New Comic Review - Ant-man #3

Name: Ant-man #3

Published by: Marvel Comics 

Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Tom Reilly

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: VC's Cory Petit

Well, now I am officially a fan of this creative duo. Once again, they provide another brilliant issue, this time dealing with the most famous incarnation of Ant-man. This issue is packed with funny and witty dialogue, progresses the plot towards its inevitable conclusion in the future issue, while introducing readers to more of the iconic and interesting characters from the Ant-man mythos. 

Al Ewing completely understands the essence of the character of Scott Lang, and depicts him clearly as a family man, a smart and down to earth superhero who is smart and witty but knows when to get serious when the situation demands it. I really loved his handling of Cassie and the LMD version of Black Ant. It was great to see the cameos by some big shot Avengers too.

The most funny thing in this was definitely the banter between the characters, I also loved the father and daughter dynamic and the humorous monologue by the Black Ant. In fact, it was hard to find a misstep in the pages of this issue. And the twist at the end cleverly set up the stage for the finale. 

The art and color by Reilly and Bellaire is as good as the first two issues. Reilly once again morphs his style, this time adapting the modern approach, with using his unique grasp of the medium, and from the help of Bellaire creates a sense of motion while the characters change their sizes and the action scenes. The coloring also works to add up a kind of personality for the different characters with the use of shading. 

Despite initially wishing to write a short review, I cannot help myself from adding stuff to express my enthusiasm for this thoroughly entertaining and delightful little mini-series. 

My score - 4.5 out of 5.

New Comic Review - Detective Comics #1064

Name: Detective Comics #1064

Published by: DC comics

Writers: Ram V and Simon Spurrier

Artists: Rafael Albuquerque and Dani

Colorist: Dave Stewart

Letterers: Ariana Maher and Steve Wands

Well, Ram V and Rafael Albuquerque seems to have finally achieved what they were aiming for with this issue. The prose is much more tight and engrossing, the characters more vividly portrayed than ever and the art seems to have reached a new high with brilliantly mixing the gothic mystery and a brooding sense of darkness. 

The story begins with a beautiful little scene between Talia and Damian where Talia tells her son a folk tale which is presented with exquisite drawings. Then we get to see Bruce once again trying to cope with his health and his loss of family fortunes while trying to piece together the mystery on hand. Then the artistically choreographed fight sequence between Talia and Batman takes center stage. 

The storyline seems like it's finally falling into pieces while readers are still looking for hidden clues and cryptic meaning everywhere. The importance of Talia and the League finally comes to the forefront and Damian gets an interesting cameo. 

The drawing seems much improved this time somehow, especially the opening sequence and the fight scenes. The coloring by Dave Stewart is also top notch, adding an extra sense of mystery and horror to the atmosphere. 

The side story by Simon Spurrier featuring Gordon comes to its end here, leaving a lot of room for maneuvering in the future, ending up with giving Gordon something of a new status quo to explore. The unusual drawing by Dani was once again a driving force for this short little noir inspired piece. 

In the end, I will give this one a much deserved 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Graphic Novel Review - Predator Omnibus Vol. 1

Name: Predator Omnibus Vol. 1

Published by: Dark Horse Comics 

Written by: Mark Verheiden, Ian Edginton, Chuck Dixon, Dan Barry, Mike Richardson, Neil Barrett, Jr. 

Penciled by: Chris Warner, Ron Randall, Rick Leonardi, Enrique Alcatena, Dan Barry, Leo Duranona

Inked by: Sam De La Rosa, Chris Warner, Randy Emberlain, Steve Mitchell, Rick Magyar, Dan Panosian, Enrique Alcatena, Dan Barry, Leo Duranona

Colorer by: Chris Chalenor, Rachelle Menashe, David Nastelle, Steve Mattson, John Hannan III, Greg Wright, Gail Beckett, Eric Vincent 

Lettering by: Jim Massara, David Jackson, Clem Robins, Steve Dutro, Gail Beckett, Ellie De Ville

Well, this one is certainly not for everyone, but for the fans of Predator and of 80's action movies this is definitely going to be something of pure joy and nostalgia. Don't come here looking for artistic writing or groundbreaking mystery or finesse, but if you just came to enjoy mindless action and cheesy dialogue filled with varied and interesting drawings featuring the iconic Predators you have reached the right place indeed. 

