We Stand On Guard 1

A canadian family is watching the news in a living room that appears to be in the not too distant future.  They are discussing the potential for the United States targeting them, the next thing they know, bombs are dropping and half the family is dead.   Flash forward, the little girl is now a budding adult, eking out a modest living in the wilds of the Northwest territories.  That is until she runs afoul of a combat drone and has to be rescued by a band of freedom fighters, possibly the last free Canadians.  Add a giant United States robot, and one hellacious firefight to wrap up the inaugural issue of this promising series.

This will be a title that will engender intense love or intense hate.  Given that Americans are egocentric about their nation, this could generate some bad blood with some readers.  The art is very crisp and clean courtesy of Matrix storyboard artist Steve Skroce.  The colors really brought out the fine lines of Skroce’s work, reminiscent of Brian Boland of Judge Dredd fame.  The visuals he brings out are tight and tough.  Some people might find the clean style a little off for a war drama, but it seemed to work in the first issue.

Rick Vaughn’s script left a little to be desired for me.  I spent most of this issue feeling like I was waiting for something exciting to happen and even during the combat sequences, I still felt like I was waiting.  Part of this is, that he falls back on time honored scenes for setting up a combat drama.  Case in point, Amber is hunting a deer in the forest and comes on the combat drone, a scene I feel like I’ve been bored with a dozen times before.  Then after she comes across the resistance fighters, they just happen to be attacked by a giant robot.  This series does have promise, but may not yield much in the way of surprises other than the basic premise.  One bright note in the script was the dialogue, which was crisp, interesting and involving.

Keep an eye on this one, it could be the sleeper hit of the summer.  For more information about We Stand On Guard or other titles from Image, visit their website.  Image Comics

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Supreme Blue Rose TPB

Unemployed reporter Diana Dane is hired by a mysterious intelligence broker to solve the biggest mysteries of 21st Century America: what fell on the town of Littlehaven, and who or what is "Supreme?”

This is a trade paperback that collects the Supreme Blue Rose limited series in a single volume, written by comics legend Warren Ellis.  Ellis has penned numerous great comics over the years, but Supreme Blue Rose is not one of them in this writer’s opinion.  The story follows a writer, Diana Dane tasked with the onerous job of getting to the bottom of what happened in a little town called Littlehaven.  If it already seems like this is a hyped up story where nothing is what it seems, then you are correct.   As the story develops, Dane determines from various “helper” characters that every so often time has to reset itself, regurgitating reality into a completely new version of itself, unnoticed by most.  That is, except for a few rare individuals that fall through the cracks.  Diana’s employer Dax, is set upon rebooting history again to suit his own aims.

There is a great deal of bad, or at the very least very unappealing things about this story.  Number one is the artwork.  It feels unfinished in several areas, and most of the panels have wispy “threads”floating for no apparent reason other than to reinforce the series supposition that time is like a giant loom.  The characters themselves lack much in the way of distinction or development, which was disappointing.  Ellis introduces various terms like actor, revision, supreme, etc. which the reader must then keep track of to maintain the integrity of the story.  This might have worked in a novel, but in the format of a comic felt like too much in too small of a space.  The whole book just felt like Ellis was attempting to create a masterwork that fell flat in the final product.

Steer clear of this one unless you are either a huge Warren Ellis fan or a lover of cryptic, obscure, sublime sci-fi epics.

For more information on Supreme Blue Rose or other Image Comics publications, visit their website.  Image Comics

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

8house Arclight #1

A lady of the blood house has had her mind trapped in a strange alien root-body. She’s hiding on the outskirts of her kingdom until she learns that the alien monster pretending to be her has returned. The first issue of a shared fantasy universe. Sharp genderqueer knights, blood magic, music, dancing, and a goose.

In the debut issue of this self-proclaimed landmark series by Brandon Graham, we are introduced to a Lady of the blood house who, for reasons unknown now inhabits a body made up of roots.  She is accompanied by a knight named Arclight, who is steady fast in support of his support of her, despite the delicate condition she’s in.  They have been hiding out on the edges of the kingdom, but now return home to court, to find the the Lady’s true body is back inhabited by the alien whose body she is now stuck with.  There is also blood magic, dancing, pretty court scenes, and a huge number of androgynous cast members.  This comic will be a guessing game for even the most astute reader.

