Andy Liegl Comic Reviews

With this completed work, Aaron and Guera have done their part at keeping our industry's heartbeat steady -- they've blown it away and left an experience in their wake.

It's Dysart's skill as a writer accompanied by the expressive storytelling of the artists that no two characters read the same in this issue. It's amazing what one seemingly innocent line of dialogue here, or the focus of an eyeball there can do to move the story. It's great to watch unfold, and as a result, "Harbinger" is a book people need to know about. It's indie superheroes at its best, and fans of team books like "X-Men" or "Teen Titans" or indie works like "Invincible" or "Americas Got Powers" need to give "Harbinger" a read.

"Storm Dogs" presents an original sci-fi world and features characters who sound like individuals amidst a galaxy rife with politics and regulations. The final page raises questions about the natives of Amaranth, and it provides a nice cliffhanger. I have no clue what to expect moving forward and I'm on board with this miniseries.

This issue was more about Arcane, the main antagonist in both "Swamp Thing" and "Animal Man," as opposed to Alec Holland and it's truly horrific. While the argument could be made by regular "Swamp Thing" readers not much is revealed here we didn't already know, it accomplishes what's expected out of a #0. I'd argue the New 52 "Swamp Thing" should have started with this issue a year ago as it lays out who the major two players are and reasons for their actions -- I was moderately in the dark when this series began. Having this issue kick it all off could have alleviated some of that confusion.

It's impressive that in a "Batman" spinoff series, Batman never showed up and I didn't even notice. Tynion has definitely made a strong addition to the "Batman" mythos with this issue. If you dig Snyder's "Batman" or want an excellent standalone comic, this issue is a must-read and a strong addition to DC's zero month of titles.

As a direct epilogue to "AvX," Consequences" succeeds where the "Fear Itself" Point One issues and "Fearless" maxiseries missed their beats -- it builds on the event as opposed to eradicating it, giving readers a solid followup story dissecting the ramifications "AvX" has had on the Marvel Universe's major players.

And this is what Sesame Street is known for -- bridging all kinds of gaps. Of age, race, gender or whatever else is out there holding back mankind from being truly human, lighting the way for the future of our children. Ape's "Sesame Street" #1 is onto something here, breaking new ground with the "read it aloud" format, and by sticking to that mold it offers special moments between parents and their children. And in the long run, these moments only make this world a better place.

Where the previous "Star Wars" comic set during the Original Trilogy, "Rebellion," failed to live up to expectations, Ostrander and Fabbri have done a good job here establishing their independence from that lore, but still tying things into the bigger picture, acknowledging its existence. There's a great bait and switch in this issue -- I fell for it -- and after it's revealed there's no sense of gimmickry. Cross's world is burrowing deeply into his head, and the Empire might not be the stuff of order he thought it was. Fans of "Star Wars" or spy fiction will find something to like in this issue.

For fans of horror there's plenty to like here -- gore, twisted cheese and nudity. "Ferals" is a fun romp and a guilty pleasure werewolf series if taken for what it is. It's certainly at the top of its class as far as lycanthrope comics go and has potential to fill a void for horror fans. For everyone else this issue runs the risk of being too gratuitous, over the top and downright disturbing.

This #0 is a suitable origin story and jumping on point for a new reader, but lacks the punch needed to hook them long term. There are better entry points into the series and characters -- the #1 issue from the initial New 52 launch or the first collected volume which is already available. Even Jeff Lemire's "Frankenstein" miniseries from the forgotten "Flashpoint" event has more bite to it and serves as a better introduction. Regular readers have the gaps filled in on Frank's origin, but since the necessary emotion isn't conveyed they'll likely walk away feeling the issue could have been summed up in a few pages. Still, for $2.99 it's a worthy choice but even Ponticelli's artwork may not be enough for this #0 to survive a future collection culling.

By the end of the opening act, "Point of Impact" #1 presents a suspect and a familiar technique utilized in the crime genre: a mysterious figure who seemingly controls and manipulates the situation from behind the scenes. This may be enough to stick around for #2 and fans of crime fiction should feel comfortable giving "Point Of Impact" a shot. That being said, something needs to up the ante or make the audience care for the people involved in subsequent chapters to make this story stand out from the rest of its type.

This first installment of the new series pales in comparison to the first "Ghost" omnibus available through Dark Horse, but it's definitely not bad and I'm excited the character is back in the new millennium. DeConnick and Noto show potential, setting the stage for the players to move about in an engaging manner, but unfortunately the lack of focus on the leading lady and missing key beats make this #0 fall flat.

Overall the "Micro-Series" issues have been solid reads, providing self contained stories with significant impact on the main ongoing title while still being accessible for new readers. While this "Micro" issue is worth reading for the first appearance it contains, it does little to advance April's character and does not live up to its predecessors.

Whether or not this prequel volume will live up to the standard set by its predecessor remains to be seen. "Black Kiss" is great on its own and would have remained timeless without a prequel bringing it back into the public eye. While there are things here for readers familiar with "Kiss" to walk away with, someone who has never read the original may feel less inclined to stick around.

A redeeming factor is a reprint of Frazetta's original issue following the main story. Without the reprint, this issue would score 1 star but that touch of class matters. The 10 page story has been re-colored when compared to Dark Horse's 2010 archive edition. Another bright spot is the implication the dinosaurs will be harassing Drum beyond the first issue. Once Frazetta left "Thun'da" after issue #1, the dinosaurs of the Lost Land became a rarity. Hopefully the giant lizards stick around a lot longer with Dynamite.