Aliens vs Zombies 1

When a meteor carrying the Zombie virus hits Earth, it triggers the potential end of mankind. The last chance for humanity is a spacecraft full of alien scientists tasked with tracking the interstellar virus; one that has wiped out many other planets and lifeforms. What will happen when humans must team with aliens to survive the apocalypse?

This book starts out pretty routine, on Earth, with a very standard zombie outbreak. There’s talk from an unnamed narrator about the way the zombie virus broke out, and the degradation of media reports. It really could be any zombie story from any source, with little explanation of what to expect, a president trying to save himself, and a rough-looking man fighting zombies off and running.

Then, the aliens get involved.

The aliens are introduced by name, but so far only the captain (and arguably the first mate) has any personality to speak of. The book ends far too early for me. There’s not a lot of real action, story, or explanation, though it’s a good set up. The fact that I felt it ended too early is a good sign, in a sense: it means I wanted to read more of it. I wanted to get some information about the characters presented. I was interested to see how the humans would interact with aliens, especially in the face of a threat they haven’t yet discovered the origins of. I’ll probably pick up the next book out of curiosity.

The art here is pretty decent, really great colors. The character design is a little generic as far as the aliens go, but it could be much worse.

I think for this one, fans of zombie stories will likely be more interested than sci-fi fans will. Though anyone who likes aliens in particular may be interested, it felt like at heart it was more a zombie story than anything else. We’ll have to see what the next book shows us.

You can find out more and purchase this title from Zenescope 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.

Coven 1

The scene: a moonlit night in the deep Salem woods, a group of girls roasting marshmallows around a campfire,  a group of armed, cowled men creeping through the darkness.  The girls are witches, and the men are crusaders, and all Hell is about to break loose when they come together in anything but, love and friendship.

The first issue of Coven starts out with all the action and excitement that you’ve come to know from Zenescope.  Just a few pages in, we already see a firefight, albeit lopsided between the witches and the Crusaders.  The witches put up a brave fight, but without warning or preparation they appear easy pickings for the cowled zealots searching for a particular witch, with a particular mark, who heralds the beginning of a prophecy the Crusaders are determined to keep from happening.

Everything looks to be going the way of these New Crusaders with their prize in the bag, but someone else is looking for this new Chosen one, and what Baba Yaga wants, Baba Yaga gets.  Before long she forges a dark alliance with both the Crusaders and a dark witch named Liza.  Tune in to see if playing both sides works for her.

The art team of Galindo and Bartolo deliver the goods with bright, bold visuals.  The colors are crisp and vibrant, the panel work is sharp and punches the reader in the face with stereotypical Zenescope precision.  This is a very pretty book, but the first issue doesn’t really stand out to me from the publisher’s other works.  In most cases I applaud consistency, but here I feel that Coven just doesn’t distinguish itself much from other Grimm Fairy Tales books.

The story doesn’t help.  By the end of the first issue, we don’t know anything about the chosen one other than her name, Avril Williams.  The Crusaders are either misguided zealots, or the heroes of mankind, again we don’t really see enough to gauge for sure.  Baba is of course fun, but she only gets a few pages toward the end of the issue.  Action is great, action is good, but without a sense of who the characters are, and what their all about, it is just some meaningless battles between two factions that the reader doesn’t connect with.  This book definitely has possibilities, but readers will have to wade through a couple of issues to get a sense of the story.  Hardcore Zeno-phytes will love this title, but those not in the Know might feel a little left out.

For more information on Coven or other releases from Zenescope, visit their website: Zenescope.

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.

Robyn Hood 11

Robyn and Marian are going to Comic Con, no really, it’s true.  Issue number 11 of the series kicks off with Robyn and Marian having to take on a bevy of odd ball cases to keep their heads above water following a lawsuit, and of course the Cabal is still on their radar.

This issue starts with the duo interviewing a client who wants them to find a WARHAMMER which has cursed his family with among other things syphilis and boiling saliva.  The only problem is that the man has sold the cursed hammer on E-bay.  That makes sense.  First stop is the buyer, who has put it up for bid at the New York ComiCon.  But wait!  There is also a pack of werewolves looking to retrieve their mystic talisman.  Fortunately for them, it’s a comic convention, so they will blend in.  This is a delicious romp for anyone who has ever been to a comic convention.  Watching the pack members try to read the convention map was all kinds of deja vu.  Upon arriving in costume, our girls find out from the dealer that the hammer has been bought by a someone in a slave-girl Leia costume.  No problem, that narrows down their search to a few hundred people.  NO problem.

