Rob Lake Comic Reviews

This chapter continues to show us how Aquila made a name for himself. The discovery of the massacre is both shocking and violent which the script does not shy away from. Whilst not much action takes place this feels more like a substantial filler chapter that both ties into the present story and also answers some of the questions of Aquila's troubled past.

As an ending to the whole Survival Geeks saga, this one left no stone unturned and gave the Geeks a send off they well and truly deserve.

With talk of acceptable looses and civilian war casualties Michael Carroll's script doesn't shy away from these often complex issues. Nick Brokenshire's art does a nice job of capturing his work on Star Wars Adventures which younger readers will already be familiar with.

We catch up to Solomon and Jennifer in a casino, where the pair have attracted the attention of an occult organisation looking for their son. A James Bond worthy car chase through the hills insures as the couple try to evade the organisation searching for their offspring.

With this going on, part 2 delves into more character building for Jenny and Soloman. With agreeing to a truce with their enemy, you get the feeling this is all to familiar ground for the duo. I can also imagine that this is also setting up for one side of the party to betray the other. After all the Church are still after the couples hidden child!

We catch up with the trio gallivanting through the coastal roads of Italy. With Jenny talking of her experiences with causal murder and mayhem, Brother Liam reminds the couple of the mission at hands. This then leads to a seemingly deserted church that holds a dark secret within its crypt.

Gordon Rennie's story is a fun road-trip with stops along the way to deal with the villian-of-the-week and whatever else gets thrown at the ex-Caballistics, Inc. agents. Dom Reardon's sketchy scratchy art adds to this mix and makes this a great tale of Husband and Demon.

There is a slight change this week as Antonio Fuso takes over art duties from Dom Reardon. I would assume this is down to the change in perspective this week but we all know what assuming does…

As I seem to always say; Mark Harrison's art work is a thing of beauty and his stunning vistas and cityscapes are a sight in themselves. Just check out this cityscape shot from this week"

Mark Harrison's also work continues to be a thing of beauty and really works wonders in building the story and world along with Abnett's writing.

I really hope the powers that be in Rebellion publish The Out as its own trade as this is a tale that needs to be in everyone's collection.

Rumors are circulating online about who or what the mysterious Tankinar are. A few of them come back to the Tankinar being Human. I'm hopeful that this isn't the route that Dan Abnett has taken but the evidence is continuing to stack in the rumour mill's favour.

The Out continues to be the crowning jewel of the Progs. Dan Abnett and Mark Harrison have crafted a wonderful story that has been full of wonder, excitement and now dread. With the Tankinar finally on Cyd's doorstep are the many questions about this mysterious enemy about to be finally answered?

With growing comparisons to Halo Jones, Abnett is on to something big with The Out and long may it continue.

It's no secret that I have no idea whats going on in The Order but this weeks ending has been pretty good at tying up the loose ends. We get a poignant goodbye between Daniel-Ritterstal and Anna and we get a taste of what's to come and why Benjamin Franklin needed them tidal charts.

Just like Pandora Perfect, Department K is a whole new story to the Regened series and it flows from the get go. Rory McConville and PJ Holden give us something suspiciously Dredd worthy yet its all-ages theme works perfectly here and could quite easily translate into the normal Progs and the wider Dredd Universe.

Gordon Rennie once again teams-up with Dom Reardon who makes his welcomed return to The Diaboliks. Although nothing was wrong with Antonio Fuso's work. It's great to see Reardon back doing his thing!

I've really enjoyed The Diaboliks as of late. Gordon Rennie and Dom Reardon both do a fantastic job of letting the strip flow along each week whether it be Rennie's writing or Reardon's fantastic sketchy art. With A Crooked Beat set to end next week its difficult to place an ending to this one.

From the get go, Cyd has been a special kind of hero. One that like us is looking in on the events happening on the page. Dan Abnett and Mark Harrison have delivered a consistent tale full of loss, hope and regret. With the revelation that Cyd ventured into the Out in a futile search for her missing daughter, we now have our reasoning for a second chapter.

By making him a master criminal Ian Edginton does just that. The master detective and the master thief being the same person is a clever tactic and throwing in the supernatural adds yet another twist in this tale.

It's all horror and no shark with Hookjaw. Whilst the whole strip is inspired by the original Jaws movie, its brilliant to see that you don't need to reveal your killer from the offset to make an instant reaction.

Hook-Jaw so far has been an excellent read. As a fan of films such as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea, having a shark as the big bad is something different. However with a "monster" as the antagonist how do you end it without running into the same old tried and tested monster movie endings?

Alec Worley continues the mystery that started with a shark but could now end entirely different. What we do know is that whilst there's a certain mysticism beneath the waves there's more going on on the surface that is still in the shadows.

With the shark being used to set up something bigger, Hook Jaw still has plenty of life left in this tale.

