Grant Morrison left Hal Jordan in quite a pickle at the end of THE GREEN LANTERN #5. Countess Belzebeth charged with the final Blackstar initiation task of murdering his colleague Adam Strange, Rann’s hero and protector. Will Hal succumb to the demands of the militia and kill an innocent man? Or will he manage to escape Controller Mu’s grasp?
Story
The story picks up with last issue’s intense staredown between Hal and Adam. The former Green Lantern requests a fair fight, so Belzebeth takes the two to an open field and offers Adam his weapon. One is reminded of the American and European duels from ages past as the two warriors stand back to back and take their ten paces.
Morrison does a fantastic job of providing space for the reader’s anticipation to build. We watch as Adam pleads for his life and family, even hearkening back to their lasting friendship as members of the Justice League. But the line that hits the hardest is his wife Allana’s indictment of Hal’s status as their policeman, sworn to protect Rann’s people. This inevitably conjures up real world incidents of police brutality and corruption in the reader’s mind.
How are the people supposed to trust anyone when their own protectors turn on them? What happens when we can no longer trust these protectors?
Readers will be on the edge of their seat as Hal attempts to make an impossible decision. They will finally see if he rejects his status as the universe’s protector or succumb to the demands of Mu.
Art
The main cover for GREEN LANTERN #6 showcases the best of Liam Sharp’s penciling and Steve Oliff’s coloring. Both Hal and Adam are drawn with incredible detail, highlighting each hero’s toned muscles and sleek battle equipment. And Oliff’s coloring makes these characters pop off the page with the bright red, yellow, and green inks.
Lucio Parillo’s variant cover focuses solely on Hal and the cosmic nature of his quest, surrounding the Green Lantern with celestial bodies.
Sharp, Oliff, and Steve Wands pair amazing artwork with Morrison’s equally amazing writing. Sharp’s penciling gives definition to the characters across the ever-changing landscapes across Rann. At the same time, Wands’ lettering helps frame these characters, using font styling adjustments to distinguish each character’s speech. And Oliff’s coloring, much like the main cover, highlights the brilliance of the warriors’ dazzling light-fueled weapons.
Conclusion
This issue takes readers right into the heart of Mu’s empire, wondering if Hal can find his way out of this duel with Adam and somehow topple the Blackstar order. If not, the former Green Lantern might be walking down a road with no return.
Did you like Adam Strange’s appearance in this issue? Let us know in the comments below!
Resurrecting a series killed-off before its time—and doing it well—isn’t easy. It helps to have the same creative team behind the relaunch, as is the case with Section Zero #1, though.
The series about a globetrotting group of supernatural investigators debuted back in 2000. However, the run ended after just three issues when its imprint, Gorilla Comics, folded. After a lengthy campaign to revive the series, creators Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett finally got their shot back at Image Comics.
The Writing
The book is billed as “Jack Kirby-does-The-X-Files.” While Section Zero #1 doesn’t seem particularly Kirby-esque, the sentiment’s not unfair. It does take a more outlandish, “comic book” approach to many of the same secret government organization tropes. The book reads like a ‘90s story in that regard.
There’s plenty of action throughout, and the book doesn’t waste much time getting into the thick of it. We have enough exposition to keep us up-to-speed, but Kesel paces it well.
It’s fun, and it has notes of intrigue from a storytelling standpoint. Where we fall flat in Section Zero #1, though, is characterization. We’re introduced to five primary characters, each of whom ticks a box on the checklist of clichés. We have the lone-wolf rogue who wears sunglasses at night, the calculating and jaded operative, the childish waif, the father figure, and the newcomer thrown into an uncomfortable new scenario. However, we don’t really get much in terms of actual character outside of those prescribed roles. That’s a problem given the book is primarily character-driven.
Characters don’t feel motivated and, in essence, they read like cardboard cutouts, rather than unique individuals in their own regard. That, and the decision to snatch a newbie out of the field and throw him into secret agent work with no vetting feels unrealistic.