This omnibus contains some of the earliest comic issues published by Dark Horse and you can clearly feel the influence of the first movie of the franchise in these stories. I would now write a few lines expressing my feelings about each of the story on offer. 

'Concrete Jungle' is the first ever original Predator comic series. It deals with the brother of Dutch, John Schaefer, who is an NYPD detective. It is clearly apparent that this has heavily influenced the second movie. While the author did some things better than the movie, but some things were just better done on big screen. 

'Cold War' once again features John Schaefer, but this time he goes to Siberia and teams up with a Russian woman named Lt. Ligachev to deal with another party of Predators. I liked this one most of the trilogy featuring Schaefer, the setting is quite promising for a movie in my opinion, the drawing was very good and Ligachev was a great addition too. 

'Dark River' is definitely the weakest of Schaefer trilogy, despite having some delightful art. The story is just too similar in essence and execution of the previous two and the dialogue was a bit too cheesy even for the 80's action movies feel it was trying to achieve. 

'Rite of Passage' was the first of the two short pieces based in Africa. I really liked this silent short. It reminded me a bit of 'Prey', the latest movie in the franchise. 

'The Pride at Nghasa' was another enjoyable story, reminding of the hunting stories I used to love in my childhood, with a twist of the hunters being massacred by a Predator. 

'The Bloody Sands of Time' was a mixed bag. While I really loved the characters of Griggs and Gwen, the story relied too much on the horrors of war and mindless slaughter instead of focusing on the characters for my liking. 

'Blood Feud' was another story that had a promising beginning, focusing on a blind Samurai but rather failed to deliver later on. Despite being a short story this one seemed to drag a bit and lacked the action that I hoped for. 

All in all, a fine example of the early days of Predator comics that is essential reading for any fans of the franchise and anyone who likes cheesy action movies. 

My score - 4 out of 5 stars. 

New Book Review - All or Nothing: A Zombicide Novel

Book - All or Nothing 

Writer - Josh Reynolds 

Series - A Zombicide Novel

Published By - Aconyte Books

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Aconyte Books for this opportunity.

To be honest, zombie fiction has reached such a point in its history that it is almost impossible to create anything fresh regarding it. Almost every angle has been explored, every stone has been turned to the entertainment the targeted audience. Josh Reynolds didn't focus on trying new dimensions, rather he gave us strong characters and some thrilling action bits to tell us an engrossing tale of survival. 

I was a bit sceptical when requesting this on netgalley, as I had no prior knowledge of the board game 'Zombicide', and also because this novel is a sequel of the writers first book based on the game. But, Reynolds did a brilliant job of making this a smooth read for any newcomer into the world of Zombicide and the story stands on its own quite independently despite being a sequel. 

'All or Nothing' is the tale of former career criminal Westlake, who finds himself semi-zombified in Atlantic City. Where he is kidnapped and becomes part of a savage gladiator-styled show for the amusement of a heartless overlord. But, ex-cop Estela Ramirez and her crew of mishap heroes are already on their stop the horrors being inflicted on the humans. 

The story is told through various viewpoint characters, almost all of whom different agendas and act in ways to ensure their goals in interesting ways. The plot is filled with enough thrills to keep the reader guessing what might happen next and keep hoping that their favorite characters somehow survive the ordeals. The story had enough momentum to keep any reader motivated to keep turning pages and some detailed action sequences as well. 

Among the characters, some were very interesting; including but not limited to the dubious protagonist Westlake, the masked wrestler named Calavera, the curiously academic and articulate Potelmy, the highly capable and stealthy Sayers, the enigmatic and mysterious Duchess and the not so generic mad scientist Brewer. I really loved many of these characters and that is what kept this story so entertaining despite the unoriginal setting of a zombie apocalypse. 

