Space Bandits feels more like a television adaption than a modern comic. I mean that in a good way. The story would work in either medium but I think would easily translate to the big or small screen if given the chance. Thena and Cody are characters you'd love to have a beer with even though they are both noted as being extremely dangerous.

This issue dials back the 80's motif and focuses on fleshing out our two leads and the dynamic they will have with one another. Cody is the brains and Thena is the brawn. The relationship is set here and it works beautifully. It's also great to see that the women don't instantly gel and become besties. This is common in most modern comics when two women are paired together. My favorite scene from the book involves Thena ignoring Cody's plan to escape. She ends up getting her ass beat and only then comes around to the plan.

The scene is played for laughs but it establishes that the two characters are distinct and that their motivations aren't necessarily the same even though they are working together. It also reinforces the first issue in that neither character is a Mary Sue. Thena is capable but she gets wrecked terribly in this issue, failure has consequences in Space Bandits.

Matteo Scalera's art continues to impress. The visuals are dynamic and energetic especially the action sequences. The colors pop and everything is detailed. The more you see the more there is to look at. Space Bandits is a nice companion piece to Chrononaut's, a title I reviewed last week in that it focuses on a small cast but establishes a huge sandbox for our lead characters to play in.

With the initial setup out of the way the story can focus on these two ladies getting revenge on those that wronged them. I expect Mark & _ to really cut loose. I have no complaints Space Bandits #2 is an absolute joy more

The difference between Peter Tomasi's Detective Comics and Tom Kings Batman is night and day. While I usually expect Tom King's Batman to be hit and miss. Peter's Batman is a beast.

This comic picks up on the cliffhanger of the last issue. Leslie Thompkins unfortunately succumbs and dies after being infected by a modified Joker Toxin. The comic goes on from there and we get another devastating attack on Bruce's family a couple of pages later. From here we get one of the most badass Batman cliffhangers I've read in years.

The sense of urgency is the greatest strength of this issue. Batman isn't moping or monologuing to himself. In Detective comics he's efficient, and getting shit done.

Doug Mankhe and David Baron do a great job on art detail. Translating the urgency and desperation of the script to the page. I don't think the effects of the Joker Toxin has ever been more horrifying.

The comic reads quickly but not too quick to feel cheated. There are no wasted panels. The book ends with an angry Batman seeking answers and there's nothing better than that. more

So with House of X, Powers of X and X-Men #1 out of the way we get the first X-Book under the Dawn of X banner not written by Johnathan Hickman. I was gonna review X-Men #1 but I didn't care enough to throw 1000 words up about it so I figured I'd start here. I could have also reviewed Excaliber #1 but, fuck that book.

I was nervous about reading the non-Hickman X-Men books. It's been hit and miss but Marauders #1 was pretty good. The biggest change for me was seeing Kitty Pride A.K.A. Kate as a badass. She's had some ninja training since the '80s but she's never really embraced the role as she does here. I like the dynamic that is quickly established here between Kate and Emma. They don't have the best relationship but its nowhere near as frosty as it was in the '80s or the Joss Whedon run on Astonishing X-Men.

The premise of the title is that although the Nation of Krakoa has been granted sovereignty, some nations are still holding out. The Marauders are basically pirates. Their goals are to extract Mutants from hostile nations, obtain supplies for Krokoa and establish a Black Market for those looking to trade with the new nation.

The team consists of Kate, Bishop, Storm, Iceman, and Pyro. Pyro was one of my favorite villains in the 80's so it was really cool to see him here, if not a bit random. It will be strange seeing him as a good guy but I guess not as weird as seeing Apocalypse in a suit.

Iceman is probably the most prominent character featured in the book besides Kate. I'll always love Bobby, but I'm not a fan of the GAY AF version of the character. He's still cool and has his moments but the writers go overboard with it. He feels like a caricature of a gay man rather than a real fleshed-out character.

I'm pretty sure Iceman used to date Kitty so when he makes jokes about meeting "Top Men" it seems odd. I get the joke but it feels awkward considering the character's history.

The art is okay for the most part. I like most of the character designs with the exception of Bobby's Ice Form and Storm. I'm not sure what's wrong with Ororo's current design but it seems off. I hope they find another look for her and soon.

