Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #4 - An Advanced Review/Preview

The micro-machine menace stands revealed as the plot of an old enemy of both UNIT and The Doctor - one who now possesses stolen Time Lord technology! The threat to all reality seems so great that even The Master has put aside his grudge against The Doctor and UNIT, but can he be trusted? And will even The Master's brilliance prove enough to win the day?




I shall be sorry to see this mini-series end. Paul Cornell's writing has perfectly captured the spirit of the Jon Pertwee age of Doctor Who. It also delivered a genuinely shocking twist at the halfway point and even planted the seeds to explain away certain incongruities in the original episodes that follow this story chronologically.

Cornell's excellent writing is matched beat for beat by the outstanding artwork of Christopher Jones. Jones captures the likenesses of the original actors perfectly and is a fantastic visual storyteller as well as a great caricaturist. Whether you're a fan of the Classic Series or just someone who loves good comics, this is one to pick-up!

Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #4 releases on January 11 2016. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #3 - An Advanced Review/Preview

Rewarded for aiding The Time Lords by having his exile to Earth lifted and his TARDIS restored to travel-readiness, The Doctor was ready to return to exploring the wonders of the universe. Unfortunately, an alien invasion and the return of one of his past incarnations have proven distracting enough to prevent his departure. With the invading "micro-machines" having taken over the body of his companion, Jo Grant, The Doctor must enter into psychic combat with them inside of Jo's mind!





I was saddened by Paul Cornell's recent announcement that he would be taking a break from writing for licensed properties. Granting my own bias as a Third Doctor fan and cosplayer (I still have a picture of myself, in costume, with Billie Piper and Karen Gillan as the background on my Twitter account!), I have deeply enjoyed Cornell's work on this mini-series and hoped that it might follow The Ninth Doctor in becoming a monthly book. While that may still be in the cards, it will probably happen without Cornell, which is a shame as he has perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the Third Doctor with his scripting on this series.

Cornell is well matched by artist Christopher Jones, who treads a fine line between realistic caricatures and a certain cartoonish quality in his depictions of the various characters of The Pertwee Era of Doctor Who. The lively colors by Hi-Fi add to the mod mystique. This is one limited series I wish were less confined - ironic really, given the Third Doctor's own confinement!

Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #3 releases on November 30, 2016. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #2 - An Advanced Review/Preview

As a reward for his good service, The Doctor recently had his exile lifted and the knowledge of how to pilot the time-machine known as The TARDIS restored. Yet he's had no chance to enjoy his newfound freedom due to an unexpected visitor taking over his lab and a new crisis threatening his friends at UNIT. Worse yet, the rogue Time Lord known as The Master is still at liberty and he may not be the greatest threat to everything The Doctor holds sacred!




Fans of the Jon Pertwee era of Doctor Who and newcomers alike are sure to enjoy this splendid book. Paul Cornell expertly captures the personalities of the various players and one can hear the voices of the original actors as they read the witty dialogue. The artwork by Christopher Jones and Hi-Fi proves equally enjoyable, balancing the line between caricature and cartoon in their depictions of these beloved characters and all of the amazing action!

Doctor Who: The Third Doctor #2 releases on October 19, 2016. 

Ask for it at your local comic shop or purchase it on Comixology.com.

This Damned Band #6 - A Review

This review will be unusually short as there is precious little I can say about this final issue of This Damned Band that will not give away the game. And, to be quite honest, if you're not already reading this book after my previous reviews, there's precious little I can say in the final hour that is likely to make you rectify that mistake

I will say this then: Paul Cornell, Tony Parker and Lovern Kindzierski have crafted one of the most fascinating and entertaining comics of the year and I cannot recommend it highly enough to you all. So if you can't track down the individual issues at this point, consider the upcoming Trade Paperback collection. You'll be damned glad you did!

This Damned Band #5 - A Review

The rock band Motherfather got into Satanism as a publicity stunt. At least, most of the band did. But now, with more and more of their groupies disappearing and their manager becoming increasingly distant and creepy as they get ever closer to their tour's final performance in Austin, Texas, some of the band are more anxious than ever to get out of the business. Unfortunately for them, all Hell is about to break loose...

