When I was sent this to check out, though mostly to read due
to being supportive and all that good fun stuff, I wasn’t necessarily too sure about it. I mean, with a title like ‘Cadavers’ on it you’re bound to see something wild and perhaps disturbing! However, that was anything but the case once I got to reading this. Though I wlll say it had a bit of wildness to it considering the characters involved and what they were up too in between drinking Alcohol. Now, one might need to read this several times in order to understand things fully. Especially since scenes tend to flicker between before and later and with the later scenes, there’s clearly a bit more going on then you realize. Something I myself got to realizing as things got to happening where the Mirror Spectral fella is concerned! Matt Hardy (And not the Wrestler one) ha
s something interesting here in my view.
As you got Spectrals just trying to live their new lives in a new world full of humans. Some of which aren’t that enthused over their being around! And its not cause they are spooky and what not, which would be more understandable. But because they are pretty much foreigners and like in the real world, some unfortunately just don’t care for that. I can see quite a few possibly relating to the plight the characters have in this book cause of this. Matt does a really good job of bringing that struggle to life here and putting a face to the problems our Spectral friends are forced to deal with. Some that look like the type you would definitely be afraid of as they would fit the kind of descriptions you would hear in stories. Though these fellas just seem like ordinary Joes! Ones who wanna live in peace and not deal with assholes who want to turn the public against them!
Though its implied that there is more to it where that guy is concerned and it relates to our Spectral friends’ former home. Making for me to be a bit curious about all that and I look forward to seeing it explored in future issues. Along with the fall out of the group’s attack on the future Minister as some seemed to have not faired too well for that matter. Edward Bentley does a fantastic job on art and colors and seeing the looks of the various Spectrals in this first issue is a treat. Even if they aren’t the classic boogie monsters we’re all aware of! And whoever the traitor is is definitely something I look forward to finding out in the future. I’m also pretty happy that Rob Jones’ letters in certain speech bubbles are easy to see and read as otherwise it would have taken from the story. Now, let’s bring on more Cadavers madness!
Editor’s Note: Head here to pick up your copy of the first issue! There is also a Kickstarter currently going for the second issue! Check it out and support today!
Cadavers #1
Mad Robot Comics
Story: Matt Hardy
Art and Colors: Edward Bentley
Letterer: Rob Jones
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Summary: OUR VERY FIRST ISSUE INTRODUCES OUR CAST AND FOLLOWS THE MYSTERIOUS DOPPELGÄNGER AS HE INFILTRATES NORTH MANSION AND ATTEMPTS TO CONFRONT THE CADAVERS NEMESIS.
Action Man #3 (2016)
‘Road to Revolution’ Tie-In
IDW Publishing
Writer: John Barber
Illustrators: Paolo Villanelli
Colorist: Joana Lafuente
Letterers: Neil Uyetake
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: ACTION MAN IS DEAD—LONG LIVE ACTION MAN! He’s the world’s greatest special agent… until he dies saving the planet, with all the world’s eyes on him. Now his young protégé has to step into the role—whether he’s ready or not!
[[SPOILERS!!]]
Review: Barber continues to tell a really compelling tale with Action Man #3. The story is really thrown forward as we get a lot of answers and a lot more questions thrown our way this round. Ian has to infiltrate the Chateau in order to meet-up with Doctor X, he’s dressed up in Colditz’ outfit from last issue and in proper spy fashion things go south pretty quickly.
What I think Barber is really good at is infusing humor into all of these tense situations in a fluid way so that when crap finally goes down at the end of the issues things really go down and you know the game has changed. This book has been nothing short of fun however and that doesn’t change this go around. It’s really nice to be able to thoroughly enjoy something while also being engrossed emotionally in the characters and their relationships with one another.
One thing this book has been doing since issue #1 and I haven’t been really talking about it just because I’ve been waiting to see where it goes are flashbacks to 4 years ago before Ian was a part of the Action Man program. Even in college he was a troublemaker that no one wanted around, and finally his attempt at breaking into a top secret facility lands him on the previous Action Man’s radar and this issue we get to see how the two of them first met.
Now, I can imagine Barber knows where he’s going with these flashbacks and while I don’t necessarily mind them I do have to question how important they will be to the overall story at large. I don’t need an entire history lesson in Action Man and Ian’s relationship. As a reader I can understand that Ian was in the program, he tutored under Action Man, and then he got promoted when Action Man died. Let’s hit the ground running.
Since these flashbacks don’t necessarily get in the way of the story however, I don’t see why they can’t keep going for awhile either. The rest of the issue plays out the story going on in the present with a bit of jumping around between Ian pre-dressing up as Colditz and post-dressing up as Colditz. The entire A-story centered on Ian infiltrating the Chateau is pure gold and adds a lot of new elements to this spy caper series.
