I look at the forgotten classic: Batman: Knightfall Part 1 for following the nerd...

There are some incredibly popular and influential Batman story arcs that receive a great deal of love, and rightfully so from the nerd community.  And I’m with you.  Batman Year One is amazing.  Hush is incredible.  Birth of the Demon is overrated but very influential and important to Batman’s development One arc that I feel is often left out is Knightfall.  Right now I want to examine the first third of this epic.  Yes it was an event comic designed to tell books, but that doesn’t mean it was of poorer quality.  While I recognize a few different authors had a hand in this I’m going to credit Chuck Dixon and Doug Moench as the largest contributors.

Dixon and Moench’s script works on quite a few levels.  The first few issues move fast, almost entirely self-contained and allow readers a chance to revisit the rogues gallery while tying each episode to the larger story, without ever sacrificing the action or pace.  Arkham Asylum is a volatile place, with prisoners escaping quite regularly, so why not all at once.  This action also helps to set up Bane as a formidable enemy.  He respects Batman as an adversary yet is incredibly confident.  Bane is one of Batman’s best villains, because Batman never beats him.  In the entire Knightfall Arc Batman never triumphs over Bane.  This makes it one of the most unique entries the cannon ever...

Click either image for the full article.  

The Crow: Curare Graphic Novel Review at Ravenous Monster

Almost a full year since publishing The Crow: Skinning the Wolves, author James O’Barr returns to the franchise with a new tale entitled Curare.  If you didn’t think it was possible to surpass the high standard set with Skinning the Wolves, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with his new tale of anguish and pain...CLICK EITHER IMAGE FOR THE FULL REVIEW 

The Crow Skinning the Wolves Graphic Novel Review

The Crow Skinning the Wolves is a return to the franchise by long time absent creator James O’ Barr who has moved his current incarnation from gritty urban landscapes to a Nazi Concentration camp.  Even as a longtime fan of O’Barr, I was skeptical.  Can you pull off what is essentially a supernatural revenge fantasy in the midst of one of History’s greatest tragedies?  The answer is short is yes, by handling your supernatural elements with an emotional maturity...CLICK EITHER IMAGE FOR THE ENTIRE REVIEW AT RAVENOUS MONSTER  

Ash and the Army of Darkness #1 from Simon Frost at 'Still Watching Cartoons in my Batman Boxers'

Steve Niles reboots Dynamite's long running license of Army of Darkness with art by Dennis Calero, in an intriguing Book that won me over in the end.  Initially I wasn't entirely digging the art style by Dennis Calero when I began the issue, but in 32 short pages he had definitely won me over.  He easily captures the appearance of the cast actors, with the perfect amount of detail.  Steve Niles' story picks up with the end of Army of Darkness (theatrical version) so the first few pages read like an adaptation of the film.  I was very unimpressed, but then instead of cutting away to Directed by Sam Raimi we get to see how badly Ash fucked up by not reading the words correctly.  It's a fun exercise and the panels are expertly designed, leading to a few cool surprises.  While not the greatest issue ever, this fan was won over and must apologize for doubting this book's potential.  This book's been laying around for months as I had the buyers remorse after purchasing it, feeling like a dumb fan boy.  

The Wake #4 Reviewed by Simon Frost

Click to cover to get the latest review of The Wake a new horror series by Scott Snyder

Halloween Bash... with Vampirella

Writer: 

Shannon Eric Denton

Art: 

Dietrich Smith

Colors: 

Wes Hartman

Letterer: 

Marshall Dillon

Cover: 

Joe Jusko

Publisher: 

Dynamite Entertainment

Price: 

$4.99

Release Date: 

October 23, 2013     

"Vampirella once again joins forces with Dracula and Eva in order to confront a Doomsday Cult intent on releasing one of the Ancient Ones back upon the Earth. The trio, empowered from their previous successes, will confront these evil forces head on! These three warriors race from threat to threat in order to stop the apocalypse but will learn that even their immense power may not be enough. Whether they accept it or not, some battles cannot be won…"From Dynamite Comics

With Eva and Dracula by her side Vampriella the ultimate hit and miss horror icon embarks in an action packed and lightening paced one shot adventure.  The script by Denton spends little time establishing a mood, confident his audience is familiar with these characters.