Werewolf pack in tow, Robyn and Marian catch up with the buyer, and as expected, all Hell breaks out.  It’s worth it to buy this comic, if for no other reason, to see Robyn dressed as Rosie the Riveter, beating a pack of werewolves to death with something that looks curiously like Mjolnir.  As usual, the series delivers great art, an involving ongoing story, a bit of romance, all with brightly colored breathtaking visuals.  The plot is predictably slim, but with the presentation you’ll barely notice.  The variant covers are the bomb.  Take AIM and BeWERE of MISSING the MARK on this issue.

For more information about Grimm Fairy Tales: Robyn Hood or other great titles from Zenescope, check out Zenescope.

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 Little Mermaid 4

While Erica suffers at the hands of a psychopath, the Sea Witch reunites her parents and brings them one step closer to their daughter. She does all this for a seemingly simple price: the king's blessing. But Erica may not need saving, since she appears to have a plan of her own. 

Things come to a predictable head in this book, and there is finally some degree of payoff. The mermaid tries to escape her prison and meanwhile, dad finds out she is in prison and this makes him mad. Apparently he traded knowledge of his daughter's whereabouts for a simple blessing, but this was irrelevant as she escapes without his involvement. Why is he even in this? All he does is talk about how sad he is and how little he understands his own job. I'm just not really a fan of the characterization in this book at all, four issues in and I don't care about any of these people.

At least there's finally some action in this one, as Erica grows some land legs and kicks mermaid ass for several pages. Of course, this awesome sequence is hindered by horrible internal narration and routinely terrible dialog between characters, but at least it's exciting! This mermaid's got some claws! Though I still don't really feel involved with the plot at all. So she was captured to make an army from her DNA? Why would a mermaid army be threatening? Just nuke them while they're swimming, it's easy. Make an army out of hawk people if you want to scare me. And of course the Sea Witch is up to no good, but she isn't even in this issue. I think the Sea Witch is the real villain of the series, and hopefully she will make her triumphant return to harvest the souls of surface dwellers. Long live the Sea Witch!

Zenescope is a comic book publisher, they published this book. I have a pretty awesome idea for a Humpty Dumpty reboot, but they won't return my calls. Visit them on their site or Facebook and tell them "Nathan's Humpty Dumpty is good and you should make it".

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 Little Mermaid 3

While Erica struggles to survive at the hands of a sadistic scientist, her biological parents race to save her. But as Erica's family history becomes clearer, her time grows shorter. However, she may have an unexpected ally within her prison walls. 

"There's really nothing that can compare to being in the ocean. It's like flying!"

Erica you just said nothing compares to being in the ocean, and then in the same sentence you compared it to flying. So obviously there's something that compares to being in the ocean. Funny she should mention it, because reading this book is a lot like being in the ocean. An ocean of words that is. Even the king of Atlantis is a boring dude who talks to much. And don't get me started on the evil Sea Witch, who has a higher word count than the Declaration of Independence combined with The OJ Simpson court transcripts. Issue #3 of The Little Mermaid also suffers from a severe lack of things happening. The only action in this issue is the physical act of turning the page, although I read it on my laptop so I was denied even that small rush of adrenaline.

I love the art, but does every character have to be so beautiful? The good guys, the bad guys, the men, the women, they are all gorgeous. Why not have an ugly person in this comic? Especially the bad guys, it's hard to consider someone evil when they look like either Katy Perry or a member of One Direction. Except for me, ladies. I'm not evil, and I'm also a secret member of One Direction.

If you alphabetized every comic book publisher, Zenescope would be second to last, followed only by ZZZ. Visit them on their site or slap that like button on 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 Little Mermaid 2

Erica finds herself the subject of cruel experiments where she fights for her life. Meanwhile, her birth mother, Elizabeth, searches for Erica and finds unexpected help in the Sea Witch. Now Elizabeth must reunite with Erica's father, the king of Atlantis, to save their daughter.