The action sequences are amazing Kate gets the best moment as she literally walks through a group of soldiers and takes them down in brutal fashion. I wasn't expecting to see this version of Kitty Pride but I love it. Of the Dawn of X titles, the only one I've added to my pull is Marauders. I'm gonna read all of the first issues at least and I'll probably stick with X-Men as well, but with Marauders being a hight point and Excaliber being low it's probably best not to make blind purchases. The Dawn of X launch hasn't been the smooth landing I expected it to be. more

It's been so long since I reviewed Major X #2 that I barely remember what happened in it. That being said, you don't need to read that volume to have a decent time here. There's a lot of action. A ton of beautiful art from Whilce Portacio and some cool character dynamics explored.

The book opens with a sparring session between Wolverine and M'Koy who for all intents and purposes is Beast. The alternative is that its a clone of Beast, Dark Beast or a version of Hank Mccoy that did some deep experimentation on himself. With that mystery established the rest of the book covers Major X and M'Koy on their mission into the timeline to save the X-Istence and the X-Ential. They run into Dreadpool (Deadpool), his cohorts and the book ends on another cliffhanger.

The art direction of this book is fantastic. I haven't seen Whilce work on a book in ages and its nice to see he hasn't lost a step. The line art is beefed up by Romulo Fajardo, Jr. who provides a slick color palette throughout. The fights all look good and if you're here solely for the art and nostalgia you'll get a lot of mileage out of this issue. Three issues in and Whilce provides the best versions of these characters yet (sorry Rob). The weakest aspect of the book is the character names. This is beyond rubbish and makes me wonder what Rob was smoking when he came up with them cause I want some.

Personally, the book isn't bad but I wish there was a bit more substance. The 90's nostalgia can only take me so far. There are a lot of solid ideas in Major X and a better writer could give us a great story. Rob's doing his best and I won't knock him for it but I just expect a little bit more than great art nowadays. I'm sure the series will read well in trade but the single issues are somewhat lacking to date. more

characters. The first thing I'll mention is the beautiful cover from David Wachter. David is by far my favorite cover artist and he delivers another gem here with Splinter behind bars. Most publishers reserve their best covers for variants. Dave's covers are generally some of the best covers no matter what variants IDW commissions for this series. His covers also generally relate to something that actually happens in the book which is something that we see less and less of in the current year.

I thought it was weird that IDW hit us with a $7.99 cover price. I'm not a fan of that but in fairness, the book is 56 pages and the cover and the format has been enhanced so I'll give the higher price point a pass and to be honest the book is worth it.

There is great action and character moments here and most of the City At War plot points begin to converge in epic fashion. We also get a pretty amazing cliffhanger. David also does the interiors this time around and he gets a lot of ground to cover.

The book begins with Old Hob and the fallout from his release of the mutagen bomb at last issues conclusion. We jump to Splinter as he engages with The Rat King. The comic then shifts to Metal Head and his conflict with Donatello before jumping to a massive confrontation with the Foot Clan at their home base.

Leonardo gets the standout scene for me which has to be seen to be believed. The encounter is even stronger because it has been firmly established that the plot armor of our heroes only goes so far. When they commit to a decision it can go either way which makes every encounter tense.

With the constant shifts in settings the comic vaguely reminds me of the 90's Konami games. The book shifts from setting to setting like the stages of a video game and with issue #100 we're approaching the end of the game for City At War and the Tom Waltz run. I can't wait for the conclusion but its gonna be bittersweet seeing him go, Kudos sir! more

It's often said that a good villain needs to be more interesting than the hero he's put up against. What happens when the comic you're reading is full of bad guys.

Killmonger #3 is excellent. It one of the best single issues I've read this year and the series shaped up to be one of the best mini-series of the past decade. I originally read the book a few months back but lost track of the issue when I moved. I reread the comic again so it would be fresh in my mind.

The issue picks up immediately following the cliffhanger of the last issue. Bullseye makes his presence known causing Killmonger and his crew to scatter. I absolutely loved Bullseyes portrayal during this encounter. He's the bad guy that scares bad guys. This is incredible considering the skillset of the abilities of the team he's up against. King, for example, is telekinetic. You'd think that fighting a street-level character like Bullside would be a cakewalk. It's not, and the team breaks up after barely surviving the encounter. Sidenote, we need a Bryan Hill Taskmaster series.

