Once Monster #1
Beat The Demon Comix
Written, Inked, Colored, Penciled, and Lettered by: Paul Johnson
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Review: Paul has brought forth a new title to the world of comics and its certainly off to a nice start. You may recall the last time I covered something of Paul's was with his Razor Bastard comic. And while this shares the same universe as that character. The main character and the happenings he's in aren't anywhere near as graphic as Razor Bastard was. So I'll leave it up to you on whether or not you want your kids reading this. Paul's style of art is still as unique as ever and would be something I'd love to see in a cartoon or digital animation. Who knows, maybe one day some studio will call him up and get him over there for a project!
Now you might be finding yourselves wondering about the title. Such as whether or not the main guy who we know as Cluade and is a cop was once a monster that got turned into a human somehow. And the short answer to that would be a big no. Although I imagine ol' Claude wouldn't mind being human since he'd be less likely to get crap from people. He's a cop who's evidently a big fan of 80's and 90's films, a cat and the fella's name is some of the proof of that! Claude is also a octopus like monster who seems to be the last of the monsters, but it looks like Paul's got some surprises in store for our main hero here to surprise ol' Claude. I'm liking what Paul's started here, as it nicely sets up things with a few bits of action going on that helps set up a mystery.
Plus a bit of star crossed romance between a regular girl and Claude. Which hey, why not! If a Gargoyle and a woman can fall in love, why not a woman and a octopus fella! Our lovely Lucy seems awfully sweet on him too. And despite what Claude believes, it seems he might not be truly as alone as he thinks. Which will unfortunately get him into some trouble, because hey, he's the only monster right? So why not automatically assume he's the bad guy? There just may be some groveling when the time comes! I think I can honestly say I would recommend this to anyone. So go grab a copy! Like... Right now! Cause an octopus monster who's also a cop? That's classic right there!
Beat The Demon Comix
Written, Inked, Colored, Penciled, and Lettered by: Paul Johnson
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Review: Paul has brought forth a new title to the world of comics and its certainly off to a nice start. You may recall the last time I covered something of Paul's was with his Razor Bastard comic. And while this shares the same universe as that character. The main character and the happenings he's in aren't anywhere near as graphic as Razor Bastard was. So I'll leave it up to you on whether or not you want your kids reading this. Paul's style of art is still as unique as ever and would be something I'd love to see in a cartoon or digital animation. Who knows, maybe one day some studio will call him up and get him over there for a project!
Now you might be finding yourselves wondering about the title. Such as whether or not the main guy who we know as Cluade and is a cop was once a monster that got turned into a human somehow. And the short answer to that would be a big no. Although I imagine ol' Claude wouldn't mind being human since he'd be less likely to get crap from people. He's a cop who's evidently a big fan of 80's and 90's films, a cat and the fella's name is some of the proof of that! Claude is also a octopus like monster who seems to be the last of the monsters, but it looks like Paul's got some surprises in store for our main hero here to surprise ol' Claude. I'm liking what Paul's started here, as it nicely sets up things with a few bits of action going on that helps set up a mystery.
Plus a bit of star crossed romance between a regular girl and Claude. Which hey, why not! If a Gargoyle and a woman can fall in love, why not a woman and a octopus fella! Our lovely Lucy seems awfully sweet on him too. And despite what Claude believes, it seems he might not be truly as alone as he thinks. Which will unfortunately get him into some trouble, because hey, he's the only monster right? So why not automatically assume he's the bad guy? There just may be some groveling when the time comes! I think I can honestly say I would recommend this to anyone. So go grab a copy! Like... Right now! Cause an octopus monster who's also a cop? That's classic right there!
Grimm Fairy Tales #108
Zenescope Entertainment
Writer: Pat Shand
Artist: Andrea Meloni
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: When Ali and Skye unwittingly release a malevolent spirit at Arcane Acre, their burgeoning powers are put to the test when Sela isn't there to save them. Tied up in her duties as protector of Earth, Sela joins with former HiboCorp agent Jessica Ciampo to save a Phoenix stuck in a horrific state between life and death.
