Andrew Stevens Comic Reviews

Ultimately, these stories remain cute and have nice little jokes within them, but the fragmentation ultimately makes the comic feel like less value for money when nothing seems to have been achieved in any story section. I am also beginning to feel that while the webshow manages to appeal to all ages, the comic fails to contain anything of real substance for older readers.

Ultimately, this comic just doesnt feel like good value for money. Its a delight to look at, but the lack of any meaningful content leaves me feeling disappointed, especially when compared to what Bravest Warriors has achieved in terms of expanding its mythos through the medium comics. If youre a Bee and Puppycat fan looking for literally professional-grade fan art with cute stories behind it then you will undoubtedly find something to like here. I just wish there was more to this series than just the 'cuteness' factor.

If you're a fan of Carpenter or Powell, you're probably across this already, but if you aren't, or even are just a fan of good comics, you need this in your life. Go buy it. Right now.

If you, like myself, had become weary of Bravest Warriors comics in the last few months, then Im delighted to say you can jump back on with issues #21 and #22 and have an absolute blast.

I feel like I might be preaching to the choir after 23 issues, as most will know whether they want to be reading this comic or not, but given the dip in quality during the Season 2 tie-in I feel it is necessary to state that this series is back on solid ground.

So yeah, was that enough new stuff to say about the series? It feels like Im just repeating myself at the moment, but Im thrilled that I get to report back to fans of this series that all is well every month.

So happy birthday once more Bravest Warriors, and with an issue which looks as much to creating future stories as it does celebrating a fan-favourite character, I can tell it wont be the last we will be celebrating.

From the first page, there is but one structure that unites all of this intrigue, and that it is avitalscaffold that threatens to buckle under all of this narrative weight: unions, that controversial entity (that, given my metro-Detroit roots, make my blood redder) that never fails to deliver drama and conflict. Higgins and Siegel throw on the bricks of city politics, secret agendas, Cold War tactics, the fade of WWII, the dilemmas of power, and the common good, and what we're left with as an edifice of comic book story telling that rivals anything else Image, or any other publisher, is putting out. If the second arc isn't a wrecking ball that demolishes all this carefully-laid work (and I doubt it will be), we're in for a story that just might scrape the sky.

Drive #1 is unfortunately not as slick and polished as its celluloid namesake. Character introspection is welcomed for such a blank-slate character, but gives the impression of someone I don't want to root for, but hey, maybe I shouldn't. 

This comic gets by on its amazing art and by the fact that once plot holes are ignored the interest in seeing kaiju fight in a post-apocalypse is still strong. The issue flies by, due to a combination of well-worn apocalypse tropes that dont require much thought and a desire to witness some beautiful action. Based purely upon how the interesting premise is almost wasted I would have given this comic a two out of 5, putting it at a for fans only level. Luckily, the excellent art and relative accessibility of this title compared to Rulers of Earth just nudges this comic up a point.

I really hope that the hints given in this issue eventually help to justify this series existence, as right now we are not being given a unique story to fit the unique setting.

The issue ends with Hiroshi stating that he will protect Biollante, to try and atone for his past sins. As the relationship between Hirsohi and Godzilla, guilt and revenge, continue to build throughout this series it becomes stronger and more unique for it.

The pseudo-spiritual examination of guilt and the deification or demonification of kaiju is continuing as the issue builds towards its cliffhanger, but with the issue showing us the destruction wrought before the mind-control experiment and then its insistence that this was the wrong thing to do, it is hard to become involved in the debate when the only other course was to allow the kaiju to destroy the world with no human intervention. Hopefully in its final chapter, Godzilla Cataclysm will allow our narrator to let go of his guilt, and deliver some meaningful insight into his world destroyed by unbelievable titans.

In conclusion, this book was a riot, even just picking it up at this random issue. Since most kaiju media these days has strayed away from the joyously weird Toho originals it is great to see that spirit continued on by such big fans who clearly want to continue that series for other fans. Just be warned that youll be expected to have done your homework.

If youre picking up this comic, youre doing so to fill the void of Toho-inspired Godzilla films in your heart. Its reassuring to know that the team behind this comic fully understand this, and strive to provide so much for fans who would have likely bought a Godzilla comic regardless of quality, just to have more Godzilla content.

Ultimately this issue is exciting, especially whenever Gigan is on the page, but it suffers from introducing Space-Godzilla without context and with no apparent connection to the previous villain.