This fifth issue stands in marked contrast to the rest.  There's less overt humor than in the previous issues, as most of the issue concerns itself with the plot rather than the sheer lunacy of the characters involved. Thankfully, the action and plot are as strong and gripping as ever. Well done, Paul Cornell!

Tony Parker's artwork continues to impress as well. There's some truly breath-taking visuals in this issue and again I wish that Image migh publishe some of the Motherfather album covers and mock-concert posters as real posters. I'd gladly hang some of these on my wall.

This Damned Band #4 - A Review

The rock band Motherfather is loosing groupies and technicians at an alarming rate. But this is of little concern to the band, as they're faced with a group of French assassins who have come seeking the money one of the band-mates owes their drug-lord employers. Meanwhile, a camera crew filming a documentary about the band stumble across something strange in the band manager's room which may answer the mystery of the people going missing around Motherfather...


The artwork by Tony Parker and Lovern Kindzierski on this issue is brilliant. Parker has shown amazing versatility in previous issues and this one is no exception! Parker illustrates the bits of the story filmed by the camera crew in his usual manner while adapting a style that is equal parts Yellow Submarine animation and The Adventures of Tintin for the bits that happened off-camera.


This artwork brings Paul Cornell's script to life wonderfully. Fans of Cornell's previous work on Action Comics and Doctor Who will not be disappointed by his work here. Indeed, this may be the single funniest thing he's ever written. 

This Damned Band #3 - A Review

Before they continue the second leg of their world tour, Motherfather have stopped off in France to do a bit of writing and recording.  They set up shop in a chateau that has a built-in recording studio and is also reportedly haunted. Of course between the drugs and the documentary camera crew everyone is already feeling like they're being watched.  But could there really be something in the chateau's shadows?

Paul Cornell continues to balance the humor and the horror of this story masterfully. There's a good bit of honest drama as well, with a subplot involving the marital difficulties between Kev and his wife Alice meriting special attention. It's moving stuff, yet there's also a few scenes that are likely to inspire readers to laugh out loud.
 

The artwork is equally marvelous and balanced. Tony Parker's designs for the characters are particularly noteworthy, with no member of the extensive cast looking at all alike. The colors by Lovern Kindzierski are vivid and well-chosen, matching the 1970s aesthetic of the story quite well.

Doctor Who: The Four Doctors #5 - A Review

Ripped from time by a future incarnation of The Doctor, who had been driven mad by betrayal and bonded with the hive-mind race known as The Vrood, things were looking bleak for The Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors and their companions.  However, a twist of fate and a bit of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff have bought them the chance they need to escape the future Doctor's time-trap. Now if only they can work out how to set-up their escape without breaking all causality in the process...

The conclusion to Paul Cornell's latest Doctor Who epic is something of a headache to navigate. Despite this, it's an enjoyable Gordian knot most Whovians will enjoy unraveling. And Ninth Doctor fans can rejoice, for while their favorite Doctor doesn't quite take part in the action, Cornell reveals a fantastic reason for why he and Rose Tyler didn't show up in this adventure.


The artwork continues to impress, though Neil Edwards does seem rushed at times in this final chapter. There are some points where the inks are too heavy and the details a little indistinct - though this critic suspects the latter may be due to a printing error in his copy of the issue.  Regardless, there is more good than bad in this issue's visuals and it proves a wonderful conclusion to a great story. The Four Doctors is a must-read for all Doctor Who fans!

This Damned Band #2 - A Review

It was another wild drug-fueled, post-show party and that was not unusual for the band known (currently) as Motherfather.  Satan himself showed up wanting to hang out, which was rather unusual. And now in the wake of his departure, all of the bandmates are arguing - as a documentary films - about changing the art for their next album in honor of their new friend.  Except for Kev, who apparently thinks he just sold his soul to Santa.


This tribute to the golden age of sex, drugs, rock and roll and artistically motivated Satanism continues to impress and amaze. This book is incredibly funny, which is to be expected with Paul Cornell writing. The script goes beyond mere mockumentary humor, however, with Cornell satirizing the entire culture of classic rock and offering up a healthy portion of character-based humor as well.


