Con Report: North Texas Comic Book Show - July 19, 2014 - Part Two

Our pal Anna from Glitzy Geek Girl was one of the professional cosplay guests.


Steampunk Princess Leia

Anna also hosted a wonderful how-to panel on cosplaying.

The other big panel for the day was a discussion on how Comics Are For Everyone.  This roundtable was hosted by our friends Taffeta Darling, Eddie Medina and The Jedi Cole Houston.

Me and Mike Grell - the best damn Green Arrow writer/artist ever.

I did allow myself one gratuitous expenditure this weekend.  I bought the preliminary sketch for this Green Arrow cover - one of the two times during his Green Arrow run that Grell depicted Black Canary in her classic costume.

I also bought this print from an artist, whose name I didn't catch. 

Arrow #29 (Web Comic) - A Review

Arrow #29 is an enjoyable issue that fills in the blanks of what happened off-camera in a previous episode of the Arrow TV series.  If Shado Of The Past has a flaw past  its' pun-ishing title, it is that a little under half of its' pages are devoted toward specifically depicting events that fans of the show have already seen.  While some recapping is necessary to establish setting for those who might wander into this issue having not watched the show (Remember the Stan Lee rule - write every comic like it's someone's first comic), this does seem a bit excessive.  Particularly since this only delays the main attraction of this issue - learning how Shado came to the island of Lian Yu.


Once the action of the issue starts, it is incredible.  Marc Guggenheim's script is action-packed and well-paced.  And do I really need to explain the beauty of Mike Grell's artwork when I can just show you a scan and let you see for yourselves?  I think not, but I will anyway.  It's always a joy to see Grell at work but there's a special resonance to this issue, seeing him draw this new version of Shado - a character that he created for the Green Arrow comics.  I'm still curious as to why she has a Japanese name when she's Chinese in this universe but I'm hoping this point will be explained at some point in the future.

EDIT NOTE: Marc Guggenheim himself contacted me on Twitter and said that Shado's mother is Japanese.  So there you go.


You're not likely to find a better bargain this week for $1.00.  With artwork by one of the greatest artists in comics history and a script by one of the most prolific writers of superhero stories in Hollywood, you know this is going to be a quality product.  I declare this book a must read for all Arrow fans!

Arrow #25 (Web Comic) - A Review

Titled The Pieces Missing, Arrow #25 brings the series' star players up to bat. Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim handles the scripting duties. The legendary Mike Grell (the greatest Green Arrow artist and writer ever, in this critic's humble opinion) brings his A-game to deliver some of the best artwork the Arrow web comic has seen yet.


The plot of the issue is fairly straightforward.  Diggle calls a colleague named Lyla and arranges for a clandestine meeting to ask for some information on Oliver's past.  It is unclear precisely who Lyla is and who she works for, but it's made clear that she's known Diggle since he was stationed in Kabul and has kept tabs on him ever since.  She's also aware of the internal workings of the FBI but says she rarely comes into the USA anymore, suggesting she works in a national or international intelligence capacity.  One wonders if Lyla might have something to do with a recent announcement by Marc Guggenheim?


The action in this issue is sparse, but Guggenheim keeps the proceedings from becoming a talking-heads story with some carefully inter-cut flashbacks.  Some of these scenes depict moments we've seen before in the show but most of them are "the pieces missing" and explain certain events that happened off-camera.  While we could have guessed at some of the information here - such as Diggle using the suggestion of the Queen family paying for silence to get Ollie checked into the hospital despite the obvious signs of a physical assault that should be reported to the police - it is still nice to see these moments played out.


My gushing fanboy praise aside, Mike Grell is one of the greats and this issue shows why.  The figures are clear.  The inks perfectly highlight and shade every panel.  Everything looks gorgeous!  I also grant high praise to colorist Randy Mayor, who infuses this book with a life that it's lacked in some issues.

If you're an Arrow-head who hasn't been reading the weekly web comics, this is a fine one to start with.  At 99 cents it's a bargain to download, as easy on the eyes as it is on the wallet.  Give it a try.  You won't be disappointed.

Arrow #16 (Web Comic) - A Review

Subtitled 'Sins Of The Father', Arrow #16 is a step backward in several respects.  Much of Ollie's character development in recent issues and episodes of the show seems to have been lost, as Ollie is back to killing minions willy-nilly.  It's a minor point but a caption box noting this story took place early on in Ollie's vigilante days would not have been amiss. 



