Savage Tales: Vampirella #1 - Dynamite Entertainment

SAVAGE TALES: VAMPIRELLA No. 1, May 2018

Just what “Dynamite Entertainment” was trying to achieve when it decided to print this $4.99 “one-shot” is arguably a little confusing. On the one hand the title’s Robert Hack drawn cover is clearly a deliberate homage to John Buscema’s grisly painting for the old “Marvel Comics” Conan book from the Seventies, and resultantly conjures up images of “violent barbarians”, blood-drenched beheadings and an entertaining mix of sword and sorcery. Whilst on the other, the periodical’s contents disappointingly appears far more akin to something found within the comic book publishing imprint’s back-catalogued series “Savage Tales”; a bi-monthly which featured both “the most savage stories that comic creators have ever told”, as well as “a rotating cast of characters and creators”, and was rather unceremoniously cancelled after just ten issues.

Indeed, one of the most frustrating elements to this book is that it is shamelessly (and as far as the magazine’s front page is concerned anonymously) padded out with a ten-year-old reprint of Doug Murray’s two-part tale “Valaka” from the aforementioned abandoned title’s run. Admittedly, this back-up feature is disconcertingly the highlight of “Savage Tales: Vampirella” with its terrific tale of revenge, treachery, swordplay, manacled damsels and demonic rituals. But considering that this particular publication supposedly spotlights Forrest J. Ackerman’s co-creation, the 'paying public' must surely have rightfully expected its entire contents to focus upon their vampiric super-heroine, rather than see her replaced by some dubiously duplicitous two-faced villain from yesteryear? 

Sadly, Erik Burnham’s lead narrative involving the one-time “horror-story hostess” isn’t even all that original either, with the lead character yet again finding herself in a strange land with no memory as to how she got there, why she was immediately attacked by a quartet of unruly-looking well-armed ruffians, or how to fully utilise her array of formidable powers. Such disorientation genuinely smacks of Paul Cornell’s incarnation of Vampirella from 2017 and unsurprisingly requires “the daughter of Lilith” to once more stealthily enter a foreign city in disguise, simply in order to ascertain what untoward magical machinations are taking place to its mind-controlled inhabitants.

Inconsistent, yet predominantly pleasing to the eye, this comic’s artwork by the combined creative team of Anthony Marques, J. Bone, Fernando Ruiz and Daniel HDR at least provides some modicum of entertainment. Packed full of gore and internal organs at first, as the scantily clad protagonist rips asunder a party of ill-meaning ruffians, the quality of the illustrations decidedly deteriorates the closer the action gets to the conurbation’s snake-like ruler, and only seems to ‘pick back up’ in time for the female vampire to settle herself upon her dead opponent’s throne, having torn his astonished head off…

Writer: Erik Burnham, and Artists: Anthony Marques, J. Bone, Fernando Ruiz and Daniel HDR

Star Wars: The Last Jedi #1 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI No. 1, July 2018

Positively publicised by “Marvel Worldwide” as an adaption which features “never-before-seen scenes of your favourite characters”, this opening instalment to “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” arguably must have delighted the vast majority of its audience, including those who had already watched “the highest-grossing film of 2017”, with its noticeably new sequences and ‘extended shots’ from an earlier version of the movie’s script. Indeed, such is his narrative’s focus upon Luke Skywalker’s desperate desire to “achieve true solitude”, that Gary Whitta’s main aim for this over-sized thirty-page periodical would actually seem to have been to provide readers with a much deeper insight into the personal demons of actor Mark Hamill’s character, and the all-powerful hermit’s surprising, long-term aim to close himself “off from the energy that binds me to all living things everywhere.” 

Of course, this comic's innovatively intimate opening insight into the Jedi Master’s heavily-troubled mind, which depicts a sullen-looking Vader's son suddenly realising "someone... has found me" despite his self-imposed solitude, soon pales in comparison to the author additionally taking “full advantage of the comic book medium” by providing Luke a ‘genuine’ opportunity to mourn “the death of his close friend Han Solo” courtesy of a grief-sharing embrace with Chewbacca. But the entirely original introspective look at Obi-Wan Kenobi’s aging apprentice undoubtedly makes the Force-sensitive’s subsequent shocking refusal to acknowledge Rey’s presence on Ahch-To slightly more understandable; “Um… Master Skywalker? Master Skywalker? I’m from the resistance, your sister Leia sent me. We need your help. Hello?” 