Dietrich Smith's art is slick, but never breathtaking or greatly detailed.  His panels are large, but not as intricately detailed as many other splash pages.  The result is that despite the larger than average page number of the issue, this is an incredibly quick read.  The sense of movement however works very well and you can follow the massive amount of combat in the issue.

Overall this isn't a bad Halloween Special, it's just not great either.

  

Fatale Book Three: West of Hell Graphic Novel Review

I'm a big fan of Brubaker and Phillips noir horror hybrid series Fatale. Click either image to see how the third graphic novel collection stands up to the rest of their work.

X Files Season 10 Issue #2

This issue starts very promising, and very strong.  The art is great, and the characters are instantly recognizable.  And in this a single panel ended my enjoyment of this new series.  The Lone Gunmen are resurrected, in a total fuck you to the series.  Jump the Shark is one of my favorite episodes, and their deaths are a noble sacrifice and a great moment in the series.  And they died on screen as well...

Bringing them back, and making Mulder aware of their Witness relocation sucks, oh and on the last page they bring back The Cigarette Smoking man.  This series had so much promise before going to utter shit.

The Crow: Curare #2 Review

The Crow: Curare #2
Written by James O’Barr
Illustrated by Antoine Dodé
Colored by Antoine Dodé
Lettered by Shawn Lee
IDW Publishing
Release Date: July 24, 2013

I was pleasantly surprised at how strong an issue The Crow Curare #1 was, and was pretty eager to pick up the second issue in this three book arc.

The second book gives readers an extensive background on Detective Salk and shows us exactly how the man broke down, both professionally and personally.  The scenes with his family are particularly strong.  They perfectly contrast where he is both physically and emotionally compared to his wife and children.

We also see Carrie's abduction, though not the man who took her.  The initial kidnapping from a playground is a haunting work of minimalism.  Dode's art images capture this perfectly.  They are the type of pages that make me want to buy a second copy to get them framed.  

While it was nice to get a fully fleshed out background on Salk, the book leaves off at nearly the same point as the first.  One month later I still don't know whats going to happen next.  Readers are treated to the emergence of the Crow though..

Overall this is a strong book, that feels like a bit of a let down because it doesn't advance the plot very much, and because the first issue was nearly flawless.  Dode's mesmerizing images though make this book a must buy, as it works almost like a tone poem.  I am very curious to see how this is all wrapped up in the last issue.

Army of Darkness vs Hack/Slash #1

Army of Darkness vs Hack/Slash #1 written by Time Seeley and drawn by Daniel Leister begins a six issue arc that picks up directly Hack/Slash's end (spoilers are present) and references the current Army of Darkness run at Dynamite.

Putting Ash and Cassie Hack together is going to seem like a gimmick, and it is.  But that doesn't mean its still not fun.  Much like Tim Seeley's Hack/Slash Re-Animator or Chuckey cross over his talent is impossible to miss.  Seeley crafts a solid premise and writes Ash as well as he did Herbert West, capturing the rhythm of Campbell's performance.

Daniel Leister's art captures the actions heavy movement well, allowing the reader to easily follow blow as it transpires, and has two very fun splash pages.

In the end this isn't the greatest horror comic (though much more violent than the teen rating would suggest) but for fans of these characters its a solid read, and I'll be looking forward to the next issue.

Click here for more on Ash and Cassie and how awesome they are.

The Crow: Curare #1 Review

The Crow: Curare #1
Written by James O’Barr
Illustrated by Antoine Dodé
Colored by Antoine Dodé
Lettered by Shawn Lee
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 12, 2013

After Skinning The Wolves ended James O’Barr’s long absence from the franchise he is back with a new Crow tale entitled Curare.  And the high standard he set with Skinning of the Wolves is easily met in this tale of anguish and pain.

The narrative centers around Detective Salk, a retired police detective whose inability to solve a sexual assault and murder of a small child haunts him, making him unable to live his life in anyway.  This book is just eerie, the artwork by Antoine Dodé is surreal, pulling the reader into the mind of a haunted man.  The coloring is amazing, and defies nearly every comic book trope. 

The story is brutal and jarring, without ever being overly graphic.  This is by far one of the creepiest comics I have ever read.  The illustrations by Antoine Dodé are not very explicit in the harrowing violence, yet he conveys such malice and violence this will be a hard book to stomach for most people. 

