GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #3/GODHEAD Wrap-up Report

Writer: Robert Venditti
Artist: Mark Irwin
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche

While I’m using this specific final issue of the Green Lantern’s epic “Godhead” series crossover, I’m also hoping to harness their galactic willpower to make comic readers understand that the entire snack bag of skittles superheroes has remained one of the pulse-pounding adrenaline rushes of the New DC. I also don’t use the word epic lightly (or ever, actually), but I believe I am just in this often overused cry of adoration. When a series can A) reveal in the utmost clarity a key universal lynchpin B) cover the span of time and space C) make the seemingly undefeatable believably fall to their knees and D) bring characters home while sending others on new journeys…epic is really the only word that fits.

And simply to pick a new group to slapsies with, DC’s “Godhead” is a hell of a lot clearer than that holy trinity nonsense shoved down my throat as a child. I buy the concept of Kyle Rayner, Highfather and Darkseid as universal lynchpins over a freaking pigeon and the ghost without Mrs. Muir.

At the universal level, I was almost shocked to learn that New Genesis and Apokolips are pretty much planet-sized slip ships within the universal Bleed. For anyone who has been dead the past year, The Bleed is that mucus membrane stuff transposed from the pages of THE AUTHORITY to act as the cytoplasm between universal cells that exist on Morrison’s multiversity map. This means that it was the same Darkseid who got his ass kicked on Earth-Prime that was simultaneously kicking the ass of Earth-2. It’ll make your head spin if you think of these activities from our ohhhh soooo one dimensional perspective of the universe. However, “Godhead” presents an interesting concept that actually makes me hate the initial run of JUSTICE LEAGUE a wee less. If Darkseid is all places at all times, it makes perfect sense we only saw him for one fucking panel in the first JL arc. This bitch is busy wreaking havoc across all 52 universes, so leeway has been granted.

Now we finally see the other inevitable side of the 4th world equation – New Genesis. While a brief glimpse was offered in the pages of WONDER WOMAN as Orion tried to woo away the other new God of War from Superman, I simply don’t count that shit. Azzarello created an amazing yarn, but really did stick a Peter David-like middle finger up at the constraints of continuity and editorial edict. Bad boys rule…but they will be forgotten if the universal drumbeat is louder. In this case, I believe WB edicts will prove to be the posterity victor for history. All the first appearance of Orion did was justify why he talks like an epic “D’oh Bro” in this run. Again, not something I have a problem with given my deep reading of most DC books. An older Pre-52 fan, though, may not get the joke. It’s a dangerous gamble, to be sure, but ultimately a side nit to the grandeur of “Godhead”.

As for the New Genesis motivation in causing a ring riot, well, that’s because Earth Prime (By the by, the “Earth” nomenclature gets really fucking silly in space titles, DC…just sayin’) is the only place in the universe to tap that sweet white light ass o’ life energy. After all, if Darkseid has concentrated death coursing through his veins, then a little white penicillin is just what the doctor ordered, no? Well, yes. But the devil is in the details, as Lanterns die across multiple colors and sectors as every title moved from the defensive to the offensive.

I fear another leap of reading will be required for most fans to get the “Godhead” goodness, and that is all of the GREEN LANTERN titles and RED LANTERN books post-Johns. Like the religious Godhead, the glory of Johns was truly split into equally divine pieces between Venditti, Soule and Jordan as they traversed the beginning of time with “Relic” and established a kinder and gentler pack of New Guardians. They also allowed for Kyle Rayner to rise like Hal Jordan once did to the status of martyr. Since Johns bid adieu to the RGB world, Kyle (aka our favorite Frigidaire fiend for all time) filled the universal life well anew and resurrected as the wielder of White Life Light (sounds like a Neil Diamond song, sorry), and babysat toddler-like Guardians who were released as the final swan song of the “est Nights” from the aught years of this new millennium.

With this catch-up in place, “Godhead” is better. I will say, though, if you haven’t been around since Johns said c’ya, even a modicum of ring-wielding knowledge is all you need to be engaged. I was transfixed, but I have ridden the whole journey including the pages of the Red Lantern Corps once Supergirl joined them. And while I came for Lara, I stayed once I saw Guy Gardner was back to being an amazeballs juxtaposition of douche and deity once again. I’m glad I came back into the fold, because those pages were essential to my Godhead enjoyment since each book truly carried varying emotional elements of the whole series:

Highfather was Hal Jordan’s problem for a leader reborn moment in each of the men (after a proper tearing down of both egos, of course).