Fortunately however, the former “ACE” magazine games journalist doesn’t provide this extra exposition at the cost of the publication’s pulse-pounding pace, and still manages to capture plenty of the sense-shattering shenanigans seen during the Resistance’s evacuation of the planet D’Qar. In fact, Po Dameron’s questionable decision to ignore his general’s direct order and ‘sacrifice’ the lives of numerous pilots in order to bring about the destruction of a spaceship with “more firepower than a dozen destroyers” is one of this magazine’s highlights.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for Michael Walsh’s irregular-looking, amateurishly-angular artwork, which disconcertingly fails to attain a level anywhere near that of Whitta’s notable writing success. Clearly able to pencil an excellent Gial Ackbar, as well as an explosion-packed, intergalactic space battle, the Canadian’s somewhat cartoony drawing style disappointing fails to capture a lot of the plot’s tension and suspense, especially when an enraged Kylo Ren continuously smashes his infamous combat helmet into a wall or an irate Leia Organa physically slaps a certain "skilled X-wing fighter pilot" around his 'arrogant flyboy' face before demoting him to Captain.

Writer: Gary Whitta, Artist: Michael Walsh, and Colorist: Mike Spicer

Moon Knight #193 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 193, May 2018

Whilst Max Bemis undoubtedly lived up to his pre-print promise of having some “very weird” plans for this series with his script for Issue One Hundred And Ninety Three of “Moon Knight”, this sixth and final instalment to the lead singer’s “Crazy Runs In The Family” story-arc arguably fails quite miserably in its aim to create an “ultimate nemesis” for the titular character with its portrayal of the Sun King as being little more than a plain, unbalanced madman whose only as powerful as his confidence in Amon Ra is strong. In fact, far from being “the Joker to his Batman”, or even a plausible “ultimate bad guy who’s his polar opposite in pretty much every way”, Patient 86 ultimately must have struck the majority of this comic’s 20,383 readers as merely yet another disappointing addition to the Fist of Khonshu’s frustratingly impotent Rogues Gallery; “Never trust a madman to do a mercenary’s job.” 

Just as perplexing as the primary lyricist’s underwhelming main antagonist, who despite his formidable fire-starter super-power is ultimately bested by a bare-chested Marc Spector in a ritualistic fist-fight, is just why the silver-shrouded crime-fighter is even participating in the brutally sadistic ceremony anyway. True, Marlene is being held a prisoner on Isla Ra, and her deranged captor does seemingly plan to “hunt down your daughter after I strip off your flesh.” But none of that explains why, having beaten Bushman and an entire boat-load of criminals within an inch of their lives, the former U.S. Marine suddenly surrenders himself to being systematically brutalised and tortured once he arrives on the tropical island. Surely it would have made far more sense for Moon Knight to have stealthily infiltrated the despot’s small collection of huts and rescued his lover that way..?

Instead however, Bemis would have his audience believe Spector agrees to being repeatedly sliced, mutilated and bloodied just in order to say a touchingly sentimental farewell to Diatrice’s mother, before engaging Amon Ra’s host inside a fiery circle of night-time combat. Such unconvincingly abnormal behaviour, especially in one who as a hardened mercenary has already experienced death and been “returned to life”, is then made all the worse by the American author suggesting Marc’s ordinarily unconquerable will can be despairingly broken just because he loses a tooth and some hair during his clash with the bearded pyro-maniacal psychopath.

Quite possibly the only successful element to this disconcertingly contrived conclusion, is Jacen Burrows’ pencilling. It is quite clear from the quality of the San Diego-born illustrator’s bone-cracking pugilistic panels just why he has been one of Max’s “favourite artists for years and years” and reminds him “of artists like Steve Dillion”. Yet even the Sequential Art degree-holder seemingly struggles when drawing the “faint firings” of Moon Knight’s synapses, especially a less than flattering portrait of Diatrice which is supposedly meant to inspire Moon Knight to defeat his opponent with “the power of crazy!”

Writer: Max Bemis, Artist: Jacen Burrows, and Inker: Guillermo Ortego

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through The Mirror #1 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: THROUGH THE MIRROR No. 1, May 2018

Supposedly released as the first of five weekly instalments “because you demanded it”, this opening instalment to “the smash hit mini-series Mirror Broken” rather firmly fixes its attention upon the exploits of Commander Worf, as opposed to the rest of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D’s bridge crew. Indeed, apart from a handful of panels spent exploring the Starfleet Mining Facility on Naia IV, this entire sixteen-page periodical meticulously follows in the Klingon officer’s heavy footsteps.

Fortunately however, even those readers disinterested in the specific exploits of the “son of Mogh”, should still find David and Scott Tipton’s story-telling technique rather interesting, as it arguably works rather well as a plot-device to gradually inform the comic’s audience as to how the Federation staff’s investigation into a string of missing pieces of equipment is progressing. Admittedly, the Head of Security for the Galaxy-class starship was by necessity always going to be the one to spot the Mirror Universe’s doppelganger within their midst, but that doesn’t stop his subsequent fire-fight against a goatee-bearded Lieutenant Jones to be any less pulse-pounding.