The first issue of Little Mermaid ended with a pretty cool twist. The mermaid herself, Erica, is kept hostage in a science lab and is being experimented on by evil scientists. Rather than explore this further, the second issue takes us back to Erica's conception, as her father is obviously Atlantian. I won't spoil her origins for her, but let's just say that a certain "sea witch" allowed a merman to become human so he could have sex with a girl. But it came at a price!

There's much more exposition in this than the first issue, which only serves to hurt the book. I mean seriously guys, just stop talking! You're blocking the art! There's so many dialog bubbles, each one containing either The Art of War or A Tale of Two Cities. I get that there's a lot to set up here, but every character opens their mouth and says an entire paragraph every time. If this comic were adapted into a movie, all of the actors would quit because they wouldn't be able to memorize this much dialog. I started a Twitter account that's sole purpose was tweeting this comic's dialog, and I hit 20k tweets before even finishing the first page.

At least Mendonca's art continues to blow me out of the water (heh). If I were decorating my house and had a mermaid fetish, I would definitely buy some prints of his art for my walls. Except I don't have a house, I live in my car under a bridge in Detroit.

Zenescope is an interesting name to me. It sounds like a sniper rifle that can shoot you and remove any sense of zen from across a great distance. I would say that this is an accurate description of their comics. Look at them on their site or on 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 Little Mermaid 1

Do you know the real story of the Little Mermaid? 

When a young mermaid makes a wish to become human, her world will turn upside down and she will need to find the courage to confront her fears or perish at the hands of evil.

When I was little, my mom took me to see Disney’s The Little Mermaid in theaters. According to her, I spent the entire film asking “when will they kiss?”. My reasoning for this is that once they kissed, the movie would be over.

Anyways, my initial reaction to this new Little Mermaid is: when will they kiss? Gone are the singing crabs and evil fat women, and in their place is a weird tale of corporate creed and some sort of nature vs. technology thing. Though I am intrigued by a twist in the story, one that probably would have made me read the second issue if I wasn’t already required to.

Miguel Mendonca’s art is pretty great, he brings the ocean to life, with lots of blue making way for more blue. Miguel is also great at drawing smoking hot ladies, if you know what I’m saying.

Truth be told, I have read worse things published by Zenscope. There is nothing inherently wrong with this comic. If you were looking for a gritty reboot of The Little Mermaid, this is pretty much it. To find out more, visit Zenescope 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.

Oz: Reign of the Witch Queen 1

Part 3 of the epic Oz trilogy BEGINS! The witch Zamora and the murderous Warlord have been routed, but for how long? As Thorne, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Smynth, and Adraste rally the good people of Oz, civil war and flying monkeys threaten the Realm of Hope. Dorothy Gale saved Oz once before, but who will save it from Dorothy Gale?

I must preface this review by saying that while I am very familiar with the original Oz mythos, I have never read an Oz comic. My book knowledge didn’t do a whole lot to help me understand what was going on here.

The writing here is heavy-handed, falling prey to the overuse of made up fantasy slang. The art is very pretty, but the character design left me put-off. All the women are very scantily clad, and I found that unrealistic and distracting - a problem often present in the fantasy genre, and often present in comics. Maybe I should have expected it.

It’s hard to glean any real character development here, though there is a twist that keeps the reader wondering what will happen next, and I think that’s the saving grace of this title.

I have a feeling that fans of the series will enjoy it greatly, but new readers may find themselves a little bored, not sure what character to root for, and unable to completely follow the story. The writers do throw some backstory in, but not quite enough to really hook me as a new reader. Hopefully it will be expanded on in the next issue, or there will be more character development.

Fantasy fans in general may enjoy this - it certainly fits the fantasy genre, though it’s a little overwrought.

You can find out more and purchase this title from Zenescope 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.

Wonderland 34

Calie and Dark Cheshire enter the mountains of Rime and Rune in search for the Antipathies, a powerful trio that must be cured of their madness. After finding and healing them, they lead Calie to the Well of Dreams. Meanwhile, a mysterious Realm Knight named the Squire fends off an incorporeal evil called Terror, who infects the dreams of Wonderland's denizens. But how long can she stop this dark force without the White Queen's help?

In this issue of Wonderland, Calie Liddle has cured the Antipathies of their madness. They lead her to the Well of Dreams to gain valuable insight. Meanwhile, The Squire is facing against a powerful force of evil known only as Terror. There are dark forces at work in this land of wonder, and Calie seeks to stop them with some help from her friends.