After reading the first issue I had to find the synopsis online to ascertain the plot of the story.  I see that as a miss for Graham on writing and execution.  The story wastes whole pages on sweeping visuals of the landscape, with little to no explication or character development.  The reader gets a very general sense that the root creature is “The Lady” and Arclight is a knight of some sort at her disposal.  At the end of the story I was still confused as to whether Arclight was male or female.  I guessed male but I’m not certain.  This is intended, as the publisher advertises the series as containing “Sharp genderqueer knights, blood magic, music, dancing, and a goose.”

This seems to have the potential to develop into an elaborate science fiction story, but it will require no small amount of patience on the part of the reader.  I would only recommend this story for very patient readers of cryptic plot lines, although the colors come in a variety of pastels giving the comic a unique look and feel.

For this or other great titles from Image, visit their website.  Image Comics

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Athena IX #1

FROM THE PAGES OF IXth GENERATION COMES A ONE-SHOT SPECIAL EVENT! Ever the didact, Athena IX specializes in cruel, calculating instruction, manipulating her siblings and supplicants with the intellectual upper hand. But this is the Chairwoman's future, not hers, and some lessons must be taught more harshly than others.

This book takes place in a dystopic city many centuries in the future. The city is run by the tyrannical Athena IX - an entity designed as a god to “save” humanity from its predicted extinction. The story lets us know there are nine siblings that all rule certain parts of the world, but this one focuses only on Athena (though it mentions Aphrodite and Artemis).

What I found most striking about this book was that all the main characters are women. The protagonist and antagonist are both women - women who aren’t light-skinned, typical “beauties” like we see in many comics. As someone who is always longing for more diversity in comics, I really appreciated this touch. I also appreciated that the character of Athena, presented as a tyrannical, unfeeling overlord, is presented as such without any apology or backhanded explanation. She just is that way - something we don’t see in female characters too often.

I think that, in order to appreciate the book fully, prior knowledge of the world would be required. I wasn’t always sure how much I was supposed to know. I didn’t know whether I was supposed to root for Athena, or what the end game is (I still don’t, having finished reading). I didn’t find Athena likable, but the other main character wasn’t given much personality, so I could not root for her either. I think I’d like to see an expansion of the title, or I’d like to read more of the world building so I could have a better opinion.

This seems like a very interesting future world, but as a one-shot standalone it doesn’t really do much for me. It did, however, pique my interest in the world as a whole, and I’ll be seeking out other titles! So in that regard, it’s certainly doing its job.

Grab this one if you’re looking for a new sci-fi world to read about, and if you’re looking for a book that doesn’t throw the same type of boring protagonist at you that you’ve seen over and over.

You can find out more and purchase this title from Image Comics right over here!

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Postal Vol 1

The townsfolk of Eden, Wyoming wake up to the first official murder the town has seen in 25 years. Their reaction to this isn’t normal, and there’s a reason for that. Eden operates as a haven for fugitive criminals who remain here while new identities, often including facial reconstruction, are created for them. There is zero tolerance for any illegal activity that might draw attention to the town and an “official murder” is the last thing they want. A single, tight-knit family runs Eden with the youngest oddball son Mark Shiffron overseeing the postal branch, the only means of shipping in or out of the city. THE FBI has repeatedly been foiled trying to insert an undercover here; they see Mark as the weak link to exploit. This murder gives them a new opportunity.

At first, I though that this comic was called Postal because it was about a guy going postal. Then I actually read the comic, and as it turns out the main character is a postal worker! Just goes to show that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. I am judging this book by its cover though, and my judgement hence be that it is good. So basically there’s a small town in Nowhere, Wyoming, and Mark “Rain Man” Shiffron notices that strange things are afoot in his town. Through detective footwork that would make Hank from Breaking Bad focus on minerals full time, Mark discovers some very spooky things in the town he calls his home. The writing here is top notch, Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill have crafted a depressingly realistic narrative of a small, rural town driven crazy by its own twisted delusion. Mysteries lead into further mysteries until nothing is left but blood and broken bones.