The opening two pages of this Anderson tale are beautifully presented and really set the tone of Early Warning. What particularly took my fancy in this one is that Cavan Scott adds a little bit of continuity to the tale with a reference back to Prog 2183, which also gives us a little bit of a "to be continued" as well. It's a solid self contained story, with Paul Davidson giving us a nice MC-1.

As we're drawing to the end, Alec Worley is laying a lot more out for us. Still no idea how this one is going to end, but its been a damn crazy ride so far.

It's been an entertaining journey to see Constanta go from Lost Prince into Fiend. Both Edginton and Trevallion have done a superb job and I hope we see them paired together again once this current run has ended.

Trevallion has been an absolute star throughout Fiends of The Eastern Front. And I hope we see more of his work in the not too distant future.

Fiends of The Eastern Front has been a fantastic, brutal and bloody journey so far. We're still delving into Constanta's past but his future is rapidly catching up to us. Tiernen Trevallion has worked wonders with Ian Edginton's script and the gothic nature of this story really jumps out the page.

Ian Edginton and Tierney Trevallion have both been superb throughout Fiends of The Eastern Front. Its been great to see Edginton dive way back into Constanta's past to bring his origin story to the surface. Trevallion's art has been incredible throughout, with every blood soaked scene just oozing with detail and that haunting gothic tone. As finales go Fiends of The Eastern Front: Constanta bows out on a high!

It's fantastic to see Ben Wilsher back in the Progs as he teams up with Alec Worley. Worley is obviously fresh from delivering up Hook Jaw and Durham Red is as far away from killer sharks as possible. Wilsher also brings a blend of smooth yet sharp art to the proceedings. So far so good for our Vampire S/D agent.

Whilst this opening part doesn't give too much away in terms of it's future, there is enough there to pique any 'Whovians' interest. Bringing back both the Tyler family and the Sea Devils takes us on a journey to generations past and its a nice nostalgia trip to those of us who remember the 2005 reboot and the earlier adventures of Jon Pertwee's Doctor.

I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series pans out and it's safe to say that Jody Houser and Roberta Ingranata have grabbed my attention with their storytelling. For any Whovian this will be a series worth spending your time getting into!

With the issue ending on a typical 'Who' cliffhanger this has me very interested in how this adventure continues.

As always I can't praise the team of Jody Hauser and Roberta Ingranata enough. Jody's writing coupled with Roberta's art really brings the tale to life. Titan Comics have gotten themselves a new fan with this series and I am invested with how this tale concludes and what comes next.

Jody Houser has done wonders crafting a tale of two Doctors stuck in time, while keeping the aspects of what makes Doctor Who great. Whilst both Thirteen and Ten steal the spotlight from their companions it is Graham, Yaz and Ryan that ultimately set up the next adventure for Thirteen, but as River Song would say" "spoilers".

Defender of the Daleks #1 is a great start to Time Lord Victorious. Jody Houser is an expert at crafting a believable Doctor story and its no different here. The Doctor's dialogue is familiar to anyone who watched Ten's adventures on TV and Tennant's energy in playing the character has been captured right down to a tee. Roberta Ingranata's art is also spot on and again captures this energy completely. With the Time Lord Victorious arc set to be with us throughout the next few months I am very interested to see how the story will go and if the BBC can pull off this multi media event without damping the already high expectations.

Pro wrestling isn't to everyone's tastes but Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia does a superb job in highlighting its often ludicrous storylines and its larger than life characters. I cant praise both Ed Kuehnel & Matt Entin enough. Their story had me invested from issue #1, and as a pro wrestling fan I really appreciated the story that this talented pair of writers had planned. Adding a well written story to the gorgeous detailed artwork makes Invasion from Planet Wrestletopiathat hidden gem that everyone should read.

Dan Abnett's writing and Phil Winslade's art flows across each page as they walk us through the various lives of Badrock. The concept of young Archie narrating the entire strip is wonderful and shows how perceptive children can be to their surroundings.

Dan Abnett does wonders with exploring the human side to his characters and its now different in Boom Town. Its been a wonderful journey and in hoping we see Marshall Lawson and the inhabitants of Badrock in the near future. Its also worth noting that throughout the Boom Town arc, Phil Winslade's art has been phenomenal and how someone can pack so much detail into his scenes is incredible.

But as they say "It's the town that put's the 'Drokk' back into Badrock"

The bumper issues ends with a preview of Judge Dredd: False Witness. This upcoming mini-series is written by Brandon Easton with colours and art by Eva De La Cruz and Kei Zama. This small preview follows an un-named citizen who gets caught up in a protest and happens to run straight in to Judge Dredd. Whilst the preview does well to introduce us to the series primary protagonist with just enough mystery into who this person is, I get the feeling that this could be another 'buddy cop' story with the emphasis turning back to Dredd.