This is a very confusing story, with many strange names and locals that need to be constantly explained to the audience. In comics, less is more, and you can show without telling. Unfortunately Wonderland tends to tell, and it tells often and relentlessly. Countless paragraphs of needless exposition block the fantastic art, describing things to an unnecessary and frankly confusing degree. The art is incredible though, Manuel Preitano has a fantastic eye for character design.

The character Terror strikes me as especially awesome, with his mouths for eyes and ethereal slobber. Terror talks way too much though, stating over and over exactly how bad he is and how he can’t be stopped. This is a prevalent issue among the dialog. There are many well drawn splash pages hindered by needless monologue and description of things that are already on the page. Furthermore, the tone of the dialog is very inconsistent, shifting between vague poise of “what means to dream” to F-bombs and descriptions of graphic violence.

Besides this, however, Wonderland is a good book. There’s a lot of information to take in, however, and as a new reader of the series and the Grimm Fairy Tales I had to read it several times. If you’re a fan of this universe, this is another solid chapter. But if you’re just tuning in, I recommend starting at the beginning. To find more about Wonderland or other books in the Grimm Fairy Tales universe, check out the Zenescope website or Facebook page.

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.

Robyn Hood 9

Robyn and Marian were hired by the wealthy Ms. Rubino to lift a magical hold on her bank account, but when Marian’s spell goes awry, the account is purged. Rubino threatens legal action, but it’s the least of their problems, as Marian is pursued by an insane Avella, and Robyn makes a dodgy deal with the Rotter, a criminal looking to lift a powerful curse. Meanwhile, the mysterious Cabal prepares for a cataclysmic event known as “the Shift.”

Robyn and Marian are in the thick of it now.  With Avella on the rampage and the Cabal still at large, these ladies certainly have their hands full.  They’ve been in some dire situations before, but this one could prove to be more than one of them can handle.  As their list of enemies continues to grow, Robyn and Marian now have to prioritize lest they become completely overwhelmed.

I liked this one.  Pat Shand does it again with his superb writing style.  More suspense than past issues and things are starting to come to a head as the villains are coming into the light.  The main characters are starting to lose their grip on everyday life what with lawsuits, bills and enemies around every corner.  With all of the trouble they’ve encountered, everything is about to come crashing down upon the girls.  It’s great to see just how much pressure they can endure before it finally breaks them.  I can confidently say that this is worth the read.

The time is almost at hand for the Cabal to strike and Robyn and Marian are the only ones who can stop them.  Will they make it in time before the Shift occurs, or will an unforeseen obstacle bring their endeavors to an end?  Pick up the latest issue of Robyn Hood to find out the answers to all of these questions and more.  For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

Wonderland 33

A new terror rises in Wonderland, and it has already succeeded in bringing out the madness within Violet. But with her daughter now under the tutelage of Sela Mathers, a powerful ally, Calie returns to Wonderland with her ties to Earth now severed, and another threat to deal with.

The house is gone and with it, so many memories, both good and bad.  Calie finally feels a small sense of relief with one less thing to worry about, however something else is at works in Wonderland.  Now Calie seeks out the Antipathies, sensing that something is amiss with them and hoping to quell any new evils that might seep out into Wonderland.  If she only knew of the plot underway at the Rime and Reason Tavern.

The main qualm I have with this issue is that it assumes you’ve read the latest issue of Grimm Fairy Tales before this one hit the stands.  I mean, issue 37 was a story about the Cheshire Cat and now all of a sudden Calie is on a quest to find these Antipathies for reasons unknown.  Was it a vision?  Did someone tell her to go find them?  Nothing is really explained and there wasn’t any indication of a need to make this trek in past issues, so why?  I felt a little left out of the loop until I finally figure out that something must have happened in the other series that warranted her quest.  Cross-overs are all well and good, but like many from the past, a little re-canting of events from other involved series goes a long way.  While Calie was scaling the mountain with Cheshire, she could have been commenting on why she was there in the first place.  Let the readers catch up a bit before throwing them into a new adventure.  Aside from all of that, Manuel Preitano did a great job with the artwork and kept everything looking smooth.  It’s great to see the same artist working on an issue throughout for a change.

