Bree Ogden Comic Reviews

Im excited to see where this new arc in the 68 timeline takes us. The combination of a historical war atmosphere and the absurdity of zombies is entirely too creepy and the satanic Doctor Morneau hits high on the disturbing Richter scale.

This issue, subtitled Betty: R.I.P. Chapter TwoDear Diary is told largely through Bettys diary entries. Its a slow-burn walk down memory lane. But an entertaining and insightful one, at that. We see the beginning of her friendship with Veronica Lodge, how she came to know Archie and even more importantly, how she came to compete with Veronica over Archie. We learn more about her mysterioussister, Polly (something tells me we will see a lot more of this bitchy sis in the issues to come), and we get a glimpse into the crazy-creepy early life of the too-cl

If the comic continues to follow any of The Shinings plotline, I look forward to seeing what this hotel turns all of our innocent Riverdale residents into.

Ultimately it comes down to this: Ash and the Army of Darkness is a fun supplement to the films. Its a great read if you have a working knowledge of the Evil Dead mythology. If not, if youve never seen Bruce Campbell work his Ash-magic, youre going to feel lost. Youll feel like the wallflower at the cool kids party, the person who is sitting outside of the inside joke. And like I said, Im not sure thats a bad thing because I am not sure the creators set out to include everyone from the beginning.

Maberry peppers in jokes about Van Helsing, Buffy, Angel, and Hellboy, among others. Adding a snarky meta element to the comic draws the reading in even more because, hey! we relate to those things. We watch those shows. We see those movies. Its material like that, combined with the reality of Tricks cancer and Lollys abusive childhood that keeps us firmly planted in the now, with present day pop culture and present day issuesdespite the fact that a fantastical vampire plot is woven throughout.

The ending of this issue is so strong it makes me want to weep. Not out of sorrow but out of pure excitement. Its one of those satisfying cliffhangers that makes you want to laugh like a maniac, its so good. Though I understand the need for this comic not to drag out forever, the fact that there is only one issue left leaves a little hole in my heart.

What could be a winning move for this comic would be to market it to a younger audience. The Disney like illustrations combined with the safe dialogue and recycled plot would do well with fresh eyes. The story is not UNenjoyable. It simply lacks the edgy depth of a groundbreaking dystopian/steampunk concept.

This issue is non-stop action filled to the brim with deep emotion. Mirandas art is stunning as always, sexy to perfection. This much has always been clear: Kittredge and Miranda are a duo made in comic book heaven and "Coffin Hill" is their magnificent byproduct.

Yea, right, go read it. I'm not giving that part away. I'm incredibly excited for the next arc and we have one issue left before we start on it. While I've found aspects of the last 5 or so issues to be lazy and clichd, they were still incredibly entertaining. There is no denying the raw sizzling power that Kittredge and Miranda can conjure when paired together. Given the way this arc is ending, the next one should focus heavily on the ancient darkness of both the Coffin Family and Coffin Hill. And hopefully Nate will be back to normal and able to repair his relationship with Eve while kicking his brother's ass.

I Hate You! I Hate You! gets real, real quick. Exciting our sociopathic, Bad Seed-like anxieties. I dont know about you all, but Im terrified of raising a real-life little monster. And therein lies the genius of Creepy. Its a mixture of sobering realism, exploitive surrealism, and of course, hellish supernaturalism. This is, hands down, way way down, one of my favorite issues of the rebooted Creepy series. Dont pass up the opportunity to partake in these frightening comic shorts by horror veterans and newcomers alike.

In the end, LA is fucked. The vampires, monsters, ghouls, werewolves, etc., are irate and up to no good. Cal's past is catching up with him and Mo can no longer come to his rescue. Hemlock and the demon babies are destroying humanity and the Third Child is coming. This is a shit storm of grand proportions and we have two issues left to resolve it. My heart aches for Cal and my anxiety for his wellbeing (along with Mo and Co.) is palpable. Next month's issue cannot come soon enough.

This issue picks up with Cal at his familys gravesite. He continues his emotional talk with his father and we hear some bolstering up that we rarely hear in regards to Cal. In last months issue, hefinally broke to the point of asking for help, admitting he didnt know the answers. That was a big step for Cal, and this issue takes an even bigger one. Headmits a lot of harrowing truths as we watch his reality crumble around him. But his father reminds him that he chose to walk in the dark to fight for those who couldnt fight for themselves. And its at that moment that Cal realizes what he needs to do to

The interactions between Cal, the demons, and Hemlock show some of Niles sharper writing, its all clever insults, stoic remarks, and badass threats. It was a pleasure to read Cal in these panels.

Cutter is a really fun, spooky, classic supernatural slasher comic for the month of October. There is nothing profound about it, and so far, nothing too unique. But Im really enjoying it. Its a bit of horror candy, if you will. The art is fantastic, truly a gem for a weekly comic. Its impossibly detailed and th

Jeremy sits in a jail cell because, if you remember, hes been accused of all the mysterious murdersthe ones

The subtle hysteria that Poes work creates in the readers nervous system is alarmingly delightful. Being buried alive is a horrendous thoughtadd to that Poes charming storytelling and Corbens swift adaptation plus finely tuned art and youve got the makings of a genuinely frightening comic book.