The interaction between Erik and Bullseye is also interesting in that it level-sets Killmonger's abilities at this point in the story. We know that he eventually steels himself and beats T'Challa but he's clearly not there yet based on the outcome of this encounter. He is nearly killed multiple times during this fight. It will be interesting to see what takes Killmonger to the next level.

Another standout scene from the issue is a conversation between N'Jadaka (Erik) and the spirit of his mother. The scene is power in that it establishes that there is no satiating his rage and that peace with is enemies is not an option. It's a beautifully sad scene but firmly establishes how deeply rooted his hatred for T'Challa is.

The rest of the issue is also really good thanks to Bryan Hills script and Juan Ferreyra's linework. The art direction is great and I could easily see the comic adapted to screen and directed by Michael Mann. Special consideration should also be given to Eduardo Ferreyra and his work on colors. Even though most of the scenes in this comic are set at night or in dark spaces, the book never feels drab. The comic is lit perfectly especially the scenes with Bullseye. There is also one particular scene in which Erik tells his love interest of Wakanda. The page is bright and vibrant and is one the single most beautiful page within the book. It gets more interesting the longer you look at it. I don't think Eduardo could color a bland page if he tried. I'd personally hang this piece on my wall If it was available for purchase without the word balloons.

Disney needs to greenlight a Killmonger prequel or Disney+ series. It would be a real shame to leave this material unadapted. I've never been a big fan of Black Panther. I even think the movie was grossly overrated. Killmonger and the charisma of Michael B. Jordan carry that film. Erik Killmonger is firmly planted here and is strong enough to carry a series indefinitely without T'Challa. We need more villains centric stories as thoughtful as this one. Killmonger #3 was wonderful. more

There's a lot to like about the Last Knight on Earth. The art is simply stunning and horrifying in spots. Scott Snyder delivers one of the grandest and sweeping Batman concepts I've ever read. The book keeps it interesting, constantly raising new questions and introducing new ideas on every other page.

To get heavy into plot details would be to go into spoilers. We see the fate of a number of heroes and all of it is grim. We also get a decent explanation for why the world is a mess.

I don't have many gripes with the issue aside from being annoyed by Joker. It doesn't distract from the story I just wish we had a different narrator. If you read the prior issue you know that the implication within the narrative is that this is not our Batman. He's a lot younger than he should be and is drawn like Zero Year: Batman. How cool it would have been if his companion had been an aged Damien or Dick Grayson. I don't think we've ever seen a version of Robin that was older than Batman.


To level set the series so far it feels like a cross between Old Man Logan and Marvel's Universe X series. With Batman as the Stand-in for Wolverine and Captain America Respectively in those series. It's not a ripoff by any stretch but If you like those stories you'll be at home here.

Every revelation is followed up by a pretty horrifying reveal about the setting or a character. The book follows the same general cadence throughout. I'm curious to see if the villain is really (Redacted). I doubt the concluding chapter will be that straight forward but we'll see.

I love Elseworld stories and if Last Knight on Earth sticks the landing for the ending we may be looking at a modern-day classic. more

One of the most interesting and unique series I'm reading right now is Crucified from Scout Comics. The Pitch sold me. Issue #2 was solid and this volume knocks it out of the park.

We get to see _ assassination attempt. The attempt is interesting as doesn't go anywhere near how I expected it to go. It leaves him wondering "Is it true" is the Christ, the messiah?

There is a lot of intrigue and mounting tension in this issue that left me wanting to know what the hell is going on. The fact that no answers are being provided regarding the nature of Christ makes the story even more interesting.

The art continues to improve and _ seems to have found his groove. I really love the clean style as its presented and the facial expressions throughout the issue. We get a nice cliffhanger in this issue. The situation escalates with every issue and I'm definitely locked into this series. The reviews are late. I actually have issue five which concludes the series but I wanted to keep the individual reviews coming. I'll get them done if Christ allows it. more

I've been reading comics for a long time. I'm pretty sure I first started looking at comics before I could actually read them. Chrononauts is one of the most unique and ambitious comics I've ever encountered.