So, if you haven’t figured it out by now, go check out the latest issue of Grimm Fairy Tales before picking this one up. You’ll get a little more insight into the whole of the story and things will probably make a lot more sense. I definitely recommend grabbing this book for collection’s sake, but also as a good jumping on point for new readers. For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

Grimm Tales of Terror 9

The famous urban legend about an escaped homicidal mental patient stalking a couple in their car comes to life in Zenescope’s newest twist on the popular tale.

Another classic staple in the horror genre is brought to life in the latest issue of Grimm Tales of Terror.  In typical fashion, the issue starts off with two teens “getting better acquainted” in a convertible.  Their make-out session is soon cut short by a passing police officer.  From there, things get even worse for the teens as the escaped mental patient begins to terrorize them.  Unfortunately for them, there’s more going on here than they realize.

Overall a good idea.  This type of story fits in perfectly with the rest of the series, but I felt it lacked substance.  Maybe substance isn’t the right word, but it definitely lacked something.  It was pretty predictable (at least for me it was) and it just seemed like everything happened so quickly.  Which seems to be the main problem with this series lately (I may have touched on this already), but it would be nice to have a bit of a story established before all of the hacking and slashing begins.  If I’m going to be reading a horror story, then the suspense needs to be there.  I mean, the teens end up at the gas station a page after the intro, the escaped killer is briefly mentioned and then the killing begins.  With this series in particular, I may be asking too much, but a build-up to all of the murdering would make the deaths that much more impactful.  I guess the short horror story works better with the fairy tales because the majority of the people know the characters and stories already, so when things turn deadly, it’s a bit more of a shocker.  However, when it comes to the urban legends, like this one, I feel that more of a back-story is needed to really drive the point home (no pun intended). 

I really don’t see changes to this format any time soon, but here’s hoping that as the series progresses, the suspense factor is a little more well maintained. A good book to keep up with your collection, but not really one to judge the series by. The killer is still out there, so watch yourself when you go to pick up this one. For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

The Little Mermaid 1

Do you know the real story of the Little Mermaid?  When a young mermaid finds herself captured, her world will turn upside down and she will need to find the courage to confront her fears or perish at the hands of evil.

We’re far from Disney territory with this one.  Taking place after Myths & Legends vol. 2, The Little Mermaid follows the exploits of Erica, the title character.  As the story progresses we find out that Erica’s situation is more perilous than originally perceived and that when pushed, we see a much darker side to her.  Meanwhile, Samuel Fisher is on the hunt for Erica and an old nemesis makes her presence known.

A good start-up to a new series, although it left more questions than answers, which I guess you want in the first issue.  The only problem is that I felt like Meredith Finch jammed in too much information right off the bat and didn’t leave a lot of room for explanation.  Given that this is a five part mini-series, she could have taken the time to spread out the in story events to intrigue the reader more than confuse.  Plus I could have sworn there was a different origin for Zenescope’s Little Mermaid that took place in the earlier issue of Grimm Fairy Tales.  I’ve been out of the loop on those and Myths & Legends, so I’m not really sure how the character originated in this universe, but I suppose what we’re seeing in this first issue, as well as Myths & Legends, is to be the accepted version.  All-in-all I’d keep up with this series, aside from what I stated above, it’s a pretty good read.  The artwork by Miguel Mendonca helps bring the issue to life.  If you were a fan of his work in Warlord of Oz, then you’ll be treated to much of the same here.  A great take on an old favorite.

The Little Mermaid begins the solo tale of what could be Zenescope’s next break-out character.  Albeit not as badass as Robyn Hood, or Red Riding Hood at this point in time, Erica’s shown what kind of power she has lurking inside of her, just waiting for the right opportunity to be let loose.  With four more issues to go, one can only hope Erica’s situation can only get better from here.  So, don’t let this be the one that got away and go pick up the first installment in this new series from Zenescope.  For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

White Queen 2

Though Calie remains the White Queen of what’s left of Wonderland, she must follow the Dark Queen’s orders. But her latest task proves too distasteful and Calie refuses to kill innocent people. When the Trickster tattles, the Dark Queen leaves Calie with one last chance to prove her allegiance and keep her daughter alive.

So, Calie’s pretty much stuck between a rock and a hard place right now.  It’s the choice between sacrificing her daughter, or sacrificing her soul.  However, she gets the idea to dredge up the past in hopes of finding a way to stop the Dark Queen in her tracks.  What she finds though are the answers that she’s known all along, thanks to an enemy long past.  Now it’s up to Calie to act upon her newfound knowledge in order to save her daughter.

