The Vampires Of Lower Bennett Street #2 - Markosia Enterprises

THE VAMPIRES OF LOWER BENNETT STREET No. 2, July 2018

Despite perhaps somewhat precipitously moving away from its previous edition’s wonderfully atmospheric Seventeenth-Century shenanigans to a “futuristic and terrifying world [where] there are many questions to be asked”, Mike Lynch’s script for Issue Two of “The Vampires Of Lower Bennett Street” still must have provided its readership in July 2018 with plenty to enjoy with its hard-hitting physical violence and penchant for automatic weapons fire. Indeed, the sheer tempo of its plot, as Lazarus’ party easily overpowers Agent Grey’s ill-equipped small military force and finally escapes their centuries-long captivity arguably imbues this book with far more passion and pace than its forerunner.

Fortunately however, this series of frantic fire-fights involving the blood-drinkers “finally freed from their underground tomb” haven’t seemingly been penned simply for the sake of action, and add a lot of interest to this “new nightmare” as the long-time slumberers both discover and then explore their invulnerability to their enemies’ ineffective armaments; “Huhh? See! Their muskets have no effect upon us, strange as they are!” Such unexpected imperviousness really does bring out the viciousness of the vampires, with Martha in particular appearing to disconcertingly enjoy the fact that the firearms won’t harm her, but will quite easily blow the head clean off one of the soldiers she has just captured.

In addition, the West Irishman’s narrative also introduces the incredibly intriguing bat-headed sub-leader of this dark and twisted “totalitarian future”, whose vampiric abilities appear to have been enhanced with nano technology. Splendidly attired in the long black leather raiment of your typical fascist dictator, even down to his swastika-like motiffed red armband, this cold-hearted killer dominates every panel within which he appears, whether that be him matter-of-factly slaying one of his own men with a poison-laden syringe and subsequently ordering for the dead trooper’s head to be removed and body burnt, or simply informing Grey that he will soon undergo “the procedure” now his application to join the new breed of vampire’s order has been fruitful. 

Similarly as successful as Lynch’s narrative is Joe Campbell’s pencilling which packs plenty of panels with just the sort of intense pulse-pounding proceedings an audience would expect from a plot focusing upon “Lazarus and his vampire allies” battling against gas-mask wearing goons, hovering satellites, and state-of-the-art fighter planes. In fact the artist’s ability to represent the breath-taking speed with which some of this comic’s cast can move is one of this publication’s highlights, as his dynamically-etched blur-lines shockingly show just how outclassed the Demon Mother’s forces are when engaging this book’s titular characters in close combat.

‘First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

Writer: Mike Lynch, and Artist: Joe Campbell

Doctor Strange [2015] #24 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 24, October 2017

As cataclysmic confrontations between Karl Amadeus Mordo and this comic’s titular character go, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty Four of “Doctor Strange” must have pleased the vast majority of its 28,992 strong audience, with its excellent blend of heart-pumping shenanigans, multi-faceted strategies and dark incantations. Indeed, as conclusions to multi-part storylines go, the Missouri-born’s decision to depict the Sorcerer Supreme utilising his wits as opposed to simply relying upon exotic magical items, not only allows the rest of this book’s supporting cast to share in the ‘limelight’ as they collectively attempt to penetrate the Baron’s formidable protective bubble, but for once shows the Master Of The Mystic Arts relying upon his intimate knowledge of Hydra's “trumped-up pawn” so as to use his arrogant vanity against him; “No one was going to defeat you from the ground. Not while you held the Sanctum. I had to compel you to gather up your mindless beasts and ill-gotten spells -- and leave my house.”

Such a pleasantly surprising plot-twist also results in a far more physically dynamic battle than perhaps this publication’s bibliophiles were ordinarily used to, most notably Spider-Woman’s fantastic flying display behind the cockpit of the Phantom Eagle. Terrifically pencilled and coloured by Niko Henrichon, this “exhilarating… gun run in a zombie airplane with no roof” makes for a thrilling read, with Jessica Drew narrowly evading the tentacles of Mordo’s “great beasties of the Darkforce” and engaging in “a rousing round of hide-and-go death serpent”.

Likewise Benjamin Urich’s phantasmagorical swordplay against a “gangrenous horde” whilst inhabited by a spiritual Light Knight packs the Kansas State University alumnus' narrative full of scything sensationalism as the “investigative journalist for the New York newspaper The Daily Bugle” chops down an “abominable army of rot” with both his “luminous blade light” and bluster. It’s rare to see the chain-smoker portrayed as such an obvious action hero, and Hopeless’ dialogue strongly suggests just how much the reporter is enjoying himself by penning Ben confidently wading into a zombie host alongside a similarly super-powered Wilson Fisk.

