Review: Super Smart Superhero Origin Story in OMNI #1

By

-

An emerging new Superhero Universe forms the backdrop for the adventures and drama in Omni #1 from international publisher, Humanoids. Writer Devin Grayson introduces the reader to this new world through the eyes of Mae Walters, friend and assistant to newly Ignited medical Doctor Cecelia Cobbina.

The comic opens with a quick introduction to the Humanoids shared superhero universe. Humanoids has been a powerhouse of European comic books with some extremely famous creators working for them. In more recent years they have started to make their presence known in the American market. With the hiring of Mark Waid and John Cassaday, to name just a few, Humanoids have launched their new universe of comics under the Ignited banner.

Ignited refers to an evolutionary jump that has created a number of super powered humans. Across the world people are transforming as their powers emerge. One such person is Cecelia Cobbina, the hero of Omni, a medical doctor who has been working in extreme conditions with the Doctors Without Boarders project.

Super Smart Superhero Origin Story in OMNI #1 — Omni #1 Cover Art Credit: Humanoid Inc

Omni Present

In the first issue of Omni, Cobbina is travelling America trying to find out what has happened to her and, more importantly, WHY it has happened. With her on her journey is Mae who has a romantic notion about the superhero aspect of Cobbina’s life and this plays an important role in the storytelling.

Writer Devin Grayson has written a fair number of superhero comics for the Big 2 publishers and this is evident in this first issue. She structures the story around the sidekick and her take on the origin of the hero of the comic. Mae is writing a journal of her adventures and Greyson uses this storytelling technique to frame the action around the Origin of Cobbina’s powers. This allows the story to jump from past to present, introducing the readers to the characters while also building the plot in an exciting way.

This structure also allows Greyson to naturally include a lot of voice over exposition bringing the reader up to speed much quicker. Greyson moves the plot forward quickly, incorporating a fascinating origin story into the larger narrative.

Cobbina’s power set revolves around super-fast analytical thinking which is not a typical power for a superhero comic. This allows for some creative thinking from the art team to truly show off Cobbina’s power. In the origin scene artist Alitha E Martinez creates a series of ghost like interpretations of Cobbina to represent the different aspects of her mind. Colorist Bryan Valenza gives each aspect a different color wash to give them an ethereal feel but also to create a link to the ‘voices’ inside Cobbina’s head.

The effect is completed by the lettering provided by A Larger World. They match the coloring of each aspect to the various caption boxes that float around the initial double page spread. This coloring is then carried forward to the rest of the comic meaning that panel space can be saved by not having to physically represent each voice. The overall effect is wonderful with the establishing scene and the follow up conversations building not only Cobbina’s character but also giving personalities to each of the voices.

World Building

Unlike James Mcavoy’s character in Split, Cobbina’s multiple personalities all work together to read a situation and come up with a solution or action in super-fast time. She is like a one-person Council of Reeds but without the self-important, world destroying tendencies.

Omni is set in a realistic world and the art reflects this. Each scene has a strong physical location rendered beautifully by Martinez. The chaos of a battlefield surgery tent is depicted with as much importance as a quiet suburb porch conversation. Both of these have significance to the Cobbina and neither is given more weigh in the narrative.

There are some moments where the storytelling doesn’t work as well as others. There are a couple of scenes where it takes a minute to realise that it is a flashback, or part of Mae’s journal logs. And there are some awkward speech balloon placings resulting in a break in conversational pacing. However, the overall plot and visuals of the comic are engaging. The quick introduction at the beginning makes it easier for the reader to get straight into the comic without feeling that they have missed something and from there on, Omni carries itself brilliantly.

Conclusion

Based on the quality of this comic it does make you want to check out other titles in the shared universe. The concept is a sound one, and is very reminiscent of the ending to the T.V. series The 4400. Omni isn’t a typical superhero comic but it does contain new ways of looking at the associated clichés, similar to Stronghold from AfterShock Comics.

If you are bored of the standard capes and cowls narratives from the Big 2 publishers and fancy something different, then Omni and the Ignition Universe is for you.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: STAR TREK YEAR FIVE #4 Evokes All The Best Original Series Memories

By

Darryll Robson

-

Recreating the magic of Star Trek: The Original Series while continuing to engaging old and new fans alike is no mean feat but IDW Publishing have found a team to do just that in Star Trek Year Five issue 4, which is out this week.

Completing the second story of the series, Brandon Easton reflects on the consequences of the Enterprise crews’ earlier visit to Sigma Iotia II. Captain Kirk and his crew are famous for bending the rules to suit their current needs but where does that leave the planets and aliens that they interact with? When the Enterprise warps away, what happens to those left behind?

In the second part of Easton’s story, the full extent of the damage done to Sigma Iotia II is realised and Kirk is forced to intervene further in the planets politics.

