JUDGE DREDD FALSE WITNESS #1 Looks At Current/Future Year Immigration

By

-

Judge Dredd False Witness #1, Zama cover

JUDGE DREDD FALSE WITNESS #1, available from IDW on March 25th, tells the tale of our future law enforcer pursuing a courier holding dangerous cargo. To say this story draws parallels to current year immigration concerns would be the understatement of the 22nd-Century. But does it still hold up as an entertaining read? Let’s find out.

Writing

Brian Eastman’s story is a thinly veiled essay on current year immigration woes. Paper-thin. That’s not a bad thing if the writer can spell out those issues in an engaging story and without being too on-the-nose with the characterizations. Eastman pulls it off successfully.

The main character (Mathias) has a clear backstory and a relatable motivation for his actions. Dredd is, well, being Dredd. And the main villain’s true master plan makes sense, albeit a bit too convenient.

There is an odd bit in the middle of the book explaining the genealogy of “mutants” that was a little hard to follow. The opening narration talking about the nature of fascism seemed out of place with the rest of the story. You get the impression Eastman just wanted to pontificate on fascism and used this story as a platform without blending into the context.

Pencils/Inks

Kei Zama’s artwork carries through consistently from the cover to the internal pages. The dark, dirty sewers look especially grimy. The lower streets look worn and tattered. The pristine penthouses look shiny and new. Zama captures the nature of the aesthetic difference between the multiple levels of society.

The artwork could be a little more potent if the inks weren’t so heavy. Every shadow and outline is a series of thick, almost blotchy, lines. Using thinner lines, especially on character faces, would have helped take the artwork up a notch.

Coloring

Eva De La Cruz’s coloring works for this issue when juxtaposed with the inks. Zama continues the thick lines and deep shadows from the cover throughout the rest of the book, making every line very heavy. De La Cruz really had to push to get the colors to pop through the heavy lines, and she does so expertly.

Lettering

Shawn Lee handles the lettering duties, and he does a great job keeping the different voices straight in an easy-to-follow way. Also, Lee organically blends the sound effects into all panels with action. For example, Dredd’s gun contains an array of different munitions types, so it’s not as simple as lettering “BANG! BANG!” every time Dredd fires a shot. Lee needed to incorporate everything from stuns to incendiaries to straight munitions, and every panel matches seamlessly.

Cover

Zama is pulling double duty for both cover and internal art on this first issue. Zama’s composition on the cover conveys heavy intimidation from Dredd and his fellow judges. The shadows are VERY heavy, making the Judges faceless (or more faceless than usual with their helmets on). Whether intended or not, keeping the shadows deep and obscuring the characters’ faces makes you feel like the Judges’ authority is a deep, dark force. The shadows de-humanize them as individuals on one particular side of the law, possibly with evil intent.

It’s a very good cover in that it captures the spirit of unceasing intimidation a lawbreaker would feel when confronted by the Judges.

Conclusion

JUDGE DREDD FALSE WITNESS #1 takes a current issue and brings it into the 22nd century without being too heavy-handed. Judge Dredd, in typical Dredd fashion, doesn’t play favorites…in the best way. I’m looking forward to the next issue.

Writer’s Note: Local Comic Shops (LCS) are going through a tough time right now with the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. Comics fans of every flavor that care about his or her LCS should try to do what they can. So, here’s my part:

If you’re in Northern Delaware, South East Pennsylvania, or Southern New Jersey area, please take a moment to visit Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, DE. Say ‘hi,’ pick up a book, order a book (they’re on Comichub.com), and let them know you support them.

If you’re nowhere near that area, please find YOUR LCS using https://comicshoplocator.com/ and lend your support.

Thanks, and stay safe.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: Nicnevin And The Bloody Queen – The Fey’s Adolescence

By

Jake Palermo

-

Nicnevin and the Bloody Queen is a folk horror story of adolescence from H1’s second batch of titles. After the Ignited universe, newer series like Meyer and Big Country bring in more genres. Each of which detail a humanizing experience for readers to follow. Going through puberty at its peak is a very good concept. But does the execution match the concept’s quality?

Nicnevin is Bloody Drama

Nicnevin and the Bloody Queen follows Helen Mullane’s titular protagonist who is going through a very compelling drama scenario. At the tender age of 15, she is among the one-in-five teens conflicting with family. After being expelled from school and with her parents apparently going through a divorce, Nissy with her mother and brother stay in the countryside for the summer. While there Nissy goes through some believable albeit risky things like sneaking cigarettes and lusting for her much older neighbor Reggie. Which in turn awakens her secret magical heritage that causes animals to go into an orgy.

Unfortunately, Nissy is not that great a character to get behind. Her rotten personality makes her rather cringing to read. Especially since the audience never really sees why Nissy is so angry with her mother. Or even why she values her father so much. The reader does not have a reason to vouch for Nissy’s behavior since they don’t know what’s going on.