[SPOILERS!!]
Review: In the finale to the two-parter “Burn Your Life Down” we see the effect of Ali and Hailey messing with the summoning of spirits – which ended last time in the summoning of the spirit of the Mad Hatter. I loved seeing the Mad Hatter again, and oh the carnage he creates.
While the teachers are trying to figure out the best way to deal with Kiera, who's suffering from amnesia and is also – it seems – the embodiment of a Phoenix, she's off trying to get used to life in Arcane Acres. That's almost brought to an end for everyone when Mad Hatter takes hold of one of the Cards' bodies and almost kills Keira, nearly causing a Phoenix “rebirth” which is hinted at to be a bad deal.
There is one particularly creepy moment when the Hatter uses the rib cage of a fellow Card as a hat, and runs around trying to slaughter the students. It's a striking image and one of the best in this new half of the series so far. Ii hope we get to see more from the maliscious spirit and if some of the later pages indicate correctly... I think we will.
We also get a rather touching moment with Hailey and the spirit of her mother, who recently died, as Ali acts as a medium between the two to get some much needed closure. It was wonderfully written, and a nice epilogue to the awful events that transpired only just a few issue ago featuring these two characters.
I actually enjoy the YA take on this series, and I'm enjoying watching the students react to this ever-changing world around them. I do hope something big happens soon though, to really test their skills and training. I'm looking forward to it.
The art is as great as ever from Meloni, and I will miss these fine, clean lines in the two-parter to come. But that's okay, it should be good nonetheless. Let's hope!
Final Score: 4 Creepy Mad Hatter Moments out of 5
Zenescope Entertainment
Writer: Pat Shand
Artist: Andrea Meloni
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: When Ali and Skye unwittingly release a malevolent spirit at Arcane Acre, their burgeoning powers are put to the test when Sela isn't there to save them. Tied up in her duties as protector of Earth, Sela joins with former HiboCorp agent Jessica Ciampo to save a Phoenix stuck in a horrific state between life and death.
[SPOILERS!!]
Review: In the finale to the two-parter “Burn Your Life Down” we see the effect of Ali and Hailey messing with the summoning of spirits – which ended last time in the summoning of the spirit of the Mad Hatter. I loved seeing the Mad Hatter again, and oh the carnage he creates.
While the teachers are trying to figure out the best way to deal with Kiera, who's suffering from amnesia and is also – it seems – the embodiment of a Phoenix, she's off trying to get used to life in Arcane Acres. That's almost brought to an end for everyone when Mad Hatter takes hold of one of the Cards' bodies and almost kills Keira, nearly causing a Phoenix “rebirth” which is hinted at to be a bad deal.
There is one particularly creepy moment when the Hatter uses the rib cage of a fellow Card as a hat, and runs around trying to slaughter the students. It's a striking image and one of the best in this new half of the series so far. Ii hope we get to see more from the maliscious spirit and if some of the later pages indicate correctly... I think we will.
We also get a rather touching moment with Hailey and the spirit of her mother, who recently died, as Ali acts as a medium between the two to get some much needed closure. It was wonderfully written, and a nice epilogue to the awful events that transpired only just a few issue ago featuring these two characters.
I actually enjoy the YA take on this series, and I'm enjoying watching the students react to this ever-changing world around them. I do hope something big happens soon though, to really test their skills and training. I'm looking forward to it.
The art is as great as ever from Meloni, and I will miss these fine, clean lines in the two-parter to come. But that's okay, it should be good nonetheless. Let's hope!
Final Score: 4 Creepy Mad Hatter Moments out of 5
Copperhead #6
Image Comics
Written by: Jay Faerber
Art by: Scott Godlewski
Colors by: Ron Riley
Letters by: Thomas Mauer
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Summary: It’s payday at the copper mine, which means Sheriff Clara Bronson is in for a particularly rowdy Friday night. Plus, Boo is offered an intriguing partnership.
