Full review posted to comixtreme.com.
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Filed under: cxPulp.com, INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS, Tales of the TMNT (Mirage) | Tagged: Andres Ponce, Casey Jones, Comic Reviews, Dan Berger, Dario Brizuela, Eric Talbot, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Mirage Licensing, Mirage Publishing, Ninja Turtles, Schooled, Shadow, Steve Lavigne, Tales of the Ninja Turtles, Tales of the TMNT, Tales of the TMNT #67, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT | Leave a comment »
Will You Marry Me? part 6 of 6 – Archie Marries Betty: “Happily Ever After”
Script: Michael Uslan
Pencils: Stan Goldberg
Inks: Bob Smith
Letters: Jack Morelli
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
Managing Editor: Mike Pellerito
Editor/Editor-in-Chief: Victor Gorelick
Published by: Archie Comics
I bought into the hype from two angles. One…it was Archie #600…and the title had gotten there legitimately. No reboots or restarts and funky number-playing across multiple series that were intentionally made distinct for the purposes of renumbering, mistake or otherwise. Two…it was the story of Archie FINALLY choosing one of the girls, and doing the right thing by her. He was choosing Veronica, for better or worse (I’ve always rooted for Betty). So imagine my surprise when the story swerved at the end of Chapter 3, showing that instead of 6 issues of Archie marrying/being married to Veronica, we were actually getting two 3-parters under the banner of “__ of 6.”
Also of note is the title of the story. I’d initially thought it was “Archie Marries Veronica” based on the cover; but as said above, obviously that changed halfway through. This issue states on the cover “Archie Marries Betty” and the chapter title, as well as the “Part 6 of 6.” Inside the issue, however, we find an ad for the graphic novel Archie in “Will You Marry Me?” billed as “The complete 6-issue story arc!” at the top of the page. There’s also the fact of that ad existing–here, in the final issue of the story, the company is trying to get the reader to order the collected volume of the story they’re holding. Sure, I expected this–I bought these single issues despite knowing full well there’d be a collected edition–I had to wait for that edition on the recent Freshman Year arc, and if they collected that I knew they’d collect this. Still…the Archie books being what they are, chances are that many people buy just a random issue here and there, and so would not have all 6 chapters.
“Gripey” as that may sound, it’s not much of a gripe. This is a decent conclusion to a decent story. Why it’s not “great” is that it’s something that can’t truly matter long-term in the Archie comics without radically altering the status quo and the nature of the series. This puts me in mind of the silver-age Superman stories focusing on one of many alternate Earths; such as the one with the “Super Sons” or any where Superman actually married Lois. So, this is an “imaginary story” within the Archie universe. And as has been said of these “imaginary stories”… “Aren’t they all?”
Archie and Betty have returned to Riverdale after their year away…both to teach at the high school. They reunite with old friends, and discover a number of other changes. Jughead and Midge are married (and Jughead bought Pop’s as Pop was retiring); Moose is calm and mature…and Reggie and Veronica just got engaged. The story follows the young couple dealing with these events, and then the birth of their twins, Veronica and Reggie’s wedding, as well as life afterward–dealing with “grown-up stuff” in the form of juggling work, the kids, and some sort of social life. And then the story ends on the reverse note the 6-parter opened with…perfectly fitting.
The story is fairly simplistic and formulaic, of course. There’s some drama, but nothing that’s really drawn-out (if it were, I could imagine this one issue getting stretched to 6 issues itself!). There’s a lot of character stuff and forward momentum, and even time for that ending. While hardly complex–and certainly not apologetic about the means by which the story was achieved and then left behind–I really don’t feel cheated nor let down. Heck, this story is one that would make a great tv mini-series of sorts…basically do a pair of movies that make the one big movie. One movie for each of the girls as the bride of Archie. It’d be great if the story was “timeless,” but there are some elements thrown in that date the story–including a reference to “stimulus money,” which firmly roots this in the present. Aside from those references, though, the story is fairly timeless, not actually giving any hard dates for things…just a walk on Memory Lane.
The art is standard Archie style; none of the “New Look” stuff (good as those stories are). The only real complaint I have with the art is the cover–something about Archie’s proportions seems “off” a bit, and overall, he doesn’t look quite right, and I’m not sure why.
I don’t recommend specifically seeking this issue out if you haven’t either been following since #600, or #603. However, if you’re at all a fan of Archie, Betty, and/or Veronica…I highly recommend considering the graphic novel.