In fact, Worf’s phaser exchange with the thieving technician deep inside the atmospherically dark Computer Labs is scintillatingly stuff, especially when Marcus To dynamically pencils the Klingon’s crew-mates, Reese and Hana, joining the ferocious fray and unsuccessfully attempt to corner their target with a flurry of laser fire. Angry, frustrated, his lavender-coloured blood clearly up, one can almost hear the Commander’s foul, warrior-based oaths being muttered beneath his breath as he leads Captain Ochoa and Lieutenant Amato headlong through the station’s arboretum and straight into a trap staged by a hidden alternative version of William Riker and seriously evil-looking Geordi La Forge; “The only place he could be heading in this wing of the complex is your transporter room…. Phasers ready. There he is! Don’t let him get away! Grrrr…”

Correspondingly as captivating is the comic book writing team’s “back-up” tale, “Ripe For Plunder”, which besides being beautifully painted by American artist J.K. Woodward, also provides plenty of potential insight into just what caused the Mirror Universe crew to “find their way” to the Prime plane of existence once again. Ultimately settling upon Jean-Luc Picard’s concerns as to Emperor Spock’s whereabouts, this four-pager explores just how bad things have gotten for the “cruel” Terran Empire since the Cardassians “destroyed… several key resource installations and mining colonies”, and intriguingly ends with the starship captain dispatching the barbaric realm’s Data in his yacht to “seek out other sources of information” on the former I.S.S. Enterprise's half-Vulcan first officer.

The regular cover art of "STAR TREK: TNG: THROUGH THE MIRROR" No. 1 by J.K. Woodward

The Amazing Spider-Man #789 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 789, December 2017

Despite being the third best-selling comic of October 2017, shifting an astonishing 110,349 copies, Dan Slott’s less than memorable script for “Top To Bottom” arguably must have struck many of its bemused readers as a genuinely lack-lustre affair which focuses far more upon the downfall of the major tech company’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Parker, than it does his web-slinging alter-ego. Indeed, with the exception of a terribly contrived confrontation with the Griffin, which genuinely appears to have been ‘crowbarred’ into the book’s sedentary ‘soap-opera’ script simply to ensure the titular character actually makes a fleeting appearance within his own title, this opening instalment to the Berkeley-born writer’s “Fall Of Parker” story-arc relies almost entirely upon endless contemplative, self-pitying exposition and heated debates or discussions; “Well, what are you looking at? What do you think I am? Some kind of jerk or something?”

Admittedly, such slow-paced, somewhat sentimental insights into the crime-fighting super-hero’s meteoritic decline would be perfectly palatable in small doses, and actually go a long way to helping shape the future of the New York-based publisher’s “company mascot” now he’s no longer financially able to summon the sort of formidably-powerful technological armaments he once did in order to invade Symkaria and thwart Norman Osborn. But that doesn’t mean the Eisner Award-winner needed to ‘pad out’ almost an entire book with a dejected Spidey slobbing like a couch potato within the apartment of Bobbi Morse, or later looking vain and stupid in front of the entire Daily Bugle staff when he arrogantly chides Joe Robertson for quite correctly publically declaring him a “threat or menace” in the editor's newspaper.

Fortunately however, Johnny Horton’s aforementioned brief appearance does at least provide a modicum of entertainment, even if the one-time Master of Evil has stooped so low as to be simply “robbing food trucks now” as opposed to “banks, or jewellery stores, or armoured cars”. In fact, any readers who thought Spider-Man’s fortunes had soured under the Berkeley-born writer’s pen, need only look at the apparent fate of the experimental mutagenic serum-enhanced criminal to realise just how much further the empanadas-thieving former “King Of The Beasts” had sunk since “that big energy bubble went up over the city” courtesy of Doctor Octopus.

Regular penciller Stuart Immonen also steps up his game once the super-humanly strong winged villain momentarily takes centre-stage, and produces some genuinely pulse-pounding panels in his depiction of Mockingbird shocking the lion-headed beast with her battle-staves, as well as the wall-crawler subsequently vying for control of a hefty food truck in order to ensure that it, and its owner’s livelihood, is saved.

The regular cover art of "THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" No. 789 by Alex Ross

Death Or Glory #1 - Image Comics

DEATH OR GLORY No. 1, May 2018

Announced in February 2018 at the “Image Expo” in Portland, this “new, creator-owned” comic book series is arguably as engrossing a read as its opening scene, set within the confines of a seedy Yuma-based Burger Boss diner, is expletive-laden and gratuitously violent. For whilst Rick Remender’s script undoubtedly doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to graphic sexual innuendo and bodily mutilation, courtesy of a white-haired mass-murderer with a liquid nitrogen gun and penchant for “one hundred and twenty-three cheeseburgers”, its scintillating story-telling pace does arguably make this over-sized thirty-nine page periodical impossible to put down.