Red Lantern was the hunt for redemption.

Over in GLC Jon Stewart finally fesses up to the fact he is always going to be a destroyer. His sniper time on New Genesis was as much hella fun as it was introspective.

SINESTRO was so brimming with fear I couldn’t even pick it up off the shelves. OK, that’s a lie, I don’t like the series and sort of resent it as I once did RED LANTERN for being needless in the overall continuity of the universe or sub-universe. I don’t feel any lacking in my “Godhead” enjoyment for missing it, either. If someone wants to convince me why I should give a shit, this Douche is all ears.

While DC perpetually tries to reignite space title interest and fails with every Stormwatch reshuffle, I wonder why they don’t use what they have to expand interstellar reach? Surely Midnighter would have been a better foil for Guy Gardner than festering in Singapore. Also, with the Multiverse finally being recognized some lanterns of other power wells would be more than welcome for an incursion. “Godhead” shows that DC can find its way when cohesion remains ahead of cross-sells to other mediums.

When Optimous isn't reviewing comics he is making the IT words chortle and groan with marketing for MaaS360, enterprise mobility management www.maas360.com. He also has a comic coming out sometime soon, for updates head to robpatey.com.

THEY ARE NOT LIKE US #1

Writer: Eric Stephenson
Artist: Simon Gane
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: Humphrey Lee

Even though we are now in an era of mass electronic connectivity, it also seems like we are further apart from each other than ever. I know it’s a mass generalization and maybe there’s some studies to show I’m peddling bullshit, but being a person who has internet access and uses it way too much to read shit that discusses what I’m getting at, it feels like what I’m getting at has some merit. That merit is that the more we seem connected into our social devices we become less sociable. We see our friends physically less even though we (sometimes) read their wall updates every day. Interactions with strangers to potentially make even more connections end up coming through comments sections, which in turn will turn your soul blacker than an eclipse-filled sky, and in turn make you long even more for the comfort of your four walls and LCD monitor screen. Now take that alienated feeling and apply a superpower to it like, say, telepathy, and imagine how cacophonous the world would become with you being uniquely excluded from it and yet have it constantly crashing in on you every second of every day.

Fifty-plus years ago in comic book history we saw a group of super-powered, alienated youths come together under the tutelage of a bald man in a wheel chair for protection from a world that would fear and hate them once they knew they existed and to learn how to control their special abilities. THEY’RE NOT LIKE US is the modern equivalent of that scenario, but less a comic book commentary on the civil rights movement and more a slightly melancholy coming-of-age tale, at least from what I gathered out of this debut. THEY’RE NOT LIKE US starts off harrowing enough, with a young blonde girl on the metaphorical and physical edge. Tortured by a non-stop barrage of voices she cannot block out of her brain while conscious, she has opted to go with permanent unconsciousness until, surprise, we get an enigmatic figure stepping in to pull her back from the ledge.

Except he doesn’t do that, exactly, and he’s kind of a dick. While our blonde protagonist – who later gets the moniker “Syd” – is engulfed in her internal struggle she is confronted with a scruffy, shaggy-haired, three-piece suited hipster version of a John Constantine type more than a Professor X. He gives her a little bit of the “you are not alone” rites but instead of the slow, tearful withdraw from her doom you usually expect in a situation such as this we watch Syd fall, then wake up in a hospital bed with Mr. Floppy Hair there to greet her in the hallways. What follows is an intriguing mix of hopefulness and cynicism, as you would kind of expect from a modern day, fresh start approach to an X-Men premise but with an insidious side that probably should come from that same modern tilt, because everything is secretly insidious these days.

What makes THEY’RE NOT LIKE US an intriguing pull is the unexpected progression and how it has those familiar themes and likes to rope-a-dope you with its version of them, so to speak. Like I said before, where you expect genre tropes to take you is not always the case here. The last resort suicide plan you figure ends in a moving speech to bring Syd back from the ledge really involves our Scruffy Prof X instead being somewhat smug and Syd going for it. After this moment we get a hospital escape that you would expect involves some superpower-induced shenanigans to help pull Syd out of the frying pan – and it does – but we also get some more Hipster X douchiness as he elbows a female nurse in the throat. And once we get to your obligatory mansion home of freaks and outcasts, who are really just more normal-looking kids like Syd with some their own sets of abilities, things immediately feel safe and comforting, until Mr. X kind of lets Syd – after giving her that name as part of a new identity – know that the next step to her new life is to literally kill the leftover parts of her old one.