Issues 1 through 4 are all released the same day. It's a little weird but once you start reading the book and the twist is revealed you'll understand why the book was released this way. Its a cool and original concept. Basically what you have in Chrononauts is the most interesting story of Time Travel and Gardening you'll ever read in a comic. The concept comes from the prolific mind of Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Space Bandits) and Sean Gordon Murphy (Batman: White Kight) and features excellent art direction from Eric Canete and Giovanna Niro.

Our lead characters are Corbin Quinn and Danny Reilly they are best friends and also two of the world's greatest scientists. They make an odd couple but the chemistry between them makes them feel like real people. Corbin is a little more cautious in his approach while Danny is a lot more carefree and picks his spots for maximum effect and looking cool in the process.

In the setting, time travel exists and the pair have successfully traveled back in time but have not been able to go forward. We get hilarious scenes in the past before launching forward into the future. Because of the nature of the story, events I won't get too heavy into spoiler territory.

The comic features one of the coolest time travel concepts I've ever seen in fiction and the beauty of the story is that Mark doesn't cheat. I'm not the biggest fan of time travel. Mainly due to many lesser writers being willy nilly with how the time travel works. From the beginning of Chrononauts, it's firmly established how the concept works and as the situations become crazier and layered the rules remain in place.

Corbin and Danny are a lot of fun but it's not all fun and games. Beyond the shenanigans with the timestream, the characters are layered and have motivations that are totally relatable. By the end of the series, there are multiple heartfelt moments that resonated with me. I was very happy that I was able to read the entire series in one sitting. This leads me to my one issue with the series.

If someone grabs issue one with no prior knowledge of the concept or knowledge that the entire series was released at once they may miss out. There are still a lot of readers that purchase comics because of the covers and every comic is someones first. If a reader doesn't grab the entire series they may miss out on key elements of the story, especially if your local comic shop sells out. I'm not sure if I want to knock the rating down for it but It's a concern. My shop ordered a ton of the first issue but only had a few of the later issues on new comic book day. I'm sure Mark and Co will release a trade or graphic novel in the future. I'm just concerned that shops may order conservatively and fans may miss out on a great story. The ending is particularly strong.

Chrononauts is totally disconnected from Space Bandits but feels like a nice companion piece. Both series have excellent fleshed out protagonists, stories and art direction. Both would translate easily to a series on Netflix or the big screen and are pretty friggin cool stories.

Chrononauts tries something different and nails it. The alternative of waiting 4 months for this story would have sucked and I appreciate having the option to read the books all at once. The art is amazing, the concept is unique and the story is thoroughly entertaining.

You can't go wrong with Chrononauts, I'd definitely be interested in seeing a second volume. more

Aquaman/Justice League Drowned Earth was the DC crossover that was released in conjunction with the Aquaman movie last year. (This review is Late AF).

I reviewed Justice League #10 which was the first prelude. I don't recall being all that impressed with the comic. Thankfully Dan Abnett steps it up. This issue does a great job of setting up the conflict for our heroes.

Prior to seeing Aquaman last year I had no idea who Mera was. She was a great co-lead in the film and that portrayal of the character meshes well with her depiction in this issue as she takes center stage.


Various ocean deities have decided to drown the Planet Earth. They have already captured Aquaman (Justice League #10). While those events are taking place Mera is left to defend Atlantis as it has also begun to be submerged.

I'm not all that familiar with DC's version of Atlantis so it came as a surprise that Atlanteans can be drowned at all. The water submerging Atlantis is also turning anyone that comes in contact with it into monsters. Mera does her best to hold back the flood and as she struggles she also reached out to the Justice League for help. She makes contact with Batman who informs her that The league isn't available and that Aquaman is missing. As Atlantis falls Mera reaches out to the only person that may be able to assist, the Ocean Master.

Lan and Gabe do an adequate job of conveying the tension and horror of the situation. I do think that the color choices maybe a little too bright for the story being told. The opening shot of Mera is amazing. There are also some great action and horror beats conveyed throughout the issue. The designs of the twisted Atlanteans are terrifying The main complaint I have with this issue lies with the busted continuity of the DC Universe. In this arc, the world is being flooded. To my knowledge, this event isn't referenced in any of the other DC books aside from the Drowned Earth tie-ins.

Batman is also in a full-body cast. I'm behind on my comic reviews but I'm pretty sure Bruce isn't mangled in any series outside of Justice League. The continuity issues are glaring unless you just don't care. For me as a longtime reader, the total apathy in regards to story continuity is glaring. In a vacuum or as a trade I'm sure it won't matter but if you're buying these comics monthly it's jarring.