For starters, the Los Angeles-based writer has clearly put a lot of thought into the background and motivation of this publication’s leading lady, Glory, and genuinely raises an emotive conundrum in his audience as the “kind, honest character who was raised free, with integrity”, suddenly attempts an armed robbery in a desperate effort to get “the money needed to pay for her father’s life-saving operation.” This potentially lethal situation, made all the more pulse-pounding by the realisation that the “non-violent” young woman has previously been made physically sick simply just holding a pistol, is mesmerizingly packed full of nervous tension, and genuinely seems to cause the reader’s heart to tick that little bit quicker when the crooked cops she’s raiding suddenly recognise her true identity; “Got you now you piece of -- Glory? You stupid girl.”

Equally as enthralling though, is the former animator’s marvellously sinister cold-blooded assassin, who seems to think little of dispatching “two employees and one customer” at a fast food eatery simply because they balked at his significant-sized order when the restaurant was “closin' in like three minutes” time, or losing his entire right arm when Glory unintentionally ruptures his cryogenic fluid container during a tense, frantic scuffle for a briefcase full of drug’s money. Indeed, this killer’s ominous presence throughout the shadows of this story bodes especially well for a title which Remender has already “outlined” twelve issues for, with the hit man’s future plans for revenge upon the pacifist “regular girl” undoubtedly foremost in his mind…

Debatably this book’s biggest selling point however, is Bengal’s unbelievably dynamic and somewhat Manga-looking animated artwork. Featuring a lengthy off-road pursuit involving a battered police patrol vehicle and plenty of gun-play, it is quite clear that the illustrator “loves drawing cars”, and demonstrates just why this magazine’s author has publically stated that “anything he draws is gorgeous. His style is very appealing. His women are human, cute and realistic. They’re not cheesecake. If you look at the design of Glory, she’s a real person. She’s not a caricature. Her proportions and her face are beautiful but human, she’s very real.”

The regular cover art of "DEATH OR GLORY" No. 1 by Bengal

Aliens: Dust To Dust #1 - Dark Horse Comics

ALIENS: DUST TO DUST No. 1, April 2018

If Gabriel Hardman’s intention was for Issue One of “Aliens: Dust To Dust” to try and recapture some of “the intensity and terror” of “James Cameron's 1986 blockbuster [movie] Aliens”, then he undoubtedly succeeds, as a “12-year-old Maxon and his mom” fiercely fight off an infestation of xenomorphs which seems just as insanely terrifying as that faced by Newt and Ripley. In fact, the storyboard artist for “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises” somehow even arguably manages to replicate “the [self-same] emotional rollercoaster of motherly feelings” the Nostromo’s warrant officer “develops for the terrified little girl” with his narrative’s “edge of your seat” depiction of the “mother and son” fighting “for their lives against the deadliest monsters in the galaxy.” 

Admittedly, this twenty-page periodical’s persistent pace could have proved to be a somewhat tiring experience for any bibliophiles within the title's 12,611 strong audience who were ill-prepared for such a frantically fast read, as it simply does not stop from the moment the anxious adolescent wakes up to the sound of automatic gunfire and discovers his unresponsive parent in bed with a face-hugger firmly latched onto her face. But in penning such a pulse-pounding narrative the “co-writer/artist of Invisible Republic from Image Comics” indisputably “weaves an Aliens story harkening back to the classic film.”

Indeed, it’s hard to imagine any passing bibliophile returning this publication to its spinner rack once they have started following the pairs headlong drive through the partially-destroyed streets of the Trono colony, or their subsequent foot race alongside Assistant Administrator Waugh as they’re pursued to the very doors of the last departing evacuation spacecraft by a veritable horde of angrily hissing extra-terrestrials; “Hold the shuttle! We’re here!” Such sequences really prove enthrallingly gripping story-telling, and one can almost hear the desperation in the cast’s breathless dialogue as their party perpetually encounters more and more of the vicious creatures, whether they be hidden beneath stairwells, seizing upon hapless pedestrians desperately trying to flee for their lives, or assaulting moving motor vehicles with their deadly sharp-pointed tails.

Sadly however, Hardman’s ability to pencil all these sense-shattering shenanigans is not quite as strong as his wordsmith skills. For whilst the artist’s scratchy style does a first-rate job of illustrating the devastation and ruin which the aliens have caused on planet LV-871, as well as imbue every figure with a captivating quota of dynamism, it does occasionally cause his darkly lit panels to mask much of the actual detail to events, such as Maxon’s discovery of his ‘bedridden’ mother and the parasitoid paralysing her…

Script and Art: Gabriel Hardman, Lettering: Michael Heisler, and Coloring: Rain Beredo