The Red Wing

Title: The Red Wing

ISBN: 9781607064794

Price: $14.99

Publisher/Year: Image, 2011

Artist: Nick Pitarra

Writer: Jonathan Hickman



Rating: 1.5/5



Jonathan Hickman confuses concept for plot and leaves the fantastic concept of The Red Wing floundering and incomplete.  Hickman apparently cannot decide if he is more interested in telling a story about the pilots who navigate both time and space in a war that crosses eons, or if he wants to tell a story about a war that stretches over eons and happens to involve some pilots.  Either way, he fails on both accounts and we are left with a “graphic novel” that is heavy on the graphics and light on the novel.



Dominic Dorne and Valen Redd are new recruits to fly the Red Wing Tac II, a fighter that is designed to destroy the enemy across time and space.  Both Dorne and Redd are legacies; their fathers flew in the original Red Wing squadron and were killed on a mission.  Now it is up to the “sons and daughters of the Red Wing” to continue the fight.



That is a great premise.  But, you will notice that there is a major gap in that description: Who is the enemy and what do they want?  Hickman decides to skip over that minor detail in order to provide the reader with a SHOCK twist at the end of the second issue.  Now, shock surprises work best when there is some explanation why the reader should be shocked.  Just giving the reader something to look at without any explanation doesn’t make fore very good storytelling. Let me give you an example that is similar to The Red Wing, but will not contain any spoilers:



It is Christmas time. Little Timmy and Tina see Santa in their living room.  He turns and sees them and then rips off the fake beard to show his kids that he is, in fact, their father, not Santa.  The kids, both firm believers in Santa, are horrified to find that their belief in the jolly old elf has been shattered.  To make matters worse, the father just stands there without giving any explanation why he would do such a thing.  Did he do it to be mean?  Did he do it because he did not want to lie to his kids?  Did he do it because he had a horrible itch on his chin and had to remove his beard right then?  No explanation.  He just stares at the crying kids, and recites The Night Before Christmas.



Now, that may be surreal as hell, but it is not a good story.  It is a good scene that needs to be explained or at least further expanded upon for it to make sense in a larger context.



Hickman does not do that with his reveal/twist.  Instead he rambles on for another two issues, all the while, another character (and the reader!!!!) begs the antagonist to explain himself.   But, Hickman assumes that this is all self-evident and chooses to jump to another scene which he leaves half-explained a few pages later.



The only thing The Red Wing has going for it is the lovely art.   Nick Pitarra and Rachelle Rosenberg give life to an otherwise stark and linear future.  Their art is reminiscent of Frank Quitely yet they managed to keep the lines clean and sharp when needed.  The color palette shifts from muted colors in the future, to lush colors in the past, making the crazy time-travel elements of the story easy to follow.



In addition, the characters are remarkably easy to identify, despite the fact that several of them have helmets covering half of their face for several pages at a time.  This is a pleasant change from other artists who Hickman has partnered with (including himself) where the art is often murky or difficult to follow.



I really wanted to like The Red Wing.  I was ready to herald Hickman’s triumphant return to creator-owned independent comics.  Instead I am left shaking my head at how such an exciting and rich concept coud be short-changed by a writer unwilling (or unable) to give it the kind of length and development that is needed to take it from concept to plot.

CHEW Vol 1: Taster’s Choice

Title: CHEW Vol 1: Taster’s Choice

ISBN: 9781607061595
Price: $9.99
Publisher/Year: Image, 2009
Artist: Rob Guillory
Writer: John Layman
Collects: CHEW #1-5

Rating: 3.5/5

Well let’s start by saying that this graphic novel is for mature audience. And it can be really gross and bloody at times. You have been warned.

With that out of the way let’s get into the review!

The story in itself was very interesting and intriguing – I couldn’t stop reading it at all. And I ended up finishing it in one sitting. The revelation at the end (which I am not going to go into, because spoilers) was shocking – I didn’t see it coming at all. It made me want to pick up the next volume right away!

I feel as if this first volume was more of a character introduction and preparation for the future story. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing at all. Things did happen, it just felt as if it was creating the world and presenting the characters. That is the only reason why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

Another fantastic thing were the powers – I find books (and graphic novels) with extraordinary powers to be very interesting. These especially, as they all concentrate around food, in one way or another, and I have never read something like that before. I can’t wait for more of them to be introduced, as I have heard that will happen in future volumes.

The art. I absolutely adored the art. It was dark and edgy. It gave the whole story an fantastic atmosphere. I don’t think this art is for everyone though, so I would check it out first before getting the graphic novel.