The Artwork
The artwork in Section Zero #1 is respectable, though Kesel and Grummett definitely play it safe. Perhaps “utilitarian” would be a good way to describe it. The line work is bold and well-detailed, and they make it easy to follow along and interpret the action on the page. Figures are dynamic, and do a great job of conveying energy and movement.
That said, the creators don’t take many risks from a visual standpoint. Given the “out-there” concept behind the series, it would have been interesting to see them embrace the weirder side here and there. Instead, the artists stick to pretty conventional framing, design, and layout.
The colors tend to be more muted compared to contemporary works. However, the artists employ a wide color palette, giving the work a nice, vibrant look.
Final Thoughts
Section Zero #1 is a decent introduction to this long-in-the-works revival. If the creators can work out the kinks in differentiating their characters, they may have something great on their hands.
The God of Thunder himself, Jason Aaron, brings us his massive Marvel crossover story. WAR OF THE REALMS finally begins and assumes control of Marvel’s 616 universe.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Jason Aaron first began spinning his massive Asgardian tale back in Thor: God Of Thunder #1 in November of 2012. He’s had an ongoing Thor series ever since. War Of The Realms is an awesome culmination of all his Thor work as it clashes with his current Avengers work at the forefront of Marvel’s universe.
Along this almost-seven year long journey, we’ve seen Malekith develop from a beaten villain buried in a dark hole to the dastardly villain garnering the attention of every major Marvel hero. Malekith’s development throughout Aaron’s run has been highly entertaining and should firmly plant him atop the list of Thor’s gallery of rogues.
Malekith has been on a rampage, waging war on all ten realms. The only one left standing is that of Earth. Once the dark forces start invading New York, it’s a magnificent display. Russel Dauterman makes this a moment to remember as our favorite heroes come face-to-face with dark elves and trolls for the first time.
This kind of epic crossover hasn’t happened in a long time for Marvel. Giving stories this huge a break for a while did wonders to raise the level of anticipation for this event. The scale and stakes War Of The Realms presents are immediately engaging and deeply enthralling.
Throwing a bunch of mystical sh*t into the middle of New York and have all our heroes throw a bunch of science and punches at it is the classic Marvel way. It may have taken a lot longer than promised, but War Of The Realms is the moment that we were promised when Marvel Legacy launched; with it’s mission statement being focused on delivering this exact kind of story.
Jason Aaron extracts exactly what he needs to from every character moment and interaction. From Spidey meeting Freya to Punisher diving out of a window to shoot at Frost Giants, every page is loaded with comic book gold. Every opportunity for banter is flawlessly executed. Jason Aaron is a fully-formed comic book rock star.
It’s loud, it’s messy, it’s colorful and beautiful. There’s plenty of memorable action headed our way and plenty of surprises. Loki owns the first shocking moment of War Of The Realms, although it’s probably the fourth or fifth time we’ve seen him “die” in the last two years. Regardless, the moment provides a satisfying shock and allows Dauterman to unleash some of his most gruesome artwork.
There’s also a great deal of really amazing panel layouts and transitions throughout this issue. The lettering by Joe Sabino makes it’s presence known as well, exploding off the page more than a few times. Colorist Matthew Wilson proves why he’s one of the best in the business with his rushes and waves of color literally pouring into your brain and spilling out of the pages.
Jason Aaron has himself a top notch creative team once again to tell quite possibly his most spectacular tale. This issue will satisfy those who have been reading along since 2012 and those who have just come on with any of the more recent Marvel relaunches.
War Of The Realms is here to burn your face off with all the elements that made Marvel’s epic events matter in the first place. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride!
As mentioned in the review of this series’ debut issue, leaning into homage and tropes can be a great, so long as it’s done to tell an interesting story. Fortunately, Astro Hustle #2 does not disappoint on that front.
The book picks up right where issue one left off. Chen and the pirates make a mad dash to escape the authorities and save their skins. In the process, we learn a little more about Chen, and about the madcap world he inhabits.
The issue ends with a bonus story, Halloween Eagle #0, introducing a new concept from Jai Nitz and Luke Parker. As Nitz explains, “If Astro Hustle is my love letter to the Disco sci-fi of the ‘70s, Halloween Eagle is my love letter to Hellboy and Dr. Strange.”