Storywise Ryan Parott brings us a fairly decent opening issue. With plenty of plot points already opening up we have three major threads already opening up - Zordon's Past, Lord Zedd, and the Green Ranger mystery. As with most of BOOM!'s previous Power Rangers outings, I'm expecting Mighty Morphin to give us more questions before answers.

All in all, Mighty Morphin #2 continues the explosive fall out from Power Rangers #1, with both series going in different directions - for now at least. Ryan Parrott and Marco Renna continue their magic and continue to make both Mighty Morphin and Power Rangers worthy of your time.

I have never read a crossover/team-up that's been anymore bizarre but as I have mentioned before this is one that really works and is definitely worth reading. With the story coming to its conclusion in the next issue I'm hoping this crossover gets the ending it deserves.

This series has been a fun read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is or was a fan of either franchise. It has been a fast paced, highly action orientated series with a great script and full of superb art and colours. Whilst issue #5 brings the series to a satisfying end, it gives just enough hints at the possibility of a future team up.

On a final note, if you are going to read any Power Rangers comic, make sure it is this one!

Obviously there is going to be hurdles in the way of the Omega Rangers and this is one hell of a hurdle. Parrott along with Mortarino and Angulo give us a fantastic horror feeling - one that's surprisingly underneath a Power Rangers banner. My only concern at this point is what will happen with Drakkon. Let's face it, the former Lord is going to betray the Omega Rangers at the first opportunity. With how Ryan Parrott has written Power Rangers so far, I don't want to see it turn into a "Drakkon vs. Whoever" again. Because lets face it - everyone has that T-shirt.

I'm intrigued to see what direction Drakkon New Dawn will take and I hope Anthony Burch throws in a few more surprises within the next two issues.

With the mini-series ending next month can all the questions be answered in that final issue?

Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn#3 closes the door on this alternate universe, but it leaves room for more stories to be told. With solid character work, action and overall calibre I hope Birch tackles another Power Rangers story in the future.

As an opening issue, Predator Hunters III #1 gets its storytelling off on the right track. It does not give much away in terms of story but a clever script which gives away just enough information has me intrigued into the following the Hunters in their hunt.

The Predators on the other hand are worth an issue on their own. Brian Thies works wonders with their encounters and the action really flows from panel to panel. The scenes in the Mayan temple are good and the underwater segments are well coloured. Although the Predators are the standout and their actions are brutal and bloody, its still stuff we have seen before and come to expect from the Predator license.

Power Rangers: Sins of The Future is an action-packed romance that perfectly captures what made Power Rangers: Time Force a hit with so many people. With a fair few surprises thrown in such as Time Force Black and a very different look to the (not-so) villainous Ransik, Power Rangers: Sins of The Future continues to build on Boom! Studios' success with the Power Rangers franchise.

Whilst Kazana The Slayer is a fine story and has a clear defined beginning, middle and end, this one definitely needs more meat to it. The story is entertaining and is full of interesting characters, I'd love to see Holloway and Doyle explore their world again. With Sentinel entering its second year of publication, I'm excited to see what both Holloway and Doyle come up with next. Watch this space!

This is another great installment from Tynion and the team. Whilst James takes a backseat in this issue we are given more of Erica's backstory amidst more mystery with Aaron and the illusive Slaughtethouse. With the creatures still at large I'm looking forward to how the story continues next issue.

Something is Killing the Children #8requires the reader to have some background knowledge of past events to fully appreciate it. There is a running theme of consequences and morals throughout this story. With tension building between Erica and Aaron, is it just the monster that threatens Archer's Peak?

Something is Killing the Children keeps going from strength to strength and issue #9 is no different. The tense atmosphere that's been there right from the start continues to grow. Even with the current conflicts there is still room for character growth before the next splash of violent delight. Whilst none of the characters are out of the darkness yet, it looks like the terror that's happening around Archer's Peak is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Whilst Something is Killing the Children #11 isn't as action packed as previous issues, it still gives off that creepy horror movie vibe. With consistent writing and art from both James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera, Something is Killing the Children is quickly becoming a must read series.

Werther Dell'edera also delivers some stunning imagery throughout this issue. The art taps into the tone of the story perfectly and builds the tension throughout while also giving the reader some great character moments. There is a great full page scene of Erica fighting one of the monsters that's fully told with out any text. It's just Dell'edera and the canvas telling the tale of Erica's brutal and bloody fight.

Overall this opening issue works pretty well. Bechko's writing has captured both the spirit and characters of the show incredibly well. So far the plot pulls you into the political landscape of the Expanse universe, and everything these politics are connected to. It's a faithful recreation of the setting, and as such made me want to re-watch Season 4 again. Fans of the show will enjoy what's on offer here and will lap up the extra detail that's given.