The event officially starts with the conclusion of this issue. I'm more interested in the story now than before which is probably the best compliment I can give. My initial impression of the storyline from Justice League #10 is the main reason It took me such a long time to dive back in. more

I read Transformers/Ghostbusters #1 a couple of months back and thought it was a nice homage to both franchises. The characterization of the Ghostbusters was spot on and the humor kept me engaged from beginning to end.

This issue takes a considerable step back on all accounts. I mentioned in the review of the previous issue that I wouldn't talk about the art again, I lied. Dan Schoening is a solid artist. The covers art and the renderings of the transformers are nearly perfect. The colors are beautiful and really make the linework standout.

My issue is that the Ghostbuster designs look awful. I honestly think this is why the series has never really caught on despite the popularity of the franchise. It's not _ Its the direction IDW has decided on with these characters. They look like a blend of the movie and animated versions. The designs are rough especially when contrast with the Transformers.

The story moves forward incrementally. At the conclusion of the previous issue, the Ghostbusters captured the ghost of Starscream and met Ectronymous Diamatron. A Transformer investigating a Cybertronian signal on earth. The signal is tracked to the Ghostbusters trap containing Starscream.

The Ghostbusters refuse to depower the trap which leads to Ectronymous destroying it setting Starscream free. Once Starscream is freed we learn how he ended up on earth.

That's basically the entire issue. The banter between the Ghostbusters is still funny in this issue but the story doesn't really move forward. This leads me to the conclusion that the story will read better in the trade or should have probably been released as a Graphic Novel.

The scenes of the Ghostbusters and Ectronymous are hilarious. He wants the guys to be intimidated but they are completely unbothered. All in all this book is about as average you can get. It's not a terrible comic but as a single issue, it's not worth your money. Buy it for the art or wait for the trade. I'm an idiot and will finish reviewing the series but I'm not expecting anything beyond a novelty experience. more

Batman #61 is the weirdest single issue I've read in a long time. Not because it was particularly hard to follow but because of the choices made by Tom King and the creative team.

Issue #60 ended on the cliffhanger of Alfred being knocked out and Penguin being kidnapped presumably by Bane's henchmen. Rather than continue that story we get an odd detour.

Batman is investigating the murder of "Bruce Waynes" parents. To answer the obvious question, no this isn't an Elseworlds story. The kid isn't really Bruce Wayne. Batman shakes down some guys and eventually runs down the alleged murderer. The comic ends on another cliffhanger that I definitely didn't see coming.

My biggest problem with the issue is that if you're new to this story you'll be totally lost. If you started reading at issue #60, this issue will be confusing and totally out of left-field. The twist is revealed in the end but there should have been a better recap.

The way the story is presented is that this rich kid shares the same name, likeness, and lineage as Batman. This is cleared up but the end but getting there would be completely jarring to new readers. What the hell is going on with Penguin and Alfred? How the hell did we jump from that story to this one?

The issue isn't bad but nothing really stood out at all outside of the twist ending. That includes the art and main cover. The linework is clean throughout the issue, particularly the faces. The colors throughout the comic are also gorgeous this is a credit to Tamra Bonvillain. I don't have any gripes with the art, but the issue isn't action-heavy so most of the pages while interesting to read and look at, feel bland. The variant cover is fantastic and I wish it was the one I purchased from my comic shop. Overall the issue just an odd detour that is totally disconnected from the previous 3 issues. more

TMNT #98 sets the table for issue #99 and issue #100, the concluding chapter of the City at War Story Arc. The book isn't quite as exciting as prior issues but avoids being labeled inconsequential. Stuff definitely does happen in this book and we catch up with key players on all sides of the conflict.

Hun has formed an alliance with Agent Bishop and the Earth Protection Force. It's also revealed that Bishop has made multiple clones of Slash and that he and Hun will be the piloting them. Jennika officially becomes a member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Her mask is yellow and her weapons will primarily be a set of claws, sword, and a bow. We also see Karai's intended fate for Splinter.

The issue contains an excellent callback to the 80s-90s animated series. For those that are not familiar with the show. At one point in the show Michelangelo's primary weapon, the Nunchucku was swapped out for a grappling hook.

