Category: graphic novel reviews

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B.P.R.D.: A Plague of Frogs

This is a review of B.P.R.D. Volume Three: Plague of Frogs. This graphic novel marks a turning-point in B.P.R.D. history (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense), as the series turns from a Hellboy-inspired monster-of-the-week comic into a violent, apocalyptic slugfest. Read my reviews of the first two volumes here and here.

A fungal growth is discovered at Cavendish Hall, the site of Hellboy’s first published adventure (Seed of Destruction). The fungus is taken to a lab, where it experiences a growth spurt, blossoming into what resembles an enormous white, fleshy penis. Which is interesting, because that’s what it is – the delivery system for the bacteria, or virus, or fungus. Once infected, the victim transforms into an enormous, rampaging frog-monster. Luckily, the fungi is safe behind sturdy glass and every precaution is being taken so there’s no way the glass can break and – oopsie daisy!

Looking for clues, the B.P.R.D. visits the town of Crab Point MI, home of the New Temple of Mysteries. They get more than they bargained for, as Crab Point is overrun with rampaging frogs. Roger the golem is killed by a frog-monster, in a brutal scene that goes on for pages. Roger is a construct and thus isn’t alive to begin with, but the reader’s face is rubbed in it. Liz Sherman, the sole offensive member of the group, sort of gains control of her pyrokinetic abilities. Johan Kraus possesses a dead dog. Fishman Abe Sapien is speared in the back by a crazy prophet and has a vision quest wherein his origins are revealed, back in the days of Honest Abe Lincoln.

This is one of the best horror comic storylines I’ve ever read. It continues the Hellboy tradition of having B.P.R.D. missions go horribly wrong. The first example I can recall is Hellboy donning a jet pack, so that he can soar through the air – and watching him plummet hundreds of feet to the earth. Although Roger is revived, this volume sounds the clarion bell: NO ONE IS SAFE. Prophetic words.

Recommended for Hellboy and horror comic fans!

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Marvel Zombies: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1

This is a review of Marvel Zombies: Complete Collection, Vol. 1. Do you recall the good ole’ days when zombies ruled the Horror Universe? It wasn’t that long ago. The zombie strain was everywhere, even infecting mainstream comics! Marvel Zombies started out as a tongue-in-cheek storyline about super-powered zombies in an alternate universe, but gained enough traction to produce seven-plus miniseries. In a way, the heroes of the Marvel Universe are already zombies – they’re old, and most of them have died (some multiple times), but they are still walking around. Sure sounds like a zombie to me!

Okay, enough philosophical horseshit. This graphic novel isn’t for everyone. It’s strong stuff, especially the first miniseries, produced by the Zombie Lord himself, Robert Kirkman (creator of the Walking Dead). Will you like it? Depends. Do you think Giant Man biting off his wife’s head is funny? Do you want to see Peter Parker devour Mary Jane and Aunt May? As in many things in life: some will be disgusted, others will say sign me up.

What do I think? Well, I read the first miniseries years ago. There is a plot, but it honestly doesn’t matter, because you’re here to see the zombies eat people. The miniseries is funny in the same way car accidents are funny, if that car accident involved imaginary people. Wolverine’s adamantium claws and bones pop out of his rotting body. Bruce Banner awakens with a foot sticking out of his gut. Spider-Man is a zombie, but still as depressed as ever. To me, the funniest line is Galactus proclaiming that he’s going to eat the earth, after the Marvel Zombies have just eaten his herald.

I view this graphic novel as mindless entertainment. The violence is so stupid and over-the-top it didn’t bother me, and none of the heroes are actually dying (it’s an alternate dimension!). I didn’t find some of the jokes funny, but YMMV. I am sure many people will think this is awful, and in poor taste. I can’t argue the second point, but poor taste went out the window with the release of Pink Flamingos. Bottom line: if you don’t like gore, or seeing your childhood heroes turn into drooling cannibalistic monsters, then I’d skip this. But if you are a zombie lover, you will gobble it up.

Happy Halloween!

