Graphic Novel Review - Aquaman: 80 Years of the King of the Seven Seas

Name - Aquaman: 80 Years of the King of the Seven Seas

Writers - Various 

Artists - Various 

Published by - DC comics

Initially, after reading "Aquaman: A Celebration of 75 Years", I decided against picking this one up as I had read most of the stories on offer here previously. The 2 or 3 issues that I hadn't read previously didn't seem very special. But, as time passed, I forgot some of the stories and changed my mind, thinking it might be fun revisiting various eras of Aquaman's long run.

The stuff presented here seemed somehow a bit more coherent than the aforementioned collection. There was more emphasis on the newer stuff, featured a great many cameos, one of the best issue from Peter David's awesome run and even an issue featuring the short lived character Arthur Joseph Curry. 

The short essays by various creators that contributed to the character were also a lot of fun and informative. I would have loved to hear a bit from Peter David though regarding his unorthodox yet brilliant run.

The varied art was really a feast for the eyes. I really loved the varied works on offer here. The works from Jim Aparo, Ramona Fradon, Ivan Reis and Stjepan Šejić were just plain spectacular to behold, to name a few.

All in all, I found this one much more focused and representing Aquaman better than the 75 years collection, justifying its need. It really intrigued me about jumping into the stuff that I haven't yet read sooner rather than later.

A well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Graphic Novel Review - The Fables of Erlking Wood

Name: The Fables of Erlking Wood 

Published by: Goats Flying Press

Writer & Artist: Juni Ba

Letterer: Aditya Bidikar

A rather unorthodox piece of modern-influenced folk tale incorporating a healthy dose of humor, sadness, and charm with beautiful design and artwork. That is how I can describe in one sentence this delightful little graphic novel that came literally out of nowhere to hit me in the feels reminding me a bit about my own lonely childhood.

This one is presented as a collection of fables and tales focused on the Erlking Wood of the title, the small bits then coming together in the overarching story of the main characters while creating an atmosphere of magically charged longing and contentment at the same time.

These characters despite being a mixture of animals, humans, and demigods are all quite emotional and relatable, and the author makes the reader care for their journeys of self-discovery and attempts at redemption. 

The art is just a joy to look at, giving another extra dose of magic into the overall mix. The changes in style are quite a unique experience, creating a different realm for the reader to explore.

A delightful read, gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

Graphic Novel Review - Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown

Name: Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown

Published by: Dark Horse Book

Writer & Artist: Mike Mignola

Colorist: Dave Stewart 

Letterer: Clem Robins

My experience with Mike Mignola is quite limited, as I have only read the first volume of Hellboy and a few other works from him here and there. So, it was quite a lot of fun to be acquainted with his unique style of storytelling and unorthodox art. And the concept of building a new world also resonated with me, satisfying an older craving.

Bowling with Corpses features the titular story along with a bunch of short stories telling some simplistic yet brilliantly depicted tales while introducing the boundaries of the setting. The storytelling technique is quite engrossing; often using the art and the overall setting reminded me of 'The Gods of Pegana', which is a book I still remember quite fondly.

What more can I say about Mignola's art that hasn't always been said. It creates a vivid sense of otherworldly sensation and dark brooding atmosphere that acts as the main force driving the story. My only gripe is that somehow I feel the art would have worked even better in black and white.

Hoping to see more from this world and quite eager to find out what happens to these characters in the future. I will give this 4 out of 5 stars.

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars: Yoda

Name: Star Wars: Yoda 

Published by: Marvel Comics

Writers: Cavan Scott, Jody Houser & Marc Guggenheim 

Artists: Nico Leon, Luke Ross, Alessandro Miracolo & Ibraim Roberson

Colorists: Photobunker's Dono- Sánchez-Almara, Nolan Woodard, Annalisa Leoni & Neeraj Menon

Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna

I was a bit sceptical about picking up this one. Yoda is a huge brand name for the Star Wars franchise, anything with his name usually results in quick and sure sells, so I thought there might not be any worthwhile substance in this. Despite my reservations, I decided to finally check this out based on the reviews on the internet and also as part of timeline wise read-through.