In the comic Mikey chastizes Jennika for breaking tradition by having more than one weapon. Leo has his katana. Donatello has his staff and Raph has his Sai's. Unexpectedly, Raphael calls out Mike for the grappling hook he's always carrying around in his pocket.

To my knowledge, we haven't seen Mikey use the grappling hook in the series. This means that the callback was entirely fan-service for those that remembered the weapon from the animated series. I got a legit chuckle from this scene, and it just further established the credibility of this creative team. I totally forgot that Mikey's weapons had been swapped and it instantly came back to me when it was mentioned here.

Aside from those moments, the book isn't quite as exciting as the rest of the arc. There is one exception, the ending of the issue is incredible.

I'm not sure if this is a huge spoiler based on the solicits and the obvious direction of the storyline but Baxter Stockman becomes Mayor of New York City. As Stockman proceeds to deliver his victory speech all hell breaks loose. Old Hob accompanied by Raphael and the rest of the Mutanimals basically launch a terrorist attack that is captured live on television.

I won't give specific details to avoid totally ruining the book but the situation further complicates matters for all parties involved.

*Raphael is now associated with a terrorist group.
*Stockman will have to take a stand against the mutants including the TMNT's
*April who works as a liaison between Stockman and the turtles is now in a truly ugly situation.
*Agent Bishop and the Earth Protection Force (Redacted).

The conclusion of the issue ties all of the preceding threads together and makes for a pretty mindblowing cliffhanger. It will be very interesting to see just how the turtles manage to pull Raph out of this mess.

I also would like to mention just how awesome Dave Wachter's cover is. Old Hob Features prominently demanding your attention. The turtles aren't really represented on the cover aside from Raph playing background here instead of with his brothers. The cover makes a bold statement about Raphael's potential loyalties. Hopefully, it doesn't come back to bite our heroes in the ass. more

I'm a huge fan of Mark Russell and remember picking this up around the time that The Lone Ranger also from Dynamite ended. I'm not sure why it takes n me so long to review this comic.

I've never actually read or purchased a Red Sonja book, but I do recognize her as a Conan The Barbarian spinoff. This issue is a nice and simple introduction to the character. Enough insight into the character is provided over the course of the issue. The reader won't be lost at all. Sonja is a badass redhead warrior that seems to be just as capable as the men of this setting.


The comic is straight forward with Russell's trademark wit and irony matching well with the action. It's not the deepest of stories. The Emperor Dragan The Magnificent is prophesized to die if his expanding. To ensure that the prophecy does not come true hes constantly annexing city-states or declaring war with them. He decides to send a letter to the City of Hyrkania. Hyrkania has recently made Sonja its queen and the threat goes about as well as you'd expect with the character.

The story and art are solid. Mirko Colak does a fine job of balancing the action with conversational scenes between characters. This is a must with a Mark Russell book because a lot of the nuance and humor found in his comics are conveyed via text and body language. The book reads kind of fast, but it is worth checking out if you're a fan of the character and setting or looking for something outside of the Superhero genre.

The opening scenes between Emperor Dragon and a local King were particularly impressive to me. It firmly establishes the villain, his depravity and what Red Sonja will be up against in this arc. Because of this book, I picked up issue #2 when I went to my Local comic shop last week, it was a lot of fun. more

When I was a kid my mom used to pick me up every Monday from school and we'd go to the Movies. Looking back, these times probably were my most cherished experiences with her before she passed away a few years ago.

I remember seeing the trailer for The Island of Dr. Moreau film starring Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer. I wanted to see it but my mom thought it was a bit much and we never got around to it.

I didn't know that the film owed it's namesake to the H.G. Wells novel at the time. (War of the Worlds), but the Idea of Man playing God and splicing the human form with animals has always intrigued me. It's basically Frankenstein but with animals being vivisected instead of human cadavers.

A few months ago I saw the solicits for this comic adaptation of the novel and figured now was as good as ever to take the plunge into the series.

Ted and Gabriel do a great job of setting up the world. The linework is very cinematic in presentation and the pencils are wonderfully complemented by Nelson Daniel who provides colors. The creatures are all visually interesting to look at. All of them are disturbing, but maintain enough humanity in the details that it's hard not to feel sympathetic to what has been done to them. The question in seeing the results of Moreau's experiments is where does the man end and the animal begins.


