Lady Mechanika Sangre #3 Review

Writers: MM Chen & Joe Benitez

Artists: Benitez, Brian Ching & Martin Montiel

Rating: 6 of 8

Lady Mechnika Sangre #3

One thing's for sure: there's a lot to like about Sangre. I love the atmosphere pouring from one page to the other. Even though Lady Mechanika's been going for a while - through a lot of other series - I didn't really feel lost. It was easy enough to understand and I had no trouble getting into it.

The issue opens with a woman having lost her husband to a demon, refusing to let the same fate befall her children. Beth Sotelo imbues the scene with mesmerizing colours, from the light of the moon, to the crimson of the demon's blood soaked fingers. Everyone does a great job of illustrating the scene's horror and just how scared, desperate and distraught Malintze becomes.

In Spain, we're treated to an exciting fight between Mechanika and a pale skinned, cloaked figure. The fight never drags and goes on just long enough, without overstaying its' welcome. Mechanika later visits Dona Rosa in an effort to decode a nightmare. Chen and Benitez make Rosa into a really colourful character, which definitely helps a dialogue driven scene.

Even though the scene doesn't go on that long, I feel it's wordier than it needs to be and could've done with less dialogue, or some more action to punctuate it. The issue ends in a way that'll likely entice you to pick up the next. For someone like her, she looks very composed, dressed in a way that makes her seem a lot more sophisticated than you might expect.

Overall, a well written, well drawn issue, that's very newcomer friendly, perfect for horror lovers and those wanting some dynamic characters and an enthralling story. Definitely recommended. 

Gotham City Monsters #1 Review

Writer: Steve Orlando

Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan

Rating: 7 of 8

Gotham City Monsters #1

Though I've always loved superheroes, I'm pulled towards horror. Like superheroes, there can be a lot of variation. Even if you're not really into slasher films, you still have psychological horror. If you prefer gorier stories, you've got Saw or 2013's Evil Dead. But one of my favourite kinds is definitely bursting with gothic imagery, centered around monsters.

That's just one of the reasons Gotham City Monsters is a dream come true for me. We get to catch up with a lot of characters we haven't seen in a long time, like Lady Clayface, or the vampiric Andrew Bennett. We don't get as much of Lady Clayface, but what we do get is well done.

Even though I'm not familiar with her, Orlando did well in explaining who she is and her struggle over her identity. I loved the scene introducing Orca, which has great illustrations, coloured and inked brilliantly. The quality of art, colour and inking is maintained throughout the issue and I'm really happy with it. Imagery and visuals are a very important part of horror, so I'm glad Nahuelpan and team really pull them off.

We get a good sense of where she's been and why she's doing what she is now. Some of the most violent scenes we get are with Frankenstein, with him burning a monster alive earlier in the issue and cutting another in half later on.

One of the highlights of GCM is how it ties into other series, like King's Batman, or Bendis' Event Leviathan. What Leviathan's done in that series and Action impact directly on characters like Lady Clayface, Orca and Frankenstein, which I really like. I love when other series add to another. I'd really recommend the issue and I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series. If it becomes an ongoing, I'd not only be delighted, I'd definitely check it out. 

Legion of Superheroes: Millennium #1 Review

Writer: Brian Bendis

Artists: Jim Lee, Dustin Nguyen, 

Andrea Sorrentino + André Araújo

Rating: 6 of 8

Legion of Superheroes

Millennium #1

Evvvvery roseee has its' thorn.. which is definitely something Rose Forrest is all too familiar with. Like Split's Kevin Crumb, she's got a split personality, with her base personality being quieter and more peaceful. Interestingly, her alter, Thorn, is a skilled fighter with immense strength, notably seen in a fight with Superman. When Rose has control once more, she doesn't remember anything Thorn did, but could still have to face the consequences of her alter's actions.

In Millennium, that's just one of her concerns, as we see Rose and Thorn living through numerous eras, fighting to break the cycle she's embroiled in. The issue uses a different artist for each era, with comic veteran Jim Lee opening the issue, using some of the best shading and sequential art I've seen in a while. Just the first page alone is really impressive. We start off seeing Rose from behind, but as it goes on, we get to see her from the side, then we gradually see more and more of her face, until she's facing the reader.

It feels like the art syncs up perfectly with the dialogue, showing that Rose starts off uncertain and nervous, due not only to what she's talking about, but also who she's talking to. Visually, Lee's showing that she's becoming more sure of herself, which could be because of the importance of what she's trying to say.

He does a great job not only showing Rose's emotion when talking about her ordeal, but also Supergirl's compassion. Later on, she's in a darker era, that of Neo-Gotham and the younger, future Batman, Terry McGinnis. I prefer Lee's art, but Nguyen's works for this era, with the darker colours and overall look reminding me of Batman Beyond, where Terry's Batman originated.

Bendis really writes him well and it feels really consistent with how McGinnis was written in Beyond. One of the highlights of this part of the comic was definitely his conversation with Rose. One trying to break the cycle of violence, the other trying to deal with it as best they can. It's a well written argument, without any clear answer given, which I like.

In Kamandi's era, the art's reminiscent of Dark Knight Returns, both in colours used and the art itself. When we leave this part of the story, I feel there's more to be told, both with Kamandi himself and our titular heroine. I don't really have much to say about the last time period, though I feel it ended a bit too early for me to get as much of a feel for it as the others.

With the different art styles used, the issue does a very good job of giving a unique feeling to each future. Bendis and Sorrentino did well in showing Superman's importance, however dark the future. It's definitely a wise move, given how pivotal the Man of Steel is to the Legion, as well as what's coming up for the future team. Though it's not perfect, it does have some very good points and I hope the next issue succeeds in setting up the new Legion comic and continuing Rose's tale.