The artwork by Tony Parker and Lovern Kindzierski is equally varied.  Parker changes up the artwork based on the perspectives of the band-mates, with Kev's drug-fueled haze represented by cheerful Tezukaesque imagery. There's also a number of brilliant poster-worthy prints on the interior and exterior covers. Even the band's emblem on the back cover is brilliantly designed!

Doctor Who: The Four Doctors #4 - A Review

In a far future, a probable Doctor driven mad by loneliness allowed himself to bond with the alien hive-mind known as The Vrood.  Now, as part of a plan to ensure that his past comes to pass, he has captured Three Doctors and one companion in order to assure his timeline becomes the accepted one. Two of The Doctor's companions remain free but are their destinies already set in stone?


The artwork on this series continues to impress. This is some of the finest work Neil Edwards has ever produced from the character designs of the cast to the layouts of the action sequences. And the colors by Ivan Nunes prove the perfect finishing touch.


As for the story, he plot thickens further in this latest issue and it does so in some truly surprising ways. I must say again that Paul Cornell has truly outdone himself with this series. Next week's conclusion cannot come fast enough!

Doctor Who: The Four Doctors #3 - A Review

The three Doctors and their companions have escaped from The Reapers but now they face a greater problem. Despite Clara's best efforts to stop them from walking into a trap, they've walked into a trap. Because regardless of the incarnation, The Doctor's first response to being told something is a trap is to find a big stick and poke it.

Unfortunately, this trap turns out to be a Continuity Bomb - a piece of Dalek technology that rips the victim out of space and time and deposits them in an alternate reality changed by a single decision. Thankfully, the bomb was unable to focus on one Doctor. Unfortunately, this still leaves everyone trapped in limbo, seeing a number or horrifying alternate pasts rush by as The Doctors must make a horrible and risky choice... choosing which reality to make real in the hope of escape!


The idea of The Continuity Bomb is precisely the kind of novel touch I expected Paul Cornell to introduce in this series. Such originality is Cornell's bread and his butter is an encyclopedic knowledge of the Doctor Who mythos. Fans of the show will be particularly interested in this issue's brief glimpses of the universe where The Tenth Doctor rules all reality as The Time Lord Victorious, the timeline where The Eleventh Doctor allowed River Song to save his life by making all of time happen at once or the dark future where The Twelfth Doctor has been driven mad by loneliness and distrust...


Neil Edwards continues to impress.  The artwork on this series has looked amazing in every respect, from the likeness of the established cast being captured to the panel flow of the action scenes. The colors of Ivan Nunes complete things perfectly.

Doctor Who: The Four Doctors #2 - A Review

Clara Oswald's efforts to prevent a meeting of The Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors that would end the universe only seem to have brought it about. And a sudden short when Ten and Twelve touched one another has summoned The Reapers - the antibodies of reality, who eat paradoxes out of existence. Only for some reason they seem to be more interested in Eleven than anyone else...


It's no surprise that Paul Cornell's script for this issue draws deeply from the well of Doctor Who's rich mythology. After all, Cornell co-authored The Doctor Who Discontinuity Guide back in the BI (Before Internet) days and has a knowledge of the show's history that is second to none.  Yet Cornell also sprinkles the book with the goodly helping of humor common to his stories, finding unexpected angles such as the playfully loony Eleventh Doctor being forced to be the responsible one as Ten and Twelve start arguing and Twelve lamenting that he's now "Scary Doctor" to Ten and Eleven's Posh and Baby.


Neil Edwards proves a perfect playmate for Cornell.  This is a manic energy to Edwards' action sequences and he perfectly captures the likenesses of the characters from the show. All in all this comic is a must-read for all Whovians.

Demon Knights #15 - A Review

It seems to be a trend this week for me to forgo summarizing the stories of most of the books I regularly review.  It seems that everyone is in the midst of epic storylines that are coming to a close or are impossible to describe without giving away the story so far..  Thankfully, Demon Knights #15 is an exception to this trend and while this issue is a conclusion of sorts, it is easily summarized and promoted with three words -  Hell Invades Avalon.



It's much more complicated than that, of course but if that idea doesn't hook you, nothing else will.  There are many wonderful character moments for all of the established cast and Paul Cornell fills this issue with his trademark humor as well as some high drama.  Fans of Cornell's Stormwatch, who haven't been reading this book, would be well advised to pick this issue up.  You'll thank me later.  Trust me.