The issue opens with Spock running for President against the rich elite, backed by the Southern Continent who have been forsaken by the ruling classes. Meanwhile a space station orbiting the planet is falling apart due to lack of funding and will crash through the atmosphere at any moment. Bureaucracy has tied the hands of the planets officials and even Kirk is bound by Federation Law. But with a mutiny brewing on the Enterprise and Spock involving himself in current affairs, Captain Kirk is running out of options and running out of time.

STAR TREK YEAR FIVE #4 Evokes All The Best Original Series Memories — Star Trek Year Five #4 Credit: IDW Publishing

Captains Log

This is without a shadow of doubt Star Trek: TOS. Easton has captured the tone of Gene Roddenberry’s original concept beautifully. The pacing of the story and the building of drama from the opening scene to the inevitable solution plays out exactly like one of the 1960’s episodes. The duel dilemma facing the crew allows Easton to keep all of the main cast in the story: an approach often used in the series.

The characters and their reactions to the situations they face are exactly as a fan of the show would expect. Easton understands the ins and outs of the Enterprise crew and what each is capable of: Spock’s unfaltering logic, Kirk’s reluctant rule breaking, and Scotty’s deductive reasoning. Each of the cast excel in their roles and every scene serves a purpose in the overriding plot.

Social commentary and moral questioning is evident throughout. The problems on the planet and the pent up rage felt by one of the crew members on the Enterprise are all relevant to a modern day audience. Some of the speeches given by the cast may come over as a little preachy, especially if you do not have the same politics as the creators, but for the most part the opinions fit with the characters and the world of Star Trek.

There is only one moment where Captain Kirk reflects verbally on the situation that breaks the reading experience. For a brief moment the writer’s voice takes over the character’s voice and the speech breaks the flow of the narrative. This is quickly recovered but, unfortunately, the moment is still there.

Rendering Year Five

The artwork for Year Five is outstanding. Martin Coccolo captures not only the physical appearances of the cast but also the emotional reactions of the characters. His facial work is excellent, giving the narrative it’s emotional weight. The layouts and constant shift from long shots to close ups capture the Original Series atmosphere.

There is a sense of the grandiose but done on a budget. Coccolo focuses on characters over scenery allowing an occasional long shot to establish the scene. There is a large cast, with extras on the planet as well as the Enterprise, and Coccolo gives each character their individuality; they stand differently, move differently, and all round act differently.

Star Trek Year Five is also surprisingly colourful, both in the script and in the visuals. Colorist Fran Gamboa is not afraid to splash the color around filling each page with a full world of visual delights. But he also affects the mood of a scene very effectively by draining some color out and focusing on another. Most notably is the scene in the engine room of the Enterprise where the dangerously high tensions are illustrated via the wave of red covering everything.

In such a conversation heavy script it is important to get the lettering right and Neil Uyetake has done an excellent job. With the speech balloons there is nothing outrageous or challenging but the text inside reflects the nuances of the character’s speech. There is a distinctive speech pattern for the central cast so that their personalities clash creating the dynamic relationships between the crew.

The sound effects also have an air of ‘made on a budget’ about them which adds to the overall charm on the comic. Each creator appears to go out of their way to make the reader think this is an episode from the 1960s.

Conclusion

Fans can be difficult to please. What works in a franchise for one person may be the fly in the ointment for someone else. However, the creative team behind Star Trek Year Five has produced something that is as close to Original Series as anyone is likely to get and you can’t ask for more than that.

The characters, the plot, and everything about the design has that 1960’s feel about it in all the best possible ways. This is a joy to read, especially if you are a fan but the real beauty is that it stands alone in its own right. Fan or not, Star Trek Year Five looks good and reads better.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: RED SONJA #7 is a Masterwork of Comics Storytelling

By

David DeCorte

-

Mark Russell’s work on this series only grows more engrossing with time. It’s a powerhouse run thus far, and Red Sonja #7, out this week from Dynamite Entertainment, may well be the best issue yet.

Sonja finds herself alone after losing Kryon, her last remaining family member, in our last issue. As she demonstrates, though, Sonja’s not one to give in to despair. Instead, she decides to finally mount an attack on Dragan in an attempt to rescue the surviving Hyrkanian prisoners.

The Writing

With Red Sonja #7, Mark Russell delivers an engrossing story. There’s plenty of action contained in these concise, yet thoroughly-engaging pages. Beyond the surface, though, the narrative is crammed full of interesting and incredibly-compelling thematic elements to unpack.

The book opens to Sonja reflecting on her childhood memories of Kryon, weaving grass shields as a childhood prank (an element that will come up again later). From here, we jump to Kryon’s funeral. Sonja wants to make one thing clear, though: despite her grief, revenge is not her aim. Rather, the primary focus is rescuing as many of her people as she can from Dragan’s sadism.

