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Post by thwhtguardian on May 14, 2021 6:25:43 GMT -5
I'm trying to remember the last time DC did anything I was remotely interested in reading. I suspect it was when they were using the Hanna-Barbera characters to great effect about five years ago.
For me, Far Sector is the one thing I'm waiting for in trade from DC and really interested in (never preordered it, so reading in singles was not going to happen), but that's it for DC titles right now.
Maybe if they do a follow-up to Harleen, but I understood from Stjepan Šejić that he will be focusing on his creator-owned work for the foreseeable future.
Far Sector was amazing, that was the first time I actually liked a green lantern book |
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 14, 2021 17:39:34 GMT -5
House of Lost Horizons: A Sarah Jewell Mystery #1Written by Chris Roberson Art by Leila del Duca Summary: Paranormal investigator Sarah Jewell and her companion Marie encounter a classic locked door/ closed circle murder mystery on an island estate!
Plot: I've loved the Agatha Christie inspired Sarah Jewell ever since she was first introduced to the Hellboy Universe back in 2016's Rise of the Black Flame mini series, and although solo Chris Roberson stories are often a chore he finally got a real win here. It's a classic set up you've likely seen a thousand times: a simple weekend trip to an island estate owned by an old friend goes astray when instead of just verifying occult items for an auction Sarah must now solve a mystery while being trapped on the island by bad weather. And as usual just as the investigation gets under way even more murders happen and to the seemingly most likely to have committed the murder. Even if you've never read Christie's And Then There Were None, the set up is undoubtedly familiar but rather than that making the story a bore its actually a strength because it does it so well. A story of this sort needs a large cast of interesting characters that are each compelling in their own ways and an interesting setting that has an excellent mood as well as being suitably constraining and the story ticks all those boxes. Though it's only a 21 page story and there is a whole lot to set up but it was none the less a very satisfying read and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.
Art: I've been a huge fan of Leila del Duca for years now but for some reason I don't think I've ever thought to place her on my mental list of artists I’d love to see work on the Hellboy Universe, but she's a perfect fit for this kind of story where the set details and characters emotions are so important. With her perchance for exaggerated mouths and eyes her art is able to get across incredibly subtle emotional beats for the characters and on the other hand she has an almost Herge like way of using simplified figures against incredibly reaslistic and heavily detailed back grounds that really gives her storytelling a real sense of place. Every image really is a gem here!
Grade: 10/10 |
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Post by wildfire2099 on May 14, 2021 22:45:55 GMT -5
My stuff for this week:
Space Bastards #5 : We get some pay off on the plot, and even more weird decadence from Darick Robertson. Maybe a bit TOO over the top at a couple points, but still very entertaining.
Challenge of the Super Sons #2 : Hey, it's NOT going to just be random fight each issue! Exciting! Not that Jon and Damian written by Tomasi needs plot... the scenes with Damian explaining how Batman has 'contingency plans' for the Justice League and Jon's reaction to it was awesome.
Batman: The Detective #2 : Still not sure why Batman looks like Frank Castle, but the story is definitely interesting... a bit slow, but that's par for the course in 2021.
Star Wars: High Republic #5 : I found this issue a bit of a let down.. the dengri(or whatever the even plant monsters are) were both too powerful and too easily defeated at the same time. Kress negotiating with the Hutt was pretty great, though. I do hope they don't kill of Sskeer, the thought of a Trandoshian jedi is just too interesting. Also, I don't really get how the twin came back... didn't he die a couple issues ago?
Random of the shelf pickup:
House of Lost Horizons #1 : I don't really read Hellboy (and only guessed this was related by the reference to Mignola on the inside cover).. just looked like a cool book, and it is! The main character is drawn to look alot like Dion Belmont IMO.. I wonder if that was on purpose? I'm not sure locked room mysteries have the same impact when you add magic, but it'll be interesting to see how that goes.