The script by Emilio Aldrich is somewhat repetitive, covering much the same territory as the television episode Legacies.  Like that episode, the main plot of this issue centers upon a family of criminals and Ollie's attempts to help one of them make amends for his past crimes.  The circumstances are just different enough to maintain interest but one can't shake the feeling that we've seen this before.


The real unpleasant surprise of the issue is the artwork by the usually excellent Mike Grell.  For the most part, this issue looks good.  The problem is one ridiculous action sequence, where Ollie seems to escape capture by throwing arrows with enough force to cut into the flesh of the drug dealers he is fighting. 

I could believe Ollie managing this with darts and we've seen him use those in the show before.  I could see him having arrow-shaped darts just for the sake of keeping to his theme.  But as drawn, given the proportions of everything else, it looks like Ollie is THROWING arrows at people!  For shame, Mike Grell!

As much as it pains me to say this, you can probably skip this week's Arrow comic unless you're a Mike Grell completist or a die-hard Arrowhead.  The story is lackluster.  The art, while generally excellent, falls apart along with all sense of proportion in the final action sequence.  Truly disappointing on all fronts.   

Arrow #11 (Web Comic) - A Review

I am of two minds regarding 'Huntress Year One' - the eleventh chapter of the Arrow web comic.  On the one hand, the story by executive producer Mark Guggenheim is well-crafted and does provide a plausible direction for the character of Helena Bertinelli following the events of 'Vendetta' while simultaneously paying homage to the character's roots in the comics.  On the other hand, there is one aspect of the story that I fear exists only for the purposes of crass titillation and diminishes Helena as a character.



The basic gist of the story is that having left Starling City and Oliver Queen behind her, Helena travels to Sicily trying to find the sense of the belonging that she lost when her mobster family had her fiancee killed.  What Helena finds instead is La Morte Sussurrata - an Italian branch of the Hashshashins (a.k.a that group from the Assassins's Creed games) who agree to train Helena in their ways... for a price.  It is this price that bothers me in several respects but not for the reasons you might think. 

Helena Bertinelli, in the original comics, was portrayed as a woman who was willing to play off her sexuality to complete a mission.  Even in Gail Simone's run on Birds of Prey, Helena was willing to agree to a date with a perverted rental car agent named Josh to get information and wound up having a one-night stand with the guy.  So as sleazy as it is, I can't dismiss the idea that Helena would agree to sleep with agents of the Assassins Guild in exchange for training as being entirely out of character.



The problem is that Helena says that she was "trading on the only assets I had".  While I can understand her being cut off from her family's fortune in the wake of her father's arrest (even if the Mafia didn't lock her out, The Feds almost certainly would have frozen Frank Bertinelli's personal accounts), it does raise the question of how she got to Italy in the first place if she was completely without resources.  And granting that she might not have the money put aside to buy her way into an elite, secretive group of assassins, what does it say about the organization that they're willing to take in prospective students purely on their sexual availability? 



The one aspect of this book I'm not conflicted about in the least is the artwork  Mike Grell is my favorite Green Arrow artist of all time for a reason and this issue showcases Grell's skill as an artist and inker.  To my mind, nobody can ink their own work to elicit a shadowy, dramatic feeling like Mike Grell.  The action scenes - depicting Helena and Ollie's fighting in flashback - are well choreographed and well displayed.  And I feel it worth noting that despite being famous for showing off athletic figures in his artwork, Grell does not make the panels in which Helena is seen "paying for her education" exploitative, despite the sleaziness of the situation.

Would I recommend this issue?  Yes.  While I'm conflicted about how Helena apparently sleeps her way into The Assassin's Guild, the conflict made me think more than most of the comics I've read in recent memory.  Ignoring that, the story is a good one and is well told.  Mike Grell's excellent artwork only seals the deal. 

Arrow #6 (Web Comic) - A Review

Arrow #6 takes us on our first journey outside of Starling City.  Continuing down the list given to him by his father, Oliver sets his sights on Justin Whicker - a businessman immigrated to Russia who is using his connections inside the Moscow Ballet to lure aspiring dancers into prostitution in America.  With Diggle in tow, Ollie goes on a good-will mission to Moscow to shut Whicker's business down.