One thing that really grinds my gears (in a good way) about Postal is the degree to which it focuses on the mental disorder Aspergers Syndrome. Our protagonist Mark is afflicted with it, but he doesn’t let it slow him down! There really are some disappointing stigmas regarding mental illness in this country, I was diagnosed as bipolar a few months ago and most people ask if that means I have “two different personalities” (it doesn’t, I only have this one which sucks). But if Mark Shiffron can use his “malfunctioning brain” for good, maybe I can use a McDonalds without crying in the bathroom!

It’s also worth mentioning that the art of Postal is sublime. Isaac Goodhart paints an image of a bleak, broken town held together by paranoia and duct tape. If anything the art is too flattering, I was in Wyoming once and it did not look as interesting as the pages of this comic. This art’s got some grits! You can practically feel the blood dripping off the pages.

Postal was published by Image Comics, but don’t let their name fool you! Their comics also have words. If you like them on Facebook, a representative will show up to your doorstep with a bouquet of flowers.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Valhalla Mad 2

The fabled Gluttonalia continues as comics’ newest godly sensations dive ever deeper into their own merriment on the streets of Manhattan. But there are secrets yet to be revealed...even beyond the mythic ingredients of Viken mead! It’s more drunken fun from Casey and Maybury! Don’t miss it!

Much like the last issue of this title, I found the forced archaic language tropey and hard to get through. It's not hard to undestand, so much as it is cumbersome and overdone. That's really the appeal of the book, I think; the fact that it's overdone and trying to be parody or satire (especially of Marvel's Thor title) is the point. For me, as a reader, it's still too much. It's not an enjoyable read for me, with too many words that say very little.

Unlike the last issue, which was largely set up and no delivery, there are hints of an actual plot in this book. The point is to keep the reader wanting to continue on to the next issue, to find out what other secrets the three main god characters are hiding from each other. As a writing tactic, it's effective enough, though I don't really like the title enough to recommend buying several issues of it. I was glad to see that this issue did have more seriousness in it, mixed in with the ridiculous and the bizarre.

I would give this, like the last issue, 2.5 stars out of 5. Fans of parodied fantasy should enjoy this if they can deal with the writing style.

You can find out more and purchase this title from Image Comics right over here!

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Drifter, Vol 1: Out Of The Night TP

Abram Pollux barely survives a crash landing on Ouro, a lawless backwater planet, only to end up on the wrong end of a bullet. What starts as a struggle for survival quickly becomes a journey to the very edges of what it means to be human, as Pollux searches for answers among the ruins of this forgotten world. And if he can't have answers, he'll at least have his revenge.

There's no limit to the universe, nor to the stories that are written about journeying through it.  Some go for the light-hearted campy approach, some the ultimate sci-fi epic.  Others, like what we see in the first volume of Drifter, take a darker direction.  It's one I haven't seen in a while and it was one hell of a story.

After plummeting to what should have been his death, Abram Pollux manages to survive his crash landing on a remote planet called Ouro.  As if that wasn't enough, he is found shortly after and is shot in the gut for some reason.  Once again, he miraculously survives and wakes in a place known appropriately as Ghost Town.  It is there that he finds himself caught in a long list of strange and often violent situations.  Throughout all this, his focus on revenge is always in the back of his mind, searching for the man who nearly killed him before.

I was absolutely floored by how gorgeous the artwork was for this book.  There was really not a single page that I read that wasn't drawn and painted wonderfully.  At times I even found myself looking at certain pages more than once.  Some of the lighting and overall layouts were no less than stunning.

Even if I had only had the first issue to read, I'm pretty sure I would have been equally as impressed with this perfect blend of sci-fi and western.  Lucky for me I got all of volume one, and that was more than enough to pull me in completely.  This is one book that without a doubt should be purchased, and I will be looking to the horizon for the next arc.

For more on Drifter or other Image books, check out Image Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Astronauts in Trouble 1

In 1959, the Channel 7 News team covers a routine homicide that leads them to a mysterious rocket base in Peru filled with Russian spies. All in a day's work for the most trusted newsmen in America. They couldn't know their day'd end up with a hot pilot, a fast ship, cheap beer, and spacesuits!

There are those times when just the title of a new book I come across is enough to make me curious.  I've always enjoyed a good space adventure, even though this doesn't quite start out as one.  Right from its beginnings on Earth, we take a look at the presumably soon to be journey through space with Astronauts in Trouble issue one.