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
Filed under: Archie (Archie Comics), Comic Reviews 2010, INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: archie, Archie 605, Archie Comics, Archie Marries Betty, Archie Marries Veronica, Betty, Bob Smith, Comic Reiews, Glenn Whitmore, Jack Morelli, Jughead, Michael Uslan, Midge, MIke Pellerito, Moose, Stan GOldberg, Veronica, Victor Gorelick, Will You Marry Me | Leave a comment »
Full review posted to comixtreme.com.
Story: 4/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Filed under: cxPulp.com, INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS, Tales of the TMNT (Mirage) | Tagged: Comic Reviews, comics, Dan Berger, Eric Talbot, Foot Clan, foot ninja, Jim Lawson, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Mirage Comics, Mirage Publishing, Ninja Turtles, Peter Laird, Steve Lavigne, Tales of the TMNT, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, Tristan Jones | Leave a comment »
Doubleduck
Written by: Fausto Vitaliano
Art by: Andrea Freccero
Editor: Aaron Sparrow
Assistant Editor: Christopher Burns
Translator: Saida Temofonte
Letterer: Jose Macasocol Jr.
Cover A&B: Andrea Freccero
Designer: Erika Terriquez
I do believe that this is the first-ever “new” issue of a Donald Duck comic I’ve bought. I wasn’t really sure what to expect of this purchase, but after years of having to pass on Gemstone’s Duck comics for pricing, I wanted to pick this up to at least give it a look-see. As usua. I’m not thrilled at the use of variant covers, but at least both ‘regular’ covers were in stock on the lunch hour I used to visit the comic store, so I was afforded a choice between the two (hint: I went with the one you see with this review).
Glancing inside the issue, the interior art is vastly different from the cover art–the cover actually gives Donald an “edgy” sort of look, kinda like what you might expect of a comic called “Donald Duck Extreme.” The interior visuals seem rather soft and simplistic by comparison. However, while the art was really pretty “standard” I liked it. The characters seem to be depicted in what I imagine could be compared to the “house style” for the Archie characters; the “generic” style works well in keeping everyone recognizeable and I could almost visualize character “templates.” One character put me in mind of Herb from Darkwing Duck–I could hear that voice as I read the character’s word balloons.
The story itself is fairly ridiculous: Donald falls asleep at a James Pond movie, so Daisy gets upset and goes off with someone else for the rest of the night. Donald is recognized as “Double Duck,” and eventually comes to find himself with an unlikely situation–and a choice to make.
Though the potential for a lot more violence is there, things are really pretty toned down. This reminds me very much of what I’ve always enjoyed with a lot of the Disney characters, especially the classic “Disney Afternoon” shows: that simple, classic characters can be retooled into other roles that are interesting and yet maintain the essential “character” that draws you to ’em.
That “347” on the cover makes this feel like what it is: a leap into the depths of the lake to see how the water is there. It’s a first issue without all the trappings of a traditional debut issue; it’s simply a story per likely standard fare; the reader is assumed to be able to pick it up and enjoy it without it having to be some fresh start.
The story itself and the visual style with numerous panels on every page made for a much more satisfying read, with more story than many other comics these days hold.
This is the first of at least 2 parts, which is a little unfortunate–picking this issue up, one will need to invest in at least one more to complete the story. At the same time, this issue is enjoyable enough that I fully intend to snag the next issue to see where things go.
Recommended.
Story: 8/10
Art: 6/10
Whole: 7/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, Donald Duck and Friends (Boom! Kids), INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: Aaron Sparrow, Andrea Freccero, boom kids, Boom!, Boom! Studios, Christopher Burns, Comic Reviews, Daisy Duck, Disney, Disney Comics, donald duck, Donald Duck and Friends, Double Duck, Doubleduck, Erika Terriquez, Fausto Vitaliano, Gladstone, Jose Macasocol, Saida Temofonte | Leave a comment »
Written by: Greg Rucka
Illustrated by: Matthew Southworth
Colored by: Lee Loughridge
Design by: Keith Wood
Edited by: James Lucas Jones
Published by: Oni Press
This comic begins on some high action, much like many made-for-tv movies I recall from my youth…and from the initial climax we’re taken back to a day or so earlier where the story really begins, and follow events through to the opening pages, and then on to the rest of the issue’s story.
We’re introduced to Dex, a private investigator with a gambling issue. Having racked up plenty of debt, she’s offered a job that–rather than her being paid she’s to take in exchange for her gambling debt being forgiven. She’s sent to find the granddaughter of a powerful woman; and quickly discovers that there are other interested parties.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, but figured it’s the first issue of a new series, so why not? I’d give it a look-see. I’m no fan of the $3.99 price point, but I found myself toward the later part of the issue turning each page expecting to see the first page of a lotta pages of ads. Yet, to my surprise, the story just kept right on going up to the 2nd to last page in the issue. So while this carries that $4 price, it’s a lengthy read, which is quite satisfying.