The Writing
The writing in Astro Hustle #2 is fast-paced and full of action. A good portion of the issue features Chen’s internal monologue, providing context and exposition for the story that we didn’t have in issue one. However, it’s presented concurrent with air chases and plenty of other action, which prevents readers from being turned off by an info-dump.
This issue relies heavily on pirate tropes, but plays with them to present a unique twist on the old clichés. The book enthusiastically embraces the zaniness of pirate planets and ships crewed by anthropomorphic animals. That’s proving to be the series’ strongest point: taking convention and playing with it to provide something immediately familiar, but still totally unique.
Any complaints about Astro Hustle #2 are largely nitpicks. For example, Chen’s brother—the president of the galaxy—comes up again in this issue. However, it’s still not clear how that point’s relevance will take shape later on. We don’t know their dynamics, so it’s unclear how much that matters at this point.
The Artwork
The artwork is again excellent in in Astro Hustle #2. The work is detailed and vibrant, brimming with energy on every page. It’s all suitably weird and brilliantly inventive from a design standpoint, drawing on a thousand different influences and references.
The colors add a vital dimension to the work, bringing everything to life. Neon tones mesh with darker, rich colors, driving home the “disco sci-fi” aesthetic.
Final Thoughts
Astro Hustle #2 is a great follow-up to an excellent debut. This is definitely a series worth reading.
Barnstorm is a special effects company founded by Cory Jamieson and Lawson Deming who created Nazi America in Amazon’s Man in the High Castle, brought to life Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, and made time-travel possible in Outlander.
FX studios aren’t generally household names, but they should be. The upcoming Avengers: Endgame boasts 3000 effects shots. That’s a 20 percent increase over Infinity War. To complete these great feats of effects, many studios work on the same project. It’s insane coordination, and the industry doesn’t receive enough recognition for their work.
For Barnstorm, they’re a more boutique effects house which focuses on quality over quantity, even though there is plenty of quantity as they work for dozens of clients on an increasing number of projects as the streaming services continue to unleash new content.
PopAxiom spoke with Barnstorm Co-Founder Lawson Deming about his work making imagination a reality, the great debate of practical versus digital, and bringing the Third Reich to America.
Mario Paint
Lawson’s love for filmmaking got off to a fast start “Very early on I realized that movies were a job that I could have. My grandfather was an actor, and my father worked in television, in the news mostly but also some narrative. So it was not weird to me that movies were something that people made.
Growing up with movies gave Lawson a vivid imagination but also made him a harsh critic of his own work “I always liked make-believe as a kid, but I always felt it was not good enough. That’s what movie-making is, a bunch of adults working really hard to make believable make-believe. That’s what I wanted to do.”
Growing up in the 80s meant technology was making it easier to be creative “I have videos of things that I made when I was 10 or 12 years old. I got into computers early on and made these animations using Mario Paint.”
Inspiration
Lawson points to a few names that inspired the future FX designer to make better make-believe “The person who had the most impact on me growing up was Stan Winston. Also, Denis Muren was a VFX supervisor on some groundbreaking stuff.”
Lawson elaborates on what inspired him growing up “One of the shows I grew up watching was Star Trek: The Next Generation … they were on the cusp of digital filmmaking. The FX supervisor was Dan Curry who is now the VFX Supervisor on The Gifted.”
From Oregon to Los Angeles
Lawson’s road to founding a premiere visual effects studio was a winding path “I self-taught myself computer graphics when I was young. I really wanted to get into visual effects. I’d watch behind-the-scenes and try to do things my own way. I used computers for visual effects from a very early age. That was around the time that computers were starting to supplement effects.”
Hollywood’s love for CG proliferated and “… in the late 90s there was a glut of CG heavy movies before CG was ready for that amount of work.”
In high school, Lawson was a bit jaded by the rise of CG and “… shifted my interest into photography. I started learning more about the filmmaking process. I got really into photography and stop-motion animation …”
Stop-motion was the key phrase from the paragraph above “I grew up near LAIKA [makers of Coraline and more] and was able to take classes with them and interned there.”