Sonja’s resolve is tested, though, when she has Dragan in her sights. Here, she’s forced to make a choice between seeking revenge and helping the living. The option she ultimately chooses says a great deal about her core character.

The highlight of Red Sonja #7—perhaps one of the most striking moments of the series thus far—comes toward the book’s end. Sonja’s advisor Cerkus delivers a monologue that is a surprisingly poignant critique of blind nationalism and empire. “Nations and empires are not a cult of personality,” he says, “but a symptom of humanity’s common psychosis. The need to find our worth in power.” It’s incredibly-well written, especially when cast alongside the action on the page. Dragan’s own guards foreshadow this theme earlier in the book, pondering Dragan’s circuitous motivation.

It’s intelligent and thought-provoking, without losing momentum. In Red Sonja #7, Russell proves himself to be a masterful storyteller.

The Artwork

Bob Q takes over art duties from Mirko Colak beginning with Red Sonja #7. His work is eye-catching right from the first page, opening on a pastoral scene of young Sonja and Kryon, before hard-cutting to the latter’s funeral. He does a great job of capturing mood, really embellishing the emotional pitch of these sequences.

The illustrations really shine, though, once we delve into the more action-packed pages in the book’s middle. The work is dynamic, constantly shifting perspective to reflect the chaos of battle. He employs some very deliberately-placed repetition, though, which works to nice effect.

While Colak’s work on the series’ first arc was very good overall, the artist did have some issues conveying expression. Bob Q, however, manages to provide some incredibly expressive and lively work. You feel the emotion on the page; the resolve, grief, and terror in characters’ faces comes across very clearly.

Final Thoughts

Red Sonja #7 is excellent from start to finish. This issue cements the current run of Red Sonja among the very best comics of 2019. Get it this week at your local comic book shop.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

How Gwenpool Plans to Stay Relevant in GWENPOOL STRIKES BACK #1

By

Cat Wyatt

-

Gwenpool is back and she’s fighting for her series – and her life – in GWENPOOL STRIKES BACK #1, hitting your local comic shop on August 14 from Marvel Comics. In her usual fourth wall breaking ways, Gwen is very aware of the cost of losing the readers favor.

Gwenpool is back, and she’s fighting dirty to stay relevant.

***SPOILER WARNING***

Fans of Gwenpool are likely thrilled to hear that she’s gotten another series to her name. Granted, it’s only a five issue series, but we’ll take what we can get. New readers will potentially get a kick out of this series as well, though they may not appreciate all of the references made.

As per usual, Gwen is painfully aware of her status in the comic book world, courtesy of her limited abilities. This also means that she’s aware of what will happen if she stops appearing in comics. It’s more or less a death sentence for her, due to being fully ported into this realm.

Gwenpool Strikes Back #1 gives Gwen the chance she needs. A literal and figurative fight for relevancy in a world where comic books saturate the market. But if anybody can do what nobody else is trying, it’s Gwenpool.

Leah Williams picked up where Christopher Hastings left off – with Gwen fighting to find a way to save her series (and her life). Williams perfectly captured all of the quirks that make Gwenpool so unique, while also acknowledging Gwen’s other appearances in team-ups (West Coast Avengers).

This issue is a lot of fun and a lot of fourth-wall breaking. It’s silly, it’s a little bit insane, and it’s full of referential humor. And let’s not forget that it’s got plenty of Gwen and her desperation to become something more.

Time for our little shark friend to explain everything.

Gwen has given up on trying to become a beloved character through normal means. It’s time to fight dirty. And that means getting some new powers of her own. Her ability to jump through comics is amazing – but as she noted within these pages, it’s frequently retconned in teams, thus reducing her chances. And Gwen needs all of the chance she can get.

Gwen’s attempts are clearly going to wrap up other Marvel characters in the process. As you can clearly tell from this cover, Spider-Man has already been pulled into her first attempt. And the cover for the next issue hints at the Fantastic Four being her next target.

Dancing makes all explanations better, right?

This series is already proving to stick true to the humor that made so many fall in love with Gwenpool and all of her antics. She’s steadily embracing what makes her different, and thus making her a few steps further from being the hero she originally wanted to be. But that’s okay.

The new artistic team is forging a new path with Gwenpool Strikes Back #1. Our leading lady and her abilities are still clear, but there’s more detail than previously seen in her series. Her edges are sharper, and more similar to her original appearance on Earth 616.

David Baldeon, Jesus Aburtov, and Joe Caramagna are the artists behind this issue. And it’s safe to say that they had fun working on this issue. Gwen’s antics are always somewhat comical, but in this instance, they’re further heightened by the brilliant artwork provided.