There are a total of three stories here featuring different time periods throughout the long lifespan of Yoda's life, all culminating in a brilliantly executed last issue. The first story occurs on a previously unknown planet inhabited by two new species, who are at odds with each other and the author slowly explores the reality of the situation. 

The second one seemed the weakest to me despite having one of my favorite characters, Dooku. The exploration of the enmity between Trandoshan's and Wookiee's and the unreliability and maddening effect of prophesies was the main focus.

The third story occurs during the time of another of my favorite time periods 'The Clone Wars' and also featured maybe my favorite Star Wars villains General Grievous, so obviously I enjoyed it.

The art was quite gorgeous throughout, with detailed backgrounds and appropriate facial reconstructions and expressions. The action sequences were also done quite competently.

Overall score - 4.5 out of 5 stars. And I do hope other adventures from Yoda's lifespan will be explored in this format, as there is vast scope for experimentation. 

Graphic Novel Review - Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon

Name: Star Wars Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon 

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: George Mann

Artists: Andrea Mutti, Gigi Baldassini

Colorist: Vladimir Popov

Letterer: Comicraft's Tyler Smith and Jimmy Betancourt

The new line of character centric 'Hyperspace Stories' initiative truly seems like a promising initiative. It is a great scope to tell fun stories featuring these beloved characters occurring throughout the vast timespan of the franchise. And the first entry is quite enjoyable in a simplistic yet poignant way.

The story is placed sometime before 'The Phantom Menace', while also incorporating a glimpse into Qui-Gon Jinn's time as a Padawan. The characterization was spot on and the cameo by Dooku was a nice delight.

It was nice to have the story focus on the greyer side of the force rather than a straightforward concept of light vs dark. I really liked the interesting yet less known cult that was a part of the story. The interesting story did make up for the relative scarcity of action.

The art was okay, but nothing extraordinary barring a few detailed backgrounds. I would have liked if the art was a bit more eye-catching.

This gets 4 out of 5 stars from me mostly based on the interesting story.

Graphic Novel Review - Aquaman: A Celebration of 75 Years

Name: Aquaman: A Celebration of 75 Years

Published by: DC comics

Writters: Various

Artists: Various 

When considered as a sampler or entry point for new readers into the world of Aquaman, this collection does a fine job. But when thinking of this as a collectable item for seasoned reader it does fall a bit short as it misses some of the classic or legendary issues.

Readers will mostly get an introductory idea about the characters and setting of the world of Aquaman and some information regarding some of the noteworthy runs featuring Arthur. Some of the art from the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age  is quite charming and beautiful. And the primers from the modern comics also pique interest regarding these storylines.

I would have loved to read or experience some of the other specific legendary issues, like silver age introduction of Thanatos or some of the other extravagant Peter David issues beside the mid blowing 'Single Wet Female'.

Overall score - 3.5 stars from me, mostly due to some unfortunate omissions.

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 3

Name: Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 3

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Haden Blackman, Ryan Kaufman, The Fillbach Brothers, Tim Mucci

Artists: The Fillbach Brothers

Colorist: Sigmund Torre, Pamela Rambo, Sno Cone Studios

Letterer: Michael David Thomas 

It's been a while since I read the first two volumes of this series, but after starting this third one I was instantly transported into the world this series was inspired by. 

The first story 'Rogue's Gallery' features some of the fan favorite villains of the prequel era fighting between themselves, which was quite fun, but somehow seemed like a missed opportunity.

'The Package' is clearly the best story in this volume (maybe the best is the series so far) and the twist at the ending is such an enjoyable gut punch reminding us of the overall grimness of the situation.

The third story named 'A Stranger in Town' is kind of like a wild west story featuring Yoda and a bit weird with its action scenes.

'One Battle' is a Plo Koon story which is quite mediocre except for the interesting last line.