Whether it was FX, cinematography, stop-motion, or lighting, Lawson loved being part of the filmmaking process “I ended up going to film school at USC with the idea of focusing on cinematography. I shot some films during that time for friends.”
After school, Lawson “… worked on a lot of low-budget features. About that time, a friend of mine was opening a post-production company. He knew I had a background in visual effects. I found that there was much more demand for FX than there was for photography.”
Work as a freelance VFX designer “… just took off.”
The work kept coming for Lawson “… and then I met my now business partner Cory on Ugly Betty.”
Lawson and Cory started Barnstorm in 2011 and since then “The growth has been really meteoric.”
About Man in the High Castle
Fans of Man in the High Castle would likely be surprised by the amount of CG in the show. The simple answer for the prevalence of CG “It streamlines and reduces the cost. It increases the speed of almost every aspect of filmmaking. Everything has visual effects now.”
Of course, the Statue of Liberty giving the Nazi salute (see header image) is beautifully detailed CG work. But what are some of the pitfalls of digital “There are so many things that can throw it off. A lot of the work we do is compete against those things that can distract viewers.”
For Lawson, and many cinephiles the world over “The invisible stuff is very impressive.” And Man in the High Castle, while full of dazzling stuff that’s clearly the work of digital artists, it’s also chockfull of the invisible stuff and watching a behind-the-scenes is as captivating as the show itself.
Making Movie Magic
Barnstorm takes great care in creating its seamless and richly detailed FX, but Lawson elaborates on what can go wrong “Shooting something under the wrong lighting. You may have a plate or a background that’s shot with light coming from a different direction.
The coordination of any film or television project is key “There’s only so much we can do when things are not shot properly. But often people react to that mishmash of the layers. ”
Visual effects pose a common problem for those creating it, and that’s the viewpoint of the audience. While there is clearly some lousy FX out there, a lot of is excellent, much of it invisible, and some of it isn’t an effect at all “The client said, ‘That building looks fake,’ but the building is real. We didn’t do anything to it. It’s actually there.” And that’s the power of perception.
Growing Demand
The upcoming Avengers movie from Disney features more than 3000 VFX shots throughout a three-hour run time. That’s a lot of work for digital artists to create, so the Mouse House often has a dozen studios around the world working on a film. Is there a breaking point where the work needed exceeds the capabilities of the talent at hand? “In a way, we’ve already reached that breaking point.” Lawson points to Exhibit A “… a handful of high profile FX studio bankruptcies.”
The FX maestro explains a bit more of the problem “Deadlines are constantly getting shorter and as fast as we can advance the technology we have to take time to retrain everyone on how to use it.”
Lawson explains what doing FX work is like in the age of non-stop content “Doing visual effects work is like being a painter and you’re painting on a canvass, but it gets faster and faster and now five painters are working on the same canvass. Every single shot is being worked on by more people and faster. It’s incredibly difficult.”
Still Practical?
I know many don’t like to hear it, but the golden age of practical effects is long behind us “Often practical versions of effects are unfeasible. One of the reasons for the rise of digital effects, and it’s a blessing and a curse, is that it allows people to change their minds.”
We discuss a scene from James Cameron’s Aliens where a combination of a miniature and camera tricks makes it look like the Space Marines are walking into a large, otherworldly cavern “What you can’t do at all is that you can’t move the camera. That shot only works the way it was done. The advantage with digital is that you can shoot things a lot of ways and decide later how you want it.”
Of course, Lawson doesn’t want to make it sound that easy either “The best thing you can do with visual effects is to plan ahead. Don’t lean on the fact that you can change things. Things that are planned ahead always turn out better.”
Thanks to Lawson Deming and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
Avengers: No Road Home #8 is out April 3, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview to share with you.
The book is written by Al Ewing, Mark Waid, and Jim Zub, and drawn by Carlo Barberi. The cover is by Yasmine Putri.
No Road Home is Marvel’s follow-up to last year’s Avengers: No Surrender, written by the same team. The series is currently introducing Conan the Barbarian to the mainstream Marvel Universe.