Some panels are more standout than others, but that was clearly done with intent. Such as that one page spread focused entirely on Gwen’s high school photograph. Yeesh. That’s pure Gwen right there.

Gwenpool Strikes Back #1 has already proven that this series will be everything fans could have hoped for – and then some. It takes the situation that Gwen is in seriously, and brings the fight for her character to a level not normally seen. That does make the series somewhat bittersweet, but it’s balanced out with the quirky humor and insane antics.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: ABSOLUTE CARNAGE: SEPARATION ANXIETY #1 Maximizes Real-World Horror

By

Colin Tessier

-

Marvel Comics’ Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1 (on sale August 14) is the most terrifying, unsettling comic you’ll read this year.

The War of the Realms was fantastic and, of course, frost giants are quite scary. But with this tie-in, writer Clay McCleod Chapman grabs you and increasingly shakes you to the core.

Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1

Writer: Clay McCleod Chapman

Artist: Brian Level

Color Artist: Jordan Boyd

Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham

Family Matters

When the story opens by focusing on a dysfunctional family that’s otherwise ordinary, cynical readers might think, “These characters don’t matter; where are the symbiotes?” But McCleod Chapman succeeds where a number of tie-ins fall short because he makes these (mostly) ordinary people dynamic characters. Sadie and her family have the misfortune of coming into contact with a symbiote reminiscent of Venom. In many ways, though, the subsequent infection is a secondary plot. McCleod Chapman focuses his energy on Sadie’s family that’s rapidly fracturing.

For readers who grew up in broken homes, this story will deeply resonate. But everyone can appreciate the power of Sadie’s heartbreak because we all know someone whose experienced a toxic upbringing. From the first page to the finale, the reader roots for Sadie because she’s an innocent little girl in a remarkably challenging situation before the symbiote even arrives. She deserves so much better than the anguish she experiences on a daily basis.

One of the scariest parts of Separation Anxiety, like any good demonic possession movie, is the balance between the ordinary and the macabre. In this case, it comes in the contrast between the monstrous symbiote and Sadie’s stereotypical parents. For every time that the symbiote-infected parents try to infect Sadie and her brother Billy, they talk about how much they want to be together again. In the context of a family that’s about to irrevocably fall apart, this dichotomy is gripping. McCleod Chapman weaves Sadie’s wish to have a happy family throughout the story and the results are devastating. There are no happy endings here, which makes Separation Anxiety feel ironically realistic; any other ending would have felt forced and phony.

Texas Chainsaw Vibes

In the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the dinner scene is physically and emotionally uncomfortable to watch. In an issue packed with stunning visuals and horrifying plot elements, a similar sequence of events in Separation Anxiety deserves to be recognized because it’s hard to stomach.

This scene also showcases some of the best artwork in the comic. On their own, the story beats are gruesome. Sadie’s symbiote-infected mom kills a neighbor, who innocently checks on the family when he hears screams. Later, after the parents chase Sadie and her brother for a while, Sadie stumbles into her mom, who has prepared dinner for the family. But the main course is the dead neighbor himself. The reveal feels like it’s ripped right out of a horror movie.

Level contrasts some normal dinner food (rolls, meat and vegetables) with the neighbor’s charred body. His face looks like that of a zombie or even a mummy but he’s only been dead for a few hours. The choice to show such a rapid decomposition makes Sadie’s infected mom seem even more powerful because she’s the one who killed the guy. Most disturbingly, the mom is in her human form but her dead smile, combined with letterer VC’s Travis Lantham red speech bubble, makes it clear that Sadie’s mom is long gone. Altogether, it’s a chilling sight.

In one of the more shocking reveals, Sadie’s mom shows her daughter what’s for dinner.McCleod Chapman and artist Brian Level don’t leave anything to the imagination. They show the parents and the newly-infected Billy dining on the neighbor’s corpse. Here, the perspective shifts; the reader sees the body from a new angle that hides its eyes and teeth. As a result, the corpse looks even more mummified and it’s even more disturbing to see Sadie’s dad practically drooling over the body. The small artistic touch of having lit candles surround it makes the scene feel like a gruesome ceremony.

Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1 — Sadie’s family prepares to dine on the neighbor’s corpse.

As if that wasn’t ghastly enough, the creative team continues to ratchet up the horror. The symbiote-infected family holds Sadie captive while they say grace before the horrid meal. The trio prays to Knull, the god of the symbiotes, before Level shows them munching away on the neighbor’s flesh. Level zooms in on these shots and color artist Jordan Boyd’s usage of browns and oranges shows the body’s decomposition. The image of Sadie, who’s trapped by the symbiote tentacles, crying out of wide-open eyes, drives home the scene’s frightening tone. In an uncomfortable combination, the monsters ravenously pick away at the body while they hold a typical weekday dinner discussion. (The dad asks his son, “Anything exciting happen at school today, bud?”) Throughout the issue, the creative team masterfully inverts the reader’s expectations at every turn and that’s particularly evident in this scene.