The script by Ben Sokolwoski and Lana Cho is serviceable enough, though the exotic setting isn't as well utilized as it might have been.  Thematically speaking fighting slavers fits Ollie's Modern-Day Robin Hood schtick to a T and it is nice to see that even though Ollie is still working off his list, he is moving more toward being a true hero rather than an agent of justice.  The only really failing the story has is that Diggle has no role in the action and disappears from the comic completely after attending the ballet with Ollie.  It makes sense that he'd have to travel with Ollie to maintain Ollie's cover but it would have been nice to see him helping Ollie more directly, as in last week's episode.


What really sells this issue is the artwork by Mike Grell.  I'm an unapologetic Grell fanboy, so my opinion is inherently biased.  That being said, Grell's wotk with the character of Oliver Queen has helped define not only the look of Arrow as a show but defined the character of Green Arrow more than any single creator since Dennis O'Neil.  Grell's sense of pacing and anatomy remains undiminished and I don't think any artist can ink their own work so effectively when it comes to invoking a sense of mystery and melancholy. 

Arrow #1 (Web Comic) - A Review

Arrow #1 will seem pleasantly familiar to most Arrow-Heads.  The setting may be new, Star City having been changed to Starling City.  The supporting cast may be different, with the love of Ollie's life now being named Laurel rather than Dinah and Ollie - previously an only child and an orphan in all his previous incarnations - now having a living mother and a younger sister.  But the heart and soul of the Emerald Archer - everything that makes Oliver Queen unique as a character and a hero - all of that is intact and on display here.


The story of this issue offers few surprises, covering the same information fans have likely learned from the previews of the Arrow TV show and discussions with the show's actors and creators.  Newly returned to civilization after five years marooned on a deserted island, Oliver Queen struggles to put his life in order.  On the one hand, he has to fit in with the privileged high-society crowd he used to be a part of, for the sake of his loved ones.  On the other hand, he wants to honor his father's dying wish to make up for his mistakes and confront the evils that threaten their home town.. 

We don't get any reasons as to precisely why Ollie is having trouble fitting in again, apart from some vague talk about him being selfish and judgmental towards his family.  Thankfully, what the script by show creators Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg lacks in detail it more than makes up for in pathos.  The scenes of Ollie talking to his father's grave and soliloquizing about his conflict prove quite effective, marking this version of Ollie as a cousin to Hamlet. Presumably we'll get more details about precisely why Ollie is clashing with his family and friends in the first episode of Arrow.  


Legendary Green Arrow author and artist Mike Grell handles the art duties for the entire issue and proves worthy of the title "legendary".  Though this issue gives Grell little chance to showcase his famous skills for illustrating action scenes, he does render everything in an appropriate manner.  Heavy shadows and angles where Ollie's face is obscured as he talks to the people he must hide his secrets from help to subtly emphasize the theme of deception and just how alone Oliver feels.  Colorists David Lopez & Santi Casas of Ikari Studio also help to emphasize the story's theme of isolation, using washed out colors in the scenes where Oliver deals with his friends and family while a brighter, more colorful palette is used in the outdoor scenes where Oliver is alone and relatively at peace. 

Bottom Line; this is the Green Arrow book DC Comics should have given us a year ago.  The artwork is all-around amazing and establishes its' mood perfectly.  The story establishes our protagonist's central conflict effectively though it does skimp on the details of his current circumstances.  Despite this, this issue does a great job of introducing Ollie as a character to new readers and establishes the base concept of the world effectively.  Highly recommended to Arrow-Heads, old and new.

Four Books For Arrow Fans New To Comics

I was recently asked by a friend who had seen a trailer for The CW's Arrow what comics I might recommend to someone unfamiliar with the character of Oliver Queen who wanted to read more.  It's a difficult question.  Can I rattle off a list of good Green Arrow stories?  Of course.  Are most of them going to be easily available?  Sadly not.

Unlike Batman and Spider-Man, Green Arrow doesn't have a lot of stories collected in TP format to begin with.  And with the New 52 revamp of the DC Comics Universe barely a year old, most of the Green Arrow stories that are collected and available don't really fit in with the current on-going series.  Thankfully, a digital Arrow comic based on the show with art by Mike Grell and a script by the show's writers will be release tomorrow along with the first episode of the TV series.  That should give Arrowheads old and new alike something to look forward to.