The brunt of the draw of this debut may come from these little twists, but they are interesting and important enough. Having your mentor be a bit of a smarmy douche after decades of his inspirational character being the ultimate father figure is an amusing and disturbing enough of a change, let alone how far that darker edge ends up playing out by the end of this issue. While the cast of powered outcasts we eventually – albeit briefly – get introduced to are not physical freaks we see having stones tossed at by fearful masses, you get an air of timidness and trepidation about them. Given the actions and some of the words put forth by Mr. X, who knows if this congregation is bracing itself against the threat of the outside world because of their difference from it, or from the man who is providing them shelter from it all? It’s an interesting line of possibility at least.

Mainly, what makes this premiere a good -- not great, mind you, but very good – piece of groundwork is that it provokes all those emotions. The overwhelming despair Syd is feeling at the beginning, transferring to a sense of unease, then hope and acceptance, then back to shock and confusion is a right proper rollercoaster of emotions you want a project like this to envelop you with. And Simon Gane’s art is just the perfect match to drive these feelings home, with a very detailed and expressive style that carries itself with a raggedness about it. Even with the upbeat moments you get an air of unease, like with an abused pet. They may finally be letting their guard down, but they flinch at everything. And I’m interested in seeing what those flinch inducers will be, whether it be the tried and true public that hates and fears them or if it’s going to be something more malicious and malignant from within. Regardless, the tone is right, the art is top notch, and it pulls at some emotional strings that I feel are highly relatable to most, especially in our community and current society. They may not be like us, but they are an intriguing microcosm for us.

Humphrey Lee has been an avid comic book reader going on fifteen years now and a contributor to Ain't It Cool comics for quite a few as well. In fact, reading comics is about all he does in his free time and where all the money from his day job wages goes to - funding his comic book habit so he can talk about them to you, our loyal readers (lucky you). He's a bit of a social networking whore, so you can find him all over the Interwebs on sites like Twitter, Facebookand a blog where he also mostly talks about comics with his free time because he hasn't the slightest semblance of a life. Sad but true, and he gladly encourages you to add, read, and comment as you will.

ATOMIC COMICS #1

Writers: Scott Beecher, Jason Nancarrow, Richard Strickland
Artists: Scott Beecher, Mike Wolfman, Jose Ramirez, Jake Ewing
Publisher: Unearthly Comics
Reviewer: BottleImp

Another indie title joins the ranks of the sci fi/horror comics on the stands with the first issue of the anthology ATOMIC TALES. I have to admit, I’ve got a soft spot for both this genre and the anthology format, the granddaddy of both being EC’s classic TALES FROM THE CRYPT, WEIRD SCIENCE and their respective brethren. Over the half a century since EC made the mold and proceeded to break it, there have been many slavish disciples and shameless imitators that have come and gone, and I’m always on the lookout for new comics trying to fill the sizeable shoes worn by Gaines, Feldstein and their cadre of exceptional artists. ATOMIC TALES, to be blunt, is a far cry from the high standards set by its forbears. But what the comic lacks in terms of execution, it makes up for in sheer style.

Four science fiction stories and one horror tale make up this premiere issue (plus a nifty pin-up). I’ll give the writers points for coming up with plots that eschew the space-adventure clichés; the stories in ATOMIC TALES feel more akin to the New Wave sci fi that emerged in the late 1950s and early ‘60s than the gung-ho space westerns that popularized the comics and pulp magazines of yore. The stories here are all pretty trippy—tales of astronauts mutated by alien environments, having their consciousness scattered into the infinite by singularities in space, and being transformed by unexpected extraterrestrial encounters. This mood is enhanced by the book’s artwork…which is a decidedly mixed bag.

The actual linework ranges from serviceable to amateurish—in short, what you’d generally expect from an indie book these days. What saves the artwork and elevates the lesser pages is ATOMIC COMICS’ sense of style that I mentioned earlier. This comic fully embraces the retro sci fi aesthetic in its color and text design. I’m a big fan of fonts, and ATOMIC COMICS (especially the title lettering) is a great example of using interesting and appropriate fonts to add to the overall tone of the book. And the coloring is also done with a retro-flair, with halftone patterns used throughout. Are they a little heavy-handed sometimes? Sure, but I’ll give the artists an E for effort here.