Bernard Chang's artwork is as excellent as ever.  His pencils are unwavering in their quality and his thin inks leave this book looking something like a colorized woodcut once Marcelo Maiolo has contributed to the finished product.  Truly, this is the best looking fantasy book on the market today!

Demon Knights #14 - A Review

Demon Knights #14 sees a number of bargains and counter-bargains being struck between old enemies.  Separated from the rest of his party (who are currently trapped in Hell), Sir Jason Blood finds himself in the custody of The Questing Queen and her wizard Mordru - the villains of the first story arc of this title.  They offer him a chance to rejoin his fellows and reunite with his lost love, Xanadu.  At the same time, The Demon Etrigan plots with Lucifer to use his former comrades as a means toward opening a gateway to Avalon, allowing Hell to invade another plane of the afterlife.


I've written at length before about Paul Cornell's skill as a writer and how he's created a wonderful ensemble cast of characters and balances them all beautifully, giving each character equal due.  Having said such, I don't feel the need to repeat myself once more in this review, though I find I've already done so!  Having said that, I would like to single out Cornell's take on Lucifer, which puts me in the mind of the character as written by Neil Gaiman and Mike Carey.  Here we see a demon prince who has begun to grow bored with the politics of his realm and the posturing his position requires but not so bored that he will not play the part of The Adversary when it might prove profitable.


Bernard Chang  has grown upon me far faster than I thought any artist could following Diogenes Neves' departure from this title.  His pencils are crisp and clear, his character and creature designs memorable and his inks appropriately light and thin, giving the whole book an appearance not unlike something that might be in a medieval woodcut. 

This is not a good issue to jump onto this title but I highly recommend the first trade paperback for those who have yet to give this title I shot.  I dare say you won't regret it.

Demon Knights #13 - A Review

Demon Knights #13 begins where some stories end - Hell  Apparently betrayed by The Demon Etrigan, all of our party - save for Jason Blood, who is trapped and alone on Earth - have been condemned to the Stygian Abyss and placed within their own personal realm of torment.  But Etrigan has a plan, though it seems more likely than not that he is more concerned with stealing the Throne of Hell from Lucifer than rescuing his comrades..


Those who have been reading this series will find this issue full of Paul Cornell's trademark humor.  Those who haven't may find themselves confused by these proceedings as much of the action and humor is dependent upon familiarity with our protagonists.  For instance, one must know Vandal Savage as the uncouth and unapologetic scoundrel that he is to fully appreciate his "torment" at the hands of every bastard he ever sired until he confesses to his many crimes. 


Bernard Chang's pencils ably replace those of the series' former penciler, Diogenes Neves.  Chang's artwork bares a more exaggerated quality than Neves' but does not become so stylized as to be cartoonish.  Chang's art is appropriately dark and atmospheric, depicting the varied Hells with a vivid detail reminiscent of Michael Zulli's work on Sandman.

All in all, this is a solid issue.  The writing is as fine as ever and Chang continues to prove a worthy replacement artist.  The only flaw this issue has lies in its' inaccessibility to new readers, whom I would advise to go pick up the excellent Demon Knights: Volume 1 TP.  

Superman: The Black Ring, vol. 1-2 - A No Flying, No Tights Review

SOURCE: Superman: The Black Ring, vol. 1-2


   

Once he was a respected scientific genius, a powerful CEO and President of the United States. Then he was a pariah, a wanted criminal and Public Enemy Number One. Now, having used his genius to save the Earth from alien invaders, thus earning himself a full pardon for his past crimes, Lex Luthor has regained control of the company he once built from nothing and reestablished himself as a power to be reckoned with in the world of legitimate business.

 It’s not enough.

It’s not enough because Lex Luthor was chosen to wield an Orange Lantern ring during the crisis that became known as The Blackest Night. Tapping into the unbridled avarice that dominated his heart, Lex Luthor briefly had access to the unlimited power he craved for so long. And now he wants it back.