Still, the question remains - is there anything I can recommend to those new fans who are both brave and bold enough to delve into the past of The Emerald Archer?  Yes.  Yes there is.  Here are four comics collections that I can recommend to new readers with few reservations.

#1 Green Arrow: Year One.  Written by Andy Diggle.  Art by Jock.

WHY THIS BOOK?: First, because it's the most recent complete origin story we have for Green Arrow.  Next, because it isn't just a great origin story - it's a great story.  Ollie is established early on as a screwed up man but one whose heart is ultimately in the right place - the kind of protagonist you want to see succeed in spite of himself.  Finally, this book served as something of a series bible for Arrow and what little we know of Ollie's origins on Arrow so far match up with the story we see here.  We know that China White - the drug lord Ollie fights in this story - will be showing up in at least one of the flashbacks depicting his time on the island, played by Kelly Hu. 

   

#2 Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters. By Mike Grell

WHY THIS BOOK?:  Mike Grell redefined Green Arrow for a generation with his now legendary run on the second volume of the Green Arrow series and it all began with this three-part story.  This story brought Ollie into the real world, as he abandoned Star City for Seattle and gave up his trick arrows and Robin Hood hat in favor of a more realistic yeoman's garb, complete with a longbow and cloth-yard shafts.  The whole series is worth tracking down but the original mini-series is all that has been collected in TP format.  Left to his own devices, with relatively few crossovers from the main DC Comics universe, this issue truly explored the idea of low-powered vigilantes in a way few stories had before or have since.  And like GA: Year One, much of the visual aesthetic and base concept of Arrow seems to have come from this series.  Incidentally, Grell apparently did some of the artwork for the pilot (he drew the police sketches of The Arrow) and he will be doing that covers and some interiors for the upcoming Arrow comic.

#3 Green Arrow: Quiver.  Written by Kevin Smith.  Art by Phil Hester.

WHY THIS BOOK?: For my money, this is the greatest comic series ever written by Kevin Smith.  Yes- the same Kevin Smith who wrote and directed Clerks, Chasing Amy and Dogma.  What's most miraculous about this story is how effortlessly Smith is able to explain away several years of back-story through natural dialogue as he spins the tale of how Green Arrow has returned from the dead.  The opening chapter, in which we learn all about what sort of man Oliver Queen was through the remembrances of those closest to him should be required reading for any aspiring comics writer wanting to learn how to tell an effective origin story without requiring the presence of the main character.  And being as this is a Kevin Smith script, there's a lot of good humor to go with the action and drama.

#4 JLA: Year One.  Written by Mark Waid.  Art by Brian Augustyn. 

WHY THIS BOOK?:  While not technically a Green Arrow story as such, Oliver Queen plays a pretty big role in the action, showing up at several key points and proving himself worthy of being the first person outside of the original five founders to gain a membership in The Justice League.  I can't say much more for fear of spoiling a bit of the story but trust me - this story is something all Green Arrow fans should read if only for the "romantic" moments with Black Canary.  If nothing else, this issue is a good introduction to the DC Comics universe at large for people who want to get into comics in general if not Green Arrow in specific.

Arrow #1 Special Edition - A Review

Is this a Mike Grell cover I see before me? It is!

Sadly, Mike Grell didn't have a hand in writing this book or drawing the interior. But Mike Grell artwork is always a welcome thing and it's a darn good sign that the people responsible for this book - and the show - know their roots and are paying homage to the man they call "legendary" in the end of this book, when we see the untouched pencils for the cover.



The plot is fairly standard stuff. Half the issue depicts Oliver Queen being a rich scumbag who makes life miserable for the traffic cop who pulled him over. The other half, set six years later, shows Arrow going after a corrupt businessman. We don't get a lot of insight into who Oliver Queen is in the here and now but the book does hook the reader and leave them wanting to read/watch more to find out how the man we see in the first part becomes the man we see in the second.

The artwork by Omar Francia is serviceable, though heavily over-inked. This is most obvious in the scenes where characters are talking to one another and their faces are half-obscured by the shadows. Actually, given how odd most of the character expressions are in this book, it may be a blessing that half their faces are hidden.. This is all less of a problem in the action-scenes, which are well-done though all too brief, even considering the shortness of this comic.

I don't know if we'll be getting a regular monthly series of this if the Arrow series is successful. What I do know is that I enjoyed this more than any other Green Arrow comic I've read in the past year. If they do continue this, I do hope it has a different artist.