Despite wishing the ending had a bit more punch and more instances of near death experiences overall, I really loved the writing by Josh Reynolds and the characters. 

I will give this, 4 out of 5 stars. 

New Comic Review - Daredevil #3

Name: Daredevil #3

Published by: Marvel comics

Writter: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Rafael De Latorre

Colorist: Matthew Wilson

Letterer: VC's Clayton Cowles

Every month I pick up new issues by Chip Zdarsky, mentally dreading that maybe this time he will drop the ball by writing something less than stellar. And each time I get pleasantly surprised as he yet again delivers another spectacular issue dealing with the resolve and the beliefs Matt has regarding his past and the direction he has decided to take his life in. 

This issue continues to deal with Matt trying to tie up loose ends before leaving NYC to deal with the Hand. But this time he decides to pick up some more members for his army and tries to sway some of his friends to fight for his cause. On his travels through the city he also visits some of his lingering enemies that needs to be dealt with in the future, as well meet with some new enemies who he has to face sooner rather than later. 

That is the most I can say without spoiling anything of the plot. This issue is a rather prose heavy and lacking in action, but in Matt's world you don't always need action to portray an intense story. This issue is, as always, hard to put down once you start and immediately starts you wondering what to expect from the future issues once you are done, as Zdarsky already has all readers so much invested in the plight of his heroes. 

The drawing does suffer a bit with the absence of extremely capable Checcheto, but Rafael De Latorre & Matthew Wilson does a more than recommendable job of conveying the dire and desperate nature of the situation. 

The last few pages were my favourite nonetheless due to Zdarsky beautifully portrays Matthew's futile attempt at leaving behind his past life and old friends despite the apparent public death of his civilian persona. I just can't wait to discover what the future holds for these characters and for once the brilliant story didn't make me realise the total absence of Elektra till the final page. 

Once again, a resounding 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

New Comic Review - Predator #2

Name: Predator #2

Published by: Marvel comics

Writter: Ed Brisson

Artists: Kev Walker

Colorists: Frank D'Armata

Letterer: Clayton Cowles 

This issue slows the pace down quite a bit, after the action packed and plot enriched first issue. There is a distinct lack of visceral action sequences present on the first issue. There isn't much presence of the titular character of 'Predator' as well. 

Rather the author focuses more time building on the character of Theta, adding depth into both her inner struggles as well as her attempt of surviving the unforgiving and harsh conditions of the planet that she crashed on in the previous issue. The ending does set up next month's issue to have one intense battle though. 

Despite liking some aspects of the issue which make this an enjoyable science fiction story, my main problem is that this doesn't really feel like a Predator comic at all. The sense of horror and intensity characteristic of fictions associated with the unique hunter species is distinctly absent here. 

The drawing and coloring do the job admirably with depicting the desolate atmosphere of the planet as well as the desperation and turmoil the protagonist goes through. But I will be much more interested to see the action sequences drawn by these two in the future issues. 

Like the first issue, I will give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars once again.

Audiobook Review - The Interrogation of Salvor Lermentov

Name: The Interrogation of Salvor Lermentov

Series: Vaults of Terra

Published by: Black Library / Games Workshop

Writer: Chris Wraight

Performed by: John Banks & David Seddon

As an audio drama set in the 'Vaults of Terra' series, this is situated just after the first book. While this doesn't add much to the story, it does deal with the fate of one of the side characters. It also is a short statement regarding the current state of the Imperium of man, presented through a charged conversation between two men with very different opinions. 

Salvor Lermentov was one of the interesting side characters of ' The Carrion Throne' and Inquisitor Cowl was my favourite character in the book. So, despite the predictable direction of their meeting and the equalling predictable outcome, it was fun to hear them talk. Some more insights into the backstory of Lermentov were presented here, as well as the origins of his motivation. 

The performance by John Backs and David Seddon were great. I liked the emotionally charged arguments and the background music also added to the overall enjoyment. Their pronunciations were quite clear and understandable. 

This was a fun experience that should reinvigorate readers' interest in the future books of the series. Despite its short length and this not being essential for understanding the series it was a fun experience nonetheless. 