Fans of this story will likely decry most of the criticisms offered here, and stand satisfied with another Hellboy adventure. And while this story does containsparks that may soonignite the blaze of a truly great story, the creative teamcertainly has their work cut out for them. The standard coming-of-age story, or bildungsroman if you like, shows us an individual who exists in a hostileenvironment (in this case a demon fromhell on Earth) who ultimately pursues adventure and becomes one with the world. Ultimately, the protagonist rises to an authentic version of themselves. When the form is handled well, the emotional payoff ameliorates any reservations one had in the beginning. The true test of Hellboy and the BPRD "1952 will come with the arrival of issue #2, where we'll see these characters exert some agency on the story presently constricting them.

While this issue may seem a weak reveal for the Dark Judges their plan is certainly given a horrifying weight. With the return of the Dark Judges, and a ludicrous moment in which Dredd shoots a star vampire with a crossbow this series seems to be embracing its 2000 AD roots a little more than it once had. With that, and an awesome story for the always-incredible Judge Anderson, I think this series has made it back onto my pull-list. And maybe it should have never left.

Standing on its own, and in comparison with last months issue, the flaws in this issue are very noticeable. The story feels like it is trying too hard to be relevant, and is cheapening the effect of the Dark Judges by doing so. The art, while entirely serviceable, is made to seem lesser compared to the wonderful efforts shown in the previous issue.

The individual parts of this issue continue to impress on their own merits, but the execution remains flawed and is only becoming more of an issue as each story tries to build up to a climax. The great art and improvement to the social surveillance allegory manage to boost this issue from a 2/5 to a 3/5.

To conclude and put a rating to this comic, I had a lot of fun reading it, and I put this down to the excellent art and the inventive situations which seem like they could only happen in a Judge Dredd comic. To rate this a 3 again based on the problems with juggling both stories would be ignoring what this story got right, which is why my rating is as follows. Keep up the good work everyone, and I can't wait to see what you can do with all your focus on one storyline.

Now that the Dark Judges storyline is apparently over it is great to see Swierczynski run with his satirical look at our surveillance culture, and by briefly removing Dredd this impactful story is made all the more relatable. This issue was also a delight to look at, even if character models seemed a tad short at times to almost comical effect, but if I had to recommend a single reason to pick up this comic it is that we see more of a man called Judge Fred than we do Judge Dredd.

Faerber's art, with Juan Manuel Tumburs' colors, is extremely expressive, and very appealing. It reflects the perfect amount of comedy and depth from Bemis' script, resulting in one of the most entertainingly postmodern superhero satires in recent memory. Even if Gen13 and Youngblood weren't your jam twenty years ago " but especially if they were " this is an impressively engaging series that is not to be missed.

RoboCop #1 sets up a new, film worthy adventure for a cinematic icon, and any fan of the original universe should definitely pick it up.

In conclusion, RoboCop #2 only slightly misses out on the 4/5 rating I gave #1. The slight drop in art quality and varying success of the writing means I cant be quite as glowing as I was last month, but I will still definitely recommend this comic to fans and non-fans alike. You will definitely get a lot out of this comic if youre a RoboCop fan.

This issue ends with the return of the hillbillies, who thankfully give more of a Deliverance vibe than a Dukes of Hazzard one this month. They personify the brutal threat that is approaching the City of Detroit and RoboCop himself, as the story finally catches its stride and breaks out of setup. From this point on I can imagine much more action coming our way from this series.

As this months chapter closes, we now see that although Killian has been temporarily set back, his plans for Detroit involve far more violence than any moral person could be expected to counteract. The reveal that his plan involves the robbery of some very large (and very familiar) ordinance from OCP sends a shiver down my spine. Its such a shame I now have to put this wonderful RoboCop film on pause for yet another month.

Killian finally manages to goad Murphy into a fight with a dramatically more war-capable opponent, but while the outcome of this fight may have to wait until the next issue, we are left with a far-more enticing cliffhanger in the reveal of Killian's past affiliation with the early days of OCP. This exploration of the grimy underbelly of business is what RoboCop has always done best, and Joshua Williamson has so far treated us to a faithful addition to the RoboCop canon which knows exactly which beats to hit.

RoboCop #7 feels a little too convenient at times, but, like the moments in a film just before Act 3 really kicks off it places all of the players in just the right places to make what is coming next possible. That said, I really cant wait to see what happens in Act 3 now.

