Comic Book Review: Super hitman rediscovers his way.

Bloodshot Reborn Colorado

Published by Valiant.

Created by Lemire, Suayan, Allen and Baron.

Scientists used nanites to make Ray an unstoppable killing machine for the controllers at Project Rising Spirit. The Geomancer helped him to shed the nanites and come back down to mortal. He reached his breaking point and exiled himself to become a handyman at a Colorado flea bag motel.

Now the nanites are on the lose infecting random people who start going on copy cat shooting sprees. Every new one Ray hears about drives him deeper into shame and depression until he finally accepts…he is still Bloodshot and he must clean this up.

Excellent pacing and artwork. I’m always amazed at the quality of Valiant publishing. Four out five for originality, artwork and quality.

Valiant Entertainment

http://valiantuniverse.com/comics/bloodshot-reborn/

https://www.amazon.com/Bloodshot-Reborn-Colorado-Tp/dp/1939346673/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483916040&sr=1-1&keywords=bloodshot+reborn

Comic Book Review: Spawning is entertaining!

Spawn Origins Collection Volume 2

Issues 7-9, 11-14

Written by Todd McFarlane, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Frank Miller.

Al Simmons, the newest hellspawn, has discovered that the powers granted to him by Malbolgia are limited and non-regenerating. He’s now metering out his use of them and supplementing with weapons from his past as an assassin. His memory is surfacing also. Jason Wynn and his minions are continuing to dispense death as their personal privilege by sending the Youngbloods out for missions in Botswanna.

The artwork was excellent in this volume and there was a large quantity of content compared to other comic works. Three entertainment points out of five. Enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/Spawn-Origins-Volume-Todd-McFarlane/dp/1607064898

Comic Book Review: I feel a Spawn coming On!!!!

Spawn Origins Collection Volume 1 {Issues 1-6}

Written by Todd McFarlane and supported by a host of others.

Volume one catches Al Simmons as he has just traded his soul for the chance to be with Wanda again. He didn’t read the fine print obviously and Malbolgia is entertained. He is now a hell spawn, mostly untrained and unleashed on the world. As he uses his powers flagrantly not knowing that they are finite his focus shifts from getting back to his wife to doing…better things for the world.

The Violator clues him into the fact that when his powers are exhausted then he is done. Not real good at keeping secrets that one. Anyway, since he sees the impossibility of regaining his old life the only thing left is to interfere with hell’s plans for him when ever he can figure a way to do that.

My first exposure to Spawn, that really doesn’t sound good when you say it out loud, was the movie starring Michael Jai White as Al Simmons and his BFF D.B. Sweeney. Still haven’t looked up what DB stands for here, LOL. The original comics have Terry as a guy and I’m not dialed in to why he was played by Sweeney in the movie. The movie gives more into the back story as to how Al died in the first place and finishes up with the director dying. Wondering if that is in volume 2.

Anyway, I enjoyed the story, the art, and that Spawn seems to have more of a brain in the comic version. Sorry Michael. Four out of five stars for this not for children comic. Enjoy!

Giving Barnes and Noble some love this time.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spawn-original-collection-volume-1-todd-mcfarlane/1116295159

Book Review: Excellent Superhero prequel!

The Last Days of Krypton

By Kevin J. Anderson

 

Jor-El is a scientist in a society of ostriches.  Over the decades he has submitted invention after invention to the Commission of Technological Acceptance only to have his ideas branded as dangerous and his creations seized by the State.  The Council of Kandor, which governs all of Krypton, is made up of social sycophants who delay and prevent any meaningful improvement in society.  As the machine of status quo frustrates the scientist Jor-El it grows hatred in the unscrupulous Commissioner Zod.  When Zod sees his opportunity he takes it and Krypton never knows what has hit it until it is almost too late, they think.

I absolutely enjoyed this background tale of Superman’s home planet and the integrity of the El family line.  That the society is painted in the strokes of isolationism is astounding but builds a sounder foundation as to why Kal-El later arrives alone on Earth.  Excellent transitions on point-of-views as the author buries into the inner working of Zod, Lara, Jor-El, Zor-El and Aethyr-Ka.  The copy I have was purchased at Denver Comic Con in 2014 and was autographed.  I found one misspelled word in the entire book.

Here it goes.  I award five out of five enjoyment points for the storyline and the quality of the product.  Well Done.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Days-Krypton-Novel/dp/0062219855

Comic Book Review: It’s better with Maple Syrup!

Captain Cannuck Volume 1 from IDW publishing

by Richard Comely and George Freeman

There have been remarkable advances since the seventies when these were published in Trade but they are still remarkable.  The artistry, the story line, the whole package has a much higher quality than what I believe was offered by the MEGA comic publishers at that time.  Sure, it is the nice way of Canada saying…America, suck it eh! but I have a place in my heart for it.  Some of the back story has changed I think in the reboot but the artists taking over the franchise for Chapterhouse Comics are treating cannon with respect.  In this volume you find out how Cannuck got his powers, how he feels a debt to his brother and how the Canadian Intelligence Service rocks…in their eyes.  Lot of fun so three out of five points.

 

http://www.captaincanuck.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Canuck-1-v/dp/1600104436/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1435338811&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=Captain+Cannuck+1

 

Comic Book Review: Constantine, the Beginning. For Him.

Hellblazer Vol. 1:  Original Sins

Author:  Jamie Delano, Author Illustrator:  John Ridgway, Illustrator:  Alfredo Alcada, Illustrator:  Tom Mandrake

 

For those who are in the uninitiated this is the series of comics that birthed John Constantine and they are very gritty.  Demons abound in Constantine’s world and there is one common thing he cannot be counted on…not getting you killed.

Throughout the stories in this first volume he is hounded by a herd of ghosts of friends past that he has let down.  They are still trying to help him come to peace with himself.  Good luck.  As he bounces back and forth across the pond he is also stalked by Nergal, who has brought him back from the brink of physical ruin after a not so thought out exit from a speeding train.  Nergal wants Constantine to act as his tool.

I liked the stories.  I loved the art.  I’m a fan.  Four out of five for the quality of the volume product by the way.

 

http://www.amazon.com/John-Constantine-Hellblazer-Vol-Original-ebook/dp/B00D59OIYW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432086106&sr=1-1&keywords=hellblazer

Comic Book Review: Space Opera Frontier

Serenity:  Those Left Behind

by Joss Whedon and others

Published by Dark Horse Comics

 

The front matter is an essay written by Nathan Fillion of how his family had a thing for comics or anything to be read when he was growing up.  It was very well written and an excellent intro for Volume 1 of this series.

The 4-5 stories or episodes of this volume track well with the series as I believe they were meant to, although Shepherd Book plays a bit of a more active role in the start here.  The last ten or so pages are commentary by Joss Whedon on creating the ‘verse and Serenity concept artwork.

This is a very well done comic and in line with my tastes as a space opera fan.

 

https://www.darkhorse.com/Books/14-902/Serenity-Those-Left-Behind-Hardcover