Eight comics with a good chunk of them being graphic novels is kind of unfeasible to review every week, so for this week you’re getting six and we’ll most likely settle around four or five.
The Unexpected #2
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Cary Nord
Inks: Wade von Grawbadger
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover: Ryan Sook
Publisher: DC Comics
I was really looking forward to this issue since I enjoyed the first one so much, but I was a bit disappointed by this one. The first thing that got me ( and I have to warn you it was a bit nitpicky) was Firebrand knowing Neon’s real name before he gave his backstory via flashback. I would suspect they will fix it in the trade. Other than that the story is still racing along at breakneck speed, and I wonder if it might need to catch it’s breath and world build a bit, and the art didn’t have as many big moments. One highlight is the introduction of two new classic characters to replace the casualties from issue 1. I think the next will be better than this one, but  and I’m still pretty excited to get there. I give it a 9/10.
Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark #1
Writer: David Avallone
Artist: Dave Acosta
Colorist: Andrew Covalt
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Cover: Joseph Michael Linsner
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Do you like Elvira? Do you like the campy humor, the harmless titillation, and the 4th wall breaking? I do and that’s why I love this comic. Elvira is hopping through time and space to save one of the first and most important horror writers from a supernatural threat snarking the whole way. The art is also fantastic, it’s expressive, sexy, and funny, just like her! I hope the next issue is as fun as this one 10/10.
Jim Henson’s Beneath the Dark Crystal #1
Writer: Adam Smith
Artist: Alexandria Huntington
Lettered by: Jim Campbell
Cover: Benjamin Dewey
Publisher: BOOM! Studios/Archaia
I happened to watch the Dark Crystal about a week before reading this and honestly it isn’t really helping me get into this story, but I don’t know if someone who hasn’t read it could get into it at all. I said this before an I will say it again the art is terrific ( this has been a great week for art) In particular there is some very lovely paneling, but the story seems to be giving me too much info on the things I don’t want to know and too much on the parts I do. Hell, I think a quick prologue page going over what happened from the end of the last movie to know would have been a huge help, but I’m still very interested 8/10.
Fathom Primer 2018
Writer: Michael Turner & Various
Artist: Michael Turner & Various
Cover: Michael TurnerÂ
Publisher: Aspen Comics
It’s Aspen’s 15 year anniversary and they are celebrating in part by introducing people to their flagship character Fathom. This eleven page story drawn by the late great Michael Turner does exactly that. It then includes a synopsis on all the volumes so made far to pique your interest. As an intro it’s very enjoyable 10/10.
Shanghai Red #1
Writer: Christopher Sebela
Artist: Joshua Hixson
Colors: Joshua Hixson
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover: Joshua Hixson
Publisher: Image Comics
I can’t tell you much about this one because it goes from zero to sixty real quick. It’s a brutal revenge story set in the 1800’s on the high seas and later young America. It also focuses on issues of identity. The art of this one also reminds me of another Frank Miller book in which the art was done by David Mazzuchelli and Richmond Lewis respectively and yes that’s a huge compliment for this one too ( I think the letters give this one the edge though). If you don’t like buckets of blood give it a pass, but for everyone else 10/10.
Ballad of Halo Jones – Book 1
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Ian Gibson
Colourer: Barbara Nosenzo
Cover: Ian Gibson
Publisher: 2000 AD
I’ve been wanting to read this for a long time and am positively ecstatic I got all 3 volumes to review. Especially since these versions are colorized. This volume is all about world building and it does an excellent job with that. The only difficulty I had with it was that Moore and Gibson pepper the character’s speech with futuristic slang that can be hard to grasp at first but gets easier through association. Gibson’s art is terrific and Nosenzo’s colors compliment them perfectly. I have to admit by the time I reached the end I didn’t want to stop 10/10.
James L. Sarandis is a husband of one, father of two, and writer in three fields (comics, books, and film). Want to see my current labor of love? Check out EYE HAND VOICE at www.eyehandvoice.the-comic.org.