Oh and an additional shout-out goes to Williamson for his impressive working-in of one of Nintendos earliest, and most off-putting, adverts.

Saga, for all its foreign elements"horns, wings, robots"grounds itself firmly in an emotional reality. The issue's opener, while still rife with hallucinogenic pyrotechnics, still manages a compelling portrait of Marko and Alana. Staples moves beyond the tropes of a typical sex scene and into an arena where two gorgeous people cast in chiaroscuro light are engaged in sweat-free sex. We get the rawness of Staples' portraiture through Alana's insistance that Marko "spank that fat ass." Reliably, Staples and Vaughn bring us back into reality, granting the reader a rare acuity through which they can view their own life through the prism of blissful escape.

Overall, issue two improved over one by a thin margin. If they continue at this rate by issue ten we should reach a quality worthy of our money.

So yeah, another stellar issue of my favourite comic. Now excuse me while I go and frame my copy and hang it up somewhere where my parents will almost certainly see it next time they're over.

This issue, being just the first of six (the longest single story arc the series has seen outside of movie tie-ins) sets up dire stakes for the alternate timeline, and plays around with time travel in a way which will surely delight and frighten Trek fans in equal measures. I know I'm excited, and hope the longer run gives this story time to breathe and finally deliver a truly epic story.

At the halfway point of this mini-series I am absolutely hooked. The Q Gambit is an absolute gift to Star Trek fans, exploring favourite characters and story arcs from a new position, without ever betraying how those characters would usually act. These past three issues have set up a great alternate world for the remaining three issues to explore as we move closer towards finding out what that toe rag Q is really up to. As the most entertaining and well-executed piece of Star Trek storytelling Ive experienced all year, Im proud to give Star Trek #37 my first ever perfect score on the Big Comic Page. Any Star Trek fans out there should definitely be picking up this series.

Ending on yet another escalation, Star Trek: The Q Gambit continues to set a high bar, one which I hope future IDW Star Trek comics will rise to meet.

If the entire issue had been at the same quality as its latter half, I would have definitely given this book a 4 out of 5, but Ill have to settle on a 3/5, and hope that #42 will feature more of Staggs better work.

Even as a fan of the rebooted Trek films, I hope that much of what transpires in these comics can, appear in Trek 3, tonaly at least. The highlight of the issue is a discussion on the moral quandary of killing Behemoth - something which is merely following its natural instincts - to save billions of lives. This is what Trek is all about when it's at its best.

Johnson and Shasteen have succeeded in meeting my high expectations after the great Q Gambit mini-series. With a great scenario, sedate pacing and the best art the series has yet seen it would be rude of me to not heartily recommend this comic with full marks.

Johnson also brings the crew of the rebooted Enterprise into conflict with a very old-Trek kind of villain, one obsessed witha singlefacet of life and composed of a thousand bloody tentacles. It's great to see the tropes of old Star Trek making their way into stories based in the new continuity.

Johnson continues to steer the good ship Star Trek Comics with a steady hand, writing a tense situation for the crew of the Enterprise, including confrontations that call into question the young James T. Kirk's ability to command. Doctor McCoy's reaction to this month's predicament is also an issue highlight, with a seemingly rash decision being later explained in the sort of rational and deeply caring manner that only Bones could express. Finally, as the issue ramps up the scenario, key members of the Enterprise crew begin to act entirely in their own interests, resulting in fantastic character moments between friends, crew members and subordinates who are all acting out of sorts. It stands to Johnson's credit that this comic is so exciting long before the baddies even show up.

Star Trek #48 is exactly the kind of Star Trek story I want to read. Interesting, intriguing and frightening. It's a great set-up that I hope pays off well. It really seems like every story Johnson writes could be a mini-series these days.

Star Trek #49 is one of the best in the run, and I eagerly await the landmark 50th issue in order to find out more about how this series has been made.

In summary, Star Trek #50 is indicative of the incredibly high level of quality this comic has risen to, and makes an excellent milestone for the now veteran series.

The Spock Legacy is shaping up to be a fitting tribute to Leonard Nimoy, providing the kind of excellent material Nimoy would have been at his best reciting.

In conclusion, the success of this issue ultimately depends on your attachment to Starfleets medical personnel throughout the ages. If you like them and enjoy nicely placed references to Trek lore then you will find enjoyment in this issue, but little else of real impact.