Review: Jay and the creative team for Copperhead have done it again with this fantastic new entry to the Copperhead series. Had I been more on the ball some weeks ago, I would have already been sharing my thoughts on this with you good folks by now and saying to pick this title up. Jay gives us another brief look into Deputy Boo's past, along with a look into the big guy's homelife. Which is pretty nice to see as well. Though its definitely noticeable that Boo's race all tend to look the same with minor differences here and there. Which makes me wonder if that was an intentional thing that was done here with Boo and his people. Not to mention the nice little fact the rest of his people all have some pretty interesting names too! I am curious though to see how much time has passed between issue 5 and issue 6 and if whether or not Boo's attitude towards Clara's position is more of a joke now then anything negative.
Of course considering an offer Boo gets and how he seems to be seriously considering it before going to the next part of the story makes me worry a bit. But I am definitely interested in seeing how that whole situation goes. And boy is Clara not gonna be happy once she finds out what her son's been doing lately! Heh, I imagine once Boo hears of Clara's plans with a certain teacher, he's either gonna be happy or shocked since that was likely not what he had in mind when he told her to have a little fun. That and some potential trouble that's gearing up is definitely getting me excited to see what happens next. Gotta love payday on a Friday night! So Jay? Scott? Ron? Thomas? Throw it at me!
Image Comics
Written by: Jay Faerber
Art by: Scott Godlewski
Colors by: Ron Riley
Letters by: Thomas Mauer
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Summary: It’s payday at the copper mine, which means Sheriff Clara Bronson is in for a particularly rowdy Friday night. Plus, Boo is offered an intriguing partnership.
Review: Jay and the creative team for Copperhead have done it again with this fantastic new entry to the Copperhead series. Had I been more on the ball some weeks ago, I would have already been sharing my thoughts on this with you good folks by now and saying to pick this title up. Jay gives us another brief look into Deputy Boo's past, along with a look into the big guy's homelife. Which is pretty nice to see as well. Though its definitely noticeable that Boo's race all tend to look the same with minor differences here and there. Which makes me wonder if that was an intentional thing that was done here with Boo and his people. Not to mention the nice little fact the rest of his people all have some pretty interesting names too! I am curious though to see how much time has passed between issue 5 and issue 6 and if whether or not Boo's attitude towards Clara's position is more of a joke now then anything negative.
Of course considering an offer Boo gets and how he seems to be seriously considering it before going to the next part of the story makes me worry a bit. But I am definitely interested in seeing how that whole situation goes. And boy is Clara not gonna be happy once she finds out what her son's been doing lately! Heh, I imagine once Boo hears of Clara's plans with a certain teacher, he's either gonna be happy or shocked since that was likely not what he had in mind when he told her to have a little fun. That and some potential trouble that's gearing up is definitely getting me excited to see what happens next. Gotta love payday on a Friday night! So Jay? Scott? Ron? Thomas? Throw it at me!
Grimm Fairy Tales #109
Zenescope Entertainment
Writer: Pat Shand
Artist: David Lorenzo Riveiro (pg. 1-16, 22); Ryan Best (pg. 17-21)
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: A danger lurks in Oz. As Wulf, expelled from Arcane Acre, attends the stricter Abraxis Academy, he finds himself facing a greater threat than he could have imagined... the monstrous Grendel.
Zenescope Entertainment, the company known for its popular reinventions of Robyn Hood and Alice in Wonderland, finally takes on the oldest surviving story in the English language... Beowulf
Review: There was a short time when Wulf was my favorite character in this series, but he's quickly becoming the opposite. I'm not sure why that is really, perhaps he's just too... real in how he acts. All these characters kind of are, and I do like that, but it's hard to root for assholes. - So what fun when I realized this lovely two-parter will be focusing mostly on Wulf.
I still enjoy that Grimm is taking its time and building up its characters on personal levels, making it believable that these are teens who are at a supernatural school and live supernatural lives – whether they want to or not. It was also nice to see that there are other schools out there raising realm knights, and that none of them are taking Wulf's crap. Even if it is easy for them to like him, he's just got that charisma I suppose.