A Fair Folk

As for the magical world that serves as the main plot, it brings in some great interest. Surrounding Nissy and her encounters with Reggie are folktales surrounding the setting. This makes the setting feel as much of a character as the cast. Complete with how it interacts with the cast and how it calls them to action. Nissy gets glimpses of the magic underneath everything and Reggie wants to find the fairyland.

There are some elements of the book that take away the tension and horror. As much as the magic shows itself to Nissy, she’s rather passive about all of it. Most of the time she just notices animals acting strange and goes back to what she was doing. While there is death befitting the folk horror, those deaths don’t really have a lot weight until near the end. Before the climax, Nissy just reacts to it as much as the animals. If Nissy gave more of a reaction, the tension would be immensely higher.

Nicnevin Demands Great Art For The Bloody Queen

Dom Reardon and Matthew Dow Smith’s art evokes similar supernatural horror stories like Hellboy. Some pieces of the story even share the pitch-black shading against bright surfaces of Hellboy. The contrast between known safety and mysterious evil feels apparent. Even in the brightest of days, there is still a shadow of danger lurking in the corner. Thanks to both artists experience in the horror genre, this is a given.

The fantasy sequences throughout the story feel enriching. Nissy finds herself welcomed to the folkloric stories of old Britain through her dream-like fantasies. They feel so important that when Nissy decides to partake in the flowers’ potion language to get Reggie’s love, the lettering captions match the text from folk texts she finds. When the fantasies come alive near the end however, they feel absolutely alien to the reader and some characters; emphasized by the difficult to read fonts of some texts. Even with the way the fae speak, green word balloons show how alien they are. What once seems fascinating becomes genuinely terrifying. Because no matter how familiar an outsider can be to this world, the fae reminds them that they are not a part of it.

Blood Queen Nicnevin Demands Familiarity

In all circumstances, Nicnevin and the Bloody Queen is best for people familiar with folk horror. The characters can be pretty forgettable, especially when they make adolescence feel cheap. None of them feel like they need care unless the plot demands it. Which is a shame because the artwork evokes feelings of both beauty and terror.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

THE 6 MILLION DOLLAR MAN IN JAPAN Collection Brings The Fun In More Ways Than One

By

Gabriel Hernandez

-

THE 6 MILLION DOLLAR MAN IN JAPAN collection, available from Dynamite on March 18th, is a fresh take on the 70’s cyborg. Written by Christopher Hastings, this is the complete collection of Steve Austin’s very first mission, but a less faithful adaptation of the original TV series. Does it stir all the right nostalgia feels? Let’s find out.

Writing

Hastings chose to take Steve in a slightly different direction for the character’s first outing. In the original TV show, Steve is more serious and determined. Here, Hastings has written Steve as a cavalier and joking character. Hastings stops just short of slapstick, but you get a distinct Deadpool vibe with the constant stream of jokes. It’s different, and it’s a lot of fun.

Pencils/Inks

David Hahn opted for a comic strip style with the artwork, and it fits the tone to a tee. But make no mistake, the lines are sharp when necessary and flowing when called for. For example, Steve’s exposed bionics are sufficiently mechanical looking to suit what robotics should look like for that time period. Hahn’s art works really well.

Favorite Panel/Page: By far, my favorite is the last page of issue #4 in the collection. Steve recklessly jumps out of a plane in an attempt to use his metallic body as a projectile and ram another plane. His plan fails in spectacular (and hilarious) fashion.

Coloring

Roshan Kurichiyanil’s coloring work is bright and cheery, which compliments both the tone of the story and Steve Austin’s personality. Excellent work.

Lettering

Hats off to Ariana Maher for the lettering in this collection. It’s difficult enough to letter for English in assorted modes of conversation – shouts, whispers, normal speech – but more impressive to also correctly letter in Japanese AND Russian as well. Hats off, indeed.

Cover

Michael Walsh’s cover art matches the bright and fun style of the internal pages. The costume design and background imagery fit the 60’s/70’s aesthetic of TV shows with fantastical elements ala Man From UNCLE, Get Smart, and I Dream Of Jeannie. Oddly, Walsh creates a style more reminiscent of the 60’s than the mid-70’s (which is when the story takes place) but it works.

Conclusion

THE 6 MILLION DOLLAR MAN IN JAPAN collection is a departure from the Steve Austin you know and love, but the series is thoroughly entertaining. Pick this book up if you like your sci-fi light, with a lot of action and plenty of humor.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Graphic Novel Review: BOG BODIES – No Loose Ends

By

Justin Munday

-

Writer Declan Shalvey and artist Gavin Fullerton unite their talents to create “Bog Bodies,” a crime story like nothing you’ve read before. They, along with the talents of Rebecca Nalty on colors and lettering from Clayton Cowles, create a wholly original story about small-scale crime and the haunting effects it has on those involved in it – willing or not.