Of course, this comic’s arguable highlight however, has to be the Baron’s utter astonishment at having been bested once again by a magician whose modern-day abilities are far inferior to his own. Dethroned by Strange’s astral projection “rope-a-dope” ruse, and faced with the combined physical might of such notable costumed crime-fighters as Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Cloak and Spider-Woman, the beaten Transylvanian nobleman is so enraged with frustration that he rather humorously stands indignantly transfixed before his foes spouting his unrealistic defiance until Matt Murdock mercifully socks him in the jaw.

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit

Nightwing Annual #1 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING ANNUAL No. 1, October 2018

Rather replicating the disturbing scene from the Wachowski Brothers’ 1999 science fiction action film “The Matrix” where Neo has a bug-shaped robotic probe violently ‘drawn’ out through his navel by team-mate Trinity, Benjamin Percy’s opening scene for this “Nightwing” annual certainly must have pulled in the comic’s audience with this significantly tense hook. However, just as soon as Barbara Gordon has painfully extracted the phantasm controller wrapped around the titular character’s heart, then the Oregon-born writer’s narrative suddenly performs a disconcerting deep-dive into both the terrifying techno-babble world of the ‘darknet’ and the costumed crimefighter’s recent battle against “the shadowy, high-tech organisation known as the Dark Web.”

Indeed, for any of this publication’s readers unfamiliar with Dick Grayson’s exhausting battle against “the smart city overhaul of Bludhaven” in his ongoing contemporary book, or those perusing bibliophiles simply attempting to use the thirty-seven page periodical as a ‘jumping on’ point, the subsequent dialogue between the former flying circus acrobat, Batgirl and Vicki Vale concerning memory malware, bleeding-edge tech, neuro-images, electro-physiological data, firewalls and encryption must have become unpalatably overwhelming, and arguably lost any audience interest which the comic’s frantically-paced beginning created; “I’m going to send off a focused electromagnetic pulse that’ll stun it into submission. Then I’ll use what is essentially a hyper magnetic vacuum to suck it out of your body.”

For those within this magazine’s audience who have an understanding of the story-line’s past events though, or are simply willing to ‘go with the flow’, “Deadline” undeniably delivers plenty of pulse-pounding predicaments for the original Robin to overcome, whilst simultaneously exploring the possibility of Bruce Wayne’s legal ward developing an intriguingly intimate relationship with Gotham Four News’ leading reporter. This mix of Otto Schmidt’s dynamically drawn dilemmas and lip-stick smudging flirtations undeniably provides plenty of entertaining moments to make this comic’s $4.99 cover price somewhat stomachable, with Nightwing’s roof-top rodeo with one of the Dark Web’s automaton agents or confrontation with Vire, “the psychic embodiment of malware who can unearth your darkest secrets”, being just two.

However, there is debatably little excuse for editor Katie Kubert permitting this lengthy tome to finish on the inconclusive cliffhanger Percy pens concerning a shocked Grayson discovering that his seemingly outmanoeuvred opponent actually holds Vicki Vale captive, and thus facing the heart-wrenching choice of actually aiding the Wyrm in an unspecified task or knowing Batman’s one-time romantic interest “will be… deleted.” On paper such a ruse may well have seemed like a perfectly plausible tactic to lure casual comic book collectors back to the Teen Titan’s title so as to sate their curiosity concerning ‘what happens next?” But for many, this ploy arguably will have backfired and simply caused anger, frustration and resentment at being expected to purchase additional editions just to discern what “the greatest motorcycle race in the cosmos” is all about..?

Writer: Benjamin Percy, Art & Cover: Otto Schmidt, and Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Hawkman #1 - DC Comics

HAWKMAN No. 1, August 2018

“Spinning out of the events of Dark Nights: Metal” and the thirty-third best-selling comic of June 2018, at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”, Robert Venditti’s narrative for Issue One of “Hawkman” must have struck the majority of its 42,123 readers as a pulse-pounding trip into “Tomb Raider” territory with its arguable mix of elements ‘snatched’ from the Lara Croft motion picture franchise. However, to accuse this twenty-two page periodical’s plot of simply being a re-telling of actress Angelina Jolie’s action-adventure films ‘but with wings’, would do a tremendous disservice to a publication which is absolutely crammed with breath-taking drama, dynamic sense-shattering shenanigans and a bucket load of mysterious intrigue to boot.