3.5 out of 5 stars from me. 

New Comic Review - Aliens: Aftermath #1

Name: Aliens: Aftermath #1

Published by: Marvel comics

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artists: Dave Wachter

Colorists: Christopher Sotomayor 

Letterer: VC's Ariana Maher

This one shot celebrates and explores upon the 35th anniversary of the beloved second movie of the franchise, 'Aliens'. And we get to travel once again to the ruins of 'Hadley's Hope' with a new cast of doomed characters. 

The story is set 35 years in fictional time of the Aliens universe, as we see a group of renegade terrorists trying to explore what's left of LV-426, with some hidden agendas thrown into the mix. Things don't  go according to plan as always and we get to meet a new kind of Xenomorph, as the crew tries to survive the experience. 

There is a lot of story packed here for only a one-shot, even some backstories for characters and a surprise ending that leaves ground for exploration in the near future. The fast paced ride was a quick reading and left me wondering if it could have worked better as a mini-series with the addition of a bit more materials. 

Usually I don't talk about characters in a single issue of any comics, but here we get to meet the nephew of the one and only 'Vasquez' from the movie; and we also meet a mysterious employee of Weyland-Yutani. Aside from the other unexplored and expendable side characters, these two seemed quite interesting. 

There is nothing unique or extraordinary going on in the art department, but Dave Wachter did a fine job of detailing the atmosphere of the locations and the coloring by Sotomayor added to the overall feel of horror. The design for the new Xenomorph was quite eye catching as well. 

Overall, I will give this 4 out of 5 stars (.5  added due to my love for the movie and potential for the future). 

New Comic Review - Batman #127

Name: Batman #127

Published by: DC comics

Writter: Chip Zdarsky

Artists: Jorge Jimenez, Belén Ortega

Colorists: Tomeu Morey, Luis Guerrero

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Both of Zdarsky's main superhero series' have become so engrossing that it is hard to wait for the next issue each month. And his new Batman once again delivers such an issue, that you have to think for some time after finishing about the references and the ramifications and what the reader might expect next. 

The plot follows Batman and Tim while they try to outwit Failsafe, and survive his relentless onslaught. Elsewhere, Nightwing and Oracle decide to call for some backup and the story ends with another surprise in the guise of a cameo from a beloved DC icon. 

The issue opens directly from the last issues surprise reveal as the author slowly takes us into the origin of 'Failsafe'. The action slows down a little and Zdarsky's inner monologue for Bruce seems a lot more focused on this issue. Despite the author going for the psychological impact on Bruce about his dual identity and his mission versus family, which has been done many times before, his approach and execution makes this tired trope shine brighter than ever before. 

The artists do another superb job, the action sequences are as good as the last issue, with brilliant use of colors throughout. The desperation and anguish is almost palpable on the faces of the heroes and the backgrounds were done quite skillfully as well. 

The side story featuring Catwoman takes a surprise turn in this finale. And rather than focusing on the action this time Zdarsky delivers a different take, writing about how his rogues feel about Batman on the impact he has on their life and what it feels like to start from the scratch. Not a bad end to this delightful little story. 

My score - 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

New Manga Review - Star Wars Rebels, Vol. 1

Name: Star Wars Rebels, Vol. 1

Based on the series created by: Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg & Carrie Beck

Art by: Akira Aoki

Published by: Yen Press

I can't seem to get enough 'Star Wars' in my life at the moment. On a whim, I even decided to check out a manga based on the franchise. This first volume of 'Star Wars Rebels' manga doesn't really do anything new or groundbreaking, but it felt kinda good to see these characters and the universe in this new format. 

There is not much to say about the story, as this volume mostly follows exactly the plot of the first one hour television film 'Spark of Rebellion' barring a few minor changes. Although it's been quite a long time since I saw the first season of the show, this brought back some fond memories. We also get introduced to the main characters and their ship. Some more changes or a bit of depth in storytelling might have been better though. 

The art was the main reason for my interest in this, and while I didn't like all of the character drawings, the environment and the ships were done quite beautifully in the style of manga art. The action sequences were also done with enough charisma to make readers recheck for missing bits and pieces. 