Tie-in comics for major events usually don’t fall in the “can’t miss” category. Most of the time, they don’t feature significant characters or meaningfully progress the overall story. Two of those statements might apply to Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety. You won’t see Spider-Man or Venom here and the event is just starting to unfold. But anyone thinks about skipping this issue would miss the best horror comic of the year. If you’re a fan of Marvel or if you like scary stories, read Separation Anxiety. Just don’t do it before bed because it’ll make it impossible to fall asleep.

What’d you think of Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1? Do you want to see more tie-ins like this?

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: Strong Storytelling & Artwork in REAVER #2

By

David DeCorte

-

In Reaver #2, out this week from Image Comics, our merry band is deep in hostile territory, and are forced to set up camp due to the driving snows. They have a plan for how to travel safely without attracting unwanted attention. However, a simple fact that they don’t understand about Rael society makes that plan largely moot.

The Writing

While the first issue was largely exposition and setup, it feels much more like we’re in the story proper here. With Reaver #2, writer Justin Jordan engages readers by eschewing the backstory and introductions that occupied much of the first book. Instead, he keeps the reader’s attention focused on the action within the story.

We also get to learn a little more about the world itself in this issue. While our first chapter featured a lot of expository worldbuilding and backstory, it comes across more organically within the context of the story here. We learn a bit more about the Rael, for instance, through context within the narrative, not necessarily through exposition.

There is more action in Reaver #2, particularly in the book’s second half. The protagonists never really feel like they’re in danger, but it’s engaging and compelling nonetheless. There is some character development as well. It’s subtle, but several members of our party seem to show a greater sense depth and complexity compared to what was on display in our first issue.

That said, the sticking point here is the chemistry between characters. It’s clear that they don’t particularly like or care about one another beyond their utility as a party member. That said, characters—even ones who don’t like each other—still need to have some emotional reaction to one another. Here, it’s primarily kept to either mild annoyance or indifference. This complaint doesn’t apply universally to all the characters’ interactions, though, and it’s not nearly enough to be a major problem. In all, the writing improves over the first issue in just about every area.

The Artwork

One of artist Rebekah Isaacs’s greatest assets in our first book was the rich level of detail with which she brought the story to life. With Reaver #2, much of the issue takes place against the backdrop of a snow-covered environment. As a result, the artwork doesn’t get as much time to shine as before.

Fortunately, her character designs are quality work, allowing for expressive visual storytelling. We see the cockiness or fear in individuals’ eyes and body languages, making them feel like more rounded, fleshed-out characters. The images flow well, hitting the story beats and providing legible and engaging action sequences. It’s a very utilitarian, meat-and-potatoes style of illustration. While the style Isaacs employs in Reaver #2 doesn’t take a lot of chances, it does its job well.

Again, given the snowy environs, colorist Alex Guimarães doesn’t have as much opportunity to explore his palette. When the chance presents itself, though, Guimarães is more than happy to take it, cutting through with eye-catching and bold colors that break up the somber whites and blues.

Final Thoughts

It didn’t introduce the story, but Reaver #2 sets a positive trajectory for the new series, helping it stand out from the fantasy-by-way-of-Suicide-Squad setup. Find it this week at your local comic book shop.

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review CATCH-22: A Hilarious and Tragic Examination Of The Toll of War

By

Kieran Freemantle

-

Joseph Hellar’s satirical novel Catch-22 is regarded as a literary classic and one of the best war novels ever published. It is also a sprawling piece of work that is difficult to adapt. Hulu has attempted to adapt the novel to the small screen with a number of talented people attached to the series.

Catch-22 focuses on the 256th US Army Air Squadron based in Italy in 1944. One of the bombardiers, John Yossarian (Christopher Abbott), is desperate to get out of the war, especially when Colonel Cathcart (Kyle Chandler) keeps rising the mission quota. As the war progresses Yossarian loses more and more friends, which put a strain on his mental state.

Catch-22 was told in a non-linear fashion where it jumped to and from different events. The writers of the season, Luke Davies and David Michôd, set out to tell the story in a more traditional, linear fashion. It goes from Yossarian and his fellow crewmen training to Yossarian having a mental breakdown by the end. As a straighten version of Catch-22 the series works, especially for people who are unfamiliar with the novel.

Due to the series going for a linear style it does straighten out the character arc for Yossarian. At the beginning of the series, he is a selfish asshole who looked for any way out of the war with a ‘to hell with anyone else’ attitude. By the end, Yossarian becomes a more sympathetic character because of the mental stress he was placed under. He did have a level of morality to him as exhibited when he casts a caring eye over an Italian teen (Viola Pizzetti) and being repulsed by Aarfy’s (Rafi Gavron) actions in Episode Five. Events early on in the series come back to bite Yossarian on the ass later on. Abbott perfectly plays the selfish asshole and the man cracking under the pressure.