This issue had an interesting, and not unwelcoming take on Beowulf. Complete with Grendal and his mother. I'm interested to see where the storyline goes, as Wulf takes on the role of Beowulf in this situation. It was a pretty fast-paced issue, so the most that happened was getting to know Wulf in his new school and Grendel killing a bunch of students at a party.
I do like Wulf's new pals though, and I hope we get to see more of them after all of this.
The art wasn't too bad, but we've had better on this series. Both artists' blend their artwork together pretty nicely, I didn't even realize there were two different artists really. But I just wasn't keen on their styles. A little too sharp for my taste.
Overall, not a bad issue, just an okay issue. It'll all be better when things return their focus back to Arcane Acres, which has been shaping up to be a nicely developed storyline.
Final Score: 2.5 Unique takes on well-known stories out of 5
Zenescope Entertainment
Writer: Pat Shand
Artist: David Lorenzo Riveiro (pg. 1-16, 22); Ryan Best (pg. 17-21)
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: A danger lurks in Oz. As Wulf, expelled from Arcane Acre, attends the stricter Abraxis Academy, he finds himself facing a greater threat than he could have imagined... the monstrous Grendel.
Zenescope Entertainment, the company known for its popular reinventions of Robyn Hood and Alice in Wonderland, finally takes on the oldest surviving story in the English language... Beowulf
Review: There was a short time when Wulf was my favorite character in this series, but he's quickly becoming the opposite. I'm not sure why that is really, perhaps he's just too... real in how he acts. All these characters kind of are, and I do like that, but it's hard to root for assholes. - So what fun when I realized this lovely two-parter will be focusing mostly on Wulf.
I still enjoy that Grimm is taking its time and building up its characters on personal levels, making it believable that these are teens who are at a supernatural school and live supernatural lives – whether they want to or not. It was also nice to see that there are other schools out there raising realm knights, and that none of them are taking Wulf's crap. Even if it is easy for them to like him, he's just got that charisma I suppose.
This issue had an interesting, and not unwelcoming take on Beowulf. Complete with Grendal and his mother. I'm interested to see where the storyline goes, as Wulf takes on the role of Beowulf in this situation. It was a pretty fast-paced issue, so the most that happened was getting to know Wulf in his new school and Grendel killing a bunch of students at a party.
I do like Wulf's new pals though, and I hope we get to see more of them after all of this.
The art wasn't too bad, but we've had better on this series. Both artists' blend their artwork together pretty nicely, I didn't even realize there were two different artists really. But I just wasn't keen on their styles. A little too sharp for my taste.
Overall, not a bad issue, just an okay issue. It'll all be better when things return their focus back to Arcane Acres, which has been shaping up to be a nicely developed storyline.
Final Score: 2.5 Unique takes on well-known stories out of 5
Ember #0
Boundless/Avatar Press 2015
Written & Illustrated by: Christian Zanier
Coloured by: Digikore Studios
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Review: We all know that Boundless/Avatar is known for their adult oriented material, they aren’t afraid of showing the female form in all its glory but by the same token the artwork also tends to be extremely detailed, vibrant, and just very well done. This is no exception as the premise of the book is how our lead character, Ember, gains super-powers. It’s actually a very well written, smart look at the beginnings of a woman getting her start and the transformation in her personality that comes along with those powers.
This is not going to be for everyone, you have to have absolutely no problems with seeing boobs and nipples constantly. Not only that but damn someone really likes his boob nipple too because I’ve never seen them look so real in comics before. Christian I understand your love of them but whoa! Reign in a little because you don’t need so many nipple shots the story is strong and good enough that all the gratuitous nudity isn’t all that necessary. Now if you are going to showcase men with just as detailed junk I’m all for the continued boobage.
Story wise I’m really impressed here with the whole concept of it and it is really extremely well thought out and executed. That we get her narrative about being a hero so publicly with such great references to modern social media really grounds it in the here and now. Also the introduction of her main nemesis was well handled too. This zero issue really is impressive in the fact that it works as an introduction to Ember, her world, and the people in her life. Also while we get the gist of what happened to her there’s enough left open to explore it further and see how the accident that changed her really happened and why.
