Thursday, 3 July 2025

Conan: The Barbarian Free Comic Book Day May 2025 - Titan Comics

CONAN: THE BARBARIAN FREE COMIC BOOK DAY MAY 2025
Largely ‘locked on’ to a seventeen-year-old Conan’s unsuccessful attempt to burgle Aztrias Petanius’ manor in Nemedia, there initially appears to be plenty of engrossing narrative within this ‘Free Comic Book Day’ publication to keep even the most die-hard of Robert E. Howard fans thoroughly enthralled. Indeed, despite the aspiring thief’s poor choice of prey, and the Cimmerian’s unwillingness to actually splatter anyone’s brains during his confrontation with a pair of veteran guards, this periodical’s sixteen-page plot still contains a solid mixture of suspense, action and even glib humour; “Apparently the most appropriate punishment is letting your pitiful life carry on, worm.”

Unfortunately for some readers though, once this neatly-penned precursor to the 1952 short story “The God In The Bowl” concludes, the rest of Jim Zub’s script disappointingly transforms into a choppily-paced advertisement for the Canadian author’s upcoming "epic Conan event”, and rather ungracefully attempts to tie the titular character’s earliest adventures in with those of Brule the Spear-Slayer, Professor John Kirowan and Thoth-Amon. Of course, providing just such an appetiser is precisely the point behind this particular prelude to "Titan Comics" latest four-issue mini-series. However, it’s so clunkily crowbarred onto the end of this book's central yarn that it arguably appears a little too desperate in its desire to attract pre-orders.

In addition, the Web Cartoonists’ Choice Award-winner’s apparent obsession with the Hyborian Age's most powerful Stygian sorcerer being behind practically every one of the barbarian's misfortunes may well strike any bibliophiles already familiar with the writer's backlog of numerous Conan tales as being rather unimaginative – especially as the duo never actually meet face-to-face in any of the original novellas. Yet here is Zub (once again) trying to not only intrinsically link the two together, but also suggest that the snake-fixated warlock is dubiously connected throughout time and space to some of the father of sword and sorcery’s other creations too.

Probably this book’s biggest asset can therefore be found inside the layouts of artist Ivan Gil, who adds both the grandeur and grimness some bibliophiles may well expect to see whilst visiting the “night-swept streets” of Nemedia’s second largest city. In fact, the illustrator’s incredible ability to pencil a pair of snarling, ill-tempered soldiers in one panel, and then sketch them fearfully back-peddling away from the black-haired, heavily-muscled rogue before them in the next, is truly breath-taking.

Writer: Jim Zub, Artist: Ivan Gil, and Color Artist: Jao Canola

Tuesday, 1 July 2025

Space Ghost #4 - Dynamite Entertainment

SPACE GHOST No. 4, August 2024
Many a reader may well feel that publisher “Dynamite Entertainment” were probably being overly-boastful when they announced that “danger and excitement expand like a supernova” inside this particular twenty-two page periodical. But David Pepose’s storyline for Issue Four of “Space Ghost” absolutely nails it, blending high-octane action with a seriously disconcerting twist that sees poor Jan, Jace and Blip battling for their very lives against their masked mentor’s greatest enemy; “We couldn’t stay behind -- There were hostages on Grax-3. But I swear to you… We didn’t know it was him."

Leading this palpable assault upon the audience’s senses has to the introduction of the mentally-deranged mass-murderer Zorak, whose terrifying penchant for mutilating hapless humans establishes the character as being a million miles away from the goofy-looking animated space mantis voiced by Don Messick during the late Sixties. Indeed, this modern-day incarnation of the Dokarian is enthrallingly ruthless, and completely captures all the attention whenever he makes an appearance – whether that be hacking a fallen prison warden to death with a homemade hand-scythe, or fervently leading his army of fanatical Zorathian warriors to a hollow victory over some defenceless scientists.

Just as good though, is arguably the Guardian of the Spaceways’ fisticuffs with the wonderfully envisaged Titanor. This huge, cyclopean robot makes for a truly menacing foe, who quickly establishes that he won’t be quickly beaten by the hero’s famous all-powerful energy bands. In fact, for once it momentarily looks like Space Ghost’s occasional hubris may well have got the better of the super-powered protagonist, as he is forced to quite literally dig deep so as to overcome the seemingly invincible metallic might of his opponent.

