Akshay Dhar Comic Reviews

The main story is followed by a small backup (as in recent issues) starring the new hero: Steel. Most of you should be familiar with him but in case you're not, he's something of a genius and has a wicked-tough armour and a BIG hammer. It's that simple. DC has really had a hard time with him because of some bad and inconsistent stuff from pre-reboot, but this new version shows a lot of promise if they handle it well from hereon. Its the only slightly weak point in general of the Action Comics issues, but this instalment is definitely better than the last two and that gives me some hope for a character that can be so much more than he has thus far. The art here is pretty good and between it and the script we get a nice little glimpse into Metropolis in the immediate aftermath of whats happening in the main issue while Supes is off in space " but this backups colouring could do with a little tweaking so it doesn't look quite so dull at times.

It's a good book, but can a story like this get justice in a mini-series? The good part is that this becomes a summer event while staying out of 616 continuity for the most part and the rest of the MU goes on without everything getting swept up in the wake. A great first issue but I have reservations on it as a whole.

Coupled with the nicely drawn pages, I'd say this is well worth a read and possibly a series to be keeping an eye on in the coming months.

Poorly handled and an ill-conceived storyline in my opinion, I think I'm going to put this on the trash pile and not read any further issues. I've got the fantastic X-Factor, Brian Woods' stellar X-Men, the alternate reality X-Treme X-Men and Wolverine and the X-Men for my X-cravings and even though I already miss Uncanny X-Force and New Mutants, I'll stick with what I've got and ignore this new title, thank you very much.

The art is without reproach in both stories and the combination of art and colouring carries a wonderfully faded grittiness to it that really brings out every mood and facet of the excellent layouts and detailing and I look forward to much more of the same in issues ahead!

I would most definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone who is even slightly curious and being a digital issue it is both affordable and more easily available. DC has a great new product here. Everything a first issue should be, written and drawn excellently and we're left wanting more!

Underground resistance groups, big overlord government, underdog hero and a strange twist on powers, particularly Tommy's (now known as "Zero" because he rates as that on a power scale) all make this both an entertaining read and a unique take on a lot of familiar stuff. Nicely handled and after a hesitation at the first issue, I'm sold on seeing where this goes and the as-always excellent art and awesome action showcased by artist extraordinaire Hitch makes this series a winner.

And of course, the art of Stjepan Sejic is beyond compare. How this man does it, I'll never know! I can read almost ANY book if he draws it, hell if it's bad I'll just scan the lovely pictures as if I was illiterate! I would recommend it for his art alone but the combination here is excellent and continues the Image/Top Cow streak of winning titles.

Definitely one of the most entertaining, innovative and beautifully rendered books on the market right now. I would pick it up for the art alone but this really is the whole package.

The art is of the pretty standard DC in-house style so I have little to say beyond "it is good". The team does a respectable job and I liked the design of the behemoth monster and some of the colouring choices.

HIGHLY recommended for everyone.

But I'm torn about this comic. On the one hand, it's a first issue and as a kick-starter it is entertaining, interesting and has some nice action. But I've had hit-or-miss luck with liking Van Lente's writing so here's hoping he keeps the issues to come as awesome as this one!

Overall a good issue and definitely good enough to have read, felt satisfied and want to read the next one with no heartache " that's more than most comics will give you!

Robo's adventures have always been like the older world of comics where continuity exists, but loosely, with no major connections carrying on and large over-arching character arcs or any such. This latest mini series (the 8th such installment by my count) however follows on from the previous one which you don't have to read but should just because it's awesome.

Definitely a recommended read from my side among the spandex books on shelves.

Not the greatest book and not Len's finest work, but for what it is, he does a fine job that lives up to his reputation from his earlier works. I'd recommend reading it simply either for that or if you are a Watchmen fan and just want at least one good story from this otherwise pretty terrible cashing in on the original.

Good for several laughs and if it's your thang, you'll definitely be itching to try out the other incarnations and I'd personally recommend it just for the sheer fun.

All in all, one of the better mainstream comics in a while. To me this and Hawkeye show that smaller adventures with smaller scale can be fantastic if told by a great creative team.