THe art has a very stylistic feel to it. The color and linework is a bit gritty, and there’s a lot of color shift for tone throughout the issue. Flipping through it, there are multiple page segments that have an overall blue tone or a green, or black and white, and what-have-you. I didn’t really notice it as I read, but this shifting played a nice role in setting scenes apart and setting the mood in each.
The character and her immediate supporting cast come across as fairly stereotypical and formulaic; the situation she finds herself in is also rather cliche.
But somehow, I don’t really have a problem with that. I was pulled into the story, and as with most things: a foundation must be put in place to build upon. This issue has the introduction to the characters and settings, and sure they’re generic right now–but I’m confident from past enjoyment of Rucka’s work that there’ll be more information in the next few issues to make these characters unique and move them beyond mere stereotype.
While I often use the comparison, this was like both a made for tv movie in structure…but works quite well as a pilot episode, introducing things, posing questions to the audience, and leaving me interested in what comes next.
If you like this sort of PI drama, or Rucka’s work, or the art, or any combination of those I highly recommend this. As-is on its own it’s a decent piece of work, worth the $4 cover price to check it out and decide your own feelings on the issue.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 7.5/10
Whole: 8/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS, Stumptown (Oni Press) | Tagged: Comic Reviews, Greg Rucka, James Lucas Jones, Keith Wood, Lee Loughridge, Matthew Southworth, Oni, Oni Press, Stumptown | Leave a comment »
Archie Marries Veronica, part 2: The Wedding
Script: Michael Uslan
Pencils: Stan Goldberg
Inks: Bob Smith
Letters: Jack Morelli
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
Managing Editor: Mike Pellerito
Editor/Editor-in-Chief: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Goldberg and Smith
Publisher:Archie Comic Publications
Second issue in, and the story’s even better (perhaps because we’re into the thick of things, with no silly walk-UP-memory-lane as the vehicle to facilitate an “easy out” of this major story).
This issue sees the wedding itself of Archie and Veronica, with a lot of great moments, cliche though some may be. We see Archie and his groomsmen dealing with the woes of tux-fitting, while Veronica and her bridesmaids have a fitting of their own. The couple-to-be shares some concern over what their future is to be. Then we get the “core scene” of the issue in the wedding–with a double-page splash of the big moment, a couple of full-page shots, and then a montage (including the classic Archies’ song “Sugar, Sugar”) that perfectly captures “a wedding.” The tail end of the issue moves the story ahead a year as we find the newlyweds facing another new step in their lives as Veronica shares some significant news with her husband.
All told, there’s not too much to be said on the art on the surface. It’s got that classic Archie style to it, and all the characters seem perfectly recognizeable to me–even if I couldn’t tell you their names offhand, they’re visually familiar from one thing or another of Archie I’ve read in the past. The declaration of the newly married couple and the full-page panels that followed reminded me of the Superman Wedding Album issue and took me out of the story a bit, as I noticed these as being those (newly) “iconic” images that would seem more appropriate for marketing than within the pages of this story. Still, one does not really get to have those double-page splashes, even for huge/important moments in real life…so getting them in a comic isn’t that bad a thing–especially as double-page splashes or even a full-page image seem such a rarity for an Archie book (in fact, I can’t think of any Archie story in the past that has had such pages).
The story itself isn’t terribly complex…but it definitely rings true to life. I’ve been to a number of weddings the last few years as a number of friends have gotten married, and the montage found in this issue made it easy to connect to the characters and the experience. There’s still some drama and conflict…even questions…as the story goes along, but they seem to be the usual sort of human drama…wondering how relationships will be affected, or seeing the various relationships play out in the shadow of an event as important to two lives as a wedding is.
What struck me as particularly interesting with this issue is the Betty/Veronica relationship. The two have always been rivals–one might argue that the rivalry is built into the fabric of the characters themselves in the Archie-verse– but I’m not used to seeing them portrayed as having such meaning to one another…that this is played up a bit does great credit toward making the characters more well-rounded and believable.
All the good of the issue not to say it’s without cliche…there’s nothing particularly shocking–even the issue’s end (while done as a cliffhanger) is only natural in a story like this. The nature of the story at hand allows for such huge things since we’re invariably going to be returned to the status quo after this arc is complete. But while I’m confident I see what the ending will be since the beginning of the arc, the ride is still very enjoyable–so much so that I’m honestly probably going to be disappointed to see the status quo return.