Accompanied by his loyal lackey Spalding and a life-like Lois Lane android, Lex Luthor will embark on an epic quest to reclaim the power that was taken from him. This adventure will pit Lex against other arch-villains, such as the parasitic alien caterpillar Mister Mind, the telepathic Gorilla Grodd and the immortal tyrant Vandal Savage. Lex will even confront Death herself and maybe, just maybe, finally find a way to make himself more powerful than Superman.

It must have seemed like a mad idea when this story was first published as a series of monthly installments in the pages of Action Comics. Take away Superman’s main title for one year to devote a story to his greatest enemy and not even have the Big Blue Boy Scout show up until the very end? But mad ideas are the stock and trade of writer Paul Cornell, who had been delivering madness to the masses in his Doctor Who scripts and novels for quite some time before signing on with DC Comics.

Cornell portrays Lex Luthor as a figure much like The Doctor – brilliant, witty, and at least three steps ahead of everyone else in the game. He also gives Lex a companion of sorts in the form of a Lois Lane FemBot who plays the perfect Devil’s Advocate when Luthor needs someone to stop him from crossing the line. Despite this surface similarity, The Black Ring is not a cleverly disguised Doctor Who script. Lex lacks the Doctor’s benevolent spirit and his tale is ultimately about an angry man seeking godhood rather than a lonely god affirming his humanity.

Despite this heavy theme, there is much humor to be found in this series. Indeed, Gail Simone lends a hand to pen one of the middle chapters featuring her beloved Secret Six team, and the first volume features what has to be the funniest single page I’ve seen in any comic in recent memory. I won’t spoil the gag except to say that it involves combat spoons.

You read that right. Combat. Spoons.

All of this is ably illustrated by long-time Superman illustrator Pete Woods, whose work reminds me of long-time Justice League penciller Kevin Maguire. Crisp and clear, with an amazing array of expressions, all of the human characters in this series are clearly designed and crisply defined. Woods is also one of the few artists I’ve found who is capable of drawing gorillas that look both intelligent and savage at the same time.

Superman: The Black Ring, vol. 1-2
by Paul Cornell and Gail Simone
Art by Pete Woods
Vol. 1 ISBN: 9781401230333
Vol. 2 ISBN: 9781401232030
DC Comics, 2011
Publisher Age Rating: T (13+)
 

Demon Knights #0 - A Review

Demon Knights #0 gives us a look at the origins of both Jason Blood and The Demon Etrigan.  This was to be expected, given that all of the Zero Month issues are meant to be origin stories of one stripe or another.  What was unexpected, however, was the unique spin that Paul Cornell put upon this particular story.


I shan't spoil the surprising circumstances revealed within that explain precisely how and why Merlin came to bond his scribe and his demon together.  I will say that we do get a wonderful look into both character's lives and motivations before they were saddled with one another.  The bits with Etrigran attempting to boost his rank in Hell are particularly amusing, if you enjoy rhyming and beheadings as much as I do.


This issue marks the premiere of Bernard Chang on this title.  Chang proves to be a worthy replacement for Diogenes Neves, using a similarly detail-oriented style with light inking.  Chang also shows his talents as a visual storyteller, the action flowing smoothly and naturally from panel to panel.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - this book is a must-read for all fans of good comics in general and sword-and-sorcery comics in specific.  The scripts are uniformly amazing.  The artwork is always first-class.  You should be reading it, plain and simple.

Demon Knights #12 - A Review

Despite the cover of this issue giving away the secret behind the Demon Knight's current antagonist, I'm going to keep things secret and spoiler free in this review. Is this my cunning way of trying to get you to read this book if you aren't already? Perhaps.



The plot thickens as the Demon Knights travel deeper into the corrupted heart of Avalon, heading toward a final confrontation with a long-time enemy of King Arthur who is also no stranger to Madam Xanadu. There's a lot of fine details here that expand upon some of the mysteries behind Paul Cornell's creations. The fact that The Horsewoman's powers connect into The Red (the same force that Animal Man draws off of) seems obvious in retrospect but the reveal does not leave the readers feeling cheated. Full marks to Cornell for keeping the mystery about these characters without stonewalling the story flow.