Lost somewhere between absurdist humour, cleverness, extremely childish, surrealism and warm-fuzzy-fun, I'd say this is a good read when you want something upbeat to change the vibe in between all the intense stuff out there. I'm not entirely convinced I'd buy this every month as it's a little outside my wheel-house, but I enjoyed just this one issue enough that I'll definitely try a couple more and might even take a peek at Adventure Time sometime. The cupcake fight and lines like "If a baby giggles inside you, where does the giggle go?" are enough reason to give this book a shot.

Highly recommended for people who like superhero stories a little away from the same-old, same-old beat-em-up spandex melodrama!

Overall, if you are an X-Force junkie like me and looking for more fixes, this shows promise and hopefully it's sister series starring Psylock and her X-Force squad will be as good if not better.

If you're deciding which books to pick from the MARVEL NOWinitiative to follow, this one definitely gets my seal of approval.

The art also largely seems to really work well with the series. Dark and full of shadows, yet laden with enough bright colours and lighting to keep the contrast constant but never painful. Fuso has a really nice art style that I'm enjoying here, but its Arianna's colours that really bring every single thing to life " from the sharp and bright to more neutral shades, she has a great balance in her style.

Tobin crafts a great tale here. It's absorbing, intriguing and gives the impression of being the start of a twisted but great story. Having read the solicit though, I was annoyed at the slow pace " though this first issue reads so well that it's hard to really complain. I'm new to Juan Ferreyra's art, but he does an excellent job with his characters, there is a very "real" sense to everything and the fine details like he shows on the creepy villain character really add a nice feel to the whole thing. I look forward to much more from him.

So far I'm feeling the need to give them the benefit of the doubt and so I'm going to eagerly await #2 and see if this creative team can deliver on all the promise of this debut issue.

Dan the Unharmable #1 (Avatar Press)Story : David LaphamArt : Rafael Otiz(Reviewed by Akshay Dhar)

Overall, one of the most entertaining books I've read in the past couple of months and one of my favourites of the recent waves of new series' that Image has been launching. If enough fans get a chance to try it out, this will definitely be one hell of a feather in Images cap! GO READ IT!

I picked this up on a whim but it is now added to my pull-list and I would recommend any fans of The Sandman and the Books of Magic and less action and more content-oriented stories to definitely give this a shot!

Dragotta seems to have a nice flair for interpreting Hickman and his artwork at moments brings me flashbacks of Hickmans older work like the aforementioned Pax Romana and Red Mass for Mars " the characters are not the greatest rendering but the expression he gives them more than makes up for that. Sheer awesomeness is to be had and I really want the next issue to arrive yesterday!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone with a thirst for something new!

Overall, I highly recommend this issue and series to anyone who feels even slightly curious about it, it's well worth a read, ESPECIALLY if you like superheroes but are sick of the bloated mainstream stories.

Hickman has accomplished something amazing, he has made me care about this book and this team again " I liken his run on the FF to Dan Slott on Spiderman and Jason Aaron on Wolverine, its like Marvel has hit the ultimate jackpot and found the writer most ideally suited and personally passionate and path-making and breaking writers for these series. If you aren't reading these two books, you really should be!

As stated - worth a read if only to bring you into the very entertaining world of Gravel, but don't expect the moon of this first issue.

Lemire crafts a deft little mystery here that at first almost makes one think of the ongoing Arrow series, but this story-line seems to be like that in some respects but at the same time a whole other saga with a whole other set of mysteries and madness to be faced. It is a fantastic new book and one I plan to follow for as long as it goes if it stays this good!

It's raw and brutal and Robertson (Transmetropolitan, The Boys) has more than perfected the art of making that look amazing as anyone who's followed his career would know. His panels are perfect in my view and his characters have so much, well, character when you see them. The expressions, the clothes, the ambience " Darrick shows why he's amongst the best in the industry here and he does it with style.