Perhaps Archie comics are aimed at kids…but these are not “just” for kids by ANY means. I’m a 28-year-old male…and I’m enjoying this arc as much or more than most other comics I’m reading these days. If you can find the first isue of this arc, I highly recommend giving the story a chance…whether you’ve ever read an Archie book before or not, if you know anything of the characters, you should have no trouble following right along.
While the story and art taken alone don’t rank quite as highly…this issue’s rating is based on the whole, which is greater than the parts.
Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 9/10
Filed under: Archie (Archie Comics), Comic Reviews 2009, INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: archie, Archie Comics, Archie gets married, Archie Marries Veronica, Archies, Betty, Bob Smith, Comic Reviews, comics, Glenn Whitmore, Jack Morelli, Michael Uslan, MIke Pellerito, Stan GOldberg, The Wedding, Veronica, Victor Gorelick | Leave a comment »
Laugh Factory
Writer: Paul Benjamin
Art & Color: Amy Bebberson
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Cover A & B: Amy Mebberson
Cover C: Jake Myler
Editors: Paul Morrisey & Aaron Sparrow
Publisher: Boom!Kids
It’s honestly been years since I’ve seen the movie this is based on. The characters look familiar, but other than Mike and SUlley, I couldn’t remember any of the names of any of the other characters. Still, I wanted to give it a shot, given it’s a first issue, I recalled enjoying the movie, and of course, I wanted to support a new comic from a smaller publisher with a $2.99 price tag.
The issue’s story is not all that deep–it basically reintroduces readers to the status quo left at the end of the film–that this company that used to generate power for the monster city with the sound of Earth-childrens’ fear has converted to gathering laughter as a power source instead–having discovered laughter to be far more efficient than fear. We witness the trappings of the film–the monsters in this plant using portals to reach Earth kids from their closets, and inspiring laughter which is sent back to the plant and harnessed for power.
The issue’s conflict comes from some monsters finding their props coming up missing, and then they’re found in Mike’s locker, though he claims he didn’t take them. Sulley–who has risen to the foreman position in charge of things is put in an awkward spot as others leap to conclusions, putting words into his mouth, etc. And of course, even Randall is back to cause trouble.
The story’s not terribly complex or deep, but it moves along at a quick pace. We do get a full story here, with the ending fitting things well, and no “to be continued” to be found (instead, we’re given a small text box reading “The End.” signifying this specific story’s concluded).
The art’s not bad, and definitely captures the primary visuals of the characters. As this is a 2-D comic and the movie was CGI…there’s plenty of differences stylistically. I’m quite satisfied, though, with the way the characters appear–they’re quite recognizeable, and there’s plenty in the way of facial expressions that really add depth to the characters that simple words wouldn’t.
I think kids who enjoyed the movie will enjoy this–even adults ought to be mildly entertained by it. Having enjoyed the film when it was out and hving fond memories attached regarding who I saw it with, this was a nice bit of nostalgia. I see no reason not to pick up the next issue, but at the same time there’s not an ongoing story prompting me to follow into the next issue for the story’s continuation.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 7.5/10
Whole: 7.5/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS, Monsters Inc. (Boom! Kids) | Tagged: Aaron Sparrow, AMy Bebberson, Amy Mebberson, Boom!, Boom! Studios, Boom!Kids, Disney, Jake Myler, Monsters Inc, Paul Benjamin, Paul MOrrisey, Pixar, Troy Peteri | Leave a comment »
Archie Marries Veronica, part 1: The Proposal
Script: Michael Uslan
Pencils: Stan Goldberg
Inks: Bob Smith
Letters: Jack Morelli
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
Managing Editor: Mike Pellerito
Editor/Editor-in-Chief: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Goldberg and Smith
I missed out on the LAST “event” in the Archie title–Freshman Year. Though I ultimately snagged the collected volume, and generally prefer collected volumes…this was a story I decided I’d go ahead and try the single issue(s).
We begin at the end of the kids’ high school career–graduation day is upon them–and see them reacting to the impending changes to their lives. We get what seems to me an incredibly stupid/cliched plot device to hop a few years into the future to the gang all just about to graduate from college. With all the changes about to happen, Archie proposes to Veronica (who accepts) and the wedding-planning goes into full-swing while Mr. Lodge begins planning Archie’s job/career (having hired Archie to ensure the kid can afford to take care of his daughter).