I've never seen the movie or read the novel so I'm going into this series blind aside from basic knowledge of the material and second-hand knowledge.

The story feels topical. We're always hearing about new breakthroughs with genetics involving splicing man and animal DNA so the Material presented in this comic isn't as far fetched as it probably was in the time that the original novel was published in 1896.

The lead character, Ellie Prendick survives an attack at sea and ends up rescued by the inhabitants of the island. She's nursed back to health by a man named Montgomery. He explains her situation to her and how she was near death when he found her. All the while she constantly hears howls of pain from the creatures. Montgomery writes the sounds off as howls of a Puma but Ellie gets suspicious and begins wandering. Eventually, she is confronted by Moreau and quarantined supposedly for her own safety. Ellie recalls her knowledge of Moreau and how he was exiled for his inhumane experiments on animals.

Time passes and a figure resembling a man delivers her lunch. She sees his hands and notices that they are the hands of an animal. She confronts Monroe and asks about the man but he brushes off her concerns. After then leaves and begins to explore the island. It's at this point that we see one of the creatures up close. It resembles a Leopard spliced with a human being. Upon further exploration, she runs into more creatures. The Leopard man approaches her but she knocks him out with a sling and takes off running. She accidentally runs into Moreau's lab and accidentally interrupts one of his experiments. A creature being grafted together.

She continues running and encounters a friendly creature that recognizes her from the boat. He takes her to a gathering of a large group of them in the midst of a religious gathering.

The comic ends with Dr. Moreau approaching the group and telling the creatures to bring Ellie to him.

The story is fun visually and visually horrifying. The presentation is great and gets more interesting the longer you look at it. There is a lot of attention to detail in this comic. Moreau's creatures are literally on every page but I didn't notice it until a reread. I don't have many complaints about the book. It's a great adaptation and once you consider that Moreau has been creating all of these monsters with no oversight it gets even more disturbing.

My only real gripe with the comic is that the lead character has been gender-swapped. I mentioned earlier that I'm not all that familiar with the source material. With that knowledge, I can't get into the full extent of how the change affects this comic.

I will say that the change is probably affecting interpersonal relationships between characters. At one point Montgomery mentions that if Ellie was a man he probably wouldn't have saved her. At another point in the story, he mentions that he hasn't seen a woman in over a year and approaches her in a manner suggesting he's looking for sex.

Considering the story was written in 1896 I doubt H.G. wrote a same-sex relationship. I could be wrong. The Gender-Swap doesn't affect the story but it calls into question just how faithful this adaptation actually is.

Aside from that concern, I don't have any real issues with the story. I added the series to my pull and I'm definitely interested in seeing where the story goes from here.
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I reviewed the first issue of Crucified last month and it intrigued me enough that I added it to my pull list. To Recap, after public speaker, "The Christ" single-handedly stops a riot in Compton, he angers business interests that secretly fund the conflict. In response, the powerful interests hire an assassin to take him out. It's a simple premise but it works.

This issue puts the focus on a few of the individuals that Christ has brought into his circle. Collectively they are called "The Twelve" in reference to the biblical disciples. All of them have done time for some of the most heinous crimes imaginable, but have been redeemed and meet daily to spread Christ's message.

A couple of members of The Twelve aren't being Christ-like and are using their connections to the messiah to secure a payday for his first television interview. One member solicits sex for access while another uses extortion tactics for similar gains.

In addition, we also pick up with our assassin as he links up with a sex-worker friend to screw and discuss past conquests.

Christ only shows up in 2 panels in this comic. He's not really the protagonist for the series and plays the role of prime-mover. He's the reason all other events of the series takes place. This is a little weird but is offset by the fact that all of the supporting characters depicted in the comic are interesting.

The art is solid and I did notice improvements to the linework from issues #1 to #2. There are actual backgrounds in this comic which was a big plus for me. The color palette also offers more variety this time around. The panels still feel sterile and a bit too clean but at least it's not quite as bland to read.

Crucified #2 is another good issue. I'm gonna stick with the series to see how the story goes. The book reads more like a screenplay than a comic but has enough going for it that it still works monthly. It doesn't feel paced for a trade. There is story progression here. We're still in the setup phase of the story but I expect the plot to really pick up going forward.
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