If you've read the credits for this comic, like me you're astonished at the sheer artistic overkill that has been brought to bear here. But the thing is, bearing in mind what I just told you about the "story" in this issue, it's perfect as we get an INSANE variety of comic art page after page and it's almost a laugh a minute and equal parts destruction and chaos as well " a perfect Harley cocktail. All leading to a nice little twist at the end that serves to set up the creative team and the setting for the new series (Woohoo! She's leaving Gotham!) and a promise to cease breaking the fourth-wall from now (which I hope is a lie!!), it's a riot and one I'd heartily recommend for anyone who's been missing something truly enjoyable from DC for a while.

I have no idea where Lieberman plans to take this, but it is definitely a win for now in my book simply for braving new ground and doing what only the best story-tellers do " the unexpected. And believe me when I tell you that even after reading this review, there will be lots in this you will not expect

(" I just pray fervently that this series does not get impacted by the idiotically planned cross-over between the Masters and the DCU characters that has been announced! The costumes look different enough that I'm hoping it's an alternate version!)

As a pleasing addition, Leonard Kirk seems to have found a home in this title (or at least he should!) because his renderings of Earth, space, the Chitauri, space-war and (of course) Galactus and all else here is utterly awesome and definitely propels this book higher in my estimation.

Gunnell, a veteran here at Aspen MLT, does a good job as usual " though I'm not crazy about his style " but his art is not enough to save a story that starts out seeming somewhere between clich and trying too hard. I'd go so far as to say Image's recent America's Got Powersseries is more interestingly handled.That said, it's not a bad comic and might find a readership and in fact get much better once some more details emerge, but as a first issue I'm not jumping for joy.

Despite that however, I very much want to see if they can keep to the serious story and make this a landmark comic in its own way.

If this book does turn out to be a return to form for Millar, no one will be happier than me and even more so because Frank is drawing it and did not end up drawing one of those other books.

The ONLY saving grace in all this, the thing that gets most of the total score this received is the art by the amazing Ivan Reis. He remains awesome at what he does!

If you have love for the supernatural and excellent stories revolving around it, read this book " and if you're worried that DC will shoe-horn heroes into it and kill it, well have no fear because that's not been a problem.

The art was the one thing I actually, genuinely enjoyed in this comic. Andrew Kreisberg has shown himself to have a nice grasp of visuals and what I like particularly is that he seems to have a better grasp of facial expression than some of his peers and while his layouts are not the greatest, the quality and consistency of his panels more than makes up for it.

I would definitely recommend this for people who love the characters to try and make their own judgement and for new readers who want something that has heroes and heroic adventures but is not the same old comic heroes the Big Two give, these guys are legend for a reason and this is a good place to check them out and not have to read the decades of back-catalogue.

I would definitely recommend it as something out of the box and another example of how versatile, mature and relevant comics as a medium can be if given a chance.

Not everyone's cup of tea I daresay, but if you like Tarzan and non-superhero adventure stories, then you would do well to at least give this a shot.

Packed with great art from the duo in charge, there is a solid consistency across pages that really makes for a good experience and while not everyone may like the style, there's no doubt that Korim draws a great Dinosaur!

Filled with swearing, healthy doses of violence and a very raw feel that made me recall early Mark Millar and Garth Ennis at moments " if you are a fan of that kind of off-the-wall superheroic stories and want to support new talent and independent comics of this calibre, you have my full recommendation. Spread the word and go read this book.

I retain an open mind, but not by too much.

Overall, it seems worth a read and if future issues remain true to the style and tone of this book, I'd be inclined to go for it even if the current art remained.

Go read Talon, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Action Comics, Dial H, Frankenstein or any of the other genuinely few good books DC has and give them a fighting chance.

The sister series starring Pandora is no great shakes but I would recommend THAT over this for sure. Recommended only if you are a completist and MUST read all the tie-ins to Forever Evil or something. If you are a fond fan of the Phantom Stranger who was such a lovely part of DC for decades before the reboot like me, skip it.

Another example (after the unholy resurrection that was Youngblood!) that Image comics likely legendary run of new comics and dynamic new creators in the past year and half is finally slowing some. Not a horrible comic, I might still check out #2, but mostly out of curiosity to see if they can pick up the pace and find a better flow. If it continues like this issue then it's a no from me.

If you like science fiction, the bizarre and something just a little off the beaten track that really gets under your skin " check this book out!

Image seems to have another hit on their hands I'd wager.

