Frank Lanza's Comic Reviews

Reviewer For: Nerds On The Rocks Reviews: 21
7.8Avg. Review Rating

8.6
Amazing X-Men (2013) #2

Dec 4, 2013

Given that I definitely didn't think we needed yet another new X-book, I'd can confidently say Amazing X-Men is worth your $3.99 so far. And getting Nightcrawler and Firestar in the same book is just icing on the proverbial cake.

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8.6
C.O.W.L. #1

May 28, 2014

Even if this concept has been done before, I like the direction and unique touches the creative team is bringing to this book. Everything feels gritty and real right off the bat, which is no small feat for what is, at its core, a superhero book. For an opening issue it's already established a large cast of characters, a deep backstory and enough intrigue and conflict to last a couple of arcs. I'm very excited to read future issues of this book, if they're all as good as this first issue then we have a lot to look forward to.

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6
Captain Marvel (2014) #1

Mar 12, 2014

Carol Danvers has always been one of my all time favorite characters. If you could see my Ms. Marvel original art collection you'd find this to be true. I root for a Captain Marvel series every time Marvel offers me one, and I'm happy to say this book seems to be off to another solid start. DeConnick's take on the character is fresh and compelling and I appreciate the strength she continues to lend to Danvers' tale. Personally I'd prefer an artist that complements the writing a bit more but I'm more than happy just having the book in my hands. Let's just hope that this book can find its legs before Marvel's next big fancy initiative ushers in (yet) another relaunch.

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6
Chaos #1

May 6, 2014

Overall, if you knew Chaos! back in the day, this will feel like a quick little reunion. I'm just happy to see Evil Ernie killing random folk again.

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6
Conan And The People of The Black Circle #3

Dec 4, 2013

Should you buy Conan and the People of the Black Circle? If you've never read any Conan before, it's a great snapshot of what his universe is all about without throwing too much at you. If you're a die-hard Conan fan then you'd probably only buy this for the stellar art and serviceable story. Perhaps trade waiting this one would be best.

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8.6
Creepy Comics #16

Apr 9, 2014

Anthologies are typically hit or miss. It's pretty rare to come across an issue where every story hits it on almost all cylinders. And, much to my chagrin, this book accomplishes just that. It's singlehandedly restored my faith in the horror anthology. Well, except for the part where you can't kill cats, I just can't get on board with that one Mr. Lovecraft. I'll probably continue to sample Creepy because of this book and will be looking forward to receiving my copy of In the Dark with great anticipation. Kudos Uncle Creepy, your slobbering countenance has won me over for the day.

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4.3
Danger Girl: May Day #1

Apr 22, 2014

I suppose if you're a hardcore Danger Girl fan then this book promises the return of an original cast member and sports some nice artwork, so it would be worth your $3.99. I think for anyone else, especially for someone picking the book up off the shelf for the first time, it's a very confusing story with some pretty visuals. If impossibly tiny waists and pointy knives are your thing then this is a no-brainer!

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10
Deadly Class #3

Mar 26, 2014

I'm not sure how to best categorize Deadly Class, or who to even recommend it to. Maybe it's a book that doesn't fit any one particular category but simply falls into the realm of “kick-ass storytelling.” If you like deep, fleshy, soulful characters, with a splash of humor and a heavy helping of social commentary and great cliffhangers, then by all means pick up this book. If you prefer weak stories and your character motivations spoon fed to you like yesterday's mashed potatoes, then just keep on walking. Deadly Class is definitely part of a new breed of book, joining Sex Criminals, Black Science and Manhattan Projects as genres all to themselves. Grab this one before Master Lin has you whacked.

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10
Death Vigil #1

Jul 9, 2014

I'm not sure if my sheer enjoyment of this book was a perfect storm of unsure expectations, excellent presentation, warm sunny weather and ideal levels of caffeination, but it doesn't matter. Death Vigil is a great ride from beginning to end, and if you're open to a humorous, beautiful, action packed look at Death and the unseen forces fighting all around us then you should definitely pick up this book. You should also pick it up because it's a damn fine comic book. I know I'm very excited to see what Mr. eji has in store for Bernardette, Sam and the rest of the crew. I also hope someday I figure out how to properly pronounce his name so I can stop butchering it.

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10
Frankenstein Alive, Alive! #3

Apr 16, 2014

I really like this series, and this issue in particular, for it's insight into the heart of Frankenstein's Monster and how he's in constant battle with his nature. Also, it drives home the point of how man, in his arrogance, could create and belittle a creature that proves to have more integrity and compassion than we do. Good stuff indeed.