The short side story featuring 'Darth Vader' at the end was very interesting, and as far as I can tell it adapts a small part of the novel 'Lords of the Sith'. This features some delightful drawing of Vader and made me interested to check out the novel. 

Overall, I liked this short read despite the lack of originality or innovation in the plot and will probably check out the next two volumes for the art and for refreshing my memory of the animated series before I watch the later seasons. 

I will give this, 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

New Book Review - Star Wars: Be More Obi-Wan

Name: Star Wars: Be More Obi-Wan

Writer: Kelly Knox

Published by: Dorling Kindersley Limited (DK) 

My first experience with the Star Wars Be More series is just what I expected, a fun little self-help book with Star Wars humour thrown in for good measure.

The book is divided into five chapters with each containing five mages with a title line followed by a small paragraph. Even the tragedies of Obi-Wan's life are made fun of through bits of wisdom and quotes from the various characters dispersed throughout each page of the different chapters.

It was a short and enjoyable read. Any fan of Star Wars will surely love to revisit these pieces from the past history of the Star Wars universe and the unique sense of humour present throughout the texts is always sure to cater to the taste of the fans of the series. The choice of the dialogues picked were also top notch and right on point.

There were many screenshots from both the live action and animated features from the Star Wars franchise. I just wish there were a few illustrations present, which would have made me enjoy this even more.

4 out of 5 stars from me, for this short little title.

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars: Allegiance

Name: Star Wars: Allegiance 

Writter: Ethan Sacks

Artist: Luke Ross

Colorist: Lee Loughridge

Cover Artist: Marco Checcheto

Letter: VC's Clayton Cowles 

'Allegiance' is the only one of the three 'Journey To Star Wars' mini-series for the sequel trilogy that focuses on the main three protagonists and even the main antagonist Kylo Ren in cameo appearance. Maybe that is why it was so hard to pull off, especially considering despite the presence of all the major players the conflict was quite minor and the outcome was so obvious from the start. 

The plot follows Leia, Rey, Chewie and Rose as they travel to Mon Cala to forge a new alliance while aiming to acquire some new spaceships for the resistance. While in a side plot Finn and Poe attempts to find a secret cache of weapons that can be of great use to the plight of the forces of the resistance. 

The plotline following Leia and Rey seems to contain a bit too much dialogue and the characters seemed a bit too off at times. I liked the subplot involving Finn and Poe much better in comparison with its banter and humorous bits, but this might be due to fact that Finn is one of my favourite characters in the sequel trilogy. 

There was nothing wrong with the art, in fact the alien characters were drawn quite nicely and the action sequences were well done too. But it lacked the grandiosity of drawing on offer present on the first two miniseries. As a matter of fact, the spectacular covers by Marco Checcheto makes this even more apparent.

I did enjoy reading about these characters and I am sure it served its purpose of enticing fans before 'The Rise of Skywalker'. But I can't give this more than an average score of 3 out of 5 stars.

New Comic Review - Ant-man #2

Name: Ant-man #2

Published by: Marvel Comics 

Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Tom Reilly

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: VC's Cory Petit

It is very hard follow up the first issue of this mini-series, which was a dose of nostalgic perfection. But Ewing and Reilly do manage to deliver another fun and enjoyable issue, although maybe not as spectacular as the previous one. 

This time we switch our focus to the most notorious person ever to use of the name of Ant-man, the irredeemable Eric O'Grady. The story is set just after Eric had stolen the new and improved Ant-man suit from SHIELD, as he tries to get familiar with his new found powers and ends up meeting different incarnations of Ant-man. 

The art style by Tom Reilly, tries to imitate the style of the 2000's and does so admirably. His paneling and drawing style was a brilliant replication of the methods used in 'The Irredeemable Ant-man' series in which Eric used to star on, and once again was an enjoyable trip to the past. 

But to me the pacing was the issue was a bit too slow, and nothing much really happened concerning the main overarching plot of the series. 

This gets, 4 out of 5 stars from me.