Already having master-minded one of Image's recent wave of hits " Green Wake " Link and Rossmo have really created something special here and if you like zombie plagues, then you REALLY need to be checking this book out!

The really wonderful part is that this shows how Simone has taken comic writing back in a way to the old-school where you could put a lot into a comic and not try and spread it out over months and a dozen issues as most publishers are now doing. This is suitably compressed (not too much) story-telling at it's best.

Don't waste your money or your time, borrow and give it a try if you really can't help it or like me, sometimes just like to torture yourself.

Being a series with as much hype behind it as this one is not an easy thing to live up to, but two issues in and Saga is doing it with style.

Brilliantly complementing the story is the art by Stegman who just goes to town in the action and his faces, the expressions, the layouts and the dynamic feel for the action really made this issue an utter and total joy to read. If you have ever been a Spidey fan, I would recommend this book " and of course to any discerning fan in general: READ IT!

Overall, I was intrigued by #1 and am vaguely underwhelmed by #2. I trust that Casey has something in mind with all this but what we've gotten so far isn't enough to make me stick around.

Hutchison and Castor have been doing a fine job with this book, adding another feather to the BDI cap and at this rate might need a new cap. They build a fascinating new world and their choices for the starting point just make it too cool and entertaining to be bothered with extra exposition and filling in details " I'm happy enough for now to simply read it as-is with the bits of back-story dropped here and there to keep the action moving at a brisk enough pace.

That said, I was fairly pleased with the book. The robotic cover look at first made me think we were getting some kind of Atomic Robo mixed with a healthy dose of Hellboy, but it seems that assumption may yet prove wrong. Mignola is a tried and true creator and John Arcudi has been a good fit with his works thus far, so while a vaguely impressive start, it may yet prove to be a good book.

I was pretty much sold on going straight for this book to review this week the moment I saw Andy Diggle and Jock as the creative team behind it " they've worked together at 2000AD and then kicked arse with The Losers over at Vertigo and retold the origin of Ollie Queen in Green Arrow: Year On " and this one not only lives up to that, it seems set to raise the bar higher!

If you liked this series, this continues the more interesting, well played out (so far!) take on a not-so-new idea of the hero-villain body-switch, if you hated it, then you will anyway and my review and score is not for you " and why are you still following it if you hate it anyway? This is something I don't get about comic fanatics… And sadly as always, the art of the issue loses something for me because while I like his dynamic, enmeshed and fluid panels and layouts, I really don't like the character work and faces in Stegman's art.

Kudos DC, kudos to you for yet again turning a Superman story to garbage.

All in all, a good issue and one that fans will likely enjoy " but my guess is that till the next issue when Erik settles into his intended groove, we will all be waiting at the edge of the cliff.

Stuff like this is why said reading list is slowly but surely lowering the Big-2 titles.

If you are a glutton for punishment or just can't stop yourself from picking up every Wolverine or X-book on the shelf, go for it. If you like a good comic and don't want to soil your brain and the good memories of the X-origins, I'd say skip this and pretend it's a "What If?" event. It may surprise us because Gage is good at what he does, but this first installment does not bode well.

Not the greatest issue of the series, but a good, solid and very entertaining read.

But while I am impressed somewhat by the writing, the art could do with a little work. Basically very good and fitting the story's excessive moments and such, something about the overall look could do with a little fine-tuning. Perhaps some work on the inking, particularly the faces, and some tweaking of the colours and this book will be solid.

Definitely a great start and with a mix of characters (didn't want to name more and spoil anything yet, sorry) and with a lot of potential to be an interesting aspect of and very different kind of story-telling and adventures than any other DC book right now " I would recommend this to most folks and I hope the issues ahead live up to this one.

Are there any comics you'd like to know about? Any questions or requests? Feel free to be in touch and let us know!

I cannot wait for issue #2 and ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE who likes kung-fu, cheeky humour, over-the-top action and beautifully detailed artwork " you need to stop reading and go read this book. Immediately. Or sewer gators will bite your arse next time you go… (well no, but if it helps motivate you, I'm cool saying it!)

