CBR Review: Pale Horse #4

I recently reviewed Pale Horse #4 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Pale Horse concludes this week in a manner that attempts to bring together the various disparate elements of the story in a powerful, emotional payoff and doesn’t quite succeed. Beginning as a straight-forward tale of revenge and shifting to a story about a bounty hunter who has a bounty on his head and a young son in tow, Pale Horse ends with the end of the American Civil War, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and a conspiracy to ensure a Confederacy victory post-surrender. The ideas behind each of the parts of the series are interesting, but mashing them together in four issues and expecting a strong finale is an incredibly difficult thing to pull off, and it doesn’t happen here."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Swordsmith Assassin #1

I recently reviewed Swordsmith Assassin #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "When I first heard about Swordsmith Assassin from BOOM!’s marketing director, Chip Mosher, he assured me that it was a book that I would enjoy. The man was right. While the concept of a Japanese swordsmith becoming dissatisfied with his life as a maker of deadly weapons and wanting to undo the damage of his work isn’t entirely original, the execution in this opening issue is strong and sets the stage well for the rest of the series."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Dead Run #1

I recently reviewed Dead Run #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Oh, look, another obvious concept meant for another medium that Eureka creator Andrew Cosby has brought to comics for another writer to write. Yes, it’s that obvious. And, yes, no one doing these books has yet to figure out that comics are different than movies or TV and what works there (or, in this case, didn’t even work there) won’t necessarily work here."

You can read the rest HERE!

Advance BOOM! Mini-Reviews (Apr. 29, 2009)

Mr. Stuffins #1 (of 3)
Written by: Andrew Crosby, Johanna Stokes
Art by: Axel Medellin
Rating: Very, very lame

Teddy Bear secret agent... sounds like a decent enough concept, but the execution is very "unproduced screenplay." Broadly drawn characters, a lame mix-up, even the bear isn't that entertaining. Honestly, this was a disappointing read, because the concept could be very cute and have all sorts of directions it could go in, but this... this is very, very lame.

Zachary's parents are getting divorced (or are, more properly, separated--something that comes up a couple of times oh ho ho) and his dad takes him shopping where his dad tries to get him to buy MANLY toys like tanks and footballs, but Zach wants a talking teddy bear that's totally interactive. His dad thinks it's lame, but buys it anyway. What they don't know is that a scientist working on some top secret project is on the run and hid his disc containing the project in the very bear that Zach just got! So the bear, instead of being loveable and fun, is now a paranoid, militaristic toy that ties up the other stuffed animals and "interrogates" them.

Yeah, it could be fun, it could be entertaining, but it's not. The family is one horrible cliche after another: workaholic dad, bitter mom, slutty daughter, loser son with no self-esteem! The bear has no real personality. The top secret project subplot is nothing new. Like I said, everything about this project reads like "unproduced screenplay" with many obvious reasons for the 'unproduced' part.

My prediction for what happens: the bad guys swarm the house, the kid and the bear work together to overcome them, everyone lives happily ever after having learned a valuable lesson.

The Muppet Show #2 (of 4)
Written by: Roger Langridge
Art by: Roger Langridge
Rating: Pretty damn funny

The first issue didn't wow me as much as everyone else despite my liking the art. This issue, though, really impressed me. Focusing on Fozzie attempting to rework his comedy act, Langridge had me laughing throughout this issue.

My favourite scene has Fozzie attempt physical comedy by jumping off a diving board onto a trampoline while people throw pies at him. Langridge's art and composition cracked me up quite a bit.

Unlike the Kermit story of the first issue, this one worked for me because it played around with Fozzie trying out new comedy styles. It's very active and engaging.

I honestly don't have THAT much to say beyond that this was a very funny read, both because of the writing and the art. Pulling off comedy in art seems lost on most comic book artists, but Langridge's cartooning abilities are superb.

CBR Review: The Remnant #1

I recently reviewed The Remnant #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Given the talents involved, it’s not surprising that the first issue of The Remnant reads very much like the beginning of a movie or TV show thriller. The pace is quick and dives right into the plot, but still leaves room for a few little character-establishing scenes. Like some of the more mediocre thrillers, though, it’s a bit obvious and the attempts at characterization don’t actually go beyond the most superficial elements. It’s still pretty entertaining, though."

You can read the rest HERE!