Boundless/Avatar Press 2015
Written & Illustrated by: Christian Zanier
Coloured by: Digikore Studios
Reviewer: Steven Leitman
Review: We all know that Boundless/Avatar is known for their adult oriented material, they aren’t afraid of showing the female form in all its glory but by the same token the artwork also tends to be extremely detailed, vibrant, and just very well done. This is no exception as the premise of the book is how our lead character, Ember, gains super-powers. It’s actually a very well written, smart look at the beginnings of a woman getting her start and the transformation in her personality that comes along with those powers.
This is not going to be for everyone, you have to have absolutely no problems with seeing boobs and nipples constantly. Not only that but damn someone really likes his boob nipple too because I’ve never seen them look so real in comics before. Christian I understand your love of them but whoa! Reign in a little because you don’t need so many nipple shots the story is strong and good enough that all the gratuitous nudity isn’t all that necessary. Now if you are going to showcase men with just as detailed junk I’m all for the continued boobage.
Story wise I’m really impressed here with the whole concept of it and it is really extremely well thought out and executed. That we get her narrative about being a hero so publicly with such great references to modern social media really grounds it in the here and now. Also the introduction of her main nemesis was well handled too. This zero issue really is impressive in the fact that it works as an introduction to Ember, her world, and the people in her life. Also while we get the gist of what happened to her there’s enough left open to explore it further and see how the accident that changed her really happened and why.
So she wanted to be a supermodel and was not the brightest crayon in the box but once the accident happened she became more serious about life and her decision to really help people. With great power and all that right well she believes that and it’s interesting to see and hear her friends and even the villain remark upon it. Now the bad girl here is like a modern day She-Hulk without the green skin full of rage and anger over her transformation which coincidentally happened pretty much the same way Ember’s did. Their discussion was good I liked that Ember didn’t want to fight her but wanted her to use her new gifts for good and wanted to genuinely help her. The characterization here on both sides is darn solid.
Her supporting cast is introduced here as well, her best friend and roommate Beth and the handsome blonde I’m going out on a limb and saying FBI agent, as of yet un-named, providing her with support and guidance. These are characters who already have piqued my interest.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Boundless and Avatar books which might seem odd to most people but I do. But even I am shocked at the costume design here which is nothing more than an excuse for each battle to showcase boobs and nipples not to mention maybe the nether regions. It really is stereotypical fanboy vision of women he’ll never get kind of stuff but is incredibly gorgeously rendered. The scene during the fight where Ember buries her under the street by melting it and then letting it harden around her was powerful stuff so why does it need all that nudity? Christian has some extremely mad skills as both a writer and illustrator and to make this NC-17 at least well I dunno if it’s necessary he’s good enough not to really need to go there. Guess it’s a personal decision.
So if ya don’t mind seeing all of the adult material that I mentioned, than I recommend this, the series itself starts in the Fall. It’s a great concept, extremely well executed and beautifully illustrated.
Her supporting cast is introduced here as well, her best friend and roommate Beth and the handsome blonde I’m going out on a limb and saying FBI agent, as of yet un-named, providing her with support and guidance. These are characters who already have piqued my interest.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Boundless and Avatar books which might seem odd to most people but I do. But even I am shocked at the costume design here which is nothing more than an excuse for each battle to showcase boobs and nipples not to mention maybe the nether regions. It really is stereotypical fanboy vision of women he’ll never get kind of stuff but is incredibly gorgeously rendered. The scene during the fight where Ember buries her under the street by melting it and then letting it harden around her was powerful stuff so why does it need all that nudity? Christian has some extremely mad skills as both a writer and illustrator and to make this NC-17 at least well I dunno if it’s necessary he’s good enough not to really need to go there. Guess it’s a personal decision.
So if ya don’t mind seeing all of the adult material that I mentioned, than I recommend this, the series itself starts in the Fall. It’s a great concept, extremely well executed and beautifully illustrated.