Posts

Showing posts from 2017

REVIEW: DESCENDER VOLUME 4: ORBITAL MECHANICS

Image
Souls scattered across the stars... INTRODUCTION  With backstories for Driller, Telsa, Tim-22, Bandit, and Andy/Effie out of the way, DESCENDER VOLUME 4: ORBITAL MECHANICS delivers on some much needed plot development for the larger story of the machine vs. organic conflict. After two whole volumes of this being somewhat stalled, it is finally brought forward in ways that feel important and sometimes surprising. HOW I RATED IT  5/5  This felt like the entry into the series that I have been waiting for. The story is back on track, the art is back on par, and the characters are as good as they have ever been. CHARACTERS The cast benefits from all the time VOLUME 3 spent on it's more obscure members.The revelations from Driller's issue generate a satisfying amount of drama with Andy and his crew. The results of these pivotal moments drive him, Effie, and Andy forward as characters while also making way for someone new who may or may not become an important player

REVIEW: DESCENDER VOLUME 3: SINGULARITIES

Image
When singularities converge... INTRODUCTION  DESCENDER VOLUME 2: MACHINE MOON was a sturdy continuation of the story, but faltered in that it didn't do enough to move the overarching story thread along. My hopes going into VOLUME 3: SINGULARITIES was that this would be rectified. In some ways, I found that it does amend a handful of the things that kept the preceding volume from being awesome, but it wasn't what I anticipated it would be since the story moves forward by actually taking a few steps back.  HOW I RATED IT  4/5  While I definitely liked this installment better than the previous one, it still felt oddly lateral in terms of story progression and a little less than extraordinary when it came to it's visuals. CHARACTERS This series has always been filled with strong personalities. The key highlight of this particular  volume is that it explores the backstories of some of the more obscure and/or mysterious members of the cast. Each of the five chapt

REVIEW: THE KING'S JUSTICE

Image
Two tales of magic and mystery... INTRODUCTION  THE KING'S JUSTICE intrigued me because it is actually a collection of two novellas. Length-wise it comes out to about the same number of pages as a shorter novel so it's still a pretty good value proposition. I was pleased to find that while both THE KING'S JUSTICE and THE AUGER'S GAMBIT have similar tones and themes, they play out in very different narrative structures and feature two distinctly separate leads. HOW I RATED IT  4/5  While not mind-blowing or even terribly deep, it was easy to appreciate the creativity in the characters and story as well as the consistency and coherence in each episode's respective magic systems.  Broken down are my thoughts for each of the novellas: ~~***~~ THE KING'S JUSTICE CHARACTERS This novella stars a man who goes by the name of Black. His dark and moody moniker is matched by his mysterious behavior and sometimes dour attitude. Initially, I found him to

UPDATE: NOVELLA NOVEMBER

Image
In 2015, I did a New 52 November where I read through a bunch of first volumes for the New 52 DC comics line that I got on the cheap. This year, I am back with more alliteration, but a very different theme. To kick things off, I will be sharing the first two installments of THE VOIDWALKER NOVELLAS for free on Amazon. These two serve as a pilot of sorts for the series as they introduce readers to Bryan Daley, a man plagued by strange and extravagant dreams that may or may not be the start of some serious problems during his waking life. Although the project has been dormant for a while due to other thing going on in my life/career, I've recently been hard at work getting the remaining six novellas put together. At this time, I'm hoping to get some reactions to these first two books especially when it comes to getting insight on how I should release the rest of the series (two at a time, one every so often, one big delivery of the rest of them, etc.). Here is when and where

REIVEW: NORSE MYTHOLOGY (BY NEIL GAIMAN)

Image
Ragnarok  is coming... INTRODUCTION  With the release of Marvel's THOR: RAGNAROK right around the corner, nothing seemed more appropriate than to borrow my roommate's copy of Neil Gaiman's NORSE MYTHOLOGY to read while I ride the hype train. I'm not a huge connoisseur of Gaiman's vast library of works, but I did enjoy reading his novel, STARDUST , and graphic novel, MARVEL 1602 . I also love all things mythology so needless to say, I dove into this one with a good deal of enthusiasm. HOW I RATED IT  5/5  Lovingly composed, written with enthusiastic wit, and teeming with all the wonder of the gods and their greatest legends, this take on the classic Norse tales is a must have for anyone who calls themselves a fan of mythology and folklore.  CHARACTERS Obviously, the way that "characters" come off in myths is quite different from how they are portrayed in a novel or really any form of modern storytelling. These personalities are certainly disti

REVIEW: EVERYONE'S A ALIEBN WHEN UR A ALIEBN TOO

Image
Our world through the eyes of an alien... INTRODUCTION  No I didn't make some horrible spelling blunder in the title of this post, you're actually reading it exactly as intended. Given to me as a parting gift from a friend at work, EVERYONE'S A ALIEBN WHEN UR A ALIEBN TOO , is a charmingly misspelled adventure into the human experience. It's a piece of fiction that will warm your heart, make you chuckle, and slap you in the face with sorrow, often within the span of a single breath. It's honest and heartfelt in all of the ways that count with some adorable visuals and bold typography to go with it. While some would rightly argue that this is actually more of a graphic novel, the way it's formatted is actually far more like a children's book, just one that's written for adults. HOW I RATED IT  5/5  Though it can occasionally be found guilty of overreaching, this is one book that should really be read by anyone who has even a Grinch-sized a hear