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7.2
Inhuman #1

Apr 2, 2014

I think that despite my inherent boredom with the Inhumans (mutants with mist!), this book could be a solid title in the long run. I think there's still a bit of clich here that doesn't sit quite right with me, like Lash as the mysterious omnipresent villain that somehow no one has ever heard of before, or Dante having super flamey powers (Inferno anyone?), but aside from all this Inhuman has the right parts to make an interesting superhero book. Dante needs some depth if he's to stick around, and I'm sure we'll be meeting a ton of new Inhumans as Medusa builds here army. I just hope she gets there before Lash finishes his morning coffee and zaps them at sunrise. In any case, Joe Mad's art alone is well worth sticking out this run for the immediate future.

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10
Locke & Key Alpha #2

Dec 19, 2013

I suppose it's time to get all of the cliche superlatives out of the way and simply say: gentlemen, it's been quite a ride. Thank you for this series and for the journey you took us on. Thank you for Keyhouse, and for the Lockes, and for those amazing keys that were just such damn fun to read about. It's true all good things must come to an end, and it was truly an ending that lived up to the expectations. I'll miss wandering the hallways and endless doors of this series, but as I saw someone so eloquently post on Twitter today, perhaps someday I'll come across my own Head Key and dump all my memories of this book, so that I can go back to the beginning and enjoy it all over again. If you have any love for comics, or just great stories, you must read Locke and Key.

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10
Saga #17

Dec 19, 2013

I try to recommend Saga to anyone that's new to comics and is mature enough to appreciate a sexy, edgy title that takes some dedication to the long story format. This isn't a book you can really pick up in the middle of the run, you need to start from #1 and take the entire journey with Hazel. It's worth it, I promise you. And any book that can make a character like Lying Cat likable and hilarious is well worth your $3.

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8.6
Shutter #2

May 14, 2014

Image is definitely on a roll lately with their original offerings. Even though they advertise the book as a mix of Fables meets Y: The Last Man, I could say Shutter is just as much a product of the success of Saga, Black Science, and Manhattan Projects. Which is a compliment. I'm wondering if the explosion of great new stories will come to an end soon, or if this recent proliferation will burn out as these books fight for an audience. I hope there's room for everyone at this party, because it's a great time for comic lovers to sample a little bit of everything and find that it all tastes pretty damn great.

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7.2
Southern Bastards #1

Apr 30, 2014

Southern Bastards seems like the kind of book that you'd read just to make yourself feel a little bit uncomfortable. Because you like how it feels, and because you know this kind of stuff is probably happening in some backwater county right now. Aaron seems to know his source material and it's got an air of authenticity about it. Southern Bastards is off to a solid start and is looking like another great Image book in the works.

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6
The Fuse #2

Mar 20, 2014

I'd say give this series a shot if you like serial mystery/detective/cop show style books. I think I'll hang around for at least the first arc to see where this goes and how deep the budding conspiracies get.

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7.2
The Squidder #1

Jul 16, 2014

As far as action horror goes in comics, it's hard to find anything better than Squidder right now. American Vampire is obviously king and is head and shoulders above everybody, but this book deserves to be mentioned in the same breath. I really hope it continues down a dark path and that we see more of the Squid and why there here. If you like your books graphic and with nary a hint of hope for us Earthlings to be found, this one is definitely for you.

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7.2
The Terminator Enemy Of My Enemy #1

Feb 20, 2014

Back in the 80"s there weren't many things more terrifying and intimidating than the relentless cold blooded mechanical killing machine that was the Terminator. So far, I'm not sure if the The Enemy of My Enemy is trying to capture that or put a new spin on the old tale, but I like the start and the fact it's accessible to anyone. I'll give it a few more reads to determine if "I'll be back" or not. I'm sorry, you had to know that one was coming. Hasta la vista!

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7.2
Usagi Yojimbo: Senso #1

Aug 6, 2014

What did you think about this issue? Let me know in the comments or shoot me a Tweet (@lanzajr26)

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7.2
Veil #1

Mar 5, 2014

If you dig sci-fi, horror, with some mystery thrown in, then this could be a promising book. It's also ground that has been covered before in many other mediums, so I'm hoping Rucka can give us something fresh and original to keep us wanting to know what happens next. It's a good start, and a good book for fans of naked introductions everywhere.

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7.2
Witchblade (1995) #176

Jul 2, 2014

This wasn't an excellent issue of Witchblade, but it wasn't bad by any means either. It featured a solid story, and while it was resolved relatively quickly and simply, it gave you all you needed for a standalone issue while staying true to the series. I'm not entirely sure it convinced me to start reading regularly again, but it definitely changed my mind about what Witchblade is nowadays and I've got a new appreciation for the title. I'll definitely take another look at this book down the road. Baby steps right?

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