To begin with it is impossibly hard to find fault with the Florida-born writer’s opening sequence, which depicts the titular character swooping down inside a small outcrop of rocks “twelve miles south of Santorini, Greece” and pillaging “the ancient ruins of the Temple of Ooahk Kung, the All-See.” Packed with all the claustrophobic excitement one might expect from an archaeologist forced to squirm his way through a tight-tunnelled entranceway, Carter Hall’s extraction of the Nautilus of Revealment from its ancient water-logged resting place is tensely told, with the ape-like guardian golem’s subsequent, perhaps unsurprising, emergence to protect the treasure proving to be one of the highlights of the magazine.

Just as enjoyable though, has to be the adventurer’s resultant chase through the Gorilla Kingdom’s sunken ruins and desperately suffocating dash towards the surface. Lung-burstingly tense, it’s easy to imagine many within this comic’s audience taking a huge gulp of air when the reincarnated Prince of Egypt finally takes to the sky, and then envisage their utter amazed shock as the gigantic three-eyed animated anthropomorphic being sprouts its own huge wings so as to continue its pursuit of the Thanagarian thief; “Too bad for you, only one of us has -- wings?”

Of course none of this proficient penmanship by Venditti would account for all that much without the dynamic drawing (and part-inking) of Bryan Hitch. Hawkman has debatably never looked better than in the English penciller’s panels, with Hall’s destructive defeat of the mythic, winged primate proving as devastating a moment as it is poignant due to Carter’s clear regret at having to destroy so magnificent a creature as the Wingor with his medieval mace. In addition, the former “Marvel UK” artist’s double splash illustration of the titular character’s earlier incarnations, brim-full with more flying-minions than even Alex Raymond’s Prince Vultan could muster, is arguably well worth this comic’s cover price alone.

The regular cover art of "HAWKMAN" No. 1 by Bryan Hitch & Alex Sinclair

The Immortal Men #5 - DC Comics

THE IMMORTAL MEN No. 5, October 2018

Printed just as co-creator James Tynion IV rather unsympathetically announced the series’ cancellation at the San Diego Comic-Con due to his “bigger books” potentially delaying it and him not wanting “to bring in another writer”, this perceptibly lack-lustre twenty-page periodical must have struck many in its demoralised audience as simply being printed so as to ‘set them up’ for the final instalment to “The End Of Forever”. Indeed, except for Caden Park interfacing with the Bloodmask, and resultantly discovering that the supposedly benevolent Klarn Arg only wanted him so he could callously “overwrite your mind with his”, absolutely nothing of much interest occurs within Issue Five of “The Immortal Men”.

True, Roderick Clay’s potential gun-play at a DIY-A-Bear store in Midtown Manhattan does imbue the Diamond Gem Award-winner’s narrative with a modicum of action as the former Lieutenant Colonel tries to force his way into the A.R.G.U.S. black site and is overpowered by an agent wearing a ludicrously cuddly-looking teddy bear suit. But the vast majority of this publication is disconcertingly directed towards either portraying Timber Wolf slowly burying the corpses of her numerous team-mates who failed to escape The Campus, or depicting the mind-sweeping American lead conversing with Communion in an incredibly slow-paced, word-heavy sequence; “Look, I’m not all that good at beating around the bush. You were the contingency plan. If Infinite Woman incapacitated him, he planned to pass his consciousness into you.”

Unhappily, not even the sixth escape attempt by Reload from the House of Conquest generates much excitement either, as his determined flight through the first house of immortals in order to destroy its blood engines and “take the entire fortress down” is shown to be a futile endeavour within the space of a pair of panels, courtesy of his ineffective progress being monitored on a gigantic surveillance screen by Kyra Arg herself. However, what Patrick Kowalski’s efforts do produce though is enough material with which artist Tyler Kirkham can ‘pad out’ the New Yorker’s plot in order for Ghost Fist to finally teleport the Immortal Men to the Vietnam War veteran’s location as part of a “foolhardy rescue mission”, and dangerously position the heroes in direct conflict with the Hunt, the Kill and a plethora of bloodless.

Storytellers: Tyler Kirkham & James Tynion IV, and Colorist: Arif Prianto

Sherlock Holmes: The Vanishing Man #4 - Dynamite Entertainment

SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE VANISHING MAN No. 4, August 2018

Supposedly bringing this “Dynamite Entertainment” mystery “to its shocking conclusion”, Leah Moore and John Reppion’s script for Issue Four of “Sherlock Holmes: The Vanishing Man” certainly must have given its audience a surprise or two with its train-based antics, downright bloody fisticuffs and gratifying gun-play. Yet whilst the authors’ narrative is undeniably action-packed the bombshells it provides aren’t disappointingly related to guileful penmanship but rather the duo’s dearth of dexterity and astonishingly lack-lustre motivation behind just why “the all-too-clever Moriarty” was arranging “regular, fortnightly burials here at Brookwood.”