“A cold, poignant story of crime, survival, and regret, “Bog Bodies” follows an Irish gangster on the run after a job gone wrong who encounters a young woman lost in the Dublin mountains. Injured and unarmed, the unlikely pair must try to evade their pursuers and survive the desolate bog that has served as burial grounds for unspeakable murder throughout history.”

Writing & Plot

The winning technique behind “Bog Bodies'” enrapturing plot is writer Declan Shalvey‘s ability to give the reader just enough – but never too much. Shalvey focuses on the characters first and foremost and the immediate conflict they find themselves in. He progresses the plot by throwing wrenches into its workings: a gangster is on the run, he meets a girl, they run together, things happen, etc. On top of the characterization via placing characters in a set of situations, Shalvey then reveals just enough backstory into the events that led to this story to point the reader towards the truth. This is the true genius at work in this graphic novel. The writer trusts his audience enough to hand them the clues and directions, but he never holds their hand to the truth. The plot-twist revelations in this novel’s final act are fantastic not only in their execution but also in how open to interpretation they become. I spent a large portion of my morning musing upon the hows and whys of this story’s ending.

The characters themselves are fleshed out brilliantly. Each of the four main characters has their own distinct personalities, motivations, and manners of speaking to one another. The dialogue is full of Irish colloquialisms and naturalistic speech that are a complete joy to read. The nuance in this graphic novel is an example of knowing how to utilize the comic medium to its fullest potential.

Art Direction

Gavin Fullerton‘s artwork in “Bog Bodies” is an entrancing mix of detailed character art and environmental scale. The latter of these being how Fullerton uses landscapes to set a tone, then refocuses on the small-scale events our characters inhabit. He often draws panels of one or two people from a distance in the backdrop of the Irish countryside. These moonlit scenes instill a sense of quiet as well, adding to the hushed and unnerving tone of the novel. Fullerton’s panel direction guides the plot and its individual moments along in a pristine manner, highlighting stellar character moments in tune with the book’s prevalent mood. Much of this mood is created by colorist Rebecca Nalty. The brilliance of the coloring in “Bog Bodies” is that it’s all created as a reflection of the light sources within the comic. As this graphic novel takes place entirely at night, everything from the moon to a car’s taillights provide the hues that paint environments and characters. This also creates a ghostly pallor in key scenes that set a very specific and necessary mood. Clayton Cowles lettering offers spot-on inflection for the variety of tones the characters inhabit in their dialogue. This spot-on artistry is all in part to a visual team that utilizes setting and practical ideas that are rarely seen in comics – if any medium at all.

“Bog Bodies” is a creation of contemplative beauty. Declan Shalvey has written a crime story rife with emotion that trusts its audience to interpret events. Gavin Fullerton and Rebecca Nalty bestow the work with visual artistry that creates detailed, believable characters in an environment that speaks whole pages, often with no words needed. This is a graphic novel that will leave you thinking about it for hours – if not days – after finishing its final page. Make sure to grab this masterful piece of storytelling from your local comic shop when it hits shelves on 4/22.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Check Out A 5-Page Preview Of ROAD TO EMPYRE: KREE SKRULL WAR #1

By

Matthew Sardo

-

March 20, 2020

Check Out A 5-Page Preview Of ROAD TO EMPYRE: KREE SKRULL WAR #1

Road To Empyre: Kree Skrull War #1 hits your local comic book shop on March 25, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has a five-page preview for you to look over.

Robbie Thompson is the writer on the book. There are two artists on the issue; Mattia De lulis handled the present-day sequences, and Javier Rodríguez & Álvaro López took care of the flashback sequences. You will read Joe Caramagna’s letters, Phil Noto created the cover, and Ron Lim & Israel Silva designed the variant cover.

About Road To Empyre: Kree Skrull War #1:

EMPYRE IS COMING!
The build-up to Marvel’s massive event series of the spring begins here-but in actuality, it began a millennia ago, with a challenge on the moon! In the wake of INCOMING, everything has changed for the Kree and the Skrulls. And out in the cold on Earth, the Warner family (MEET THE SKRULLS) need to work out what has happened and what it means for the future of their family and their race! And that means educating their kids on just how the Kree and the Skrulls first went to war!

Are you picking up the Empyre tie-ins? Comment below with your thoughts.

Enjoy The Preview.

Sidenotes:

The original Kree–Skrull War took place in Avengers Vol. 1 from issue 89 to 97 back in 1971-72. Roy Thomas wrote the story with pencils and inks from Sal Buscema (#89–92), Neal Adams (#93–97), John Buscema (#94), Sam Grainger (#89–90), Sal Buscema (#91), George Roussos(#92), and Tom Palmer (#93–97).