About the comic: THE ALL-NEW WEEKLY AVENGERS EVENT CONTINUES! Team Hulk vs. Nyx, Queen of Night! Team Herc vs. Oizys, Creature of Misery! One Avenger faces the supreme test – and one Avenger falls!
Check out the full preview:
Are you reading Avengers: No Road Home? Comment with your thoughts!
Descendent #1 hits your local comic shop on May 1, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview to share with you.
The 32-page book is written by Stephanie Phillips (Devil Within, Kicking Ice), with art by Evgeniy Bornyakov, colors by Lauren Affe, and letters by Troy Peteri. The cover is by Juan Doe; there is also a 1:10 incentive variant cover by Andrei Bressan.
About the series:
WANTED: Information as to the whereabouts of JACKSON E. MILLER, son of Senator Carter Miller. The child was kidnapped from his home in Washington, DC between 4 and 6 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1, 2019.
Address all communications to FBI representative Joanna Hernandez, writer Stephanie Phillips, artist Evgeniy Bornyakov, colorist Lauren Affe, or letterer Troy Peteri. All communications will be treated in confidence.
Please, no more calls about secret government conspiracies or ancient cults.
Conspiracy theories, government corruption, and a really good mix of Prince drives David Corey to help solve the mysterious disappearance of a famous politician’s son. When David realizes that the truth is much more dangerous than a kidnapping, he must battle ancient secrets that have endangered the lives of children for centuries. This conspiracy-fueled adventure story looks at the darker side of American history through the eyes of an unlikely team of heroes. If they fail, the American government and its people may not survive.
Stephanie Phillips on where the idea for Descendent came from:
“The idea started with the ransom notes found during the time of the Lindbergh kidnapping. There was this weird circular symbol found on the bottom of the notes, and there really isn’t a good explanation about what that symbol means. That was my jumping off point to investigate the symbol and some of the darker, unsolved mysteries in American history.”
Phillips on who the book is for:
“The book is for me! This is all the stuff that interests me and I want to write about, but I hope others enjoy what I have come up with. I think history buffs will really dig it. This book is an action story, mixed with some comedy, mixed with a mystery, mixed with historical fiction. If you like any of that, then I think this book is for you.”
Check out the full preview for Descendent #1 below:
What excites you most about Descendent? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Dial H for Hero was a comic device in the 1960s that allowed a kid to transform into different heroes. That’s all this reviewer knows about it. When it was revealed to be a part of the Wonder Comics line, I was skeptical. This was an old concept that not many knew about. Then I saw it was Sam Humphries writing, and since I loved his work on Green Lanterns, this should be given a chance. So can this forgotten piece of DC history step back into the spotlight?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
When our protagonist, Miguel, was younger, he was hurt at the pool. It ended up being a rather severe injury and caused Superman to come running to help. Since that encounter, Miguel has thrown himself into danger time and time again. He hopes to feel the rush of seeing a hero again but to no avail. Miguel now lives with his uncle working on a Mayo food truck. One night, he attempts another daredevil stunt in the form of a canyon jump, which he fails. Before he falls to his death, however, an old school rotary phone appears, telling him to touch the number four, containing the letter H. He does it, and the young man is transformed into a hero.
It’s strange, but this comic is by far the most fun in the Wonder Comics line. We get a clear look at our protagonist’s life and why he wants to see another hero. Miguel is your stereotypical big dreamer, but there is still time to add something new to him. The fun kicks off when the hero dial is used. The hero, Monster Truck, is ridiculous, crazy, and practically smells of 90’s cheese. This also leads to an epic action sequence that’s a ton of fun. Monster Truck unleashes a beat down with cheesy one-liners, and it left this reviewer with a big grin. The world is neat; the action is fun, what else could you ask for?
Art:
Joe Quinones is the illustrator for the issue, and he went above and beyond to make this look fantastic. The world of Miguel is kept grounded with smaller expressions and subdued colors. It makes the story feel a bit more realistic, despite us seeing Superman at the beginning. The biggest surprise, however, is when the hero appeared. The moment Monster Truck appeared on the page, the design of him and the world changed to appear like a 90s comic. If Quinones is going to do a different with each hero, this series will be one of the most creative in terms of art direction that I’ve seen in a long time.
