeting other characters – but I did find myself immediately liking both him and Tyranny.
Next we jump to meet Randy Marlowe, host of Conspiracy Radio; who focuses today’s broadcast on the recent UFO sightings and talks about what they could be, what they have been in the past, and what his beliefs are in that aliens exist. His real reason for being here is mainly to just set the mood for the world this story lives in. If Drez and Tyranny were there to set the mood, Randy is here to set the theme.
And then another jump over to Chuck Nash, an astronaut who is now an old man who is monologing for some unknown reason about the fact that he was the last man to go to the moon and on that mission he brought back moon rocks.
While in space he encountered swirling lights like the Aurora Borealis that seeded within him the passion to continue living a great life. Not sure what he has to do with the story yet, but I wonder if his time in space and the moon rocks will play any sort of factor into the upcoming story.
If you haven’t noticed yet, we do a lot of jumping in this story to meet all the players. And here’s another:
Doctor Keoiki Fukui, of Hawaii, an Astronomer and Astro-Physicist who is based at the Mauna Kea Observatories and Super-Telescopes (in Hawaii) where he is greeted by another Astronomer/Astro-Physicist who tells him that they have encountered another hole ripping open in space that is allowing them to see onto the other side of the universe.
Keoiki, being the smart genius he is says that these rips cannot just be happening this quickly and easily and that it’s possible they are dealing with a highly intelligent species that is controlling time/space. It is through this rip they discover a new habitable planet on the other side of the universe. Could this be Planet Nestor of the comic’s name?
Honestly, I feel as if Keoiki is going to be the story's bad guy. He just gives off that vibe when he talks about how the fate of the world is in his hands and he can’t decide between chocolate and peanut butter to eat while on his break. He just oozes evil, but the kind of evil that thinks what he is doing is right.
It’s the next character we are introduced to, and not even the final one, that we get the most exposition.
A man known only as The Advisor is on call with the President of the U.S.A and is discussing how a little girl that is half-human/alien is put into the care of the government at a young age by mysterious aliens and is told by the aliens that she must be reunited with her father who is an earthling after her alien mother had died. They also tell the government that the little girl is a hybrid who will grow into super human abilities.
So of course the government keeps her (silly aliens not knowing any better) and she grows up under their care instead. Apparently she has started showcasing some super-human abilities but we are not told what, The Advisor is interrupted by a couple of, well, Aliens that he calls the Greys (because they’re grey aliens) that work for him and tell him telepathically that the girl has escaped. Again. They need to keep better watch on her. The Advisor tells them to go grab her and so we meet Drez and Tyranny again.
Tyranny is about to tell Drez who is chasing her when they suddenly started getting picked up and forced into the air by a UFO being piloted by the Greys. It is at this point I realized Tyranny is the half-human/alien hybrid. They never outright say it, but obviously the Grey’s being there means it is her.
During the near abduction they escape the car and hit the ground only to be met by another alien who is more lizard-like in his appearance as he helps the two escape and he brings down the UFO and kills the Greys with his wrist laser.
His name is Keznar, and he is there to save them.
The issue ends and we’re told coming soon: Planet Nestor Presents: Unknown Agenda #1.
The story flounders a bit in its constant sitting/standing heads chit chatting away and its constant exposition into this world we are about to experience. But at the same time gives just enough clues and foreshadowing, along with a few characters that still remain a mystery that it makes you want to read the next story and continue the adventure to wherever the next issue will take us.
Planet Nestor Comics is a relatively small publisher who is native to Florida and I wonder if they happen to only hire Florida residents or if they’re a big enough publisher who gets their books put in secure locations across other states/cross-country; kind of like BlueWater Productions
The whole book was created by the one man show of Nestor Williams; obviously where Planet Nestor gets its namesake and his story here did indeed impress me. Often enough I see small comics who end up not having the snuff to get a decent story across and it sometimes makes me wonder if that’s the reason their small time in the first place, but this… I could see this making it on the country-wide shelves IF the story can continue on as solid as a note as this first issue.