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Tales of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle, Volume One

This is a review of Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle, Volume One. Mr. Breyfogle filled the art duties on Batman very capably in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. He mostly worked with English writers Alan Grant and John Wagner, who is best known for his work on Judge Dredd. If you haven’t read Judge Dredd, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Who cares about Dredd, how’s those Batman comics? Well, pretty good! We don’t see much of Bruce Wayne or his life at all here. Batman is depicted as an obsessive man who despises criminals. The art is great at showing him breaking and fracturing bones, which he seems to relish. This is a very violent comic – people are murdered in the most callous and stupid ways in almost every issue.

A few of the stories are ridiculous – the anti-drug story is an eye-roller – and a few would be controversial today. When a terrorist kills a group of Vietnam veterans and flees to London, Batman follows. It turns out the terrorist is a diplomat, and he tells Batman – jeez, it’s wonderful how your country has never overthrown governments or killed any innocent people lulz. Considering the events of 1993 and 2001, this comic seems almost prescient. The other high point of this issue is watching Batman drive around London, asking people how to get to Parliament.

The creators give us a number of new Batman villains. We have the Ratcatcher, who has trained sewer rats to attack human beings and who imprisons the men who put him in jail, years ago. There’s also Cornelius Stirk, who has weird psychic abilities – he can look like Jesus, or Honest Abe Lincoln. Stirk feeds off fear, and will use his psychic powers to scare you to death.

But my favorite Bat Villain of this volume is the Corrosive Man, who was double-crossed and seeks vengeance. An explosion in a toxic waste factory means that he’s a walking chemical factory, as happens sometimes, and his touch is deadly! The writers opt to find the humor in the situation, with the Corrosive One falling out of chairs, through floors, and down flights of stairs.

The highlight of this volume is the Mud Pack saga, when the four people who have taken on the mantle of Clayface team up. Well, it’s three people and a hunk of clay, because the second Clayface is dead. I kept waiting for him to spring back to life, but it didn’t happen. The original Clayface was a ham actor who murdered a bunch of people. He’s joined by Clayface #3, who has just broken up with his mannequin girlfriend, and Clayface #4, a woman who can mimic anyone and gain their abilities. They team up, because reasons, and end up giving Batman a psychic lobotomy. Luckily, guest star Looker – of Batman & The Outsiders fame – is there to help!

This is a solid volume, but it’s pricey, so wait until it goes on sale.

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B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice & Other Stories

This is a review of B.P.R.D.: The Soul of Venice and Other Stories. The adventures of the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense continue. Read my review of the first volume here.

This graphic novel consists of five one-shot stories, ranging in subject from goddesses of domestic bliss to evil sentient toys. The best tale of the bunch is “Dark Waters,” drawn by artist Guy Davis, who brings a distinct visual flair to the B.P.R.D. Mr. Davis also helped design the creatures for Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim.

When a pond in the town of Shiloh, Massachusetts is drained, three women bound in chains are discovered in the ooze beneath. They were drowned as witches, hundreds of years ago, but are still preserved – and they smell like roses. It’s a miracle! Or is it? Shiloh’s crazy pastor – who looks like Charlie Manson – disagrees. The other standout tale is “Night Train,” wherein Liz Sherman and Roger the golem investigate a ghostly choo-choo train. The ghost of Lobster Johnson makes a cameo!

Short, but fun.

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The Spectre: Wrath of God

This is a review of Spectre: The Wrath of God, written by John Ostrander and drawn (mostly) by Tom Mandrake. What does it mean to be the Wrath of God? By definition, you’d see things in terms of black & white. If your host is an ex-cop who was murdered fifty years ago, you might be a tad out of touch. This is a problem, especially if you are beacoup powerful.

The Spectre, enraged at the death of his lover Amy Beitermann at the hands of a serial killer, decides to judge humanity. Translation: the Spectre is going to destroy the Earth as soon as he works himself up to do it. He’s opposed by the Phantom Stranger, who puts together a SWAT team (Doctor Fate, Zatanna, The Demon Etrigan) to stop him. He doesn’t include Madame Xanadu, which turns out to be a mistake.