A good mid-way of a trilogy, but not a great one.  With this mini-series showing how Calie faired through the whole Age of Darkness event, I felt like the second issue kind of fell short of giving us, the audience a real sense of how much Calie had to endure.  The issue felt a little rushed due mainly to the abridged fight scene.  Here she is, alone except for the Cheshire Cat, against hordes of the former queens soldiers and then all of a sudden they’re both walking away, battered and bruised.  I mean, if the fight really wasn’t that important to the story, why even put it in there at all?  Maybe it was because of a time crunch or something, but I just feel like when this sort of thing is done in books, it’s just lazy.  I want to see how these characters fought their way out of their predicament, not just hear about it later.  It seems like a lot of these intermediate issues in these Zenescope series have been pretty much just filler until the next big revelation.  I guess in a sense that’s pretty much the idea, but there should at least be a bit more substance.  Despite this lackluster issue, I am looking forward to the conclusion, to see how Calie goes about saving Violet.

An essential part of the 3-issue mini-series, but not exactly its high point.  The second issue of White Queen, could have been cut in half and split between the first and third issues.  Hopefully with some of this necessary exposition out of the way, the third issue can bring on the action.  So, go pick up this second installment if nothing more than to satisfy your collection until the, hopefully, stunning conclusion releases.  For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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.

Grimm Tales of Terror 8

A lonely man picks up a young hitchhiker along the road. She turns out to be sweet and grateful for the ride. But what happens when a friendly ride turns into something else?

This one was pretty short and sweet, so to speak, or at least the pacing made it seem that way.  Honestly, the story went by so fast that there really isn’t all that much I can say about it without giving too much away.  It begins, like all of the previous installments with Death regaling a dark story to the locals.  A lone driver picks up a hitchhiker and things seem to be going swimmingly between the new travelling companions.  However, things take a turn for the worse when one of them makes an unwanted move towards the other.  Things soon spiral out of control as one of the wayfarers heads toward their doom.

I probably would have liked this story better if it didn’t blaze by so quickly.  What story there was, was pretty good.  If anything, Steve Yockey should have expounded more on the content.  I can see the two main characters build up their relationship, at least a bit more before the hammer falls and it all goes to hell.  The build-up is what makes these suspense thriller stories so good, but this one just kind of jumped the gun a little too quickly.  So, like I said, Dave and Misty, the two travelers, really needed that bound to make me care about what happens to either one of them.  This is one of the weaker stories in the series, but decent nonetheless.  It’ll definitely make a person think twice about the whole hitchhiking business.

The open road can be a long and lonely place and with that much distance, you’re bound to come across some unusual characters.  Oftentimes friendly, but sometimes malicious.  So, if you’re feeling adventurous then pick up issue 8 of Grimm Tales of Terror, for a chilling, yet quick read.  For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

White Queen 1

The Age of Darkness descended and the four mystical realms surrounding Earth have since merged. Calie Liddle, Wonderland’s own White Queen, becomes a pawn in the Dark Queen’s ultimate plans. Though she opposes those plans, Calie must do the Dark Queen’s bidding... if she wants her daughter’s life spared.

Wonderland enters the Age of Darkness... and nothing can ever be the same!

It took them long enough to put this out.  The whole Age of Darkness event ended months ago and this series is only just now starting.  Better late than never I guess.  If you can still remember, when the Dark Queen took over things, she made sure to get Calie in her pocket, by way of Violet.  The Queen held a special locket that was essentially Violet’s life line.  So, if Calie betrayed the Queen in anyway, Violet’s life was forefeit.  This pretty much meant that the Dark Queen’s forces could freely travel through Wonderland without any hindrance from Calie, or the Realm Knights.  So, now when a group of refugees from the Earth-Realm found their way into Wonderland, it was tasked to Calie to “take care of them”.  After having fought so long to take down all of the corrupt Queens of Wonderland, she doesn’t want to follow in their footsteps of slaughtering innocents.  Unfortunately, her daughter’s life still hangs in the balance.  So now, Calie has choice: give up her morals, or give up Violet.  This is one choice she will not be making lightly.