That's it. Doesn't sound like much, but for art buffs like me, this is an experience and a half. Throw in the expectation of what could they possibly do after these two insane issues and despite the ZERO story-building, I can't give this comic a low rating " that should say something.

Accompanying this excellent first issues' script is some very suitably grim and shadowy art by Colton Worley who really does a nice job with the tone of the pages and the way the pages flow from top to bottom. His panoramic and splash pages in particular look spectacular and it is his rendering of The Spider himself that really steals the show here

Intended to (as the writer states) "make people like science", this comic show me something I haven't seen outside of the recently concluded (and always fantastic) TV series Eureka (a personal fav!) that just ended, this book really seems to be taking the ideas of the creative and fun aspects of science and fiction and just having a great time.

Loved both stories and liked both artists " I'm definitely on-board with this book for as long as it finds an audience and stays this good, with DC losing books (like this weeks too-soon finale of the wicked-awesome Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E) and new ones popping up pretty fast, here's hoping this one finds a foot-hold as it shows promise and the potential to have something to compete with Marvels excellent cosmic books, something, anything besides another standard Legion or Green Lantern story. While connected, these tales at least show a unique adventure and world.

The story might be a tiny bit disorienting for those not big fans of fantasy and elaborate world-building, but for those that are " it promises to be a treat! Johnston has proven on more than one occasion his love of and skill at this part of story-telling and couple that with letting the uber-talented Christopher Mitten go wild and draw from the kinds of monsters and demons that scared us as children in the dark, let's just say it leads to something that reads quite beautifully!

The art is as always utterly brilliant " Edwin Huang is not someone I knew before this series, but he is perfect for it. The art is excellent quality and has been consistent right from the start " his characters and visuals are just as much a part of what makes the series great as anything. The little details, the expressions, random sound effect-ish thing, all of it combines to add to the sheer fun that is Skullkickers and I personally am definitely looking forward to more!

If you want something new, something fresh that is not heavy and flows fast but somehow leaves you wide-eyed and wanting more, I would say you definitely need to give Veil a try immediately!

Not as great as it was under Marz who I thought was the perfect writer for this series and should have stayed on a little longer, but still one of the better DC titles out there right now.

It also ends rather abruptly, preview book or not, and leads into a gallery of pin-up art for the series which was… nice I suppose. Also an ad for a female-centric series (so it seems) called Chimera, also by Shatner, now THAT had me genuinely intrigued.

Little needs to be said about the art except that it is perfect for this story. The monster designs, the look, the atmosphere and just about everything is pretty damn close to perfect " Ketner really, clearly has a love for this. It's a big part of why I'm doing something I rarely do and giving this issue a perfect score.Read it. Now.

Anyway, long story short, we get a nice lowdown on the basics, a good introduction to their character and get to see their relationship and dynamic and end the issue with a nice shiny (literally!) new bad guy for the ladies to bring down. Sadly though, that big fight and more reveals were held in check for upcoming issues.If the story quality remains this good, I think I can expect future issues to do better " DC seriously needs to give Perez more simple comics and less detail to draw or something, because perfectly good pages felt "meh" and killed some of the vibe. AND PLEASE DC!!! Change that damn costume" seriously"

Bottom line? It is a very well-crafted and short-but-intense first issue that really draws you in nicely, Vendetti has done a great job. He has crafted a lead character that you immediately understand and set everything up very well " the real test will be his transition from what it starts as to what it eventually forms into, because what happens now will define the tone and feel of the entire series ahead. And I DEFINITELY look forward to the action to ramp up once the suit has a new wearer!

The script so far has more than done the title justice and the pencils are not my favourite, but the combination of the inks and colours really save the day, creating a nice look and feel for everything.If the other Valiant books are all this good in both story and art, you'll love them.

And the trio on art really nails things. I found that between the nicely rendered art and character designs (and a pretty killer colour palette) and the story I was so engrossed that I felt hard-pressed to find flaws in the artwork and having noticed none that I can recall or anything that stood out as overly negative, I'm going to go with a seriously heavy recommendation on this one " We need to support more comics like this one!

Don't read this book unless you love Rob. Seriously. It will make your eyes bleed… oh great, now I can't see anymore…