If you want a snapshot of the hotspots of the planet Earth in the early 90’s, you will find them in this comic – the Spectre visits Northern Ireland, Israel, Brooklyn, and the imaginary country of Vlatava, where he shanghaies the opposing generals – just like that famous Superman comic, decades ago! Instead of urging the generals to settle the country’s civil war by fighting each other, he makes them watch while he kills every man, woman, and child in Vlatava.

This is serious Old Testament shit, and it has repercussions. The U.S. government retrieves the Spear of Destiny, a powerful magical artifact capable of killing the Spectre, and gives it to Superman. Unfortunately, the Man of Steel is vulnerable to magic…and the spear is imprinted with the psyche of Hitler.

John Ostrander is one of my favorite writers, and the trippy art by Tom Mandrake is great, so of course I recommend this graphic novel. Too bad the rest of this run isn’t available in trade or hardcover, because I’d snap it up in a minute.

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Daredevil Ultimate Collection Volume Two

This is a review of Daredevil Ultimate Collection Volume Two. Read my rambling review of the first volume, here and here. After being outed by an FBI agent in search of a payday, Matt Murdock’s (aka Daredevil) life lurches on. He beats up the Kingpin, declares himself the new kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen, and one year later finds him married (?!?!) and under surveillance by the FBI.

This volume contains four storylines. 1. The Owl sells MGH (Mutant Growth Hormone) using his own DNA. This is strange, since the Owl is not a mutant. 2. The Kingpin tries to reclaim his old territory, sending Typhoid Mary and Bullseye to distract Daredevil while he makes his move. 3. The Yazuka make a play for control of Hell’s Kitchen. 4. Black Widow’s ex – who is now a big muckety muck in Bulgaria – tries to get even. Maybe he doesn’t like paying alimony.

Give praise where praise is due. This graphic novel is extremely decompressed (twenty issues for four storylines), but it works because what we are reading is crime/noir, which Brian Bendis (the writer) cut his teeth writing. He’s great at it. Also: Alex Maleev’s gritty art is wonderful and fits the material to a tee. Artist and writer synchronize well together.

This graphic novel isn’t perfect. Certain plot elements are left unanswered (when did the Owl become a mutant?), glossed over (why didn’t the Kingpin have surgery to cure his blindness sooner?), or are just plain ridiculous (would you let a mentally ill mass murderer with pyrotechnic abilities out onto the streets, because she’s been cured through hypnosis?).

Yes, you say, but what about Daredevil getting married? Well, when Matt saves a blind woman (Milla Donovan) from an oncoming truck, she comes to his office the next day to thank him. Little Matt takes over, and it’s off to the races. Unfortunately, Milla is a penultimate damsel in distress who needs constant rescuing. At one point Matt finds her hiding in the closet. This is a tired old trope, which I am not defending, but here’s Mr. Bendis’ point (stated in the first volume): Whoever is around Matt Murdock is in danger, because his secret identity has been compromised. He knows this, but starts up a relationship with Milla anyway.

That doesn’t reflect well on Matt, especially since his track record with women is horrendous. A short summary: one of Murdock’s girlfriends commits suicide, perhaps partly because of his verbal abuse; two of his exes are stone cold killers (Black Widow & Elektra); and Bullseye kills two of his lovers (Karen Page & Elektra. Elektra got better, because reasons). Matt should know better, but he can’t help himself, especially when he’s the object of someone’s adoration.

Recommended!

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B.P.R.D. Volume 1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories

This is a review of B.P.R.D. Volume 1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories. In case you were wondering, B.P.R.D. stands for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. This title is a Hellboy spinoff. Humble Bundle has a deal that gives you most of the B.P.R.D. material and some of the Hellboy material (digital files, not physical media) – price tag $30, which is great for over thirty graphic novels. The only negative is that they are large PDF files, so the reading experience isn’t as good.