The door man who let’s him into the Chateau mansion is a grotesquely being but is outed as being a former lover of Colditz which I found incredibly funny. It definitely adds an immediately new flavor to Action Man that I can only guess has never been seen in the franchise before. I like that a lot. From there Ian begins his murderous rampage against henchman of Doctor X’s while e makes his way through the Mansion. Only to eventually discover a Frankenstein-ian Doctor playing God with men turning them into monsters. We get an awesome fight scene between Ian and the beasts and all of this is just gushed over reading.
Through it all Ian makes the discovery that his best friend at the Program, Agent Chan, is the traitor within the facility. Now the way this then plays out is Bestley, their supervisor, is the one to take down Agent Chan upon the discovery however as we find out later Chan isn’t the only traitor. What I’m currently confused by is the pages with Chan being found out are underplayed just enough and then outplayed by a lot later in the book by another revelation that I’m not entirely sure if he is a traitor.
He probably is, but perhaps Barber could have made that just a bit more clearer in his script. The other revelation is the big one. Not only is Doctor X alive but he’s been amongst them the whole time. Or should I say, she. W
e learn that Agent Gale is not only another traitor but that she’s also Doctor X herself. I’m incredibly interested to see where this goes next issue.
My only concern is that with Revolution on the horizon perhaps Barber is being forced to show all his cards too soon with this story and instead of letting certain ideas gestate for awhile, such as the back-to-back revelations about Doctor X, he’s introducing them and the delivering on the answers early on in this series. I just don’t want this story to end up with very little to deal with post-Revolution if the main threat is known and possibly neutralized before we’re even 5 issues into this ongoing.
I’ll continue to sing praises of Villanelli’s art as this guy does action so well. And so fun. Every scene is just so fun to look at and again everything looks really fluid and natural. There were a few a panels this issue that I wasn’t huge on and looked sort of wonky but overall everything was smooth as usual.
There’s also another back-up feature at the end acting as a prologue to Revolution by providing a sort of history lesson of these current iterations of Hasbro licensees that are all about to share a universe. This back-up, still written by John Barber with art by Fico Ossio, does make me want to check out the other titles as they’re launching but I don’t feel like the overall story was better than the first part from last issue.
But yeah, Action Man is the best comic you’re not reading right now and you should go fix that immediately.
Final Score: 4 Monstrous Grotesqueries out of 5
MMPR: Pink #5
BOOM! Studios
Story by: Brenden Fletcher and Kelly Thompson
Script by: Tini Howard
Illustrated by: Daniele Di Nicuolo
Colors by: Sarah Stern
Letters by: Ed Dukeshire
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Summary: The enemy of my enemy is my…enemy! The unlikeliest of team-ups in Power Rangers’ history may be required to save the world from a new techno-terror.
Warning: Potential Spoilers
I am honestly loving this amazing story by BOOM! Studios. The fact this is a Kim centered story with her being an amazing kickass girl through out the series is fantastic. Its everything I could have hoped for in an original MMPR story and something I would have loved to have seen in the show itself. Or in one of the newer seasons for that matter. Now admittedly, I haven’t been following the main story BOOM! Is doing and I do need to change that. Especially since I am guessing that whatever they are dealing with currently, is the snippets we are seeing in the Pink series. The fact Goldar had to work with the Rangers was a bizarre twist for me but it was fun to see. And I liked the idea of Kim’s mom being a sort of sixth ranger even though she was a monster for that whole thing. Brenden Fletcher and Kelly Thompson are amazing with what they are doing with Kim and this story she’s in. A Pink being the leader of a Ranger team isn’t exactly something you see in Power Rangers so to see it here is a real treat.
Especially with it being Kim who’s the leader, along with Zack and Trini along for the ride. Not to mention the addition of two people who ended up caught in the whole mess that Goldar started with his buddy turned enemy Verto! The fact that Zack and Trini’s uniforms also had something of a change in them was neat to see as well as it shows the creativity that is willing to be used for this series. But I guess that’s what happens when you aren’t on a budget or at least aren’t being a cheap skate. So much kudos to Daniele Di Nicuolo and Sarah Stern, along with Ed Dukeshire as well! Admittedly, I was a bit surprised by a certain scene between Zack and Trini as I never would have expected something like that to occur but it was amusing to witness Kim’s reaction to it. The fact the power the team is using is putting Zordon at risk is rather worrisome and I’m hoping that somehow, they find another source that will let him be at less risk. One that can keep allowing them to be Rangers for a good long while even if there is no extra threats around.