Catch-22 was famously a satire on the US military and bureaucracy. The series keeps this in tack and due to the involvement of George Clooney and his creative partner Grant Heslov they ensured the series had a Coen Brothers-esque style to it. There were hilarious verbal exchanges from the outset like when Cleverly (Pico Alexander) gave advice to a superior officer, Scheisskopf (Clooney) advise on how to conduct the military parades. Throughout the series, there are satirical swipes against the military that could be applied to today like Milo’s (Daniel David Stewart) war profiteering and Cathcart takes pride in the destruction of Italian cities. It is a show that embraces absurdities like when one character gets a big promotion just because it’s quicker than to correct a mistake and Yossarian getting punished with a bravery medal.

The series also has somber moments because of the death and loss. Catch-22 builds on the friendships Yossarian has made during the series. They felt genuine, especially Yossarian’s friendship with Nately (Austin Stowell), so it hurts all the more when someone dies. It contributes to Yossarian’s eventual breakdown because all the people he knows either die or are sent away, leaving him trapped in an endless loop of bombing missions. It is a show that is willing to show or at least alludes to darker aspects of war. Catch-22 is able to walk the fine line of comedy and tragedy without being tonally jagging. At times Catch-22 shows that comedy and tragedy are able to merge, like at the end of episode three where the airmen play around with a German fighter and the sixth episode starting as a comedy before going into heavier territory.

Catch-22 does have an excellent cast who perfectly played their characters. Stewart as Milo was a great find to play the wheeling-dealing Milo, who ends up operating a trade network across Europe and North Africa. Chandler and Kevin J. O’Conner made for effective villains, one a colonel who is looking for his own glory, so plays with the lives of his men and his deputy who is a clever but weaselly man. Clooney had been effective at playing buffoonish yet vindictive commander who rapidly rises through the ranks. The whole show is an indictment of the American officer core who get the rewards whilst their men pay for it.

Paramount Television and Hulu clearly spent a lot of money on the show. As well as having a casting of talented actors the show was filmed on location in Italy, where it got to show off the beauty of the Italian countryside. There was also a great deal of care for the military gear, especially the CGI for the bombing missions as planes have to go through a barrage of flak.

Catch-22 was considered an unfilmable novel, but the team who made the miniseries gave it a damn good try and were able to make an effective and entertaining

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: THE BABOON Is The All-Ages Adventure Comic You’ve Been Waiting For

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

-

Jamie Jones’ The Baboon: The Mustelid Menace is now available to the public following its successful Kickstarter campaign, and it’s the perfect, action-packed comic for fans of Saturday morning adventure cartoons like Johnny Quest.

The graphic novel is written and illustrated entirely by Jones, whose previous work includes Kicking Ice, A Constant Distraction, and his own anthology comic The Whisper. The Baboon is Jones’ first comic as a full blown cartoonist.

Barton Marlow is the Baboon, a swashbuckling adventurer “who will stop at nothing to defend the world from the greatest evils known to man.” In “The Mustelid Menace”, Babs and his crew travel to a dark and dangerous castle to retrieve the mysterious Jackal formula from the nefarious Professor Weezal.

Jones created The Baboon as an homage to classic Hanna-Barbera adventure cartoons, and he 100% captures the spirit of those shows in this comic. You can almost hear the booming voice of a narrator as you’re reading: “Will the Baboon make it out of Castle Mustelid in one piece? What plans does Professor Weezal have with the Jackal formula? Find out next week, same time, same channel!” But then you’re overjoyed because you don’t have to wait until next week; you just have to turn the page.

This is a FUN comic. It’s got the snap, crackle, and pop of a sugary cereal that you should be eating while you read it. It’s got enough action, excitement, and humor to fill your tank and keep you reading; you’ll knock this bad boy out in a single sitting and immediately start it over again.

Jones’ art is The Baboon’s greatest strength. His cartoony style is big and exaggerated. It’s got tons of energy and motion that really helps sell the action sequences. The colors are vibrant and striking; Jones uses a lot of solid colors and switches them up often for emphasis. There’s a unique and special quality to the art. The cartoonist definitely wears his influences on his sleeve (Jones is a big fan of Eric Powell, and you can see that in this work), but at the same time it looks like nothing else on the market.

A card-carrying cartoonist can tell a story with his or her art alone. You should be able to take the dialogue and still follow the story and feel what the artist wants you to feel. Jones has already mastered that skill. The setting perfectly establishes the tone and atmosphere by itself. Castle Mustelid is a dark and gloomy place where danger lurks around every corner. Turn to any page and you feel that in your gut. It generates this feeling of suspense. Then, Jones delivers the emotion in the characters’ faces. You feel what they feel: the excitement, the fear, and the love.