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 15, 2021 5:17:29 GMT -5
My stuff for this week: Space Bastards #5 : We get some pay off on the plot, and even more weird decadence from Darick Robertson. Maybe a bit TOO over the top at a couple points, but still very entertaining. Challenge of the Super Sons #2 : Hey, it's NOT going to just be random fight each issue! Exciting! Not that Jon and Damian written by Tomasi needs plot... the scenes with Damian explaining how Batman has 'contingency plans' for the Justice League and Jon's reaction to it was awesome. Batman: The Detective #2 : Still not sure why Batman looks like Frank Castle, but the story is definitely interesting... a bit slow, but that's par for the course in 2021. Star Wars: High Republic #5 : I found this issue a bit of a let down.. the dengri(or whatever the even plant monsters are) were both too powerful and too easily defeated at the same time. Kress negotiating with the Hutt was pretty great, though. I do hope they don't kill of Sskeer, the thought of a Trandoshian jedi is just too interesting. Also, I don't really get how the twin came back... didn't he die a couple issues ago? Random of the shelf pickup: House of Lost Horizons #1 : I don't really read Hellboy (and only guessed this was related by the reference to Mignola on the inside cover).. just looked like a cool book, and it is! The main character is drawn to look alot like Dion Belmont IMO.. I wonder if that was on purpose? I'm not sure locked room mysteries have the same impact when you add magic, but it'll be interesting to see how that goes. I would think the similarities to Dian stem from the fact that both Sarah and Dian are based on Aimee Crocker and Nellie Bly. With Star Wars, I think why I reacted better to this than you did was simply because I really disliked the whole plot with the plant monsters so the quicker they're gone the better for me. My one flaw with this issue in fact was that it didn't dispose of those monsters faster! I think it would have been a much better read in my eyes if instead of ending in yet another cliff hanger Cavan had instead just wrapped it up and moved on to another story with the next issue; the characterization was solid here but the over all plot was a bit of a chore. |
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Post by Dizzy D on May 30, 2021 11:17:58 GMT -5
X-Factor #9
Written by Leah Williams
Art by David Baldeon and Israel Silva
What Happened Before:Mutants have united and live nearly all on the island of Krakoa. By combining the powers of five mutants known as the Five, mutants that die or have died can be resurrected in a cloned body. It's up to the team known as X-Factor to investigate the deaths and disappearances of mutants to prevent any duplicates from running around.
Plot: In a previous X-Factor series, Theresa Cassidy made a deal with the Irish death-goddess, the Morrigan. The Morrigan has now possessed Terry and she has repeatedly killed herself. X-Factor has been investigating her deaths and engaged the Morrigan. She is now being restrained by Polaris, while Rachel takes the rest of the team to go through the Morrigan and Terry's memories.
The Good: As said before, I really like the team and the way Williams puts in little moments to develop them as a group and as characters.
I also really like the fight scene between Shatterstar and the Morrigan at the end, told in a style that resembles a cross between Celtic art and a medieval tapestry.
The Bad: While reading the Morrigan's mind, X-Factor finds out that only Shatterstar can break the geas that allows Morrigan to control Terry. So in 4 pages, the New Mutants enter Mojoverse, overthrow Mojo and free Shatterstar, while Dazzler and her new band play a concert to distract everybody. That is very rushed (but this is the penultimate issue of X-factor, so I don't blame Williams here; probably the Mojoverse plotline was planned to on longer, but the series is cut short so she has to wrap up everything in two issues.)
7/10: Very rushed in places, but I'm sad to see this series go. I was quite enjoying how this team came together and how there was some great interaction between all characters. Definitely not an issue to just pick up and get a feeling for the series.
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Post by Dizzy D on May 30, 2021 12:09:55 GMT -5
Grendel: Devil's Odyssey #6
Written by Matt Wagner
Art by Matt and Brennan Wagner
What Happened Before: In the far future, Grendel Prime, the cyborg paladin, is sent into space to find a planet where humanity can build a new home with only a single android, Sigma-7, for help.
Plot: Grendel Prime arrives on the planet Bojan-Feq, a world inhabited by three different sentient species. All conflict on the planet is resolved by the Ordeal: a duel to the death. Grendel interferes to end the practice of the Ordeal.
The Good: So far the series was not really grabbing me, mostly because Grendel arrived on a planet, figured out quickly that it was unsuitable and then had to deal with some complication to leave again, usually leaving death and destruction his wake, because he's Grendel. This time, things are different. Grendel decides that these trials by combat (which usually is something a Grendel would completely support) have to end. He does this not by winning the Ordeals, but by entering and turning out completely invulnerable to his opponent's primitive weapons. Like many of the later Grendel stories, this one takes place over a long period of time and at the end of the story, Grendel, now the White Warrior (known for his white cape rather than the black armour underneath), has gathered a discipleand a group of followers who follow his way.
Also it's Matt Wagner on art and the inking here is much better than in the recent Mage series.
The Bad: Don't have anything bad to say about this issue. It's the first part though of this current substory and I do hope it sticks the landing.
9/10: So far this series has been mostly done-in-one or two issue stories for each planet, this one is probably the set up for the final planet and will last the final 3 issues, but that's speculation on my part. It is by far the best one in the series so far and I'm fascinated by the evolution of the Grendel character over the years; from cruel criminal mastermind to vengeful mother to broken lover to insane revolutionary to calculating warlord, Grendel has always been a creature of violence, so I'm very interested to see the last Grendel chose the way of non-violence.
Wagner has anounced that there will be another Grendel project after this (a sequel to this series), so pacifist Grendel could have some legs.
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