Seeing Goldar be brutal in a way you never really got to see him on the show was a bit shocking, but not too surprising considering he’s a villain. And I’m sure its definitely gonna be something for Kim to never forget about again! The fact there’s only one more issue left saddens me as I would love to see some sort of on going with Kim and her team. But I none the less look forward to seeing what happens next in the sixth issue! As it more then likely is gonna be one wild ride! Although, to be honest, I’m not too high on the whole amnesia cliché seen in this issue where Kim’s mom and the other victims are concerned. Which might be my issues with Smallville coming to play here but I feel it would have been nice to see what her mom does and says about her baby girl being a Power Ranger! But regardless of that minor issue with this amazing read, let’s bring on the next Morphinominal issue of Pink!
Belladonna #0 (2015)
Avatar Press/Boundless Comics
Writers: Mike Costa, Brian Pulido
Artists: Ignacio Calero, Raulo Caceres
Colorist: Digikore Studios
Letterer: Jaymes Reed
Reviewer: Derrick T. Crow
Summary: Belladonna is a powerful viking warrior leading charge against the men who fight wearily against her shield maidens. In her world strength is all that matters and power will give you everything. However Belladonna isn’t the only woman of power who exists to bring war to the realm. A witch residing within the walls of the enemy men has made it her goal to bring down Belladonna with all the demons she can conjure. And thus their struggle begins.
[SPOILERS!]
Review: Belladonna is both a sexy, ferocious woman and comic book. I picked it up on a whim not knowing what to expect inside and what I found was a bloody good comic – pun intended – filled with minotaurs, golems, warring women, sex and nudity.
Mike Costa and Ignacio Calero weave together a lore-heavy tale while centering most of the main story around a battle between Belladonna and her badass shield maidens against the villainous men otherwise known as the Pictish. We’re not really given any backstory as to why the women and men are fighting against one another but given what we get later finding out that Belladonna’s mother was raped by several men and how she was as a child, I would not be surprised to simply learn that the women are tired of being taken advantage of by the men.
It’s not all bad blood however, there is a scene later in the issue where Belladonna openly has sex with a man within her encampment of women before being abruptly interrupted by a second siege. However she’s in command the entire time so it’s more of a power issue for Belladona than it is that she truly hates all men. That’s my takeaway for now anyways.
The fights are epic and grand in scale, bloody and detailed without shying away from the gore that comes with war. The most exciting parts however are when Belladonna is forced to take on both a Minotaur and a Golem. The Minotaur fight in particular is a lot of fun to watch. Belladonna is a badass in this fight and watching her take down such a beast is intoxicating.
The Golem fight however is fun but a bit incoherent at times. The hands and feet of the Golem are easy get mixed up in panels so reading it I felt a bit confused at times. The Golem is ridden by the leader of the Pictish who meets his end at the end of this issue. In a scene for the ages, Belladonna cuts his face off, leans down and pisses on it. As a reader I’ve never felt more alive in my entertainment I laughed so hard. I loved it.
The Witch, who I don’t remember having a name is just as big a part of this issue as Belladonna is. She’s definitely the other lead in this comic and I’m a-okay with that. What genuinely surprised me however is that while Belladonna spends pretty much the entire issue clothed the Witch is seen in the full frontal nude the entire time.
Let me tell you, these women are hot. All of them. But they also feel real, they’re not super models drawn to tantalize. They’re hot, but they’re beasts. The only who comes close to being a super model and still has plenty of meat on her bones is the Witch and the story is well aware of that.
She uses her sex appeal to get her way, where Belladonna’s power is strength and brutality, the Witch’s strength is her body and the powers she harnesses through that body. At one point in the comic she gives the leader of the Pictish a blowjob in order to use his sperm to raise the very Golem he rides into battle at the end of the issue. The Minotaur as well is of her own making.
I’m very excited to see what happens when these two women meet and what monsters the Witch can summon next.
In the back of the book is back-up story by Brian Pulido and Raulo Caceres who I believe are the creators. And I also believe this is one Belladonna’s original comic stories from years ago. Having never heard of this character before reading this issue I can’t say for sure but I’m pretty sure that’s how it goes.
The story sees Belladonna fight off a zombie horde of Vikings as they invade a small village in Old Ireland. The battle is bloody, gory and highly detailed. The art overall is pretty great. The story is lacking however and I found it to be somewhat confusing in some areas. The stiff introduction of characters who know Belladonna, and the witch at the end of the series who put all of this into motion who’s decided she has a new plaything.
The backup story was just alright, but the main story was pretty damn great. I look forward to reading more Belladonna in the future. I think it’s going to entertain me for awhile.
Final Score: 3 Fighting Minotaurs out of 5