And on that note, if the art is the number one reason to pick up The Baboon, then the characters are number two. The story is a pretty simple and straightforward adventure, but it has a ton of heart and soul courtesy of this cast. The Baboon crew feels like a real family. Their love for one another is palpable, but they also bicker and argue in a relatable way. Their relationship feels authentic. Each one of them has their own voice and personality, but perhaps the standout crew member, other than the Baboon himself, is Babs’ sidekick Monkey Bones. The young boy’s sense of wonder and enthusiasm is so earnest that you immediately connect with him as a reader. Chances are, if you’re seeking out self-published adventure comics, you’ll see yourself in Monkey Bones. He’s a reminder of why we love comics and adventure stories in the first place. Plus, come on, “Monkey Bones” is a pretty badass codename for a preteen sidekick.

Jamie Jones came out swinging with his first full comic as a cartoonist. The Baboon: The Mustelid Menace is an all-around good time that you can enjoy on your own or share with your kids, and we don’t get too many of those all-ages comics these days. Cartoonist Kayfabe co-host and X-Men: Grand Design writer/artist Ed Piskor says Jones has “got [cartooning] figured it out already” — see why for yourself.

You can buy THE BABOON: THE MUSTELID MENACE right now by clicking here, as well as the new, super-limited edition Baboon mini-comic “One Night Only”.

Read the first five pages of THE BABOON:

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Homegrown Horror Terrifies South Florida’s Savor Cinema

By

Ruben Diaz

-

August 11, 2019

For eight days in South Florida, in the middle of the hottest period of the year, festival promotors Igor Shteyrenberg and Marc Ferman find a way to pack Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale for their Popcorn Frights Horror Film Festival. I’m not saying the air conditioning, and cold drinks are the reason, but it helps. The real reason this festival is bigger and better than ever, now in its fifth year, is due to the selection of great independent horror films.

In total, 27 films, from five minutes long to hours long, play throughout the festival. Like an old, mighty oak with the hanging corpse of a witch, the festival first digs deep roots and over five years, those roots have grown down into the limestone foundation of Florida. To nurture those roots, the festival features a series of short films in a program called Homegrown. Each of the filmmakers calls Florida home, and the block of screen time is dedicated to their talents. And boy, does Florida have some incredible filmmakers.

What did Florida have to offer this year?

Call For A Good Time

Talk about doing a lot with a little. The entire film takes place in a bathroom stall with one terrified pothead and a human (presumably) covered in black oatmeal (?). Great sound, editing, and acting bring it all together into one terrifying little package.

Always Listening

A growing paranoia stems from the reality of our modern world. Our phones, TVs, cars, even some refrigerators have voice activation, which means that they’re “always listening.” It’s creepy. And this movie says, “Oh yeah, what if it’s even worse than we think?”

Fever

Amy Hoerler (The Last Movie Star) stars in this film about a girl lying sick in bed and her sweet mother trying to make her feel better. However, there’s more to this fever, as the girl explains. But typical of adults, they don’t believe until it’s too late.

The Final Girl Returns

A driver races away from an unseen horrific act of violence. He tries to get help, but the scene is clean. Day after day, the driver picks up a “Final Girl” who survived some unseen horror film. However, even the final girl sees her last day. Is The Driver the killer? Perhaps. Are they trapped in a loop of horror movie tropes? Seems like it. Does a dude with a machete and wearing a deer skull mask face off against a guy with a samurai sword? F yes.

Valerio’s Day Out

Art house horror at its finest, or is it a misunderstood documentary? It’s a collection of footage, one set of a jaguar at a zoo, the other of news clips about an escaped jaguar. Slickly edited, the unsettling yet somehow cute voice of the jaguar narrates what happened the day the powerful creature was free to be itself. It’s a night of murder worthy of any slasher film.

A Doll For Edgar

In the era of pop culture, dolls are a figurehead, unlike any other. From Funko Pop to Annabelle, we love little versions of ourselves. In this film by Anthony Dones, Edgar’s step-dad doesn’t like the little human under his care called Edgar. The little boy just wants to play with his Spider-Man doll but gets a macabre gift from his step-father instead. However, the dad’s plans to torment Edgar with this new doll don’t turn out as planned.

The Limits

A masked rider named Caden goes on a deadly mission to rescue a woman in a post-apocalyptic world. Like watching an unknown player demolishing a level, Caden makes his way down a road of torches while tearing through minions. Reaching the limits of the path, Caden faces a dangerous nemesis, a sci-fi cult, orbital strikes, and finds the girl, but there’s a twist and a turn. The Limits feature some impressive action and gorgeous scenery on a shoe-string budget.