Although not a spaceship, we begin the story rocketing through the city with a news van on its way to a homicide crime scene.  While there, one of the crew finds something (a mysterious badge) that somehow leads them to Peru.  Upon landing, they discover a "secret" base that is apparently the test site of a new missile/rocket/ship thing.  In the midst of the US/Russia race for superiority, the explosive ending was an appropriate way to lead into book two.

Taking charge of the artwork is Charlie Adlard, known best of course for his work on The Walking Dead books.  That being said, if you've read those you'll be familiar with the style.  If not, you'll be treated to well drawn, clean artwork.  The only limitation is that it's black and white, so it doesn't necessarily jump out at you.

To be honest I had to read through a second time to clarify a couple of things.  It didn't dismay me enough to not want to see what happens next, but it did lessen my experience a bit.  While the core of the story has yet to be revealed, I wouldn't mind seeing exactly what that is in future issues.

For more on Astronauts in Trouble or other Image books, check out Image Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Valhalla Mad 1

Their names are legend: the Glorious Knox! Greghorn the Battlebjörn! Jhago the Irritator! Three warrior gods vacationing on Earth, just looking to get their drink on and have a good time! Join the drunken festivities with toastmasters JOE CASEY (SEX) and PAUL MAYBURY (SOVEREIGN). The new mythology begins now!

This comic reads like a parody of superhero comics to me. The characters are obviously designed to be a play on Asgardians specifically, with the main character looking a lot like Thor. They all speak in “old” language; thees and thous abound throughout. It makes reading the story a bit tedious overall, at least for me. It isn’t that it’s incomprehensible, it’s just over the top and to me, that made it a less enjoyable read.

The story is a little flimsy - gods come to earth to party hardy, more or less. There’s a lot of talk about partying, there’s some drinking, there’s some people complaining about gods in the modern age, which they’re not entirely sure they trust. Nothing in the book was out of the ordinary or stood out to me as terribly original. The book looks to have developed a story by the end of it, but I’m not sure it’s worth hanging on until the next one.

There’s some humor to be found in the book, if you like the writing style. I’d probably give it 2.5 stars out of 5.

You can find out more and purchase this title from Image Comics right over here!

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Material 1

A man comes home from Guantanamo Bay, irrevocably changed. An actress receives an offer that can revive her career. A boy survives a riot and becomes embedded within a revolutionary movement. A philosopher is contacted by a being that dismantles his beliefs.  Look around you. Everything is material.

Material is the kind of a comic that you need to read a half dozen times to get the true gist of the story.  This is a story with a very wide, disparate plot that comes to a very slow boil, in fact, by the end of issue one, it feels like burner hasn’t even been turned on.  Material, is a comic for hard-core science fiction junkies that are in it for the long haul.  The subject matter is the human condition, and all its myriad wonder.  The characters are designed with care, and meant to truly grab the reader’s heartstrings.   By the end of this first book, we are just beginning to get an idea for who they are, and how they relate to the story as a whole.

As if this wasn’t enough writer, Ales Kot, seems intent on handing out homework assignments to the reader.  The bottom of each page bears references to literature, plays, quotes, and people of interest to the crux of the story, i.e. Tamir Rice and Michael Brown.  For interested fans, these references will be easter eggs to elaborate on the scripting.  Make no mistake, this comic is something aimed toward intellectuals.  There are no slam-bang action scenes, no garishly colored, costumed heroes, and no quick answers to who is the “bad-guy” or “good-guy”.  The plotting is intricate, and developed, the art realistic and gritty.  I can’t say I was a fan of this style myself, it seems to lend itself more to a novel, or movie screenplay than a comic book, but readers who are desperate for elaborate scripting with a far reaching message should adore Material.

For more about Image Comics’ new magnum opus or other publications, please visit their website: Image Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Sons Of The Devil 1

From New York Times Bestselling writer Brian Buccellato and artist Toni Infante comes a psychological horror story about Travis, an average guy trying to get by, who discovers that he has familial ties to a deadly cult. Told across three decades, Sons of the Devil is an exploration of cults, family, and the dark side of human nature. It’s True Detective and Orphan Black meets Helter Skelter.