All in all I would highly recommend this graphic novel, if you don’t mind mature and gross themes that is. I am very much looking forward to picking up the next volume!

2 Past Midnight

Title: 2 Past Midnight

ISBN: 9781616554408
Price: $9.99
Publisher/Year: Dark Horse, 2014
Artist: Eduardo Francisco
Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Collects: 2 Past Midnight #1-5

Rating: 3/5

Two Past Midnight meet up in the first crossover of Dark Horse’s superhero comics. A book that’s too good and rare to pass up not reading. Who wouldn’t want to see Ghost, X, and Captain Midnight all together in the same series? All three still ongoing and have their own thrilling tales to connect to. It was nice to see that Duane Swierczynski covered writing this book. Does an excellent job with X and the premise of this story is right up his alley.

twopastmidp1What you like about this right away is the fact that neither of these heroes have met each other. Some of them aren’t even aware of the things others out there are able to do until they meet each other. It creates intense moments of confrontation between them and everything about it is natural when most of them aren’t too used to the concept of team-ups. In fact they’ve never had such a reason to team-up like this. That’s what made it fun to see the brawl which broke loose between them because of a misunderstanding. It’s always a misunderstanding, but you have to give credit to Duane Swierczynski that he doesn’t pull punches to let them actually go for the kill. They aren’t like the golden heroes you see on TV and that is captured throughout this book.

The plot is fairly straightforward as we know a madman is on the loose. His goal is to create shock, awe, panic, and hysteria.The mystery behind the villain is very necessary for keeping everyone on their toes about the possibilities of what could happen next. Seeing things from his perspective as well is very engaging. Having an idea of what makes him tick as he acts creates that dark atmosphere in which you like the sick things he does or you might find it a bit cringe-worthy.

When things really picked up, see how this investigative specter,  psychopathic vigilante, and time-traveling genius operated was interesting. The differences between them really stand out. Meaning that there is an awareness of who these characters are at their core to display how they would act to find this terror-focused sociopath. Those differences makes this intense enough that you are left questioning just how they could possibly get out of this unharmed. Their personalities clash and the trust between them is far from strong enough to hold up against a threat that attacks them mentally. With that said, there was some humor between them which was hard to ignore, especially when it was at the expense of X.

Eduardo Francisco’s style really fit this story. The detail and way he handled drawing everything made it feel gritty. The way it should as when most of Two Past Midnight book takes place in Arcadia, a neutral atmosphere is the last thing you should expect. The light of use of colors also added to this. Could be that a lot of this also took place at night, but it was a good use of it nonetheless.

Two Past Midnight is a great story that has a lot to offer as a first crossover of Dark Horse’s new superhero comics. We know we will see more stories like this to come and of a larger scope. So if it’s anything like Two Past Midnight, it’s definitely worth picking up. For 130 pages you aren’t left feeling like this isn’t worth the money or time. From beginning to end you are left at the edge of your seat with this dark tale.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol 1: Terrorformer

Title: Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol 1: Terrorformer

ISBN: 9781782761778

Price: $19.99

Publisher/Year: Titan Comics, 2016

Artist: Dave Taylor

Writer: Robbie Morrison

Collects: Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor #1-5



Rating: 3.5/5



Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, Vol. 1: Terrorformer collects the first five issues and initial story arcs of the comic series starring actor Peter Capaldi. Alongside companion Clara Oswald—played in the show by actress Jenna Coleman—the Doctor first journeys to an ice world recently terraformed into a tropical paradise by a money-obsessed developer, and then pops in to twenty-fourth-century India to investigate the death of a friend.



Storywise, Morrison does as one would hope to expect with a Doctor Who comic: create adventures that would be far beyond the budgetary restraints of the live-action series. And he does that very well. The two-part “Terrorformer” gives us the aforementioned tropical paradise and introduces us to the Hyperion, a race of sentient suns that the Doctor’s race, the Time Lords, had to put down when they became a threat to all life. Walking, talking suns laying waste to planets? Yeah, that’s a little outside the BBC’s special-effects budget. The three-part “Swords of Kali” brings a new menace: the Scindia, a family of demonlike aliens that seeks to revive their goddess, Kali.