The Spirit #1

The film begins moving backward through a hallway and the message: “There’s a ghost in this hallway. Can you see it?” From the quiet, ominous start we meet three characters staying in a vacation home somewhere in the New England area. The lone woman in the bunch warns of the ghost in the hallway. An investigation of the house begins and doesn’t end well when finally see that mysterious hallway ghost.

Read more about Popcorn Frights here!

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube

Review: LOIS LANE #2 Shows A Journalist On The Prowl

By

Jason Jeffords Jr

-

Lois Lane #2 from DC Comics showcases the lead character’s brilliant journalistic prowess, and proves she can hold her own in a world filled with superheroes and mysteries.

As big as a DC staple as Lois Lane is, she has hardly had her journalism side in the forefront of her character in any stand-alone series, or when featured in others. If/when she is around others, they dampen her abilities, or just have her as “Superman’s Girlfriend.” Much like the 1958’s Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane, which had Lois using her skill to a degree but never for a long winded story, or how DC would place her constantly in Superman’s shadow and have her rely on the Man of Steel. Luckily that has changed with DC’s Lois Lane (2019), by writer Greg Rucka, artist Mike Perkins, colorist Paul Mounts, and lettere Simon Bowland.

We open our second issue with multiple talk shows blasting Lois, not on her comments in the previous issues, but on more scandalous matters: her relationship between Clark and Superman. Because what is news now other than entertainment and drama? Greg Rucka brings this up often in Lois Lane with passerby’s constantly calling her “slut” and the like while in earshot of Superman. This happened in the previous issue but is brought up again. The nice farm boy that he calls himself, Clark asks Lois just how she deals with the constant bombardment of her being a woman and what others say. Easily: she tunes it out.

Through the issue, we join Lois as she dives deeper into the mysteries of the previous installment with the ‘suicide’ of Mariska. As Lois’ muscle woman, and backup is Renee Montoya (The Question). One of the best parts aside from the slow burn of a plot is Lois’ interaction between her and her own cast of side characters. With appearances from Perry White, who constantly fixes her grammar (a great call back to the days of yore), and her interactions with The Question. When Lois and The Question are together it makes you question why they have never teamed up before! It just makes perfect sense and they play off of each other perfectly.

When Rucka writes Lois and Clark together, it feels different than any other comic recently has portrayed. With the duo acting like an adult couple (even though they are ‘separate’) and talking through their problems, our just how they respect each other while believing greatly in another. This is one of the best representations of the duo seen in years making them seem more human and not just forced together because that’s how it’s supposed to be. The investigative vibes from Rucka’s plot and dialogue wouldn’t flow if it wasn’t for the art courtesy of Mike Perkins and colors of Paul Mounts.

Perkins art has a great noir vibe throughout that feels gritty and grimy, but when there are moments of clarity the pencils come off quite lively. With the backgrounds mattering a great deal in some panels and pages Perkins paints a clear picture of what’s going on, while also hiding some moments. This sense of clarity flows into the few fight scenes looking fluid and easy to follow, but when characters faces become the focus in some panels and dialogue moments we lose said clarity. In some cases the faces look as if they were drawn correctly but then photo scanned on itself and shifted to the side, or their eyes and features are small compared to the whole face.

These faces happen enough that they stand out compared to other aspects of the art which otherwise is married perfectly to the story. In a few instances the shadows on some characters faces seem off which cases this awkwardness to occur. Thus bringing us to our next point: Mounts colors.

A fair amount of Lois Lane #2 is during the day or in an enclosed location, so to match this we have dull and muted colors that work perfectly. The few times during the day when bright and sunny you can feel the beautiful weather as if you were in the page yourself. Mount does great work with helping set the mood with one rainy moment in Moscow running supreme, but in some occasions the shadows and coloring seem off on the faces.

Lois Lane #2 is a great continuation of the first issue with a fantastic look at Lois’ investigative ways, while showcasing how great of a character she is with her own side characters. Rucka helps Lois step out of Superman’s heavy shadow while emphasizing the best aspects of her character. Only falling short on some panels were faces are the focus. Lois Lane #2 shows how a character who in history has just been an armpiece can hold her own in a world filled with superheroes and mysteries.

If you aren’t reading Lois Lane, you need to be. And the Jimmy Olsen comic! Both Superman side characters have great maxi-series going on! Like the Man of Steel, get in your Supermobile and head over to your favorite Comic Shop!

Memorable Quote: “In addition to being a reporter — and currently our profession is as popular as Darksied — I’m a scheming harridan bent on seducing Superman.” – Lois Lane. Damn Lois, spitting some hard hitting facts huh?

Monkeys Fighting Robots Youtube