UPDATE: GRAVITAS CHAPTER 5

Image
Kanso meets with Fredryko and his two enforcers. With no other option than to confront his shortcoming, he'll find out what's in store for him. Will it be mercy or pain? Read it here

REVIEW: INJUSTICE 2 - THE SERIES SO FAR

Image
A whole new world... INTRODUCTION  With the INJUSTICE 2 video game coming out tomorrow (tonight for some), I thought it might be fun to review the first five issues of the INJUSTICE 2 prequel series which bridges the gap between games. I've been reviewing the original  INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US  comic volumes and have found myself loving every moment so I'm very happy that there is now a whole new series for fans to enjoy. I don't know if it will be as long-lived as the original, but I wanted to jump in an at least see where they'll go with it. At the time of this review, there are five individual issues out which I picked up digitally. This will be a cumulative review of those five issues that I may expand or perhaps transform into a review of the first volume when that eventually gets released.  HOW I RATED IT  4/5  I loved seeing familiar faces from the game all showing up in their brand new costumes and a totally new sort of world. There's nothing quite

REVIEW: INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR FIVE VOLUME 2

Image
Lines once crossed... NOTE   While this review will be relatively spoiler-free, there may be some spoilers for previous volumes in the series. INTRODUCTION  A lot has happened since the Series launched. Readers saw the sad decline of one of Earth's most cherished heroes in YEAR ONE . They watched as The Regime waged war with The Lantern Corps in YEAR TWO and were introduced to DC's magical underworld in YEAR THREE . YEAR FOUR brought forward an awe-inspiring clash between gods and heroes. In YEAR FIVE , things have started coming together. In VOLUME 1 , pieces began falling into place, but there were a lot of loose plot threads left by the end. I started in on VOLUME 2 , excited to see how those loose ends get tied.  HOW I RATED IT  5/5  This deeply emotional entry into the series cements Superman's tyrannical identity while also bringing many of the other characters to the point that players found them. This is perhaps the hardest hitting of the volumes s

REVIEW: INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR FIVE VOLUME 1

Image
The villains are unleashed... NOTE   While this review will be relatively spoiler-free, there may be some spoilers for previous volumes in the series.  INTRODUCTION  The final year of INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US begins. At the end of the previous volume, an entire prison's worth of supervillains was set loose upon the world. Now both sides of the Batman vs. Superman war are recruiting from this pool of new faces. With the story getting very close to the point that players found it in the game I dove into this one excited to see the different pieces fall into place.  HOW I RATED IT  5/5  Though it's a little scattered at times, there are a lot of fantastic moments in this installment that help drive the plot forward and define the characters in some brilliant ways.  CHARACTERS With the addition of all the previously shelved villains, the roster of INJUSTICE gets much bigger. While there are a lot of classic bad guys and gals that never get much time in the spotli

REVIEW: INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR FOUR VOLUME 2

Image
Olympus has invaded... NOTE   While this review will be relatively spoiler-free, there may be some spoilers for previous volumes in the series.  INTRODUCTION  Gods and heroes continue to clash in this second part of YEAR FOUR . Thankfully, this volume is more than just a prolonged sequence of swords and fists flying across the pages. The conflict to rid Earth of Olympus's residents brings the narrative forward in some important ways and an issue at the end introduces some new characters into the mix which will likely have a big impact on the fifth and final year of INJUSTICE . HOW I RATED IT  5/5  While this installment is still very action-packed, it also has the narrative depth that previous volumes lacked, making it feel like a far more like the kind of collection the series deserves.  CHARACTERS Batman seemingly has his way when Superman is forced to relinquish his throne. In the Man of Steel's place, a much bigger problem now arises. The gods of Olympus o

REVIEW: INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US YEAR FOUR VOLUME 1

Image
Olympus descends... NOTE   While this review will be relatively spoiler-free, there may be some spoilers for previous volumes in this series.  INTRODUCTION  A new year of Injustice means a new threat to Superman's Regime. This time the theme comes in the form of a different kind of magic...it comes straight from the books of Greek Mythology. The gods of Olympus turn their gaze down to earth and all sorts of discord ensues. Being a big fan of mythology, I've enjoyed the little bits of Themyscira this series shows, but never would I have guessed that it would bring in the entire Greek Pantheon. I'm thrilled that the story took this turn, but given how much I've read about Zues, Hera, Hermes, and company, this collection definitely had a lot to live up to in terms of my expectations. HOW I RATED IT  4/5  This installment follows in the pattern of becoming one gigantic battle. I do think there were some more interesting turns than the last one had, but ther