Morrison’s one stumbling block is in his depiction of the Twelfth Doctor, whose characterization in “Terrorformer” doesn’t seem to gel with his TV counterpart; based on the comic-book Doctor’s speech pattern alone, one would think this was originally written with Matt Smith’s energetic Eleventh Doctor in mind. I can only assume that, because this comic series had to go into production while Capaldi’s first season was in the works, and no one outside of the BBC had any clue as to Twelve’s personality, Morrison had to devise his own approach to the new leading man and hope for the best. Still, it’s a small distraction in comparison to the engaging storylines, and his Doctor becomes more Capaldi-like by the time “Swords of Kali” reaches its conclusion.



As for the art, Dave Taylor brings a clean, Moebius-like quality to the sci-fi elements of “Terrorformer,” and the appropriate scary shadows to “Kali,” considering its bad guys look like monsters. His depictions of the Doctor and Clara are a little off-model, but by the time we reach “The Swords of Kali,” you can tell he’s become more comfortable in reproducing Capaldi’s and Coleman’s features. Together, he and Morrison make for a strong creative team.

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Vol 1 - After Life

Title: Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Vol 1 - After Life

ISBN: 9781782761747

Price: $19.99

Publisher/Year: Titan Comics, 2015

Artist: Alice X Zhang, Boo Cook, Simon Fraser

Writer: Al Ewing, Rob Williams

Collects: Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor #1-5



Rating: 3.5/5



Where Revolutions of Terror with the tenth Doctor followed two main story arcs, After Life follows four. There’s a main arc for the novel, as well as 3 smaller stories that have little nods and connections to the main storyline. The main companion is Alice, though two other companions pop in throughout the story (none from the television series). Alice is someone whose life is going down in a spiral. Deaths in the family, lay-offs, bills; there’s just a lot going on that she can’t handle. In steps the Doctor. She inadvertently helps him solve a case and he offers to let her join him on his travels.



The writers, Al Ewing and Rob Williams, have a lot going on here for the length of the novel. The pacing seems off, except in the final two sections where it slows down and you really get the chance to connect with the characters and the main conflict. Smith’s Doctor is captured really well, as he’s somewhat of the childish iteration of the Doctor; very exuberant and speedy, but thoughtful.



doctor-who-comic-11-page-2-The artists, Simon Fraser and Boo Cook, seem to struggle with how to capture Matt Smith’s face and mannerisms. Some of them are on point, but there are others where the art just looks awkward. They have a much easier time creating their own characters and aliens than dealing with ones that have already been established. Their artwork shines in the creation of the alien “ARC” towards the end of the novel.



The colorists, Gary Caldwell and Hi-Fi, do some great work here as well. With the plethora of different settings and adventures that this novel goes on, they have the opportunity to knock it out of the park on multiple occasions. Jungles, theme parks, high-tech facilities, etc; they all jump off the page with their color. Even the characters, and again, especially “ARC,” look fantastic. The shading particularly is exceptionally well done.



After Life suffers from some pacing issues, but is still a worthy outing for The Doctor. His companions each have their own quirks and strengths, and the novel really shines when all four of them are working together. The novel is a fitting one for the eleventh Doctor. There’s lots of optimism throughout and lots of child-like wonder and joy. As we learn from the Doctor himself, “Aliens are cool.”

Rose City Comic Con 2018 - My Experiences

Another RCCC has come and gone, and I was again fortunate enough to be able to attend... albeit in a more limited capacity than I was intending. (More about that later.)



As my loyal readers know, I take it as a source of personal pride to be able to say that I have attended every single Rose City Comic Con to date. I hope this continues as with each passing year the events gets better. And I am again so appreciative that the event spans 3 days instead of just 2.



Past events I have planned a vast array of items to be signed by a variety of individuals or collect covers being donated to my non-profit, Comic Book Covers 4 Cancer. Even though I was excited at the prospect of getting more of my collection signed by the likes of Kelly Sue DeConnick and Adam Hughes, I didn't go overboard like before.



My first stop of the weekend was to pick-up a copy of The Deathbringer Prophecy, vol 1: Sinners and the Sinless from #CBC4C contributing artist and friend Gene Guilmette. I always like picking-up something new to read, especially from those who have supported me and my cause to begin with. The art in this graphic novel is phenomenal, and I am greatly looking forward to reading it. I was doubly fortunate that Gene was also giving a limited print with the purchase of each of the books. You can get your own copy at RLT Press.












It took me quite a while to get into backing projects on Kickstarter, but have done a few since 2015. There have been those that have been well worth the time and money, and a few that were a dismal waste of both. Fortunately, Ron Randall's KS for Trekker: Chapeltown fell into the former category. I count myself among the Trekker supporters that has been able to collect every published piece of work, and also they are all signed by Randall. You can get your own copies of the trades on Etsy.

