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Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3 [Review]

Posted on August 2, 2009 by Walt

Full review posted to comixtreme.com.

Story: 4/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5

Filed under: Blackest Night (Event), Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps, cxPulp.com, DC, DC Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #5 [Review]

Posted on April 11, 2009 by Walt

Graduation Day, Part 1

Writer: Landry Q. Walker
Artist: Eric Jones
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Coloring: Joey Mason
Asst. Editor: Simona Martore
Editors: Jann Jones & Elisabeth V. Gearlein
Cover: Eric Jones
Publisher: Johnny DC/DC Comics

Like most mini-series do, this one is coming to a close. In earlier issues, we’ve been introduced to a rich supporting cast of fun characters–Lena and Belinda, teachers and students, even Streaky the super-cat…as well as (of course) Superman, Lex Luthor, and even Supergirl’s parents. These characters being part of things help to define and add character to Supergirl herself, and her interactions with these characters are what makes this book work.

Having this foundation laid, this issue is billed as Graduation Day, Part 1…lending feeling to this “series finale” (though I’d hope that “season finale” will be a more appropriate term before long!). Taking elements built through the first few issues, we see payoff for a number of characters: Belinda dealing with being a duplicate of Supergirl; Lena realizing who her roommate is, Supergirl encountering her future self, even Streaky returning to play his own (rather amusing) role.

The art is perfectly consistent with earlier issues, maintaining the style and tone I’ve come to expect of this book, and havin the visual style of a contemporary cartoon series.

The story itself draws nicely on elements put in place with earlier issues, moving things to a bit of a resolution this issue. By issue’s end, a lot of the tension and conflict built up so far is dealt with, even as a new threat (that I feel I could have seen coming, but didn’t) is introduced that has loads of grat potential for the final issue.

If you’ve not been reading this series…get the collected volume when it comes out. For longtime fans of the Superman books or just those familiar with the Superman “lore,” this is a fun book for adults, and quite suitable for the younger crowd. Along with Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, these Johnny DC books are providing much more fun in comics for me today than most other comics from the big publishers.

Highly recommended!

Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Whole: 9.5/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, DC, Johnny DC, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #3 [Review]

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Walt

Writer: Landry Q. Walker
Artist: Eric Jones
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Coloring: Joey Mason
Editor: Jann Jones
Cover: Eric Jones
Publisher: Johnny DC/DC Comics

This issue opens in the 8th-grade lunchroom as Linda and Lena are eating–“banished” from fellow students. Belinda moves in and pretends to be friends, actually stirring up trouble. Linda spots danger and zips into action as Supergirl, saving the city–but gets blindsided by a second asteroid. When she wakes, she finds that all her fellow students are now pretty super, and needs to adjust to this strange new status quo.

The art in the issue is quite good–sure, it’s not Perez or Ross–but it really gives this book its own visual and tone. Moreso than many other comics, that unique tone is necessary for the story to work; and here, it does. I’m put in mind of any of a number of animated series on tv, while this does not directly adapt any existing series. The familiarity sells it, while the uniqueness makes it work.

The writing is consistent with earlier issues, and pulls one in–providing at once a story that one can pick up and read without having read the first two issues…but if you’ve read those, you’ll start seeing where things have been set up to have continuing impact on the larger story.

I recall being lukewarm on the first issue, more interested with the second issue, and at this issue, I’m sold. We have an engaging title character, silver-age elements made to seem perfectly contemporary, and a story with stuff adults can enjoy without the issue being aimed for adults. Ridiculous as some of the “drama” is, I can’t imagine it being anything but realistic, particularly for the age-range this book’s aimed at.

Recommended.

Story: 8/10
Art: 7/10
Whole: 7.5/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, DC, Johnny DC, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Faces of Evil: Deathstroke #1 [Review]

Posted on January 25, 2009 by Walt

Full review posted to comixtreme.com.

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, cxPulp.com, DC, DC Universe, Faces of Evil (Event), Faces of Evil (One Shots) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #2 [Review]

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Walt

Writer: Landry Q. Walker
Artist: Eric Jones
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Coloring: Joey Mason
Associate Editor: Adam Schlagman
Editor: Jann Jones
Cover: Eric Jones
Publisher: Johnny DC/DC Comics

This issue follows Supergirl (Linda Lee) as she deals with the introduction of a new rival who makes life quite frustrating for the young Girl of Steel.

The art is nice and consistent with a stylized cartooney appearance that really fits the story perfectly. This looks like it could be a storyboard for a rather entertaining cartoon complete with some of the classic visual trappings and exaggerations I’d expect out of a cartoon.

The story itself–with the introduction/origin/initial status quo set up for Supergirl out of the way last issue–is able to function very well as a slice of life/done-in-one adventure-in-the-8th-grade for the character, while introducing a couple characters that will likely be part of the recurring cast.

I liked this issue quite a bit–I liked it more than the previous issue, and that’s a trend I certainly enjoy with comics. There are some nice nods to mainstream DC continuity that older fans can get, while those same elements build on the character as found in these pages. A main point in this story is this anti-/opposite Supergirl character; something that is pulled off and makes much more sense as done here than it did in the main Supergirl book several years back.

If you’re looking for something to give to a younger comic fan–or someone you’re looking to turn into a comic fan–this is a great place to start.

As only the 2nd issue, if you haven’t already grabbed the first, it’d also be well worth picking up both in one go.

Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 8/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, DC, Johnny DC, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #1 [Review]

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Walt

Writer: Landry Q. Walker
Artist: Eric Jones
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Coloring: Joey Mason
Editor: Jann Jones
Cover: Eric Jones
Publisher: Johnny DC / DC Comics

While Superman battles Lex Luthor in a huge mech-armor, the villain gloats that only an other-dimensional rocket could destroy his armor. Then, lo ‘n behold, an other-dimensional rocket arrives, crashing through the armor, and from this craft comes a young Super-girl.

This is a rather cutesy start to the series, but gives a nice quick premise: we have a Supergirl arriving in a rocket from some other dimension. As the issue progresses, we get more background info about what’s brought her to the present: it’s a setup that departs a bit on some key points from what I’m aware of as her traditional background, but it does so presumably to keep things on the lighter side. This IS supposed to be a comic the younger crowd can read, and the lighter tone preserves key points of Supergirl’s situation while leaving other stuff open to future use.

The story is not bad…it felt a bit simplistic and repetetive sometimes, but I’m pretty sure that was done intentionally to lend tone to the story, capturing the feel of what Supergirl goes through trying to begin acclimating to Earth.

The art is a bit too cutesy for me…I realize it’s aimed at kids, and that I’m not the primary/target audience for this. It definitely looks like a saturday morning cartoon series I’d find–and complain about–on the Cartoon Network. This Supergirl would not be entirely out of place for me appearning in Dexter’s Lab or Powerpuff girls. As a whole, the art does definitely fit the story, and taken together, is a pretty good package.

I wouldn’t recommend this much for an adult reader with no kids to interact with on it…but as something to give to a kid (and at risk of political incorrectness, probably more the young female crowd), it’s another fine addition to the Johnny DC line…though as the first of only six issues (according to the cover), it almost seems like it could be worth waiting for a digest-sized collected edition much like what Archie produces…if DC were to do that. My rating below is based on how it hit me–a 28-year-old single male reader with no kids and no one to hand this issue off to. I’m confident it would be rated a couple points higher by someone significantly younger than me with an interest in the Super-characters.

Story: 7/10
Art: 6/10
Whole: 6.5/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2008, DC, Johnny DC, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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