The best thing about this issue of ATOMIC TALES is that the series shows definite promise. The creators obviously have a unique vision for their work, and having a vision is what sets great comics apart from the mediocre masses. ATOMIC COMICS isn’t great yet, but I’m willing to give it time to see how it grows.

When released from his bottle, the Imp transforms into Stephen Andrade, an artist/illustrator/pirate monkey painter from New England. He's currently hard at work interpreting fellow @$$Hole Optimous Douche's brainwaves and transforming them into pretty pictures on AVERAGE JOE, an original graphic novel to be published by Com.x. You can see some of his artwork here.

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Carlos Pacheco
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: DrSumac

When you consider the success that comic book-based movies and TV shows have had over the last several years, it's interesting to see how Marvel and DC have both taken radically different approaches to how the comics themselves respond to that. Dan DiDio from DC has said that he thinks that the comics need to stay ahead of the movies, which seems more based on pride than business sense. I really don't understand why one of the five or so Batman books couldn't be based on the Dark Knight movies. Fans still speculate about what other classic characters might be like in that universe, and the movies are done anyhow. It would literally sell itself. The New 52 was also a great opportunity to reshape the characters to resemble their popular appearances from film and television, but seem to have taken the opposite approach in many cases, like Starfire, who they made into a sex kitten rather than the sweet and caring girl from the Teen Titans cartoon.

Marvel, on the other hand, has taken a radically different though in some cases equally damaging direction. They canceled FANTASTIC FOUR (and even killed off the actors from the new movie in an issue of THE PUNISHER) to possibly undermine the film, Wolverine was similarly killed, and most notably Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are no longer mutants so that neither of them can be used in future X-Men movies. Sure these seem like subtle tactics to some, but the fans who have taken notice are understandably upset. On the plus side, Iron Man's personality changed for the better once Robert Downey Jr. started to play him, and of course Agent Coulson has been floating around the comics for a few years now.

With S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 other characters from the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show like May, Fitz, and Simmons have also been brought into Earth 616, and honestly I think it's a smart move. The show has really found itself in season two, and I'm sure many fans want to be able to go into a comic shop to read more about these characters. Unlike network television, the comics can make use of the full range characters from the Marvel Universe and don't have the same budget concerns, so in a sense the comic is more true to S.H.I.E.L.D. than the show it's based on is. It's pretty meta when you think about it.

This first issue focuses largely on Coulson himself, who has been translated to comics as the ultimate superhero fanboy that managed to get his dream job of working with superheroes on a daily basis. I think it works well, and it's fun to read because we can all sort of put ourselves in that situation. Imagine you suddenly lived in the world of your favorite comic and all of the heroes in it listened to what you had to say; that's Agent Coulson.

The other characters like Fitz, Simmons, and particularly May don't get as much development, but that's sure to change as the series progresses. The issue also wisely includes characters from the cinematic universe like Heimdall, so fans that only know the show and the movies would probably feel comfortable reading this even if they don't know all of the other cameo characters. In fact, this could easily become the perfect comic to get people introduced to the Marvel comic universe, which I'm sure is by design. It seems like it will also take advantage of various guest appearances as it goes forth, since there were a lot in this issue and the next one features Ms. Marvel, who very well may be as much of a superhero fan as Coulson is.

Comparatively to the show, we get the same occasional bits of humor and a sense that there is a larger mystery going on behind the scenes. I think it would be smart to build off of the show more, and hope that they bring in other characters like Ward, Agent Koenig(s) or Raina to see how they would fit in the 616. it would also be great if Mockingbird or Quake could join the team, since they are established comic characters that are also on the show and that would tie both universes together nicely.

My one complaint about S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 is that the art doesn't quite look like the actors those characters are based on. You can tell what they were going for, but it might be off-putting and a little confusing to fans of the show. In the end, though, I would recommend this for fans of either universe, and it seems like a particularly good comic to get fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe started on.

How did you like this comic? Please comment below or contact drsumac at drsumac.tumblr.com!

OLD DOG Webseries

Writer: B. Clay Moore
Art: Christopher Mitten
Find out more about this webseries here!
Reviewer: Morbidlyobesefleshdevouringcat

It's a new year, and of course in all the neoteric fashion of what a fresh calendar pinned to the kitchen wall insinuates, we're all likely scribbling down or button pushing into our gadgets resolutions to become a brand new person. But for OLD DOG's Jackson Boxer, it simply means relocating to a new city without any of the ostentatious symbolisms of the physical changes.