Overall score - 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Graphic Novel Review - All Against All

Name: All Against All Vol. 1

Published by: Image Comics

Writer: Alex Paknadel

Artist: Casper Wijngaard

Colorist: Hasan Otsmane-Elhaou

This was a fun mini-series with a unique science fiction concept detailing the story of a group of parasitic aliens trying to delve into the mystery of the destructive nature of humanity on the backdrop of their own ongoing war. 

Alex Paknadel isn't an author that I was familiar with so I came into this without expecting anything, but his style was quite enjoyable. I liked his use of different viewpoint characters while trying to establish the world building through their perspectives rather than info dump. The story was an interesting one with some messages regarding the consequence of violence and war. 

The artist Caspar Wijngaard is also someone new for me, and I am definitely going to be on the lookout for his work in the future after my first exposure. His unique and unorthodox character and background designs, and masterful depiction of the action sequences were really able to drive home the visceral nature of the story. 

Interesting concept, fresh storytelling and vividly imaginative drawing kept me turning the pages rather quickly on this one as I kept intrigued about the twist to come. 4 out of 5 stars from me. 

New Comic Review - Six 001 - The Tanque Verde Massacre

Name: Six 001 - The Tanque Verde Massacre

Published by: Europe Comics

Writer: Philippe Pelaez

Artist: Javier Casado

Translator: Dan Christensen

Editing: Christopher Bradley

Letterer: Cromatik Ltd. 

My first experience with Europe Comics was quite an enjoyable one. This issue of western comics made me nostalgic about my childhood of reading translated westerns, often barely understanding some of the terminology but thoroughly enjoying the machismo, action and most of all the atmosphere. This one might be very generic to serious readers of western, to a casual reader of the genre like me, this hits all the sweet spots and kept me wanting more. 

The first issue mostly introduces the Six characters mentioned in the name of the story. We get information regarding some of the characters, while a few remain without much back story. We get introduced to the different factions of villains and also learn about the quest of the group while they begin their journey. 

Despite being quite generic, the characters are quite likeable and almost felt like getting reacquainted with old friends to me and I am already dreading the fact that some of the six will eventually die by the end. I really liked the dynamic between the deserter and the Indian quite a lot. The mysterious narrator of the story also adds another layer of intrigue for readers. 

The art is detailed, has appropriate facial expressions and creates the atmosphere quite nicely. The translation is also flawless never hampering the enjoyment at all. 

I really got immersed in this one despite understanding this might be generic for readers of the genre, but what more can be asked of a good old fashioned western tale?

I will give this one 4 out of 5 stars from me. 

Graphic Novel Review - Planet of the Apes Archive Vol. 1

Name: Planet of the Apes Archive Vol. 1: Terror on the Planet of the Apes

Published by: BOOM! Studios 

Writer: Doug Moench

Artists: Mike Ploog, Frank Chiaramonte, Tom Sutton, Herb Trimpe, Virgil Redondo

Let me start by saying that I am a relatively new Apes fan. Despite watching the original movie as a kid and the reboot as a teenager I was never much invested previously, which might have been due to the fact that I wasn't never really aware of the racial and political issues that this franchise tried to focus upon. But after quite recently rewatching the first movie and following up with watching (for the first time!) the next four I became quite enamoured. 

As I began to gradually delve deeper into the tie-in stuff, I decided to check out the various comics from different publishers. And these archives published by BOOM! Studios seemed a great way to read the older Marvel stuff in an organized way. 

The first volume of this archive series contains an original storyline set in the Planet of the apes depicting an action packed tale of two friends, a human and an ape going through almost limitless obstacles while re-exploring their friendship. Despite losing momentum towards the end and not having a proper ending, 'Terror on the Planet of the Apes' is an action packed journey that manages to combine the epic tone of the planet of the apes with the weirdness inherent to the comics as a medium. 