Maybe Mike Grell is free?

This comic is available for free download at DC Comics website.

SDCC: 'Arrow' Panel News!

My friends at Green Arrow TV on Twitter were on the floor for the Arrow panel at San Diego Comic Con. Through them, I got the following good news and a few spoilers for those who haven't read Green Arrow: Year One. For those who haven't, stop reading this and go read it.



* The panel started with a screening of the pilot. It was very well received, with people clapping and cheering even before the ending.

* The pilot is apparently based on Andy Diggle's Green Arrow: Year One even more closely than we realized from the previews (i.e. general look of Ollie on the island) and we will actually get to see the incidents that caused Ollie to become a hero.

* To that end, Kelly Hu will be playing the drug lord China White, whom Ollie defeated in his first case in Green Arrow: Year One.

* Apparently Mike Grell drew a police sketch (presumably of Ollie as Arrow) that is seen in the pilot.

* Regarding Dinah Lance eventually becoming Black Canary on the show and wearing the fishnets, Katie Cassidy said she would "if that's what the costume will be, and if it happens"

* Andrew Kreisberg then said that Dinah WILL become a woman of action. "Not as soon as you'd want, but sooner than you think."

* There's a good interview with Stephen Arnell here, where he talks about the challenges in playing Ollie Queen.

* Finally, for those of you Arrowheads out there, who were upset that everyone in San Diego was getting a preview comic based on the TV show, DC Comics has made the comic available as a free digital download. I'll be doing a review shortly.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord #16

GOOD THING: What can I say except that this book has more wonderful Mike Grell artwork and a lot of poster-worthy pages?

BAD THING: This is the final issue of the series and it is plainly obvious that they rushed to get everything that Grell had planned into the issues left following the series' cancellation.

Even Grell - who is famous for packing as much action into every page as he can - seems to be pushing the limit for just how much can be accomplished in a single issue here. While this does help to keep things moving, it does leave us with anti-climactic moments such as the alien fleet threatening the Earth AND The Final Battle (and we really mean it this time) with the evil wizard Deimos both being resolved over the span of four pages.

Still, we do get an ending of sorts with Skartaris seemingly sealed off for all time from the outside world, the story of Travis Morgan being sent to the outside world as a memorial of the now lost land and the man who laid the groundwork for some kind of civilization being built there.



The Final Verdict: It feels like a rushed conclusion, because that's what it is. Still, the artwork is vintage Grell and it is nice to see the Warlord saga get a definite ending, however haphazard.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord #15

BAD THING: Most of the book is exposition - both of a group of random scientists explaining how apparently aliens are responsible for the creation of Skartaris and Jennifer Morgan explaining the rules of magic and the bond between siblings and... *yawns*

GOOD THING: When the action finally DOES get begin, we're treated to some wonderful Mike Grell writing AND artwork.

The Final Verdict: We're winding down to the end and it shows. It seems that Mike has been forced to tell a saga in a sentence and most of what he wanted to reveal about Skartaris in the new series is quickly being explained as we are rushed to a final issue. At least Mike's art is as great as ever.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord #14

GOOD THING: Well... the Mike Grell cover art is nice.

BAD THING: The rest of the artwork looks unfinished at times, with the same areas being over-inked or under-inked depending on which inker is working on which page.

The Final Verdict: This book is ending in two issues and it feels like they are rushing to a conclusion of sorts. The artwork certainly feels rushed. Also, I can't say I'm crazy about the idea that the secret of the Atlantean technology scattered about Skartaris is supposedly due to alien involvement. Still, we'll see where Grell is going with this...

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord #13

GOOD THING: Any worries about this series stagnating in the wake of Travis Morgan's death are killed within the first few pages. A new disaster threatens the land and Tinder finds himself - somewhat reluctantly - assuming his father's role as protector.

BAD THING: The art is inconsistently inked. It is too heavily shadowed at times and too light, causing the art to look sketchy... sometimes on the same page!

The Final Verdict: A new Warlord. A new start. Same old action/adventure we know and love from Mike Grell. Would that he was still doing the art but I suppose you can't have everything.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord #12

BAD THING: Good as Grell's artwork is, it is over-inked at times.

GOOD THING: This is a fitting ending for the story of Travis Morgan. You could easily end the comic here and it would be good. Still, I am glad to see the series will continue, apparently centering upon the adventures of Joshua "Tinder" Morgan.