Exploring the crime genre through a standard narrative, OLD DOG, formulated by creative team B. Clay Moore and Christopher Mitten, guts out a full-bodied first issue. Encapsulating reader empathy, the comic follows Jackson Boxer, an-ex cop during the prime of Chicago's prohibition era who now finds himself in Los Angeles doing the exact same thing, proving that you really can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Unfortunately, Boxer as a character is rooted in stereotypes. He exemplifies the standard antihero archetype, the dirty cop whose actions aren't completely contingent on moral values which in the end leads to the loss of his family. It appears as though most of his characteristics are just taken from other characters regularly seen in the genre. There is humanity permeating in Boxer, though. Not simply an incredibly aged man from his loss and action on the force, Boxer has a fairly distinct voice in the comic, and a scene shows Boxer avenging a group of bootleggers who are wrongly shot by another officer, providing huge personality traits.

Moore's strength here is his pacing and his ability to fluidly bring the reader from scene to scene without redundancies or awkward placements, adding texture to the plot. Being only the first issue, the plot isn't particularly memorable, but still bodes well as a first issue. Moore's attention to the crime genre is well executed in the distinct voices that the characters have. The comic strongly maintains historical accuracy, exuding similar wit and humor that is associated with these narratives.

What truly makes OLD DOG a rambunctious piece in the comics medium is the art. Mitten, as an artist as a well as a colorist on the piece, is absolutely sublime. With starchy, almost erratic inks, Mitten avoids spending too much time on fully detailed scenes or backgrounds except when necessary, a nice emphasis on the heavy themes. Although the angles of some of the panels can be slightly tedious and cumbersome, this is easily overlooked by Mitten's choice of coloring technique. Invoking similarities to the graphic novel ASTERIOS POLYP, Mitten uses flat colors to manifest character emotion, both towards the reader as well as the characters themselves.

The colors themselves aren't completely flat, either. What appears to be rough brush strokes ae embedded within the blues and reds with added white splotches. The simplicity of this inadvertently adds movement and essence to the overall composition and panels.

Overall, OLD DOG is compelling without being over the top. Although the piece has interminable moments, I wouldn't put the comic out of mind just yet. Moore shows honest potential as a writer with a unique voice, and with the aid of Mitten's talents OLD DOG has potency and the aptitude to be more than just another 'indie' comic.

ABIGAIL AND THE SNOWMAN #1

Writer / Artist: Roger Langridge
Publisher: Kaboom
Reviewer: Masked Man

With his previous success on POPEYE at IDW and THE MUPPET SHOW for BOOM, not to mention creating FRED THE CLOWN, Roger Langridge now has another original comic book for Kaboom Studios, creating a four issue miniseries, ABIGAIL AND THE SNOWMAN, which is a very cute all ages comic book.

It seems like for the past few years I've seen many illustrators do some cute, creative and modern (if I can use the term) cartoon designs. Oftentimes they are merely pin-ups or toys, with no story or context to them. So seeing Langridge use this current design style for an actual comic book, with ABIGAIL AND THE SNOWMAN, I just had to take a look. Luckily, the interior is just as charming as the cover. The storytelling is very solid, the characters are great looking--it's just a well put together book.

Storywise (to get spoilery on ya), it's a little like the movie SUPER 8 meets E.T. Our Snowman has been the guest of the government for a long time. He's decided to go see the world for himself, yet discovers his invisibility power doesn't work on children, which explains how he winds up with Abigail, who is your typical movie child: a young girl with only one parent, a dad, who is so weird and such an individual, she has no friends--therefore, she immediately clicks with Claude (aka the Snowman/yeti). Next thing you know government goons have arrived to capture Claude, and off we go.

As I mentioned, the story is very cute and charming, but there are two minor dinks to it all. One, this is very much a set-up issue. You meet the characters, establish their relationships, and then queue chase music. Now set-up issues aren't bad, but they are kinda boring, and are totally a function of current comic book writing: stretching out a story so it will fit in a trade paperback (though a mere four issues ain't bad). The other thing that bothers me is that Abigail doesn't talk or think like a child. Again, like a typical movie child, she speaks with the hipster, savvy intellect of the scriptwriter.