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

I’d Buy That For A Dollar: SLASH MARAUD #1 (November 1987)

By

Manuel Gomez

-

March 20, 2020

Welcome to ‘I’d Buy That For A Dollar’ a column where I will be exploring the weird and wonderful world of dollar bin diving. The only rule is each and every comic is purchased for one dollar (or less!).

This week’s comic is DC’s Slash Maraud #1.

Slash Maraud #1
Story by: Doug Moench
Art by: Paul Gulacy
Letters by: John Costanza
Colors by: Adrienne Roy

So you’re staying in and reading comics right?! Well, let’s talk about this GREAT comic right here. I had never heard of this book before, but it’s part of a Mature Readers trend DC Comics had in the ’80s before they established DC/Vertigo. And Slash Maraud #1, with its crazy post-apocalyptic setting, punk rock attitude and gorgeous art, could have easily been part of that line. Seriously this book is bananas in the best possible way. It’s got mutant dinosaurs, roving biker gangs, and a ‘Mozart-Reggae’ band of ape-man called The Habiline Wailers. The protagonist, Slash, is also a classic badass in the Snake Plisken/Mad Max role. Anyway, let’s take a look at some pages!

This being a ‘Mature Readers’ title, there aren’t any cool ads for toys and games. But there are ads for some cool looking series that I’ll be keeping my eye out for. Check them out below.

There you have it. That’s a glimpse into Slash Maraud #1. As far as I know, this was never collected, so if you want it you gotta hunt it down! Happy hunting!

You can find great dollar bins at almost every local comic shop. So find a shop, ask a comic clerk and start bin diving!

Got your own awesome dollar bin finds? Toss them at me!
Send emails to manny@monkeysfightingrobots.com
Follow me on Instagram: _idbuythatforadollar_
Tweet at me: @MannyG1138

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Exclusive First Look: Sina Grace’s GHOSTED IN LA #10

By

Matthew Sardo

-

March 20, 2020

Exclusive First Look at Sina Grace's GHOSTED IN LA #10

Ghosted In LA #10 hits your comic book shop on April 8, but thanks to BOOM! Studios, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you to check out.

The book is written and illustrated by Sina Grace, with colors by Cathy Le & Natalia Nesterenko, and you will read DC Hopkins’ letters. Siobhan Keenan created the main cover with Grace working on the variant cover. This is the first issue in the series where Grace is the artist and writer.

About the issue:
Daphne was just getting used to living with ghosts, but when a mysterious door in the basement flies open, Rycroft Manor is overwhelmed with even more strange phenomena than anyone knows how to deal with. And even worse, Daphne’s former roommate Michelle has some ideas about how to handle a haunting… and it doesn’t involve going gently into that good night.

Do you have Ghosted In LA on your pull list? Comment below with your thoughts on the book and preview.

Enjoy the preview:

Digital copies of Ghosted In LA #10 can be purchased from content providers, including ComiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the Madefire.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

AfterShock Comics Exclusive Preview: ANIMOSITY #27

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

March 19, 2020

animosity #27 aftershock comics exclusive preview

ANIMOSITY #27 hits your local comic book store March 25th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.

About the issue:
Conflict reveals character! Amid the chaos and bloodshed of the arena, Sandor realizes that the lies he has fed Jesse cannot endure much longer.

ANIMOSITY #27 is by writer Marguerite Bennett, and artists Elton Thomasi and Rafael De Latorre, with colors by Rob Schwager, and letters by Taylor Esposito. The cover is by Rafael De Latorre with Marcelo Maiolo.

The series tells the story of a world where animals suddenly gain the ability to think and speak like humans…and they begin their revenge. Issue #26 is the third part of the “King of Texas” storyline.

Check out the ANIMOSITY #27 preview below:

What comics are you reading while you’re stuck at home? Sound off in the comments!

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Marvel Comics Exclusive Preview: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #42

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

March 19, 2020

amazing spider-man #42 marvel comics exclusive preview

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #42 hits your local comic book store March 25th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive three-page preview for you.

About the issue:
Well, knowing what Boomerang is doing sure didn’t help. Spidey and Boomerang are in trouble in a VERY BIG WAY.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #42 is by writer Nick Spencer and penciller Ryan Ottley, with inks by Cliff Rathburn, colors by Nathan Fairbairn, and letters by Joe Caramagna. Ottley and Fairbairn also did the main cover.

Issue #42 is the second part of a three-part story drawn by Ottley. This arc, entitled “True Companions”, will then lead into “Sins Rising”, this summer’s Spider-Man event, which will feature the return of the Sin-Eater.