I'm going to miss Diogenese Neves' work on this title. Indeed, I am hard pressed to think of any artist working today who could have captured the medieval setting of this book so well. We'll see how Bernard Chang fills his shoes starting next month. I'm not worried, though, as Chang proved an able replacement for Neves earlier in this series' run.

Fast Thoughts For The Week Of July 11, 2012

I didn't get much chance for reviewing comics this past week, what with all the San Diego Comic Con news and there's not a lot I can say about most of what I read. So here are my thoughts, in brief, on everything I didn't feel up to a full review of.


BATMAN #11 - This issue is the final chapter of The Court of Owls event that has dominated the Batman books over the last year and the final fight between Batman and one of the assassins known as The Talons is everything we could have hoped for.





If you aren't reading this book yet, I can't help but wonder about you. Sadly, unlike previous issues, there's not a lot I can say and very few scans I can show that will not give away some major spoilers. Suffice it to say Scott Snyder is writing the best Batman story in years and Greg Capullo's artwork is amazing.



DEMON KNIGHTS #11 - The plot thickens as The Demon Knights journey deeper into the heart of an corrupted Avalon. Here, most of them nearly give into the darkness and have their bodies and minds warped. Thankfully, they find an unexpected ally - the Once and Future King Arthur!



Paul Cornell and Diogenes Neves have created something truly magical with this book. It is a must-read for all fans of fantasy literature in general, sword and sorcery in particular and quirky comics in specific.



RESURRECTION MAN #11 - I wish I could say I was surprised by the news that this book had been canceled. Like Mister Terrific before it, it was unique, well-written and far too strange for the common clay of the New 52. It's too late for me to save it. It's too soon for me to mourn it. All I can do is say that I enjoyed this issue - and every issue before it - because of how Abnett and Lanning made every single issue accessible to new readers, laying the concept bare, simply and subtly.




Mitch Shelly will live on, we are told, somewhere in the DCU. We can only hope that we can get all of his story told in the time left and that his amnesia will not be a persistent thing.

Demon Knights #10 - A Review

I'm not sure what else I can do at this point to get those of you who aren't reading Demon Knights to give it a chance.

Oh!  I know!  How about I show you the greatest opening page in recent memory in any comic book ever?





This issue opens up in the middle of the action as our heroes are, indeed, attacked by a giant sea-serpent being piloted by pirates.  Hence the phrase "pirate sea serpent".  If that doesn't pique your interest even a little, I don't know what else might.

Perhaps if I were to tell you of the base concept of the book?  Demon Knights is a fantasy epic set in the medieval past of the DC Comics universe, centering upon the exploits of a group of adventurers forced together by circumstance.  Most of the characters are original though some faces may seem familiar, though the character may act much differently than we are used to seeing them act in the modern day.  Vandal Savage, for instance, is a jovial barbarian mercenary rather than a dour world conqueror.  Savage is still as outrageous and amoral as ever but writer Paul Cornell carries him off as a more villainous Conan The Cimmmerian, "with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth."   Profiles of the full team may be found in my previous review of the earlier issues.


At present time, the band has been dispatched to go to Avalon as part of an effort to revive an apparently deceased Merlin.  Naturally there is more than meets the eye to the famous wizard's death but with a party including  Merlin's former scribe (Sir Jason O' The Blood), Merlin's former pet demon (The Demon Etrigan) and Merlin's former star pupil (the sorceress Madame Xanadu) it is believed they have a better chance of finding Avalaon and Merlin's spirit than anyone else.  Of course that is before they learn of a taint filling the lands around where the waterways to Avalon once flowed - a taint that seems to come from where Camelot once stood!




Every issue thus far has been illustrated by the incomparable Diogenes Neves.  Neves' has an eye for detail that is second to none and I am hard pressed to think of any artist who could match Cornell's scripts so well.  Neves is equally capable of drawing both the dark and spooky moments, as in the above scene detailing the darkness afflicting the land as well as the more traditional fantasy action sequences that make up much of the first half of this issue.  Inkers Oclair Albert and Julio Ferreira also deserve praise, for taking such a light hand with shading Neves' pencils and allowing the original artwork to shine through.


I've said it before and I'll say it again - this book is a must read for all fans of fantasy in specific and quality comics in general.  Anyone who loves comics will love Demon Knights!