The story has many interesting and varied characters. Although the protagonist Jason and his friend Alex and the main antagonist Brutus might seem rather one dimensional caricatures; the likes of Gunsmith Julius, Steely Dan, Saraband, Lightsmith and a myriad of interesting villains  steal the show with their uniqueness. 

Doug Moench really knows how to spin a tale to keep his readers guessing what new perils might come next for our heroes and what new fascinating bits of weird and unorthodox locale or creatures we might experience next. And especially during the first half each chapter adds further layers of world-building to keep readers excited to keep on turning the pages. 

The first nine chapters are drawn by Mike Ploog, and his drawing is just something that is a pure joy to experience. The level of detail in his black and white pages kept me engrossed and returning for stuff I might have missed. The last six chapters are also well drawn and eye catching, but lack Ploogs artistic brilliance and pales a bit in comparison. 

Overall, the merits far outweigh the minor lacks in this story and the introduction and ending by the Apes expert 'Rich Handley' also add a sense of perspective to this historic piece of work. 

This gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. 

Graphic Novel Review - X-Men The Animated Series: The Further Adventures

Name: X-Men The Animated Series - The Further Adventures 

Published by: Marvel comics

Writters: Ralph Macchio, Nel Yomtov, Kelly Corvese, Robert Loren Fleming, Mike Pellowski, Joey Cavalieri, Mike Marts

Artists: Yancey Labat, Ben Herrera, Mike S. Miller, Andy Kuhn, Derec Aucoin, Alex Saviuk, Don Heck, Artie Ruiz etc. 

X-Men The Animated Series is definitely one of the best animated shows ever based on Marvel characters. So my expectations were quite high when I decided to check this omnibus which was supposedly a continuation of the story of the characters from the show. 

While there were definitely some high points in this collection, the varied nature of the stories seems to hold back some of the fun of this one. The drawing also seemed a bit too unorthodox and out of place at times. 

Some of the writing was quite good, specially stuff by Ralph Macchio. The Magneto and Apocalypse issues, the Cyclops centric issue, the Jubilee vs. Sabretooth issue, the guest appearance of Hulk etc. were some of the best issues and the ending also does an interesting thing trying to connect it to the Marvel-616 continuity. 

While this won't fill the whole left by the X-Men TAS on the fans, this collection is definitely worth the time and a great motivator for rewatching the show while we eagerly wait for X-Men '97.

This gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from me. 

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. 

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.

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars: Captain Phasma

Name: Star Wars: Captain Phasma

Published by: Marvel Comics 

Writter: Kelly Thompson 

Artist: Marco Checcheto

Colorist: Andres Mossa

Letter: VC's Clayton Cowles 

One of the minor characters that I was intrigued by in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' was the character of Captain Phasma. I found here design quite unique and interesting, and was kind of disappointed by her fate towards the end. This story picks up after where we left her in the movie moving her part of the plot forward and the art by Marco Checcheto was as delightful as ever. 

The story starts with Captain Phasma, just after where we left him in the movie, follows him as he erases the evidence of his involvement in the destruction of Starkiller base and his pursuit of the only one who is aware of this secret. This 4 part mini-series introduces a few new characters and a new planet with some backstory. 

While the story wasn't particularly bad, the story of the planet and its occupants wasn't much interesting. I would have liked to learn more about the past of Captain Phasma rather than this, which was only barely hinted at. The main focus is on the present and the ruthless intensity of Phasma to tie up loose ends to ensure her own survival. 

I have become a fan of Marco Checcheto's art in the recent months, and once again he delivers with delightful precision. His beautifully detailed drawing of the spaceships and the environment is complemented adequately by the equally capable Andres Mossa. I also liked Checcheto's designs for the various inhabitants of the planet Luprora. Once again, this artist duo is impeccable in their execution and their world of Star Wars is a joy to behold. 

Frankly, I wanted to give this collection a lower score, but on a second thought I did enjoy the story and was quite invested in the character of Captain Phasma throughout her struggles. And the drawing deserves full marks. So I decided to give this 4 out of 5 stars in the end. 