Similarly as successful as Pepose’s prodigious penmanship is also Jonathan Lau’s lavish layouts. Whether it be projecting Zorak’s sheer insanity straight off of the printed page, or showing the total desperation of his perilous predicament in the jawline of an increasingly bruised Dax, the “exclusive illustrator” does a first-class job. Furthermore, due to the downtrodden look sketched into their demeanour, many a reader will doubtless sense the sheer terror emanating from Jan and Jace as the two children inadvertently fall straight into the Harbinger of Slaughter’s death-dealing claws.

The regular cover art of "SPACE GHOST" #4 by Francesco Mattina

Monday, 30 June 2025

Uncanny X-Men #16 - Marvel Comics

UNCANNY X-MEN No. 16, August 2025
It’s probably a safe bet that a fair number of this twenty-page periodical’s readers probably felt its series of almost sickly sweet conclusions were rather anti-climactic at best. In fact, apart from one magical moment where Doctor Theodore Sallis’ slime-covered alter-ego is sensationally launched against the death-like deity Shuvahrak, almost the entirety of “The Voice Of Darkness” is frustratingly filled with missed opportunities; “All I know for certain is whoever knows fear burns at the touch of the Man-Thing.”

For starters, the notion that perhaps having a farm load of super-powered refugees living nearby is not sitting all that well with the inhabitants of New Orleans, is finally revealed to be quite the reverse – with the metropolis’ mayor actually announcing that the "Big Easy” will from now on be “the country’s first mutant friendship city” due to all the ‘normal’ lives they’ve apparently saved. This concept is definitely a bit bemusing, considering that “the shoppers at a popular waterfront mall” wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place if it wasn’t for the Outliers visiting the plaza, and resultantly just smacks of Gail Simone creating an all-too convenient alternative to the safe haven of Krakoa.

In addition, the potential of a deranged robotic Bloodhound murderously bounding into Haven House and massacring its inhabitants is infuriatingly nipped in the bud within the space of three panels. Alongside disagreeable secret agent Miller simply being disbelieved by his fellow operatives that a mutant sanctuary exists in the Mississippi swamplands and resultantly getting sacked, these highly disappointing outcomes suggest that the American author suddenly just got tired of the sub-plots, and decided to wrap them up as soon as the comic's script allowed.

Lastly, but by no means least though, has to be the actual ending of the author’s long-running “Dark Artery” narrative, which sees the mysterious entity behind Deathdream’s journey into the accursed underground hell-town known as Penumbra, implausibly decide to give up her desire for a replacement on some emotional whim. This unconvincing call comes completely out of the blue, and is supposedly due to Jubilee – who up until this moment has had no interaction with the sinister spirit whatsoever – convincing Shuvahrak that she is sympathetic to the grieving goddess’ loss of a daughter..!?!

The regular cover art to "UNCANNY X-MEN" #16 by David Marquez & Matthew Wilson

Sunday, 29 June 2025

The Terminator #1 - Dynamite Entertainment

THE TERMINATOR No. 1, October 2024
Announced by its New Jersey-based publisher at San Diego Comic-Con, this “blockbuster Dynamite series” clearly had a lot to live up to when it first hit the spinner rack in late October 2024. And fortunately for those numerous fans of James Cameron/Gale Anne Hurd’s billion-dollar franchise, Declan Shalvey’s script for Issue One of “The Terminator” definitely delivers. Indeed, few of this twenty-two page periodical’s readers won’t come away from devouring the book without feeling something for poor Harper and his beloved wife Penny, following their rollercoaster of a ride through adulthood together.

