A Christmas Message, From Me to You

 

A Christmas Message

From Me to You

Hi, everyone! I hope you're all doing as well as you can in these surreal, challenging times. I usually do comic book reviews here, but I thought I'd take a break from that for Christmas. I'm sure most of you understand.

But I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read them. I got a nice kick outta writing them and I hope you guys had just as much fun reading 'em. If any of them have gotten you to give any of those comics a go, then I've done very well.

I just want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas, or whatever kinda holiday you celebrate. I hope you enjoy it and that you have as good a time as you can. No matter what, remember there's always another page to be turned, another tale to be read and another world to be conquered. And that world, my friends, is any book, comic, or tale you crack open. Remember that.

Happy new year, everyone and thank you for reading. :)

King in Black: The Immortal Hulk Review

 Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Aaron Kuder

Rating: 8 of 8

King in Black

Immortal Hulk

Scorn noooooot.... his simplicity. But rather try to love him all the more! In life, Kelly's words are some of the wisest around. Scorn Not His Simplicity is, to me, a song about loving a child 'all the more', despite their 'simplicity'. Maybe that was Brian Banner's problem.

Instead of giving his son love, patience and a little understanding, he gave him violence, and so much anger. It didn't matter how young, or smart, Bruce was. In fact, that probably only made it worse. In KiB: IH, we're reminded of just how destructive he really was, as Hulk remembers a time when, one Christmas, his Dad destroyed something he'd built and hurt him when he tried to protect his mother.

This time, his Christmas is rudely interrupted by a different kind of monster, as a mass of symbiotes overwhelm the Earth. Though usually this'd be easy enough for most of the Hulks, Devil or otherwise, there's nothing usual about this. Especially not for the Hulk. 

Bruce has been taken by one of his greatest enemies, his protective Devil Hulk side is dead - and the usually Incredible Hulk's strength is barely hanging on. All of this combined makes this one of the best times to have him take on a threat like this. Whereas usually, this'd be a walk in the park for him, now he has to rely on what little wit, strength (and luck) he has left.

Though Ewing is in his usual fantastic form, it would be remiss of me to go without mentioning the art. Throughout, Kuder does an incredible job and, early on, gives us a shot of some symbiote dragons flying over NYC, which is simply breathtaking. Shortly after, we get a rather eerie moment, as a number of panels go by. showing the dark, deserted city streets.

It's simple and quiet, but chillingly effective. It's definitely one of the best parts of the issue, though it's certainly not lacking for them. One thing I love about Kuder's art is not only how well he makes the issue flow, (despite the lack of dialogue) but also just how expressive he makes its' lead character(s). 

Hulk's expressions range from childishly desperate, to quietly sad, to overwhelmingly happy. But he's definitely not without his anger, as he faces not only otherworldly monsters, but also ones uncomfortably close to home. Meanwhile, Joe's (his morally grey counterpart) range from suspicion, to surprise to devilish delight. Though we don't get as much of him as the Hulk, what little we do get is certainly effective.

This shows just how great the duo are as storytellers as, even without dialogue, the tale just works. Overall, this is just a wonderful issue, which I highly recommend, even if you're not keeping up with King in Black.  Ultimately, it works perfectly as a standalone issue, though if you're a Hulk fan, it's bound to put an even bigger smile on your face.

Home Sick Pilots #1 Review

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Casper Wijngaard

Rating: 7 of 8

Home Sick Pilots #1

Setting an atmosphere. It's one of the most important parts of any story, no matter the genre. If you manage to set the right one, especially at the start, you're a lot more likely to hook the reader - and then, chances are, they're never letting go. That's definitely something Dan Watters succeeds in doing, opening the issue with a simple, but gripping, opening line. Two panels later, he follows this up with a brief, chilling line that succeeds in expanding this spine chilling atmosphere.