I know that is high praise to give for a single issue but every story must stand on their own in the long run. There are a few things I did not like, however, as I found a few like the character of Chuck Nash to be rather pointless at the place in the story, and perhaps his part could have been left out completely to make room for more story-driven action or more screen time with what will undoubtedly be our main characters; Drez and Tyranny.
I also got tired sitting there reading large amounts of text per panel that may or may not have anything to do with the long run of things, this mostly comes from Randy, the radio host and The Advisor who is just there right now to give exposition that I would have preferred to have seen be revealed over time about Tyranny instead of within the first issue. Little things like that can go a long way in allowing your audience to discover big turning events along with the characters as they experience them.
Also, while I am ranting, Keoiki did seem a tad bit Lex Luthorish for my taste here on his first outing. A man who has everything and so he is very laid back, but obviously has a huge agenda in mind that will not benefit mankind surely. So I hope to see him get fleshed out more as a more three dimensional character.
Finally, his art really impressed me here as well. For a very small indie comic it is hard to find art you would consider fantastic, and while this is not right up to the level many pros in the business are these days (though let’s face it, some of them we still find ourselves asking how they over broke in), it is still easy on the eyes to look at with detailed faces and anatomy, and the colors just relax you the whole way through.
Though there are perspective shots I would like to see redrawn throughout that art just awful… but perspective can be difficult and these are not so bad that they hinder the overall quality.
All in all, a solid opening issue and I look forward to seeing more.
3 Grey Aliens out of 5
Hi there folks, feel free to head on over to the Planet Nestor website to grab yourself a copy of #0!
Robyn Hood #1
Zenescope
Story by: Joe Brusha, Raven Gregory, Ralph Tedesco, and Pat Shand
Written by: Pat Shand
Letters by: Jim Campbell
Pencils by: Dan Glasl
Colors by: Tom Mullin and Jason Embury
Reviewer: Robert McClelland
Summary: In the lands of Myst a tryant rules the city of Bree with an iron fist leaving its citizens living in fear and terror. But all hope is not lost when one man takes the first steps to finding the one person who might save them all. Meanwhile on earth Robyn has had a troubled life for many years since her mother's death. In and out of foster homes Robyn now finds herself transferred to a high class high school filled with the rich and over privileged. But when Robyn crosses one of the popular kids she will learn first hand the extent of torture they are willing to go to against those who transgressed against them. Don't miss out on the hottest new fantasy series of the year. Featuring covers by Greg Horn, Eric Basadula and Stjepan Sejic.
Review: Its time to head back into the wonderful universe of Zenescope and all its fun and twisted little versions of classic stories! And this time they dive into the old tale of Robin Hood. Or well, to be more accurate this time. Robyn Hood. And quite a lovely lady she is! Just uhh.. Try not to stare too hard at that scar on her face, otherwise she might feel offended and clock you one. Or shove an arrow where the Sun don't shine. Which ever she feels is best. The cover is simply beautiful, and one of several. But the one with her about to grab and arrow and cause some pain while looking good in green, that's some sexy right there. Robin Hood ain't got nothing on this girl! Especially considering it seems like she's been fairly screwed over by life as those of you who possibly have read this will know of by now. And if you haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for!? An engraved invitation!? I may not be too familiar with Zenescope as I'd like to be. But even I know they are doing some awesome things. Especially with little stories like this. I like how there's even a mention of the Jabberwocky by Shang's friends.
Now I'm not necessarily share if Shang's friends are wanting him to kill baby Robyn or are wanting to provide her with a good home. Even after I've read that portion of the comic a few times. It still leaves me a little confused. But at least in the end, the man did a good deed. Even if he didn't exactly leave her in the best of hands. Kudos to her mom though, sounds like the kind of woman I wouldn't mind knowing. I honestly feel sorry for Robyn, all she wants to do is have a good time and have little to no issues with folks around her. Yet little douche bags that like to wreck into things and cut up faces just makes that a little hard to do. But I know Karma will have her day with them. I like that the story's pace isn't too fast or too slow. But at a nice steady pace. As we get to learn about Robyn's life and some of the crap she has to deal with. The art, courtesy of Dan Glasl is great all through out the book. Not to mention, aside from the cover. She doesn't look too overly sexy as we tend to see with most chicks in comics. The coloring is also done pretty well too. I'm kind of hoping the team on this book will stay on for the long haul. However long that is anyway.