To begin with however, the “acclaimed” creator’s storyline seemingly suggests “Out Of Time” will follow an entirely different route, with an aged woodlander apparently enjoying a spot of fishing in the large pond situated just away from his family’s log cabin. This idyllic moment of peace is then ruined by the old-timer hooking a piece of metal, which appears to be part of a long-destroyed T-800, and nonchalantly throwing it to the side of his boat as he stares into the silently still water. Of course, the potential for such a set-up is for one of Skynet's first cybernetic organisms to suddenly come racing up out of the depths, overturn the poor man’s boat, and mercilessly murder him. But rather cleverly, the Irish author subverts such expectations with a much grander overall storyline.

In fact, for many a bibliophile this comic’s flashback sequence, showing a much younger Harper and Penny fleeing the Pacific Motel in 1979, is just as mesmerizingly penned as Shalvey’s more current plot-thread set in Alaska. True, the newly-wedded couple’s flight from their shadowy stalker has already started, due to the frightening figure murdering both their parents in the recent past. Yet the sheer, pulse-pounding sense of desperation depicted in these scenes as the pair pack some suitcases and charter a small plane to safety is still truly palpable; “This psycho has managed to find us wherever we run to. Always nipping at our heels.”

Most definitely adding to this book’s momentum are artists Luke Sparrow and (Colourist) Colin Craker. Together the duo proficiently provide both the tale’s leading cast with bags of empathy, and should subconsciously cause the odd reader to legitimately mourn with Penny when the elderly woman realises the T-800 has finally killed her husband. In addition, the sheer sense of exhilaration emanating from the panels depicting the flesh-covered endoskeleton desperately attempting to tear his targets from out of a moving aircraft, is quite literally breath-taking.

The regular cover art to "THE TERMINATOR" #1 by Declan Shalvey

Saturday, 28 June 2025

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #26 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 26, August 2025
For any bibliophiles eagerly anticipating a pulse-pounding punch-up between this comic’s titular character and Bucky Barnes, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s storyline for Issue twenty Six of “Incredible Hulk” will probably prove downright discouraging. In fact, the Winter Soldier debatably barely contributes to this book’s overall narrative much at all, thanks to his battle being brought to an infuriatingly short end by Charlie Tidwell’s well-meaning intervention; “You’re… my hero, Bucky. You and Cap were my actual heroes. I wanted to be you since I was a little kid.”

Instead, the American author suddenly imbues the Green Goliath’s sidekick with the convenient ability to somehow enter the apocalyptic-looking Hulkscape in order to visit Bruce Banner’s heavily imprisoned persona. This quite lengthy sequence is debatably as uninteresting as the wilful adolescent’s new found ability is immensely opportune, and disappointingly doesn’t even show what manner of dreadful fate has actually befallen the gamma radiologist’s tortured identity.

What this apparently truly terrifying revelation is supposed to cause though, is for the “stalwart teenage companion” to inadvertently stick half her face into a roaring campfire in the real world, and then transform back into the winged werewolf form she acquired from the mother of all Skinwalkers, Lycana. Little of this frantic action arguably makes much sense, apart from the “kid” clearly not wishing to be a murderous monster, and may well leave many a reader gazing up into space dumbfounded by what they’ve seen – just as an utterly bemused Hulk does when Tidwell dramatically flies off into the night’s sky at this comic’s end.

Quite possibly also adding to much of this twenty-page periodical’s disappointing dullness are some of the layouts drawn by Kev Walker. The GLAAD Media Award-nominee’s pencilling really seems to be stretched beyond breaking point by this book’s script, thanks largely to the British illustrator apparently struggling to come to grips with a long-haired Hulk who doesn’t look plain dumb. Indeed, this publication would likely have proved far more pleasant to the eyes if the style used for the aforementioned Hulkscape segment, which appears to have been possibly painted rather than drawn, had been used throughout, rather than the harsh, somewhat cartoony visuals, which the artist is better known for.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #26 by Nic Klein

Friday, 27 June 2025

The Thing [2025] #2 - Marvel Comics

THE THING No. 2, August 2025
Whilst on paper a street-level scrap between a certain super-strong “idol of millions” and “the world’s deadliest assassin” might not appear all that appealing to many readers – on account of Benjamin Grimm’s unbreakable skin being imperious to even the most deadly of throwing stars, Tony Fleecs still arguably manages to make the potentially one-sided skirmish work inside Issue Two of “The Thing”. Sure, the author ‘magically’ imbues Bullseye with the sort of super-strength needed to stand toe-to-toe with the Fantastic Four’s founding member. But this contrivance doesn’t surprisingly prove all that integral to the enthralling flow of the fight. 