This story opens with the main character, Travis being kidnapped as a baby, ostensibly by members of a cult.  Flash forward to present day, Travis is a young man with a lazy dog that prefers to be carried around.  The young man stops to help a lost boy find his parents, and gets suspended by his boss.  A violent altercation ensues that leaves his boss with a bloodied nose, and Travis with court mandated anger management classes.  Klay, a previous foster parent finds a picture of a man with the same kind of miss matched eyes as Travis.  Initially, Travis is resistant to Klay’s help, but eventually decides with the help of his girlfriend that it couldn’t hurt.  He finds Klay murdered, and is quickly knocked out by the pipe wielding assailant.

This series is a bit schizophrenic in the writing, so it’s a good thing that it follows a satanic cult.  I found the dialogue to be somewhat sketchy.  Most of the conversations could be found in any 70’s or 80’s B horror movie.  Travis is your typical moody orphaned young man with few real surprises.  The story shows some promise, but as of the end of the first issue is all too predictable.  With any luck it will show a bit more promise as the story develops.  I also found the art to be a little rough.  Although this seems to go with the plot, it is often difficult to tell the difference between characters except in close ups.  The colors look great in darker or nighttime scenes but seem lacking in well list panels.  All in all not a bad first outing, but not a great one either.  Fans of slow boil, horror novels will appreciate this series.

For more about Sons of the Devil or other great titles from Image, please visit Image Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Elephantmen: Shots 1

Led by Tim Sale’s 9 page When The Night Comes story, this special collects all the Elephantmen strips from Hero Comics, Liberty Comics and The Thought Bubble Anthology. Features the hard to find Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog and Marine Man  crossovers and beautiful covers by J. Scott Campbell and Tim Sale! All proceeds go to the CBLDF!

Elephantmen is parody and satire at its very best.  Even better, it’s for a great cause.  For anyone unfamiliar with the CBLDF, it is a non-profit organization, dedicated to protecting the rights of creators in the field of Comics.  Since its inception, it has paid for the legal defense of countless people who create, publish, or even just read comics.  For that reason alone, you should buy this book because censorship is a terrible thing.

Goody twoshoes notions aside, this is a great book coming from an immense wellspring of talent. No surprise there, Image paved the way for many independent comic publishers.  The Judge Dredd, Marine Man and Strontium Dog cross-overs are delightful.  I always wondered what Dredd would look like tripping, and now I know.  Scary.  I hadn’t read, or seen Strontium Dog in at least a decade, but it was amazing to see him and Wulf again in this anthology.  The Marine Man crossover is low on plot, but high on punching, kicking and overall smashing of crustaceans, and who doesn’t like to see crabs getting theirs.  With those little feelers and big claws, they are just plain creepy.  If for some reason, you are threatened by a Cruelty Against Crustaceans activism group, maybe the CBLDF can help with your legal costs. It’s worth the risk, tempt fate, and buy this comic.

There are also elephant penises in the character cut out pages, so people who are offended by penises, and breasts should by all means buy this book, and do what comes naturally to you.  The cut outs are delicious tongue in cheek humor aimed at all the people in the world who can’t take a joke.

The black and white feature from Hero Comics, Ebony Dreams is a rare treat. I’m not usually a fan of black and white, but the art and narration of this strip is haunting, evocative and soul stirring.  Old Soldiers resonates with the arc of war and the prize that is paid by by sides, and how at the end, no matter the side, they are just Old Soldiers, trying to find a place in the all too fleeting peace.

This collection is beautiful and fun.  It has something for every taste, and benefits creators legal defense, so by all means get this book and share it with your friends.  For more information about Elephantmen Shots and other great titles from Image Comics, visit Image Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

The Tithe 2

Another mega-church is robbed despite the FBI’s surveillance. Tension ratchets up as a member of Samaritan’s “heist” team is killed and the “Robin Hood” act isn’t quite as fun as they thought.

“God answers prayer with a ‘NO’ all the time, but people don’t want to hear it. People want validation when they should seek guidance.”