Conclusion:
Dial H for Hero shows a ton of promise! I love Miguel, and I love the potential of this Device. The world stays grounded enough for moments of growth for our character but is fully prepared to go into good old comic book fun. The art perfectly encapsulates the story and takes it to the next level. I recommend this first issue, and I can’t wait for the second.
Detective Comics #1000 hits your local comic book store on Wednesday, and Geoff Johns has a short tale titled “The Last Crime In Gotham,” with art by Kelly Jones, Michelle Madsen’s color work, and letters by Rob Leigh. This story is interesting because it feels like it has a greater mystery and/or twist at the end. Since the story is only eight pages long, there will be spoilers ahead as we discuss the plot and what happened.
Johns gives the reader a future tale of Batman’s last case featuring Catwoman, Damian, Echo, and Ace the family dog. The story is straightforward and Batman solves the matter quickly. The Son of Joker seemingly took out the 11 remaining crooks in Gotham and committed suicide, but it is the last page the story that makes you question the story. Batman is alone in the Batcave blowing out birthday candles, and Alfred tells him, “I hope you made a wish.” Batman says nothing and the story ends on a wide shot of Batman sitting alone in the cave with the Joker card above him.
SIDEBAR –Midway through the story, Jones has a closeup of the Son of the Joker that will haunt your dreams. The texture of the image will slither under your skin.
What starts as a family tale, ends rather bleak, which begs two questions. With only 12 crooks left, did Batman kill them off? Was the family we saw just in the imagination of Batman as he solved his last case alone? The only evidence to back up either claim is the way Jones draws Bruce Wayne in the final page after Bruce blew out the candles. There is darkness and mystery to this image, and it makes you question the story like Batman has taught us for the past 974 issues of Detective Comics.
Maybe I shouldn’t have binged watched season two of The OA (believe nothing, question everything – wait, was that X-Files?) before I read Detective Comics #1000, but Johns and I will have a conversation one day about the meaning of this short story and I will make sure to share it with you.
What did you think of Detective Comics #1000, what was your favorite story? Comment below with your thoughts.
Make no mistake, readers are going to thoroughly enjoy the diverse stories and artistry within the pages of Detective Comics #1000. “The Legend of Knute Brody,” written by DC animation legend Paul Dini, is one of the more lighter-in-tone offerings in the overstuffed issue.
Story
In Knute Brody, the villains of Gotham speak, documentary-style, about that one henchman they each hired who was the absolute WORST at his job, constantly screwing up their plans.
Dini crafts a chuckle-filled take on the generic henchman who somehow manages to always bungle many a villain’s schemes. He presents this in a news segment, complete with reporter narration and asides from Gotham’s most notorious rogues. The high-brow humor is apparent throughout. Harley Quinn, Riddler and Mad Hatter describe their encounter with Knute Brody through reality TV style confessionals. Dini’s punchline is clever. Also, it will give readers a smirk the next time a stooge is seen in a Batman comic.
Dini’s dialogue in The Legend of Knute Brody reads like a Saturday morning cartoon, hearkening back to his days on Batman: The Animated Series. One can almost hear the canned, nasal voice of the reporter paired with the comical asides of the nefarious interviewees.
Art
Dustin Nguyen’s pencils and Derek Fridolfs’s inks are a welcome choice for this story. Nguyen’s peculiar style makes for a distinct work among the other talented artistry in this milestone issue. Much like Dini’s writing, the illustrations are reminiscent of The Animated Series, but with a more distorted quality.
John Kalisz’s colors round out the cartoonish atmosphere in The Legend of Knute Brody. His colored lighting effect is a standout, helping the reader transition from an interview to a flashback sequence.
Conclusion
Overall, Dini and Ngueyen crafted a humorous, even silly vignette, worthy of its place among the weighty stories of Detective Comics #1000.
What did you think of The Legend of Knute Brody? Let us know in the comments!