I admire the fact that one particular citizen is willing to give up his own life in order to get a savior for his people. You know that's got to put some guilt on the nice hot sorceress' mind. Probably Robyn's too once she finds out how she got to the area. I am honestly looking forward to the showdown this issue leaves us with. As I can't wait to see how much butt Robyn kicks. And hopefully the nice Sorceress chick will stick around for the aftermath too. So if you have yet to read this sweet little start up, what's keeping ya!? Get to it! And then also find yourself eagerly awaiting issue 2!
5 out of 5 Stars
Zenescope
Story by: Joe Brusha, Raven Gregory, Ralph Tedesco, and Pat Shand
Written by: Pat Shand
Letters by: Jim Campbell
Pencils by: Dan Glasl
Colors by: Tom Mullin and Jason Embury
Reviewer: Robert McClelland
Summary: In the lands of Myst a tryant rules the city of Bree with an iron fist leaving its citizens living in fear and terror. But all hope is not lost when one man takes the first steps to finding the one person who might save them all. Meanwhile on earth Robyn has had a troubled life for many years since her mother's death. In and out of foster homes Robyn now finds herself transferred to a high class high school filled with the rich and over privileged. But when Robyn crosses one of the popular kids she will learn first hand the extent of torture they are willing to go to against those who transgressed against them. Don't miss out on the hottest new fantasy series of the year. Featuring covers by Greg Horn, Eric Basadula and Stjepan Sejic.
Review: Its time to head back into the wonderful universe of Zenescope and all its fun and twisted little versions of classic stories! And this time they dive into the old tale of Robin Hood. Or well, to be more accurate this time. Robyn Hood. And quite a lovely lady she is! Just uhh.. Try not to stare too hard at that scar on her face, otherwise she might feel offended and clock you one. Or shove an arrow where the Sun don't shine. Which ever she feels is best. The cover is simply beautiful, and one of several. But the one with her about to grab and arrow and cause some pain while looking good in green, that's some sexy right there. Robin Hood ain't got nothing on this girl! Especially considering it seems like she's been fairly screwed over by life as those of you who possibly have read this will know of by now. And if you haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for!? An engraved invitation!? I may not be too familiar with Zenescope as I'd like to be. But even I know they are doing some awesome things. Especially with little stories like this. I like how there's even a mention of the Jabberwocky by Shang's friends.
Now I'm not necessarily share if Shang's friends are wanting him to kill baby Robyn or are wanting to provide her with a good home. Even after I've read that portion of the comic a few times. It still leaves me a little confused. But at least in the end, the man did a good deed. Even if he didn't exactly leave her in the best of hands. Kudos to her mom though, sounds like the kind of woman I wouldn't mind knowing. I honestly feel sorry for Robyn, all she wants to do is have a good time and have little to no issues with folks around her. Yet little douche bags that like to wreck into things and cut up faces just makes that a little hard to do. But I know Karma will have her day with them. I like that the story's pace isn't too fast or too slow. But at a nice steady pace. As we get to learn about Robyn's life and some of the crap she has to deal with. The art, courtesy of Dan Glasl is great all through out the book. Not to mention, aside from the cover. She doesn't look too overly sexy as we tend to see with most chicks in comics. The coloring is also done pretty well too. I'm kind of hoping the team on this book will stay on for the long haul. However long that is anyway.
I admire the fact that one particular citizen is willing to give up his own life in order to get a savior for his people. You know that's got to put some guilt on the nice hot sorceress' mind. Probably Robyn's too once she finds out how she got to the area. I am honestly looking forward to the showdown this issue leaves us with. As I can't wait to see how much butt Robyn kicks. And hopefully the nice Sorceress chick will stick around for the aftermath too. So if you have yet to read this sweet little start up, what's keeping ya!? Get to it! And then also find yourself eagerly awaiting issue 2!
5 out of 5 Stars