I was at one of those big church events once. It was a play of sorts, a celebration. Big set, lots of acting. Animals walking down the aisles. All I can remember anymore is a scene where a man was digging through his collection of old albums. I was really into classic rock at the time, so I thought to myself “God, if you’re real, that album will be a Queen album”. The album he pulled out was A Night At The Opera. He then began to sing Bohemian Rhapsody, and the crowd laughed.

Anyway, this was my reaction while reading this comic book:

In my previous review, I mentioned two megachurches in Phoenix. This comic takes place in Phoenix. Go get em! But please be careful, there’s a lot at stake here. I’m just relieved that not only do Matt Hawkins and Rahsan Ekedal see what’s going on in my own city, they’re exposing it.

Of course, check out Image comics on their website or their Facebook.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

The Tithe 1

A heist story unlike any before! Mega-churches are being robbed for millions of dollars by a crusader hacker group known as Samaritan who is giving the money to causes they deem more worthy. This modern day “Robin Hood” is being pursued by two FBI agents who actually admire their quarry but want to stop the theft before it escalates.

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” - Matthew 21:12-13

Yes, I started this review with a bible verse. Countless souls have been lost over the years simply so that book could be read to this day. One idea that’s crept up in the United States over the past few years is a “Mega-Church”. I grew up in the ground zero for these ideas. The Community Church of Joy. To quote a New York Times Article from 2002:

“In Glendale, Ariz., the 12,000-member Community Church of Joy, which has a school, conference center, bookstore and mortuary on its 187-acre property, has embarked on a $100 million campaign to build a housing development, a hotel, convention center, skate park and water-slide park, transforming itself into what Dr. Walt Kallestad, the senior pastor, calls a ‘’destination center.’’”

Well guess what Joy, I didn’t get my waterslide. I didn’t get my hotel. What did I get? A tremendous amount of pain. I had a few good years, but you eventually chewed me up and spit me out. You hurt my family. I also made friends for life there, people I love to this day. But when my mother is crying because you kicked her out, I have problems with you.

I still drive by there sometimes. They’re tearing up their 187 aches and selling it back to the city. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the right thing to do. And my best friends, friends I have for life, I met there. I forgive The Community Church of Joy.

My problem these days is with CCV, the Christ Church of the Valley. They had their Easter service in The University of Phoenix Stadium. You know, where the Super Bowl was this year. Collectible cups commemorated the event. You could watch it from your home. And don’t worry, they have so many locations.

This comic book is a fantasy of mine brought to life. There’s a lot of money to be made in churches, especially since they are tax free. Author Matt Hawkins and I are on the same page. Rahsan Ekedal’s art is great too, crisp and sobering.

Much like progressive metal band Dream Theater, Image produces Images & Words. Website them or Facebook them!

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Artifacts: Lost Tales 1

WITCHBLADE! HEARTSTONE! BLOODSWORD! Three short stories featuring three artifacts by three Talent Hunt-winning creative teams in this special one-shot!

This is really three reviews in one, as this comic contains three stories by runners up in Image’s 2013 Talent Hunt contest.

The first story, “Rubber Red,” starts off as what appears to be a crime story. It’s violent, and obviously aimed at adults. Both language-wise and storyline-wise, it’s not a story for kids.

The story has a supernatural twist to it before it ends. The end leaves a reader wanting to know what happens next, though. It’s a little bit tropey for me, but overall not a bad read. The art, while maybe not beautiful, is solid. I’d be interested to see the continuation.

The second story, “A Heartfelt Offer,” also has a supernatural element to a story that starts off seeming more mundane. The supernatural element here is heavy-handed, however. Additionally, the art style is sketchy and sloppy. While that’s likely a design choice, I didn’t find it appealing. This story was weaker than the second, with no hint of anything further at the end. I would rate it about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5.

The final story, “Only Darkness,” like the others, is a supernatural story at heart. I found the writing in this one to be too vague and convoluted to make it a strong story. I was also put off by unnecessary racist language. Nothing about this story was remarkable to me. The art was okay, the story was okay once I figured out what it actually was.

The first story here is by far the most solid. I think it would have a good shot at being continued or seralized. The other two aren’t terrible stories, either, they just aren’t quite as good as the first.

Check Image’s website to find more about this title, and to purchase it either digitally or in print!

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Top 100 Comics of 2014 - #30-26

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Top 100 Comics of 2014 - #85-81