The story is really pretty simple…but there’s a surprising amount of depth hinted at…stuff that probably won’t jump off the page at anyone, but for someone who has been through a high school graduation/friend-dispersal and two college graduations and all the changes that come with ’em…it’s easy to identify with the mood if not specific characters. I actually expected this story to be half an issue, tops…with some sort of backup shorts to fill the issue out…that this six-issue-arc would maybe be what I’d normally consider 2-3 issues’ worth of content as to the Archie-Marries-Veronica, anyway. Instead, this is the entire contents of the issue–from first page to last, it’s an ongoing narrative…something I’m not used to with Archie books.
THe art is really not distinctive…it’s in the classic “Archie style” (as opposed to the “New Look” that gives the characters a more real-world appearance). If you’ve seen any Archie comic, you probably know the “Archie style.” It’s what you picture when you think of the character or the supporting cast. Simplistic, sure, but the characters have their individual appearances that make them recognizeable if not downright iconic (such as Jughead with that crown of his). Given the classic style, that this doesn’t seem to break from that, I have no qualms whatever with the art…it simply is what it is, providing the look/feel I’m used to with Archie books.
On the whole, this was quite the enjoyable book. It’s been years since I’ve read any longform Archie stories (the shorts/one-pagers being what I’m used to from the occasional digest picked randomly in more recent years), and this issue has me chomping at the bit to see what comes next. That stupid/cliched plot device–while being what it is–is quickly forgotten as the real story kicks off (yet I’m pretty sure that plot device is going to be important to the resolution at the end of this arc–to restore the status quo I’m sure the publisher will not permantently deviate from.)
This would seem to be a great jumping-on point for new or lapsed readers as well as the ongoing readers. There’s also the fact that this is quite the anniversary issue–#600 to be exact–and said anniversary is celebrated by beginning this story, rather than by extra pages, variant covers, higher prices, or other what-have-yous. It’s a standard-size issue for the standard price ($2.50) which makes it quite a deal in the current comics market.
Highly recommended!
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
Whole: 9/10
Filed under: Archie (Archie Comics), Comic Reviews 2009, INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: archie, Archie 600, Archie Comics, Archie gets married, Archie Marries Veronica, Betty, Bob Smith, Comic Reviews, comics, Glenn Whitmore, Jack Morelli, Michael Uslan, MIke Pellerito, Stan GOldberg, The Proposal, Veronica, Victor Gorelick | Leave a comment »
Full review posted to comixtreme.com.
Story: 4/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Filed under: cxPulp.com, INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS, Tales of the TMNT (Mirage) | Tagged: Andres Ponce, Comic Reviews, cxPulp.com, Dan Berger, Eric Talbot, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Mirage Publishing, Ninja Turtles, Peter Laird, Steve Lavigne, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, Tristan Jones | Leave a comment »
Reef Rescue Part 2
Written by: Marie Croall
Art: Erica Leigh Currey
Colors: Erica Leigh Currey
Letters: Marshall Dillon
Editor: Paul Morrissey
Covers: Amy Mebberson, Erica Leigh Currey
Publisher: Boom! Studios
This second issue of a 4-issue mini leaves plenty to be desired. At the same time, it’s a charming, mostly fun read. While I come to this as an adult reader, for the target audience–kids/fans of Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo, this seems a great revisit to the characters.
The story itself seems simplistic enough: the reef Nemo and Marlin & co. live in is dying. It’s up to them to find out why, and save their home. (See? Reef Rescue. Save the reef. Makes sense.)
This issue reintroduces the supporting cast of fish from the Australian dentist’s fishtank, as well as reveals the source of the reef’s ailment. Amidst the action we get plenty of in-character lines and references that–particularly when one pictures the movie–work quite well.
Visually, the characters are very recognizeable from their movie version (though for some reason, Marlin’s fins just seem HUGE to me in this issue).
Ultimately, this seems a good series for younger readers in particular, though adult fans ought to enjoy it quite well, also. THe price tag is a bit much, but still relatively cheap compared to many other comics these days.
I suspect this’ll be available as a collected volume before long, and so you may want to wait for that version. Still…there’s something to having a low-key book like this to snag each month for 1/3 of the year.
Recommended.
Story: 6.5/10
Art: 6.5/10
Whole: 7/10
Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, Finding Nemo (Boom! Kids), INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS | Tagged: Amy Mebberson, Boom!, Boom! Studios, Comic Reviews, Disney, Erica Leigh Currey, Finding Nemo, Finding Nemo: Reef Rescue, Marie Croall, Marshall Dillon, Nemo, Paul Morrissey, Pixar, Reef Rescue | Leave a comment »
Comic Reviews by Walt 