James O’ Barr is brilliant in crafting this tale of the rape and murder of a child, without ever delving into exploitive territory.  The anguish that Salk feels is front and center, a man destroyed because he cares.  Fans of the original will find much to like here, but should be forewarned there is no physical spirit of vengeance taking out bad guys in this book.  Yet the tone and feel is still deeply entrenched in the original. 

This a must read for fans of dark comics.  

X Files Season 10 Issue #1

X Files season 10 is a new ongoing comic series meant to pick up after season 9, while ignoring but never in conflict with the X Files I Want to believe movie.  Chris Carter shares a writing credit with Joe Harris and Michael Walsh provides the art, but after nearly a decade since the show went off the air is there anything still left?

Yes there is still story to be told and issue #1 establishes where Mulder, Scully and  Skinner are now very effectively.  A new threat that is literally lurking in the shadows is introduced that drags Mulder and Scully back into their work with the X Files after leaving the FBI.  The simple art by Walsh works well, it has more of an old pulp edge than typical comic book fare that works well within the world of the X Files.  The story and writing are intriguing, and sets up this new plotline well, however issue #2 will be the true determiner of this series.  If the cool set ups yield some pay off this 5 issue arc will have me hooked.  If not it will probably be a decent but ultimately forgettable series like the the tops comics from the 90’s.  

John Carpenter’s Asylum issue #1 Review

John Carpenter’s Asylum written by Bruce Jones and illustrated by Leonardo Manco

The plot follows LT. Daniel Beckett, an Iraqi war veteran turned priest and suspect in a failed exorcism that resulted in a child’s death; teaming with Detective Jack Duran to hunt down the possessed who are committing ritual murders. 

It sounds cool doesn’t it, but it’s not.  While the artwork by Leonardo Manco is a gorgeous mix of comic sensibilities and painting it doesn’t mask the story’s poor pacing thinly drawn characters, bland dialogue, or uninspired plot progression.  Jack Duran is a thinly drawn tough cop cliché and Beckett is boring from his introduction in a morning after sequence with a woman who he leaves without talking to, even as she tries to engage him, and walks to a church and is revealed to be a priest.  This sequence sums up the book nicely, failed attempts to shock the audience and nothing else.  Much of this revolves around nude women, who are often so for NO apparent reason. (Really she takes her shirt off to make a phone call?) 

With the beautiful artwork and involvement from John Carpenter this book is a serious let down.  

Night of the Living Dead Volume 3 by Mike Wolfer & Dheeraj Verma

Night of the Living Dead Volume 3 by Mike Wolfer & Dheeraj Verma.  This is a tricky book to review, because you can see a great deal of effort put into it.  The two stories contained in this volume are Death Valley and an untitled bayou bonus. 

In each arc there is a clear attempt to elevate the characters involved above typical horror tropes, that being said it does not always succeed.  The art hurts especially in Death Valley in this regard as the characters are nearly identical.  They look as though they were inspired by Liefeld from the mid 90’s, so the cast they seem to be nothing more than people with perfect bodies, with a total lack of nuisance.  Again I am not being a prude, but when the cast is mostly naked, and the features are so similar it is difficult to keep track of who is who.  This is a shame, especially with the intricate back stories that were worked out to show character growth. 

The action and gore sequences though are quite well done, and I know if I stumbled on this book back when I first began reading comics they would have been ingrained in my mind in their intensity and graphic detail. 

In keeping true to Romero, each story makes an attempt at some level of social commentary, however it never really works. 

This collection was a fine read but frustrating as it never reached the level the creators were clearly trying for.  That being said I always prefer an honest attempt at something, rather than half asses shit even the creator has to admit they didn't give their full effort to. 

The Fountain Graphic Novel Darren Aronofsky and Kent Williams

I saw The Fountain when it was in theaters wondering if this was an amazing film, or beautiful nonsense that would fall apart if I stopped and thought about it. With each viewing of the film the story and images resonate deeper than they did before.  Until recently I was ignorant of the graphic novels existence.