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars: Shattered Empire

Name: Star Wars: Shattered Empire 

Published by: Marvel Comics

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artists: Marco Checcheto, Angel Unzueta and Emilio Laiso

Colorist: Andres Mossa

Letter: VC's Joe Caramagna 

I picked this up because what was advertised about this miniseries, I wanted to find out what happened just after 'Return of the Jedi' and based on the cover and my previous experience with Marco Checcheto I was quite enthusiastic about how he would draw this iconic characters and action scenes. I got almost exactly what I was expecting. 

The main viewpoint character is Shara Bay, the mother of Poe Dameron, from the sequel trilogy. The stories present in the main four issues are kind of like anthologies, tales occurring just after the final battle of the third movie and the week following it, she interacts with the trio of heroes from the movie with cameos from other beloved characters. 

There never is any real danger or momentum in the stories presented here, and dialogues are very cheesy quite often. At times, this almost felt like deliberate and cheap attempt at introducing Dameron's parents in the main story chronologically without adding much to the plot other than establishing that the battle with the Empire is not over yet. 

But the art by Marco Checcheto is even better than I expected. His brilliant drawings of these iconic characters and visually astounding action sequences is bound to create nostalgia in the fans of this franchise. With his truly remarkable drawing of the epic Star Wars universe, it was almost impossible to stop from keep on turning the pages just to watch the brilliance unfold. If this was solely based on art, I would have given this full marks for sure. 

The extra two issues featured here are, Mark Waid's Princess Leia #1 and Star Wars (1977) #1. I didn't really care much for the first one, as the story was very bland, and the drawing of the main two characters was too similar. The second issue is the start of Marvel’s adaptation of the original movie, which was some nostalgic fun, despite having some peculiar drawing. 

Overall, I'll give this one, 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

Graphic Novel Review - Jonah Hex: Welcome to Paradise

Name: Jonah Hex: Welcome to Paradise

Published by: DC Comics 

Writers: John Albano, Michael Fleisher

Artists: Tony DeZuniga, Doug Wildey, Noly Palanigan, George Moliterni, José Luis García-López

I have experience of reading some western novels from my childhood, but never really got into western comics much. I had my knowledge of Jonah Hex from seeing the movie, which I didn't like much. My experience with this introductory volume of Jonah Hex is almost exactly as I expected it to be. 

While this had some cool parts it also was a bit boring at times. I began to appreciate the protagonist Jonah Hex after I got his backstory in the later half of the story, as a matter of fact the second half of the story was more entertaining and engrossing with its story arc and interesting supporting characters.

The art was kinda reverse in this regard, as I found the art by Tony DeZuniga in the first 4 stories to be the best of the bunch and the in last few issues the art seemed a bit rough for my liking.

On the whole I am glad I picked up this collection of classic Jonah Hex tales, but I just wish they were a bit more consistent and had more even art.

3 out of 5 stars from me. 

Graphic Novel Review - Tarzan: The New Adventures Vol. 1

Name: Tarzan: The New Adventures Vol. 1

Written by: Roy Thomas

Illustrated by: Thomas Grindberg, Benito Gallego

I wasn't particularly sure about how I was gonna feel about this collection when I picked up. I was quite sure I would like the story written by the legendary Roy Thomas, but I didn't really know about the illustrators and as I wasn't really caught up in Burroughs' Tarzan mythos so I wasn't really whether this would hamper my understanding or enjoyment. I was also a bit sceptic about the format (Sunday newspaper landscape format) because I have almost no experience with it. 

Fortunately, despite my minimal  recollection of Burroughs' Tarzan mythos and the supporting characters I was easily able to follow the  story. There are two stories on offer in this collection, both of them building upon previous Tarzan story threads. Both had enough action sequences and twists and turns to keep me thoroughly entertained, but I liked the first one more due to its settings. 

The art was quite engrossing and the details of the jungle were depicted very exquisitely. I liked Grindberg's illustrations a bit more, most probably due to his coloring choices. The captions at the end of each page and the different styles used for lettering also complemented the fast paced nature of storytelling. 