As I mentioned, this comic leaves you with buckets of questions, Ive yet to see the true evil empire, or at least, anything more evil than what I see every day on the news. And more questions abound because at this point, none of the characters can or should be trusted. But Bemis pulls all of this off with perfection and ease, that is, if you enjoy reading some comics with your politics.

Furious has grand potential. The writing is tough and existential, while the art is electrifying. The meta-like structure that breaks the proverbial 4th wall combined with hyper-real elements of the 21st century give some genuine thrills and make this a comic to keep your eye on.

"Garbage Pail Kids: Puke-tacular" is a lot of fun, I'm guessing just as much for us older kids as it is for the younger tweeners. There are a ton of throwbacks to the 80s but enough new comic genre tropes and stereotypes to keep children of the 21st century involved. It's gross, just as we all remember it being, perhaps not as evil or violent (I remember some really malicious Garbage Pail Kids), but the ick factor remains intact. There are some really clever meta-moments not only for us old-timers, but also for comic con frequenters and really, just fanboys/girls in general. Buy it for your tween and then keep it for yourself. You know you want to.

On the surface it seems simple enough: weird small town, lots of serial killers, let's figure it out, bam, boom, done. But Williamson is so detailed in his fascination with serial killers, it's clear that Nailbiter is not going to be simple at all. For Williamson, exploring serial killers isn't about exploring the wreckage of evil but the nature of evil itself. It's about what makes a serial killer... not about what a serial killer makes. The concept is so detailed that you find yourself staring deep into each panel for moments just to make sure you haven't missed anything. Williamson and Henderson have indeed created something dark, psychological and stunning.

I enjoyed getting acquainted with Tarquin and Moria, consuming the stunning art, and obsessing over the hauntingly beautiful bloodshed. Though the plot was not completely stand-alone, which is uncharacteristic of a one-shot comic, I do think (and hope) that we will see these characters in a series of one-shots. Or however its done, I believe we will see more of this nicely established world and its brilliant characters.

Im not going to go into a lot of plot detail because ideally, we all know the story of Homers Odyssey. I want to focus on the manner in which Fraction and Ward have adapted such difficult source material and made it uniquely their own, frankly, against al

The brute force of Wiebes signature wit combined with Upchurchs flawless art and inexorable paneling make for a quick pace and tremendously entertaining read. Though Ive never found the fantasy world of dragons, ogres, and wizardry to hold much appeal, the way this comic is presented is universally palatable. I lapped it up and seriously cannot wait to continue my feast.

In a time when girls are taking the lead in comics and sleazy sex appeal is considered a powerful characteristic, the tropes of sexploitation seem to have found their new market. And Titan has left us in the capable hands of Grishler and Bettin, who clearly have a firm grasp on this genre. Check out the riotous fun in July and watch the fantastically absurd comic trailer here.

Pulidos art folds seamlessly into Soules writing. Its brash and charismatic, hyper-colored, with a sixties Mad Men vibe. Perfect for a rebooted She-Hulk who has the boldness of ten Rosie the Riveters. 2014 is She-Hulks year. Its time for Jennifer Walters to set out on her own, build her own law practice, kick some villain ass, and rock that 21st Century Female I can have it all attitude.

When magic begins to fail them, the wizards of the world gather in secrecy, using their combined powers bring forth he who unleashed magic in the beginning. The mysterious and legendary being has been long gone, and therefore the task of bringing him through space and time is a dangerous and difficul

You'll want to add this to your pull list. In fact, call your local comic shop today and make sure they order this comic. Because if you thought you were blown away by Archie's dark turn with "Afterlife" you haven't seen anything yet. *Note: be sure to check out the abundance of phenomenal variant covers for "The Black Hood" #1.

This combination of creators has delivered yet again. Theyve given us so much in one issue without confusing us or rushing the story. And so I askare you reading this dark matter?

I'm working off of a gut feeling that Brisson knows exactly what he is doing and he is hoping that his readers will trust him to tell them a great story.

Im excited to see what these creators have in store for us. This first issue wasnt perfect, but it was pretty dang close. Its clear that Johnston is playing his cards close to the chest, leaving many questions unanswered, keeping you hanging on to the final pages begging for more.

The plotpacingis quick and smooth, which is hard to come by in science fiction. Reading in this genre can often feel long-winded and tedious but The Fuse manages efficiency and simplicity without losing the hardened edge of crime set in science fiction. It gathers up armfuls of other sub-genres (see: cop-procedural, crime drama, dystopian, speculative fiction) putting them in a melting pot with sharp writing, perfect pacing, and intuitive wit. Its truly a bold combination of slow burn tension, in-your-face dialogue, and cerebral execution.

This is a comic about change, acceptance, love, responsibility, and reaching your full potential. But dont let those poetics completely fool you. Its got blood and guts, hot-ass fetish models, and all sorts of evil beings. It truly is the complete package.

Intended to be a somewhat exaggerated mirror of our modern life and our modern consolations, Undertow definitely sets out to make the reader think. But it also sets out to entertain. This is a brilliantly crafted and illustrated comic. The pacing is quick but relentless and the characters are extremely multifaceted. Aside from any agenda, the comic stands strong on its own as a dystopian fantasy adventure.

This isn't a story about vampires. It's not even really a story about war, if that's what you're looking for. It's a complex look at right and wrong, conspiracy and trust. As a reporter in the comic says, "Is it a war of self-defense? Or ethnic genocide?" This is a message from Maberry.