The main story in this volume takes place right after Hellboy, angry because B.P.R.D. brass placed a bomb in Roger’s chest, quits. Roger is a golem, and became violent when activated. The other remaining member – Abe Sapien, Fishman – is planning to quit also. Salvation comes in the form of pyrokinetic Liz Sherman, who is once again kidnapped. This is a plotline that’s been overdone in the Hellboy universe, but it’s fine. Abe and Roger are joined by physical medium Johann Kraus, who lost his body and whose spirit now lives in a containment suit, just like in Fullmetal Alchemist.

The trio descend into the depths of the earth and find a race of subterranean mole-beings, a wrecked Nazi submarine, and the remains of ancient machines. Liz is being used as a battery to power one of the machines – I assume it’s a doomsday machine, but it doesn’t matter. The boys rescue Liz. They resurface in the Scottish highlands, of all places, so the story ends with sheep.

This volume features a few other tales – the first stars Lobster Johnson, a noir character, battling an enormous disembodied brain; and the second involves Abe Sapien exorcising a bunch of drowned spirits. This volume doesn’t break any ground, but it’s well-done and entertaining as well as being a fine starting point to a storyline that lasts years.

Recommended, especially for horror, Hellboy, and X-Files fans!

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I, Vampire

This is a review of I, Vampire, an early 1980’s DC back-up series which chronicles the adventures of Andrew Bennett, a 400-year-old vampire. This series – which has a beginning and an ending – features three writers/writing teams. I am not going to refer to any of them by name. The first writer – who co-created the character – lasts five issues, and doesn’t get a chance to leave a mark. The second writer jumps the shark, and leaves too much of a mark. IMO, the third writing team has the best take on the material, but their run doesn’t last long enough.

First, some background. Andrew Bennett is a vampire. He’s been pursuing his lover/enemy Mary for over 400 years. His origin story has an interesting twist: Bennett is a nobleman who goes out horseback riding and is attacked by a vampire. He kills the vampire, but becomes one himself while still retaining his humanity. I am unsure if that’s because he does not give consent, or because he killed the vampire who created him, but there you are.

 When Andrew’s lover Mary asks him to make her a vampire, he complies. Unfortunately, she becomes a traditional vampire who views humans as food items/prey. Maybe that’s because most vampires are evil, or perhaps Andrew didn’t know ‘his’ Mary as well as he thought. Andrew, racked with guilt, pursues her. Does he wants to end his ex-lover’s evil, or does he needs a panacea for an aimless existence? Maybe it’s a bizarre lovers’ game, which is how Mary seems to view it.

The vaccine storyline transforms I, Vampire from an uneven horror comic into something else. When a universal cancer vaccine is discovered, it endangers the existence of vampires everywhere because of the silver in the vaccine. The death of all vampires should be what Andrew wants, because he loathes vampires. Right? Andrew travels to Egypt in search of Mary, who is involved in a last-ditch effort to destroy the vaccine and save the vampires. Bennett’s former lover pretends to be ‘his’ Mary in order to gain his aid. You don’t think that Andrew, who has spent 400 years pursuing her, will be fooled? Do you? A little bit of background: in the past few issues, Mary and/or her minions have murdered four humans Andrew knew/had contact with/been friendly with.

Anyway, Andrew buys it. I could say ‘because reasons,’ but maybe he is that dumb. They travel through time with a pair of magic rings, because Mary wants to kill the mother of the guy who invented the vaccine. They meet Jack the Ripper, as one does. I did not read the last few issues of this storyline, instead opting to start anew with the third and last writing team, which is where this series finds its legs. Unfortunately, it’s too little too late, and the graphic novel comes to a rather abrupt conclusion. The last few issues have a nice twist that I didn’t see coming.

The best thing about I, Vampire is the atmospheric art, which is great for a horror comic. The artists do less well with fight scenes, which aren’t their forte. Unfortunately, they are asked to draw too many fight scenes, which highlights one of this title’s problems. I, Vampire is a hybrid between a horror comic and a superhero comic – Vertigo hadn’t come into existence yet – that doesn’t quite work.