Kent Williams style of painting works incredibly well, and the small differences from the film add small elements of nuance that I appreciated.  Izzi has a greater role in the future sequences.  I was captivated by this work and will be buying a second copy so tear apart and frame some of the images.  The graphic novel captures simple truth and beauty of Aronofsky's story.  Don't hesitate if you are interested, buy this now.

The Crow Skinning the Wolves #3 Review

The Crow Skinning the Wolves #3

James O’Barr

Jim Terry

In issue three of Skinning the Wolves The Crow confronts The Commandant and the scenes between the two are wholly satisfying.  With The Crow the reader has established that The Crow cannot be killed, and in this the audience is looking not for a simple revenge killing, but an experience of retribution and revelation.  In this Skinning the Wolves #3 delivers. 

As The Crow assaults The Commandant the pair converses.  During these scenes the audience is treated to flashbacks as The Commandant remembers who The Crow was.  This is an issue of revelation and mediation, that delivers on both fronts. This was a product of great dialogue between the two.  

The artwork is again strong, with a distinct style that works to tell a story, and never distract from it.  While this book is less moody visually, it works not to distract the reader from the interaction between The Crow and The Commandant. 

By keeping each man nameless it also lets their battle of wills extend beyond the two specific men into something larger and more universal.  If your just picking up this book without reading the other two, you will probably be disappointed.  The Crow Skinning of the Wolves is a book that rewards the reader with rich complete story telling, and while the script is not overly complicated from the perspective of narrative, this is an issue of emotional revelation that was well earned over the previous two issues.  

The Crow Skinning the Wolves #2

The Crow Skinning The Wolves #2

Whereas the first issue of this series was set up, establishing a tone and hinting at what was to come.  The second issue comes fast and furious.  Our newly established, yet still enigmatic Crow has begun taking his vengeance.  The second issue also begins to flesh out our lead antagonist, a man only known as ‘Commandant.’ 

A great number of unnamed Nazis meet their premature deaths in this issue, but James O’Barr and Jim Terry still establish them as more than just fodder for The Crow’s wrath.  One of the book’s strongest scenes involves two Nazi guards justifying their role at the camp, despite their disdain for the operation. 

Skinning The Wolves #2’s art style is very similar to the firsts.  Most of the images are close ups, putting the reader directly into the middle of the scenes.  Speaking of style, readers should be aware that this current incarnation of The Crow does not have the makeup that has become so iconic for The Crow, and this is a strength of the story.  By grounding the images O’Barr and Terry have made the scenes that much more gritty.

In the end O’Barr and Terry have book that fleshes out the depths of the characters, while still retaining a high level of action.  

The Crow Skinning the Wolves #1

The Crow Skinning the Wolves #1 is a difficult book to review, and your appreciation and or enjoyment will be wholly dependent on your reaction to the content. 

The Newest Crow is a man who is killed in a Nazi Concentration Camp, and is reborn to wreak his vengeance.  The art work in Skinning the Wolves is stark and creates a very evocative mood.  O’Barr and Terry have done an incredible job creating a gritty reality for their characters to inhabit.  With few exceptions the panels are close up images, putting the reader into the dark world as a direct observer, in the mêlée.  There is a fantastic sequence where luggage is ripped open and a Nazi walks through the contents, and over a child’s doll. 

The Crow works best an agent of righteous chaos in a corrupt and vile setting.  In this regard placing the events in a concentration camp is a good call.  It is difficult to refer to the character as heroic, because saving others is a byproduct of his actions, and he is already dead.  In Skinning the Wolves there a great deal of foreshadowing, setting up the Nazi leader that will be the antagonist of The Crow. 

It is too early to tell if all the elements will lead to a satisfactory pay off, however O’Barr and Terry are off to a strong start.  

The Crow Skinning The Wolves

Army of Darkness Ash's Christmas Horror

Army of Darkness Ash's Christmas Horror is a one shot with two stories following Ash through two Christmases at the S-Mart.  The first story is a simple melee tale of Deadite smashing action.  The second story owes a great deal to A Christmas Carol and Ash hallucinates his way through the iconic TV specials of Christmas to reaffirm his place as the chosen one.  The strength of this one shot is the brisk pacing.  The writing works and the art while never leaving you in awe is solid.  If you are a fan of any of the Army of Darkness comics you'll dig this.   

The Comix app for Android and I-products in the easiest way to read this issue that was originally released for X-Mas of 08.