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

Audio Book Review: To be Skaa or Noble? Not really a question.

Mistborn: The Final Empire

Written by Brandon Sanderson.

Narrated by Michael Kramer.

Life in the Empire. Skaa are the subservient class of humans good for only farming, scut work and some skilled craftsmanship. A noble may slaughter as many as they want as long as the Lord Ruler, a god-like tyrant who has been in charge for the last millenia, is not left wanting for…anything. It is pretty daring or brash to stand up to a noble but that is something Kelsier thinks is his calling.

Kelsier the thief was sentenced to the Atium mining prison camp in the pits of Hathsend for daring to invade the Lord Ruler’s palace seeking secrets. His wife Mare was sent along too. Her talent for allomancy which means she was a Misting or a Mistborn gave them away. Sorry for anything you consider a spoiler but the entire book then trilogy is huge. If you spoil that easily better give up reading. Haha.

A street urchin girl hanging with a thieving crew, Vin, gets caught up with Kelsier and his crew once he escapes the mines. What’s the new job? Raise an army, cause a noble house war, take over Luthadel and destroy the Lord Ruler. Nothing too big. During the course of events Kelsier comes into his own as a Mistborn as does Vin. Mistborn burn metals in their innards to grant them powers such as super strength, fast reflexes, flying by pushing and pulling metal sources, soothing or rioting the emotions of others and many more.

Other creatures used in this tale include Mistwraiths that take on the form of corpses they consume, Kandra- a kind of sentient or uplifted Mistwraith and inquisitors who are formed from slaughtered humans with metal spikes where their eyes should be.

I don’t want to issue anymore potential spoilers. This work is excellent. The narrator has an outstanding mastery of voice range for the characters. The plot is not easily predictable {KEY} and there is definitely room for continuing. Five out of five stars for this out of the box fantasy.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Final-Empire-Audiobook/B002V0QCYU

Comic Book Review: A True Original

Ley Lines Volume One

Art and Story by Robin Dempsey.

This is an awesome creation. The world building seems to be an alternate steam-punk dimension on Earth’s Far East. It starts out with the Priest Ruler of the Kingdom, Koruval, interrogating a possessed monk in training named Zhiro to find out more surrounding his Queen’s so called suicide. It continues to get more intriguing all the way to the end of volume one. The royal family in this book consists of the Father and his son and daughter. The son, Tama, has always been some kind of Gadfly time character doing as he wishes. The daughter, Mizha, has been dutiful to her house and attempting to please her parents. They both grew up with Zhiro, and orphaned ward to the Royal House.

Their Father has ruled that Tama will go to the Monastery for some discipline training while Mizha is being sent to Pwama for her safety. There is action, intrigue, mysticism and otherworldly intervention.

A common complaint that I hear regarding comics and graphic novels is that the content doesn’t measure up to the per unit cost. Not so here where the art work is top grade, the printing is made to last with the latest in durable neutral pH materials and the volume is packed with story. There is plenty of background material in the back to reinforce your Ley Lines vision. This book has gotten a five out of five from me and I hope to collect the others in the series.

http://mokopress.storenvy.com/collections/89006-books/products/424066-leylines-volume-one-paperback-artist-edition-and-plain

Comic Book Review: Valiant Indies Rule!!!!

Shadowman: Birth Rites

Written by Justin Jordan and Patrick Zircher

Illustrated by Brian Reber

 

Jack Boniface has grown up in foster care ever since his mother was killed in a car accident.  As an adult he finds his way to New Orleans because everyone says his name is local…there.  Finally with enough of a job he can afford to have someone uncover who his parents were and what happened to them.  A fit of disgust at what he thinks is the truth of his parent’s results in an impulse decision and now he is visible to things he didn’t know he was hiding from.

Welcome to the tale of a paranormal superhero named Shadowman, a symbiotic melding of Jack Boniface and a shadow spirit called the Loa.  This is not a comic for the children.  The artwork is graphic and very well done. This volume has the first four Shadowman comics and is a fluid tale of him coming into his powers.

Another good thing is it is not a DC or Marvel product.  This is published by Valiant comics and I got my copy from the publisher at Denver Comic Con.  I’m giving this five out of five entertainment points.  Well played Valiant!

 

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Shadowman-1-Birth-Rites-TP/dp/1939346002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436660958&sr=8-1&keywords=Shadowman&pebp=1436660965804&perid=04WW5SW640BEXCVBWF2J

Comic Book Review: New, Independent and Edgy.

Mythica Issue #1

by Matt Campbell, William Tooker and McLain McGuire

Magnus MacDracken is running around behind enemy lines during World War I in a kilt with a claymore.  He has a squad with him of angry Scots, those are rare, dealing mayhem and trying to dodge Germans and Daemons.  Somehow, Magnus’ behind the lines shenanigans communicate themselves of a prim young Belgian woman named Kim who is engaged to a Doctor Yosef (psychoanalyst) and the triangle is thus formed.  Magnus has otherworldly abilities which I suspect will be revealed in future issues.  Volume I kind of leaves us with a hint as a humongous daemon breaks a sword over Magnus back and he is still in the fight, amazing his squad.  It would amaze me.

The artwork is awesome, the story is fun and the next thing I want to learn is about the German uniformed dude with the red eyes.  The cover states on the bottom “suggested for mature readers” and I suggest the consumer heed this warning.  Four out of five enjoyment points are hereby awarded for art, storyline and stepping out on the edge.

 

http://mythicacomic.com/

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

Book Review: Paranormal Erotica of a Texas flavor

Ishtar Rising

by Natalie Gibson

Tara Kay Woods lives in a trailer near a dilapidated family house in Texas.  She works as a waitress who probably has put me off eating at any country diners for a bit and ‘moon-lights’ as a stripper-lap dancer on the county line where all that is shady belongs in the eyes of the locals.  The opening scene of the protagonist in a drug induced haze running naked into her beloved garden attempting to escape being friend gang banged is an indicator as to how the book flows.

The descriptive writing including the erotic scenes were well done.  There are times when misused words occurred and the editing needs another pass.  As this is the fourth book in the series I imagine it to be too late to roll back and stick a bar of soap in Tara Kay’s mouth to prevent her from sounding like Dexter’s sister.

I enjoyed the read and I will give it a three out of four arbitrary units.

http://www.amazon.com/Ishtar-Rising-Paranormal-Romance-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B0082UISCW/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391875910&sr=1-2&keywords=Ishtar+Rising