Despite my unfamiliarity with the newspaper landscape format and my reservations with cliffhangers on almost every page, I really loved the plot and art. 

This gets 4 out of 5 stars from me. 

Graphic Novel Review - Xenozoic Tales Vol 1: Cadillacs & Dinosaurs

Name: Xenozoic Tales Vol 1: Cadillacs & Dinosaurs

Published by: Kitchen Sink Press

Writter: Mark Schultz

Artist: Mark Schultz, Steve Stiles

Letterer: Denise Prowell

The kids of my generation in my country (Bangladesh) grew up playing only a handful of arcade games and 'Cadillacs and Dinosaurs' were one of the crowd favourite. I didn't know till a few years back that it was based on a critically acclaimed comic series, but boy am I glad that I finally decided to check this one out. 

The premise itself is very interesting for 'Xenozoic Tales'. A future earth with only a few traces of technology, some vintage cars, a veritable horde of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals and very interestingly fleshed out pair of main characters. The setup is almost too good to be true and Mark Schultz knows how to deliver short yet thought provoking stand alone tales, and short story arcs weaving a kind of mesmerising tapestry. 

The 'black and white' art might seem a bit odd to people generally reading colorful comics, but if anyone spends a bit of time getting accustomed to the style; the rich details, masterful depiction of facial expressions and exquisitely drawn prehistoric animals will surely a sight to behold.

The unpredictable nature of each story was another aspect I loved, despite playing the video game a lot in my childhood, I was never sure in which direction the writer will take his story or how might the characters actually behave. Hannah Dundee is a specially delightful character because I kept wondering what new trouble she might get into next with her schemes. 

May be I am a bit biased due to my childhood nostalgia, but I will give this 5 out of 5 stars. I really wanna dig into the rest of the issues as soon as I can. 

Graphic Novel Review - Batman: The Golden Age, Vol. 1

Name: Batman Golden Age Vol. 1

Published by: DC comics

Writter & Artist: Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Gardner Fox, Jerry Robinson, Sheldon Mildoff, George Roussos

Based on my experience with golden age comics so far, I wasn't really expecting much from this rather wanting to read about the origins of the character of Batman. While having much of the racism and other issues with comics of 1940's this was rather enjoyable and imaginative for the period. 

Some if the iconic characters of the Batman mythos get introduced here, including Commissioner Gordon, Robin, Joker, Catwoman, Hugo Strange etc. Most of them even act like their modern selves somewhat even. I really liked Batman #1 and also the other stories featuring Catwoman and theJoker. 

The art was a bit inconsistent and the lettering was quite hard to follow at times. The dialogue was as cheesy as you can expect for the times as well. The lack of Alfred was a blow too. 

Overall, I give this 4 stars our of 5 (one star added for the nostalgia and historical value). 

Graphic Novel Review - Pulp

Name: Pulp

Published by: Image comics 

Writter: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Jacob Phillips

I will start by saying I have read only a few of Ed Brubakers works so I am not really very familiar with his style. Pulp was just a short graphic novel, which packed quite a bit of punch with its crisp and poignant storytelling, but my enjoyment was a bit marred due to the predictability of the ending. 

Pulp is the story of a pulp writer named Max, who is almost at the end of his career who used to write pulp westerns based on his own life experience. He decides to do something daring again to leave a bit of money for his lover to lead a comfortable life. But things rarely go as planned in this type of novels and we get on the ride with Max on his desperate attempts at earning a bit of peace at his end of road.

The monologues by Max were quite clearly the high points of the prose and left a good aftereffect even after the finish. The other characters were fleshed out quite well, although it always felt like a one man show. 

The art and color do add to the atmosphere of the overall experience quite a bit, adding a sense of the times.

My only real issue is that I could predict the ending only after reading the first one third of the book, which lessened my enjoyment quite a bit.

3.5 out of 5 stars from me.