For starters the person behind Michael Williams’ disappearance is revealed to be none other than the mislaid man’s wife, who as a result of disguising herself with a fake moustache and eye-glasses “was able to secure a wage more than double that of a female clerk.” However, this exposé was sadly evident right from the mini-series’ opening instalment when it became clear the title’s plot was disconcertingly influenced by Arthur Conan Doyle’s December 1891 short “The Man With The Twisted Lip”, and resultantly the only jolt it brings it that it’s taken the private detective so long to confront his client as to the truth of the matter, especially when he reveals “I knew that you and Michael were one and the same” when he first saw a photograph of him during his initial investigation.

Equally as unenjoyable is the disclosure that this entire farce was as a result of the pony-tailed office worker discovering “an anomaly in the accounts” involving Moriaty using the “coffins ferried via the Necropolis Railway” to secretively dispose of his operatives, like Hookham and Withers, when “their services [were] no longer required.” The lethal hubbub surrounding the Professor closing down this seemingly straightforward venture must surely have struck many within this twenty-two page periodical’s audience as being illogically ‘over-the-top’, and arguably as contrived as the publication’s finale, when having supposedly taken young Bertram Wiggins under his wing, the maniacal mathematical scholar leaves the child at Sherlock’s lodgings dying from cyanide-laced Turkish Delight; “Here, take the bag if you like. I fear Mister Holmes takes you for granted my boy. And so, I must perforce remind him…”

Arguably though, this book’s biggest fault is in its jarring re-imagining of the franchise’s two central antagonists’ first meeting. Original publicised as an ‘unrecorded adventure’ within the canon, the writing collaborators’ script sacrilegiously subverts the pair’s famous confrontation in "The Final Problem" and instead disrespectfully depicts the men meeting in the murderous private tutor’s study, so that an over-confident, arrogant Moriarty can boastfully challenge a somewhat crestfallen Holmes to “beat me… if you can.”

Writers: Leah Moore & John Reppion, and Illustrator: Julius Ohta

Doctor Strange [2015] #23 - Marvel Comics

DOCTOR STRANGE No. 23, September 2017

Featuring a fascinating phantasmagorical face-off between Benjamin Urich and Wilson Fisk due to the long-feuding antagonists inadvertently donning magical manifestations whilst thwarting Karl Mordo’s latest attempt to murder this comic’s titular character, Dennis Hopeless’ script for Issue Twenty Three of “Doctor Strange” certainly delivered plenty of pulse-pounding action to its 32,745 strong audience in July 2017. But whilst this mastery of the dark arts proves an intriguing moment within the Kansas City-born writer’s story-line, especially for those readers aware of the feuding pair’s violently short-lived relationship as depicted during the first season of Drew Goddard’s American web television series “Daredevil”, the supernatural duel featuring the “chain-smoking, tough-as-nails investigative journalist” as a Light Knight debatably detracts from the far more operatic-scaled battle taking place elsewhere between Power Man, Iron Fist, Cloak and the Sorcerer Supreme’s greatest rival.

In fact, the Baron’s battle against the street-level costumed crime-fighters is arguably well worth this publication’s cover price alone, as artist and colourist Niko Henrichon really pulls out all the stops to pencil a truly horrifying bout of fisticuffs involving multi-fanged mythical monstrosities, the blackest of arcane spells and Manhattan’s finest going toe-to-toe with all manner of slithering tentacles; “Mordo may look like a chump but he’s hiding a serious god complex under those Slytherin robes.” Disappointingly however, this admittedly rather one-sided affair is frustratingly cut short by the Harvey Award-winner’s evident desire to give the lion’s share of the ‘spotlight’ to his comic’s leading cast and resultantly, just as Tyrone Johnson is somehow shockingly sucked inside Karl’s spell book, the audience is disconcertingly snatched back to witness Spider-Woman being scooped up by the Phantom Eagle whilst preoccupied with her team-mates’ immature in-fighting.

This ‘change of view’ really is annoying when it quickly becomes clear, courtesy of this book’s concluding cliff-hanger splash illustration, that the “unbreakable brawler” and “immortal living weapon” have both subsequently been overpowered by the Transylvanian nobleman ‘off-screen’. Of course, such a dalliance with Stephen’s now magically-enhanced ‘friends’ appears entirely appropriate given that it sets up this story-line for an almighty altercation with the master of New York City’s darkforce bubble in the ongoing series’ next instalment. Yet surely such a premeditated re-positioning of Hopeless’ heroes within his narrative could have been otherwise manufactured without refocusing the publication’s attention away from such sense-shattering shenanigans as Luke Cage and Danny Rand’s disconcerting defeat..?

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist & Colorist: Niko Henrichon, and Letters: VC's Cory Petit