Sadly, I can't really offer much more than that for the time being, but I will likely come back to update this review once I have hopefully exchanged my copy back at Forbidden Planet, surreptitiously or otherwise…

So yeah, this is the great start to a crossover mini-series that nobody saw coming, and which seamlessly combined two previously unrelated franchises. Hell, this may even make a Green Lantern fan of me yet.

This is still a set-up issue at heart, but what it's setting up is some of the most fun Star Trek you'll get to read in comic form.

Angel Hernandez is a great fit for this mini-series, with fantastically powerful and superheroey art for those imbued with Lantern powers being juxtapositioned with a more subdued and straight-laced style for the Starfleet crew. It helps to show just how different these two properties really are, even if they do share space-faring adventure at heart.

Art-wise, Angel Hernandez does excellent, bright and, most appropriately, colourful space battles. In particular he captures the more up-close-and-personal aspects of fights from the perspective of those flying around with power rings. There has never been a more asymmetrical fight in a Star Trek comic than two small humanoids trying to fight an entire space station, and it is really neat to see such small participants flying around, weaving and dodging, and getting smashed by photon torpedoes.

Shattered Empire #1 fuels yet more hype for The Force Awakens, and does so by telling an involving story tied into established events. More so than the end of Return of the Jedi could hint at, this comic brings a sense of sacrifice to what was accomplished in that film, and begins to pull back the curtains on the work that still needs to be done if the galaxy is to be made safe from the Empire forever. This story is helped by fantastic art, with Checchetto nailing character likenesses as well as large set-piece battles. Colourist Andres Mossa brings the aesthetic of the original trilogy to the page with his muted colours and natural lighting. This comic is a joy to look at, and is invaluable on the road to Episode VII.

Lastly, The Fade Out lends itself a skin of reality with its back pages that skip the standard letters to the writer, and instead offer essays on noir, pulps, and the historical period, which willnot be made available when the issues are later collected in trades. This issue's essay presents the real suicide of the little known actress Peg Entwistle, moving The Fade Out past simple escapism into the realm of art.

An established creative team like Brubaker and Phillips accrues faith from its readers, and lesser creators might have spent that currency on minor efforts. This team is at their peak, a long peak really starting back with the comics mentioned earlier. What they've accomplished in their history together is to have readers attend to their work at the micro level. They operate in these early issues, on the plain of psychological realism where we not only sense the character, but their vulnerability. They build this tension with steady pressure, until we seamlessly sever our ties with the world we know and float away on unknown currents.

For Charlie it seems that the red scare, a wilderness of secrets, and lack of dating skills will be the least of his problems when he advances into Act Two, but this likely ensures for the readers that whatever teems beneath the Golden Era of Hollywood will burst forth in the next issue.

Our heroes wear their personal mantles awkwardly as their simmering retribution begins to boil, and as Brodsky points out, the world that surrounds them is so corrupt and cynical that they would have to be assholes to try and do anything about it. The move invests us in our heroes, who (unlike their more noble counterparts the detectives) will compromise all that they believe in to advance on the path of their doomed quest.

The Fade Out operates with the full force of both its genre and its protagonists. A noir is an internal story, one of complex emotions and existential dread, and with that Brubaker doubles down on the most internally self-loathing of all characters: writers.

With issue # 9 I found that, for the very first time, I wondered who it is that tells us this story. The narrator sticks close to Charlie and Gil, and obviously knows their secrets. Perhaps Brubaker narrates it, his eye on the past, sympathetic to these two men, but I like to think that it's Charlie and Gil"the two writers, already at their end, looking back at all the choices that led them down the dark cavern we know they're destined for, desperate for some answer of where they might have chosen differently, shored against their ruins.

So whats not to like? Its only got one more issue! Boo, rubbish, etc. Although sometimes, things can drag on, so maybe, just maybe, this is another strength rather than a weakness. A cracking read, and long live the Squid!

Considering how much the events of this issue are playing on my mind, and how little I can tell you to avoid spreading spoilers, I will insist on giving this issue a perfect 5/5 score, so that even if I cant exactly tell you why, you will know this comic is absolutely worth your purchase this week.

What saves Velvet, and most of Brubaker's work, from being swallowed by genre conventions is that Brubaker is a student of whatever he undertakes. Whatever flaws his work has (and there are few), pace is not one of them. The moment anything is seems to take too long, or a character seems to be dragging, Brubaker's narrative turns and subverts convention, making the reader demand more.