Indeed, much of the entertainment to be gained from this quite lengthy confrontation is due to the writer permeating the punch-up with plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments, such as when Lester catches Grimm in the mouth with a razor blade and causes the former “scrawny kid from Yancy Street” to momentarily babble incomprehensively due to the minor injury. Furthermore, despite the final result never really being in any doubt, the possibility of Daredevil’s arch-nemesis identifying the crime boss he is working for persistently hangs in the balance, and thus keeps the audience interested in the struggle’s ultimate outcome; “That guy was taking orders. He’s somebody’s guy…”

Fleecs also seems to do a good job in highlighting Ben’s savviness when it comes to him investigating the disappearance of Marty’s niece. Many other writers may well have simply penned the titular character mindlessly smacking his way through countless minions, hit men and super-villains before simply rescuing the young girl. However, in this mini-series, the “ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing" is shown rather impressively utilising his experience, local knowledge and fame to track the kidnappers down to “some shady waterfront warehouses”.

Possibly the only element to this twenty-page periodical which therefore does slightly let the storytelling down is some of Justin Mason’s artwork. The illustrator is clearly able to proficiently pencil the vast majority of this comic’s sense-shattering shenanigans. Yet every now and then also appears to have rushed sketching a figure, such as some stiff-looking panels of an arrogant Bullseye stood high atop a street sign-post, or a possibly overworked splash of Hammerhead, which somewhat strangely appears as if it was a much smaller picture which has subsequently been ‘blown up’ so as to help fill out the book.

Writer: Tony Fleecs. Artist: Justin Mason & Color Artist: Alex Sinclair

Thursday, 26 June 2025

Space Ghost #3 - Dynamite Entertainment

SPACE GHOST No. 3, July 2024
Filled full of family feuding, near-fatal feminine wiles, and a bucket load of diabolical double-dealing, David Pepose’s storyline for Issue Three of “Space Ghost” should have ticked plenty of boxes with its audience upon the comic’s release in July 2024. Indeed, besides the titular character making a somewhat dubious decision to listen to his two understandably naïve sidekicks rather than trust in his own experience as a veteran crime-fighter, there isn’t much wrong with the award-winning writer’s twenty-two page plot at all; “Ten million credits has a way of illuminating one’s priorities, young lady.”

Foremost of these successes is arguably the well-fleshed out villain-of-the-piece, the seductive Widow, who completely captures the audience’s attention with her super-slick deadliness whenever the immoral madame appears. Able to mentally control the killer tentacles of numerous Venusian Spider Plants, as well as “manipulate any [other] botany in the vicinity”, the inter-galactic criminal conveys a persistent, genuinely palpable sense of peril for anyone foolish enough to stand in her way – and that includes both the titular character, as well as his masked entourage.

Likewise, the comic contains some truly gratifying emotional moments, where the likes of Dax, Jan and Jace all take a good look inside themselves to establish just what is the most important thing in their lives. This reflection upon what motivates them is especially important for Space Ghost's young female ward, who so impresses the treacherous Widow with her level-headedness that she is offered “a life of untold power” if the girl agrees to leave her blindsided mentor behind, and betray him to Robo-Corp.

Quite definitely also adding to this book’s beguiling storytelling is artist Jonathan Lau, who quite brilliantly gets the tome off to a pulse-pounding pace by pencilling a wonderfully-dynamic gun-fight between the main protagonists and a horde of blaster-toting Lizard Slavers. In many ways it’s actually a pity that this laser-fest doesn’t carry on for a bit longer. But the sheer ‘noise’ this ferocious fracas creates in the Mind’s Eye then contrasts really well with the need for stealth and absolute silence later on, when the heroes need to quietly infiltrate Robo-Corp’s Central Mainframe via a network of access corridors.

The regular cover art of "SPACE GHOST" #3 by Francesco Mattina