Not included are all the single issues and the ashcan that originally brought my attention to Trekker and Ron Randall.

I also spoke with Ron about his next Kickstarter campaign for Trekker: The Darkstar Zephyr, which is scheduled to run October 22 - November 15. I appreciate the fact that he... unlike others I have known to run KS campaigns... has everything completed for the trade before launching. This means that the turnaround from the end of the campaign to the moment you receive your rewards is very short compared to other campaigns. Yet another good reason why he'll have my continued support.

trekkerkickstarter.com

I like being able to go on Friday because there aren't nearly as many people there until later in the day. I'm able to move around freely and without bumping into others, and I feel like I can afford to speak with people at their tables without developing a crowd waiting for their face-to-face moment with the individual. Don't get me wrong. I don't think that there are a lack of people attending Friday. There are just fewer people on Friday than Saturday.

Before the doors officially opened on Friday.

Before the doors officially opened on Friday.

After the doors officially opened on Friday.

Unlike years before, I actually was able... and had the presence of mind to take photo's on the show floor this year.

This year there seemed to be more things for children. I was surprised that Playmobil actually had a presence at this years event. It makes me hopeful that RCCC will continue to thrive as a family friendly event.

DC was one of the few publishers representing themselves.

And of course, RCCC would not be complete without Dark Horse.

I have to admit that I am a little disappointed that I didn't see an Image or IDW area this year. Both publishers have moved part of their business to Portland, so it would stand to reason that they would want to promote themselves at RCCC. I would hope that they think hard about this idea for next year.



Even though I am not a fan of Dragonball Z, I have to admit I did enjoy the DBZ are that they had on site. I felt in awe of the huge dragon looming over me when I came upon it. The statues were amazing to look at.

I even managed to get a couple photo's of some cosplayers.

It's been several years since I have been able to take in a panel at any comic con, but Friday was so relaxed that I found myself in the Tolkien and Gaming panel. As much as I am a fan of Tolkien, I was not nearly the level of fan that were represented at the panel. It was primarily about the Adventures of Middle Earth RPG by Cubicle 7 and discussing aspects of Tolkien's world that were are weren't represented by it. I was already interested in giving Adventures of Middle Earth a try before the panel, but after I felt the desire to do so. Something that was brought-up was the fact that Orc's in Middle Earth live until they are slain. This is because they are essentially corrupted Elves. This was discussed because someone had asked why it is that Orcs in D&D are easily slain by level 1 characters, and those of Tolkien's world have so much more depth and were actually fearsome.



When Saturday came, I actually had an agenda. My roommate had procured autographs for both David Tennant and Felica Day, and while he was in Jamaica, I agreed to get a couple of his Funko Pop figures signed. I was fortunate enough to be first in line for David Tennant.

First in line for David Tennant! So excited!

This was the view from behind me at the head of the line for David Tennant. Be jealous. :)

The product of being first in line for David Tennant. Well worth it.

I have to say, I don't find the idea of standing for a long period of time in line very appealing. Fortunately, David didn't keep us waiting very long, and his line was moving at a rapid pace.



Do you remember when I mentioned that this year I attended in a limited capacity? This is where I explain why I said that.



When the original autographs schedules were published online, David Tennant and Felicia Day were scheduled to sign at the exact same time. My plan was to get through Tennant's line as quickly as I could, and then queue-up in Felica's line. My hope would be that I could get through both quickly so I could work on the rest of what I had planned.



Before I left for Portland on Saturday, I checked the schedule online. They had pushed Felicia Day's autographs to 11am. I thought, "No problem." The closer 11am came, we received updates from staff that Felicia was either on her way or just getting parked. By 11:15am, we were informed that she was actually stuck in traffic. It wasn't until 11:33am that she made her appearance. By 12pm, I had finally gotten through the line and obtained the 2nd of the 2 autographs I had been requested to procure.

A few years back, I made special arrangements with my photographer friend Rita of {Chrysalis Rising Photographic Studio} to be my photographer for Rose City. I thought that having some professional photographs to include in my review would be wonderful. (I wasn't wrong.) This was also the year that I met Wil Wheaton, and was looking forward to taking a photo with him and the comic cover I had him sign for #CBC4C.



When we arrived at the celebrity area, one of the volunteers informed us (strongly) that there was absolutely no photography permitted in the area. I questioned that we may have permission because of the fact that we were part of the media covering the event, but was informed otherwise. No photo of Wil admiring the cover presented to him to sign. It was very disheartening.