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Alien: Bloodlines

This is a review of Alien: Bloodlines. Marvel now has the license to produce Alien comics! Lately, there seems to be a resurgence of comic companies producing licensed material – besides Alien, I’ve seen Predator, Godzilla, Conan, Planet of the Apes, etc. Anyway, the first Alien volume I read last year (not produced by Marvel, btw) wasn’t very good. If you don’t believe me, read the review!

How is this volume? I’m glad to announce that it’s solid. The action takes place sometime after the second Alien movie. Our hero Gabriel Cruz gets tossed from Weyland-Yutani, everyone’s favorite evil corporation, and moves back to Earth. Cruz is credited with bringing the Xenomorphs to earth – earth orbit, anyway. Is he a scientist or biochemist? No, he was impregnated by a facehugger, shoved into cryosleep, and had the baby alien surgically removed from his chest.

Anyway, Cruz wants to make peace with his son Danny, but Danny wants nothing to do with him. No, that’s not true. Danny wants Gabriel’s i.d. to get him and his radical friends onto the top-secret satellite orbiting earth that is chockful of Xenomorphs. Since Gabriel worked in security, of course he leaves his identification lying around his office instead of, say, a safe or locked cabinet. The radicals storm the satellite, and get more than they bargained for – or do they?

In the meantime, Weyland-Yutani sends Gabriel and two roadkill – I mean Marines – to the satellite. They are joined by Bishop (from the second Alien movie), because reasons. For Gabriel, it’s a rescue mission, but he’s well aware his superiors don’t give a crap and only want a Xenomorph. This leads to the scene where Gabriel shoots an infected man in the head to get a specimen, but the alien exits through the mouth instead of the chest, which leads to a Benny Hill style chase scene. Yakety Sax!

This is a good science fiction/horror comic. My main issue has to do with likability – i.e., nobody in this graphic novel is likable. I’m not sure why Gabriel wants to make peace with his son, but that’s his business; given their history, I have no idea why Gabriel thinks Danny wants anything to do with him.

Recommended for fans of the Alien franchise and fans of sci-fic/horror comics!

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Batman and the Outsiders, Volume One

This is a review of Batman and the Outsiders Volume One. This book scores huge nostalgia points for me. I recall reading the first issue at my local drugstore whilst drinking a Cherry Coke at the counter, and that’s your slice of life for today. Interestingly, many of the pleasant memories of my youth involve comic books.

Hot off art duties for the Brave & the Bold, artist Jim Aparo and writer Mike W. Barr create a new superhero team. The plot: when his friend/employee Lucius Fox is trapped in the imaginary Eastern European country of Markovia, Batman quits the JLA (who won’t help) and goes it alone. The team comes together when he and Black Lightning, who loses his lightning powers for a grand total of one issue, travel to Markovia to rescue Lucius.

There they find Metamorpho, the goofy elemental, along with three new characters – Katana, Halo, and Geo Force. Katana is a samurai who wields a cursed sword possessed by the spirit of her dead husband. Halo can fly, possesses powers derived from light, and is a tabula rasa. Geo Force possesses earth-based elemental powers and is the brother of Tara, aka Terra, a character known to anyone who read New Teen Titans in the early 1980’s.

Anyway: after a few speed bumps, the Outsiders are formed. They’re led by Batman. I mean, who wouldn’t want their own super team, especially if you get to make the rules? The Outsiders are powerful, but not very experienced. This is done to make the villains seem like real threats. Most of the storylines are two issues and move along at a nice clip. The interplay between the characters is enjoyable.

My favorite part of this graphic novel is the Halo solo story. Halo joins the high school marching band, and is about to participate in a high stakes Battle of the Bands competition – no, seriously – when their leader/drum major is kidnapped by a gang of dudebros from the opposing school. Halo flies to the rescue, and even manages to hook her best friend up with the drum major, which is nice. I do enjoy comics that don’t take themselves so seriously.

The first volume of this is a fun, entertaining read. None of the other iterations of the Outsiders have ever really stuck, but DC keeps on trying! Unfortunately, these volumes are expensive, so keep that in mind. Recommended.