Despite the lateness of the series, this was a good first issue.  I liked seeing the struggle Calie had to endure when the Dark Queen presented her with the ultimatum.  Well, I guess I wouldn’t say that liked seeing Calie suffer, but the scenario was well-written.  Like I said above, she’s been striving to not walk the same path as the four previous Queens, yet at the same time she’d never sacrifice her daughter for anything.  Either way Calie loses and she knows there’s nothing she can do about it.  So now I’m really looking forward to how she gets out of this bind in the upcoming issues.  I’m sure it’ll be quite violent and Calie will probably lose a part of herself because of it, but in the end she’ll become all the stronger for it.

The Age of Darkness has come and gone, but there’s still one tale to tell. How did Calie survive the Dark Queen’s wrath with all of her loved ones still intact? Pick up the first issue of White Queen to find out. I highly recommend this for all of you Wonderland fans out there. For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

Robyn Hood 6

Ever since leaving Myst, Marian’s magic hasn’t been the same. As Robyn examines her own dangerous temper, Marian seeks help from a mysterious source. All the while, the enigmatic Cabal observes from the shadows.

This issue is a more Marian focused one.  Robyn is dealing with some more personal problems after her team-up with Britney last issue.  However, Marian has some recently discovered troubles of her own.  So now, Marian seeks out guidance from a third party, too embarrassed to reveal her situation to Robyn.  What she learns though makes her question how much her magic is really worth to her.  Meanwhile, Robyn takes Britney’s advice and goes to counseling for all of the trauma she’s endured in her life.  Unfortunately, trouble just seems to follow Robyn wherever she goes when an unknown creature attacks her during her very first session.  A new threat is closing in on Robyn and Marian, and it’s only a matter of time before the girls get in too deep.

This issue was a good transition into what’s coming up in the series.  It also was a nice focus on Marian, helping to flesh out her character more.  Throughout the series she’s always been kind of the side-kick, providing support to Robyn and wrapping up all of the loose ends while Robyn does the heavy-lifting.  Now we see that Marian’s transition into the Earth realm hasn’t worked out so much in her favor.  Despite how much she’s enjoying her stay, Marian’s slowly losing her connection to Myst and in turn, her magic.  So now she’s going to have to make a choice, about whether she should stay, powerless, and aid Robyn how she can, or return to Myst and try and strengthen her control of her magic.  It’s a choice to either lose a part of herself, or lose the life where she finally feels like she belongs.  She started off as the damsel in distress, but she’s grown into a strong young woman, capable of slaying a few demons on her own.  Pat Shand has always been great with character development, and this issue is no different.  A recommended read for anyone looking to continue on the adventures of Robyn Hood and Maid Marian.

With Marian’s powers waning, will she really do what’s right, or stray from her path to hold onto that connection?  And after a rather violent session, will Robyn ever return to therapy?  Find out these answers and more in the latest issue of the on-going Robyn Hood series.  You won’t miss your mark with this one.  For more info on where to find this book, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

Grimm Tales of Terror 7

As the legend goes, if you say those words three times while looking in a mirror, the ghost of Bloody Mary will appear behind you. But what happens when an innocent ghost story becomes much more real?

The urban legend of Bloody Mary has been around for years.  There may be some variations in the telling, but it all boils down to the same thing, and evil spirit that lurks in the mirror, just waiting for someone foolish enough to call her forth.  A favorite amongst slumber parties which is where this very incident occurs.  Having lost her mother, Mary Wright believed her new step-mother to be the culprit to her mother's sudden demise, she just needed to prove it.  Her friends of course were rather skeptical, but Mary was sure of it.  So, when the girls summoned Bloody Mary during their slumber party, Mary became determined to find out her step-mother’s true motives, especially when Bloody Mary kept on appearing before her.  She got her chance and Mary found out more than wanted to.

A pretty good issue, although there were too many characters named Mary, so it got a little confusing at times.  Ralph Tedesco kept the murder mystery and revenge plot going good, but the one thing that bothered me, yet again was the dual artists on this book.  The artwork was good, don’t get me wrong, but it would be nice to see an issue done all the through by one artist.  Zenescope has been notorious for this with a lot of their series.  When I read something, I like a steady flow of the art to coincide with the story, but when the style changes half-way through, it become distracting.  Something like that usually indicates a time difference, like a flashback or something, but in this case, it’s just a swap off for someone unknown reason.  Art problems aside, I enjoyed this issue and I see the story quality increasing as the series goes on.