The Final Verdict: Great art and story, as Mike Grell brings the story of his most popular creation to a conclusion of sorts. This would be a good place to end the series and yet it is going on. I can't wait to see what Grell has planned next!

Fast Thoughts On The Comics Released The Week of 02/10/2010

JON SABLE: ASHES OF EDEN #5 - A fitting conclusion to a wonderful little mini-series. The true mastermind is revealed as Jon and Maggie the Cat find themselves in a death trap with the lives of millions at stake.

This is Mike Grell at his finest. I can't wait for the next Jon Sable story that is promised at the end.



QUEEN SONJA #4 - I know what you're thinking - I said this book was the Red Sonja book you should be reading... and yet, I'm only writing a few scant lines about it here. Why is that?

Well, while this is a good book, this is honestly a slow issue and Sonja doesn't do very much until the very end. Most of the issue concerns Sonja appointing a new lieutenant, who may not be what he seems and the enemies of the nation Sonja has become leader of starting to move against her. It's all set-up to next issue, in other words. But it does look gorgeous, the artwork isn't all cheesecakey and the story is gripping and promises to get better.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Jon Sable, Freelance: Ashes Of Eden #4

GOOD THING: Lots of beautiful, dual-page splashes alternating between scenes of Jon being tortured and some sort of vision of an African warrior woman who asks him why he does what he does when all he really wants is to join his dead wife and children.

BAD THING: Beautiful as the psychodrama scenes are, they take up a lot of pages... which results in the actual plot information being condensed - along with a non-preachy author's message - into about three pages.

The Final Verdict: A gorgeous book which suffers from some minor pacing problems. Still, it's a riveting read for all fans of good action books.

Sword And Sorcery Sunday: Warlord #10

GOOD THING: A little bit of time is devoted to each of the books on-going subplots.

* Kate Archer reveals just how she has resurrected Travis Morgan's arch-enemy, the wizard Deimos.
* Tinder sets about trying to succeed where Morgan failed in establishing a nation based on justice and freedom, over Morgan's objections
* Ewan McBane begins making a documentary about Travis Morgan, interviewing his three closest comrades-in-arms.



BAD THING: With the exception of two pages in the middle and the first and last pages of the books, this entire issue is composed of two-page splashes. While the art is beautiful (and also virtually unscanable with my equipment) it only serves to make the book seem even shorter than it is. Not much really happens in terms of the plot with the only real advancement being that we learned that Deimos is amnesiac.



The Final Verdict: It's a gorgeous book, but nothing really happens in this issue. There's a lot of flashbacks to the old Warlord series and quite a bit about things Travis Morgan has done and what sort of man he is... but almost no new information has been introduced and - like Skartaris itself - it almost feels like time is standing still in regards to this book. Something had better happen and soon or I might have to start reconsider picking this up.

One Good Thing and One Bad Thing About Jon Sable: Ashes of Eden #3

GOOD THING: The plot thickens with jewel thief Maggie The Cat showing up and providing Jon with a welcome but unwelcome distraction just as the diamond he is in charge of guarding disappears.

BAD THING: Grell is of the school where anything worth doing is worth overdoing. I love his big, sprawling panel-less splash pages but there's enough of them here that it almost seems like Grell is attempting to pad out the issue.

The Final Verdict: This is Mike Grell doing what he does best. If you're the sort of person who likes your comic books to be a classic action movie, you'll love this book. I don't know if I can say it any plainer than that.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Warlord #9

GOOD THING: Mike Grell writing and art, as per the last two issues. But unlike the last two issues, the story in this one is fairly straight forward. There's only one flashback and it is clearly identified as such.

BAD THING: The problem is that while the story is fairly straight forward (i.e. Morgan returns home from chasing the minions of Kate Archer) there's really not much plot. Nothing really happens apart from various couples hooking up and the revelation of what the villain is up to is only allowed three pages at the very end.

Also, because this is Mike Grell, there is a LOT of fan-service in the artwork that renders me unable to show a lot of the pages. But on the bright side, Mike delivers fan service for both sexes evenly.


The Final Verdict: Despite having more hook-up scenes than some fan-fiction this issue, this series is proving to be like a visit from an old friend you haven't seen in forever. I highly recommend you all enter the lost world of The Warlord.