Since then, I made sure that I and my photographer do not cross that line. I'm sure that it I was caught taking candid photo's in the celebrity area that I may get asked to leave, and I would never be allowed to attend as a member of the media. I don't want to ruin the relationship that I have built with RCCC.



This year, while waiting for Felicia Day to arrive, I noticed several people taking candid photo's with both their phones and small digital cameras. This upset me, but I am not one to create conflict so I didn't say anything. The lady in line right in front of me was actually approached by one of the volunteers when they saw her taking photo's of David Tennant. His response was "You're really not supposed to be doing that." She put her camera away until Felicia arrived. There were no repercussions and volunteer who was working the front of Felicia's line saw the lady taking photo's and did nothing.



I know that some of the celebrity guests have started to offer selfies for an additional fee, and I appreciate that. It upsets me to the core that there are those that would willfully take advantage of the fact that the volunteers can't monitor everyone and have to be on guard for people taking candid photo's where they shouldn't be. I'm not sure if I'm in the silent minority or majority on this, and I am unsure on how to prevent this from happening at future events.



I have made mention in the past of my physical limitations. Those that know me know that I am a big guy. Gabriel Iglesias classifies my physical being as "Fluffy", which I embrace the term. The standing in line for so long took it toll on my feet, legs and back. As I am writing this (4 days removed from when it began), I am sitting at my computer and my back is still tight and pained. I decided I was going to go back to my car, drop off what I didn't need any longer and take a short break.



But then... on the way to my car...



I noticed that Kelly Sue DeConnick was at her table and signing. I had brought some comics and trades from my personal collection for her to sign, and I felt the need to make sure I got them signed before going any farther. There was a short line, but it seemed like every fan before me had to relate a lengthy story to Kelly Sue. I love the fact that she's willing to talk and listen to her fans, but at that time, my entire body was telling them all to hurry-up and move along. Fortunately, my mouth stayed quiet.



By the time I got in front of Kelly Sue, I felt like I was speaking a bit of nonsense to pass the time while she kindly listened and signed my books. I didn't realize that I was babbling until after I had left her table. My body was in so much pain that it was difficult to think straight. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind enough to make it back to my car for a bit of respite.



After loading my bags into the back of my car, I decided to sit for a while to try and relax before going back in for the rest of the day. That's when my body started to revolt against me like never before.



My legs threatened to cramp as I got in to the car. Once seated, my back informed me that it had no intentions of allowing me to get out until I was safely home. I took some time to consider my options, but ultimately had to succumb to the merciless demands of my aging body.



This episode made me realize how fortunate I am to have my friends to come with me to these events. It was a huge eye-opener, and the lesson has been learned. I don't typically go to comic con's for the media guests, and I have never been a huge fan of waiting in lines... though I am a very patient person when it comes to such things when I have a mission.



At the end of last years Rose City, I said I wanted to get a table/booth for my non-profit at the 2018 event. Due to circumstances, that was not going to happen. I will renew this goal for 2019, though. By that time I hope to not only have a variety of prints to be able to offer, but also I hope to have a book of covers that have been donated to #CBC4C over the first 5 years.



I look forward to next year, no matter what happens. I want to thank the staff for being great as always, and especially Ron & Paula Brister for allowing me to attend.

Rose City Comic Con 2018

Again, I have been allowed the privilege of attending Rose City Comic Con as a member of the press. In years before, I haven't been the greatest at taking lots of photo's when I don't have a photographer with me; but I am going to challenge myself to do so this year.



I'm going totally solo this year, so I have not made any huge plans regarding covers for my non-profit; Comic Book Covers 4 Cancer. That may be a blessing and a curse as we are dry on covers for the next series of auctions which are scheduled either the first Saturday of November or December... all depending on how many completed covers we receive before November.



While I don't usually go for the celebrity guests (except for last year when I got to meet "Weird Al" Yankovic), I am looking forward to the possibility of meeting Felicia Day. I hope she doesn't cancel at the last minute like last year.



I know that I have been lax on my posting anything this year, and I deeply apologize. The next step in my personal life is that we are trying to get my parent's house ready to sell. They've lived there for almost 30 years, and the house is about 100 years old. There are a lot of things that need to be done, but between the hot weather and physical limitations, we have not been able to give the house the attention it needs. Once this is done and over with, I will have nothing but myself preventing me from from tackling the ever-growing shelf of trades to be reviewed.

As per years past, I am looking forward to visiting the I Like Comics area to raid their selection of cheap trades!