So, be careful of what you say in the mirror because you may be calling forth more than you bargained for.  However, I would recommend going to check this issue out for a great story of murder and revenge.  Don’t worry though, you won’t have to say its name three times in the mirror to conjure up this tale.  For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

Grimm Tales of Terror 6

A young girl fears that a monster lurks under her bed. . . but what if the monster’s intentions aren’t as evil as it appears?

Everyone has heard stories of things living under their beds when they were little and this young girl is no different.  As an orphan, Mindy finds herself the target of ridicule and abuse, purely because she is the youngest and is a girl.  The only friend she’s had is an older girl named Rose, who tends to skip out on the orphanage as much as possible.  However, something shady is going on and the creature under the bed is going to make its presence known.

So, this issue wasn’t too bad, not my favorite, but good nonetheless.  The thing that stood out the most to me was the idea that the monster under the bed wasn’t necessarily there to scare a person, but more to protect them from the evils of the world.  Whenever anyone thinks of something living under their bed, they immediately think that it’s out to get them, especially when you’re a little kid.  But, when you introduce the creature as a guardian, the safety factor goes through the roof.  I mean, what little kid wouldn’t want their own personal monster to watch over them?  Here we have Mindy, who’s been tormented for most of her life, and she finally has something looking out for her.  She doesn’t have to be afraid anymore, which could make her a power player down the road if this series is anything like the original Grimm Fairy Tales line.  The only thing that bugged me was the hiccups in the artwork, especially with the eyes in one panel in particular.  The line work by Claudia Balboni looked great overall, but when the characters look like they have crazy at times when they’re not supposed to, it kind of throws things off.

Grimm Tales of Terror number 6 ups the ante in the creepiness and introduces a potential new hero (or villain) in stories down the line. Definitely worth the pick-up for this possible origin story if anything else. If your holiday is a bit too cheery for your liking, then grab a copy to even things out. Just be careful though and don’t mess with Mindy. For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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

Wonderland 31

Last year, Violet became the new Mad Hatter of Wonderland. Because of her already considerable control over her power, she was able to suppress the madness within and maintain her sanity. But what happens when a girl whose destiny lies in Wonderland attempts to live a normal life on Earth?

Although, this issue is just coming out now, Wonderland number thirty one acts as a precursor to the events of Grimm Fairy Tales number one hundred one.  Violet is pretty much on her own at this point, what with Calie being the new White Queen of Wonderland and all, so she’s making do with what’s at hand.  Although relatively tame now, Violet knows that there are still some aspects of Wonderland out to get her.  It also doesn’t help matters any that the essence of the Mad Hatter now resides within her, constantly haunting her dreams and leading to many a sleepless night.  Feeling like she’s close to a nervous break, Violet ventures off to Wonderland in order to seek out the guidance of her mother, but thinks twice when she sees the burden Calie has taken on.  Now with no one else to turn to, Violet decides to take on her troubles head on.  She’s done it before, what’s one more bout with Wonderland?

I enjoyed this issue.  It was a nice look at what Violet’s been up to since Calie became queen.  Erica J. Heflin did a great job of getting Violet through her mundane life without her mother, while slowly bringing her to her breaking point.  I’ve always liked Violet as a character and enjoyed watching her grow into the young woman she is now.  She’s strong and independent and isn’t afraid to let out the crazy if the circumstances call for it.  Now, however, for first time in her life she’s feeling completely isolated with no friends to turn to and not wanting to burden her mother with any extra concerns, Violet feels as though she must confront these new demons on her own.  I liked seeing her struggle with the everyday things, just trying to make an existence for herself.  So, when the madness from having the powers of the Hatter start to interfere with Violet’s basic sense of being, we get to see what she’s truly made of and how well she handles this kind of situation on her own.  Although a little late coming, this issue is a great segway into the start of the new Grimm Fairy Tales story arc after the events of Age of Darkness.

The Wonderland series continues to grow and evolve as Violet’s story within the series comes to a close for now.  This is a great read and a good send-off for the daughter of the White Queen.  Even if you’re not a follower of the Wonderland series, pick this one up to see how Violet ended up at Sela’s new school.  For more info on where to find this issue, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

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