Using this to start the issue - and series - was a brilliant move by the duo. It's expertly crafted by both, with Watters setting the mood through an inner monologue, while Wijngaard brings it to awe inspiring life in his pencils. Untold destruction, a living house and some out of control ghosts - and that's all in the first 3 pages! The duo transition beautifully to the next scene, ending Ami's monologue with her wishing they'd ''never gone to see the Nuclear Bastards that night'', then flashing back to the night they went.

Flashing back a few weeks, Watters transitions from horror to comedy, giving us Ami's opinion of the band in a pretty humourous way, with the singer's speech bubble saying ''Some shitty derivative thrash shit''. Soon after, we see Ami and her band taking bets as to what an arriving police officer's going to say. Not only does this make for some pretty funny moments, but it also establishes a sense that the lads are rather familiar with such situations. It's another example of their natural chemistry, like an earlier critique of not only the Nuclear Bastards, but themselves.

It's something that pops up throughout the issue and just makes it a real joy to read. Watters does well in making you feel just how deep Ami's pain really lies, even if, on the surface, it's not readily apparent. That pain is one of the main reasons we get to the crux of the tale, though there may be a more artistic reason for it as well. When it comes to that horror, the duo deliver in spades, as we get plenty of gory deaths, a scene reminiscent of The Shining and a place that truly defies logic.

If there was one criticism I had of the issue, it's that, in a scene where it pans out, showing the house's insides, it's hard to understand the sequence of some of the events. Overall, though, it's a fantastic debut, with Watters showing a unique mastery of both comedy and horror, while Wijingaard brings it all to life in fantastically frightful fashion. 

  

E-Ratic #1 Review

 Writer and artist: 

Kaare Andrews

Rating: 6 of 8

E-Ratic #1

Does life's finite nature make it worse - or so much better? I suppose, sooner or later, that's the question most of us have to face. Whether knowing there's an end on the horizon makes it harder to face, or just the opposite. Sooner or later, we all run out of time. Time is certainly something young Oliver Leif knows all too well.

For 10 minutes a day, he's got super powers, but, as he says ''It's the other 1,430 minutes that I worry about''. It's understandable; for those 10 extraordinary minutes, he knows who he is and what he can do. But for the rest of the day, he's just like everyone else - and sometimes, that can be the scariest thing of all.

Apart from his powers, what he has to deal with is something many kids are very familiar with: a new school, a new town and a whole new set of people. It's something many people, myself included, can relate to. Getting used to this new place, with a whole new set of teachers and a bunch of kids that already have a shared history, that you can never be part of - it's enough stress to deal with without anything else to make things worse.

But sadly, life often finds a way to do just that. Oliver misses his Dad and, even now, replays their last phone call, far away from everyone else. It's a hard pain to bear and one Andrews illustrates beautifully, in both art and dialogue. Despite being dealt a bad hand, his mother tries her best, even if life doesn't always feel like reciprocating. With very little dialogue, Andrews shows how she copes. These scenes show, even at a young age, just how much Oliver has to deal with.

It's enough to make anyone want to give up, or strike out and yet, he doesn't. It's a startling contrast to how others respond to a problem, or how they choose to act, even without one. Choice is an important part of E-Ratic. Mr Marquez, his social studies teacher, believes it's obvious what a 'good' act is, though Kristen questions this, asking 'Like, how do I know what's ''good''?', while Oliver brings up how everyone doesn't always agree on everything. Case in point: Marquez thinks ''we must agree'', even if it means putting pressure on those who don't, ''for the good of the group''.

It's a dangerous group mentality that you'll find cropping up not only in the past, but also, sadly, in the present. It's not something relegated to social studies, but that also pops up earlier in the issue, as Miss Whip says to ''watch over each other - all the time!'' and to ''report on each other''. It, too, is a scary mentality, though it's one that reminds me of Ouroborus, the snake that eats it's own tail.

Overall, it's a very good debut. Andrews delivers plenty of memorable moments, like the opening scene, which, in just 2 splash pages, gives you both a sense of scale and urgency. The only criticism I have is that I wish Oliver struggled a little bit more socially, as, at times, it feels easier than I'd expect. Other than that, it's a very good issue, that's well worth your time - even if it's just 10 minutes. ;)