Despite these flaws, you can easily let go and just enjoy the ride. Keeping up with his love of old timey comedians and stuff, Langridge's thugs are pretty much Laurel and Hardy, though I think he could have embraced their speaking style more. And in case you missed it, everyone invisible is named “Claude”- as in Claude Rains, the actor who first portrayed The Invisible Man. Either way, I'm sure younger readers will enjoy this issue. As for older readers, I think anyone who appreciates the art style and doesn't mind the clichés will have a fine time with ABIGAIL AND THE SNOWMAN.

LAST BORN #1-4

Writer: Patrick Meaney
Artist: Eric Zawadzki
Publisher: Black Mask Studios
Reviewer: Lyzard

What can be said for a series like LAST BORN? You’ve got elements of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, some time travel, all set in a grey and dreary post-apocalyptic world. Each of these components, on their own, work to some effect in the story. But it is when they intersect, when all three sci-fi tropes try to combine to form a sensible plot, that LAST BORN falls short.

Optimous Douche gave his two cents on the first two issues with an opinion much higher than my own for the overall series . As to what transpires over the course of the four issue series I will attempt to shorten and simplify.

Each issue, for the most part, focuses on one of four main characters. You’ve got Julia. Not wishing to settle for the white picket lifestyle of the 1960s, she runs away and stumbles upon the mysterious cave that drove her father insane over a decade ago. But instead of being left a hollow shell like her old man, Julia is transported into the future. A future where the world has fallen to a species set out to absorb, consume, and unite all into a collective being. Here she meets Ford and Eden, the focus of the third issue. We learn little about Ford, but Eden’s past is an emotional sucker punch. Fast forward even more to 2341, where the world will come to an end. As Julia travelled from the past to this post-apocalyptic wasteland, this future has sent Private Lee to this middle point to stop the impending demise of humanity. It is up to these four survivors to reset the universe.

Four issues were hardly enough for such an intricate plot to transpire in. Either subplots needed to be cut or a few more issues written. Since the story seemed only to become more convoluted as it lurched along, I would have favored the first option. Julia’s backstory, while interesting and providing depth of character, hardly holds enough evidence worthy of almost an entire issue devoted to it. LAST BORN has a tendency of over-focusing on the irrelevant and shrugging off the truly interesting. Virus Man, the Borg Queen of the series if we are to go off of Optimous Douche’s comparison, has unique powers and forms of torture and punishment. He does not appear until the third issue, and we only get a cursory glance at what possibly could have been the second-most intriguing back story.

I guess I must give some credit to LAST BORN’s focus on character. Overly sentimental at times, yes, but the comic does make it easy to feel empathy, if not compassion, for these four. If only the writing had come to explain the time travel mechanics half as well as the character dynamics.

While over-complication plagued the plot, it was a lack of detail than brought down the artwork. When dealing with enemy creatures whose guise is to appear commonly as loved ones, details are rather important. Instead, however, most characters retained similar facial structures, especially amongst the women from the past, future, and “present.” While there was consistency in the art style, there was not in the color palette. If in the future they have somehow manufactured clothes that alter their pigmentation and hue so greatly when put in different light then sign me up for the next time warp, otherwise I prefer my blues to remain blue and not suddenly go green.

LAST BORN tries to be original, different, and distinct, and in that the series succeeds. However, just because something is fresh and unique that does not mean it is of the highest quality. Too often, weighed down by the excess of rip-offs and remakes, are we quick to praise works that set themselves apart. I do not find fault in the creators of LAST BORN for going off the beaten path. In fact, I laud their efforts and hope that they continue to do so and others in the industry follow their path. In the end, though, LAST BORN is a failed experiment.

Lyzard is Lyz Reblin, a graduate student at the University of Texas pursuing a master's degree in Media Studies... which is just a fancy way of saying she plays a lot video games, watches far too many horror films, and then tries to pass it all off as "research."

Editing, compiling, imaging, coding, logos & cat-wrangling by Ambush Bug
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
Remember, if you have a comic book you’d like one of the @$$holes to take a look at, click on your favorite reviewer’s link and drop us an email.

The next level of comic book excellence is a click away at BLACK MASK STUDIOS!

Want more in all things Geek?

Check out our friends at PoptardsGo for podcasts, reviews, and more!

And if you still need more geek in your life, check out Part-Time Fanboy for more geeky goodness on comics, movies, and more!

Finally, check out AICN COMICS on Facebook and Comixpedia!

AICN COMICS Reviews: S.H.I.E.L.D.! ATOMIC TALES! DC’s GODHEAD! THEY ARE NOT LIKE US! & More!