RED SONJA #14

Writer: Gail Simone
Art: Walter Geovani
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: DrSumac

As I look back on comics from 2014 I've come to realize that Gail Simone's Red Sonja is one of my favorite series out right now. Honestly it kind of has everything going for it. The main character is pure awesome and multidimensional, the supporting cast have been strong throughout, there are lots of great bad guys, and the art both on the cover and inside are truly top notch. Sure it's not reinventing the wheel or advancing the medium to another level like several other comics, but it nails the basics more than just about any other series out there.

Like I said the art has been great and this issue is no different. Many of Jenny Frison's covers for Sonja have been among the best in the industry and each issue has had at least two variant covers as well if you don't like the main one. The cover of this issue in particular is beautiful, but not one of my favorites of hers so I may end up with a variant this time around. The interior art however is some of the best of the series so far. The design of the villain alone is creepy as hell and for some reason Sonja's eyes in this issue seem more beautiful yet frightening than ever. Seriously just flip through it and you'll see what I mean.

This is the second issue in Gail's final arc on Sonja so new readers may want to at least check out #13 before this one. That said the issue does a good job of summing up the previous one without getting bogged down by it so you'd be fine to start here and go back to see what you missed later.

We only get a brief look at the character whom is presumable the main villain of this arc, but he makes quite an impression. I loved Dark Anisa from the Queen of Plagues saga, but she seems to pale in comparison. We're talking a level of power and evil that has yet to be seen in any of Gail's work on Sonja and I can't wait to see what he does next.

As for the core story itself, we last saw Sonja cursed not to be able to forgive and on the hunt for the man that killed her father. I thought the curse was both interesting and creative while the revenge plot was a good hook to hang that on. That said it isn't hard to predict where the story might have gone from that alone. Said killer turns out to be not such a bad guy, but Sonja can't forgive him so things go bad, right? Well what I love about this particular issue is how it plays on your expectations. I think Gail deliberately set a trap for her readers that were clever enough to see that coming because I found the end of this issue to be truly unexpected. That said it's also absolutely in character for her. Sonja isn't a sorcerer or a scholar, she is a barbarian and a hunter. Curses aren't in her purview so once she accepts that she is cursed she acts impulsively to find what could certainly be considered a barbaric solution that I personally found to be somewhat shocking.

The bottom line is that if you read comics and enjoy fantasy stories then you really need to be reading Gail Simone's Red Sonja. It's one of the best ongoing series I've read over the last year and I'm sure it will continue to be as it comes to a close here in 2015. A lot has been said already about how this is Sonja like you've never seen her before and that's all true, but I'll spare you a repeat performance. I will say however that so far this seems to be a darker story than the previous two arcs in this series so if for some reason you stopped reading because of the little jokes that were thrown in then it's time to come back. You won't regret it.

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

STAR WARS #1

Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: John Cassaday
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Ambush Bug

I’m not really sure which comic was the first comic I ever bought from the 7-11-esque shop around the corner from my house as a kid we used to call the Short Stop, but I know that Marvel’s STAR WARS #1 was one of them. I know the main reason I picked up the book was because of my love for the first film and as I leafed through the first issue of this newest #1 issue with the STAR WAR logo on it, I got a warm and comfortable wave of nostalgia before, during, and after I read the book. Sure, the opening is reminiscent of the page wasting openers from many a Marvel space book these days that apes the grandiose style every STAR WARS movie opens with. But something about seeing the words “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” sent chills down my spine and the gas-face I usually give the pages when they show up in the Marvel books was not to be seen here.

And after that opening, we are privileged to see some familiar faces, in a familiar situation, but somehow it feels like going home. Is this opening which sets up the infiltration of the Rebel forces into a major weapons manufacturing plant for the Empire original? Not really. Dressing up like guards and seeing characters acting like they are part of another section of the brewing war between the Empire and the Rebels is something we saw in RETURN OF THE JEDI during the infiltration of Jabba’s palace.

But while the situation might be vaguely familiar, what makes this issue stand out is that the characters all feel right. Jason Aaron gets the voices of these characters and I can almost hear Han and Leia and Luke and Threepio’s voices in my head as this story played out. I could hear Chewie’s wail and Artoo’s beep boops. And I could hear that haunting respirator wheeze from Vader. Plus Aaron’s story gives everyone an important part to play in this little story with Threepio minding a Millenium Falcon under siege and Luke liberating some slaves.

The action really does move fast here as Aaron sets up some tense and exciting moments from page one. Seeing Chewie take Vader in his sights or seeing Vader use Stormtroopers as human shields made me stand up and applaud while reading. Leia and Han get a moment to make some lovey dovey eyes to one another, while Leia gets to show her cold-blooded military roots. If anything, I think Luke gets the shaft in this first issue as he doesn’t get a ton to do other than slice off a guard’s hand with his light saber, but things look promising with the cliffhanger that’ll make you wish 30 days could go by sooner.

A few wonky proportions and some awkward poses aside, John Cassaday captures the faces of the actors we know and love pretty sharply. There are scenes here that will make you ooze with fanboy glee from places that you thought were long dried up after viewing the prequels and a lot of that has to do with the way Cassaday places these panels and the gorgeous action he is able to render in them.

I don’t want to take away from what Dark Horse did. They put out some amazing stories with some talented folks over there set in the STAR WARS universe, but for some reason, seeing the Marvel logo next to the STAR WARS one just felt right to me when I saw it on the shelves and I’m glad that after reading, I still feel that way. Here’s hoping Marvel doesn’t dilute this product with too many spinoffs, one-shots, miniseries, and ancillary titles. If I see a DARK STAR WARS or a YOUNG STAR WARS or a DEADPOOL MEETS STAR WARS, I’m going to head far far away from the lot of it. But as long as this level of skill and craftsmanship is put into the story and the art, I’m there for a long time.

Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, original @$$Hole/wordslinger/writer of wrongs/reviewer/interviewer/editor of AICN COMICS for over 13 years & AICN HORROR for 4. Follow Ambush Bug on the Twitters @Mark_L_Miller.

Be sure to tell your comic shop to order his new comic PIROUETTE (out now!) from Black Mask Studios and look for his new Zenescope Entertainment miniseries THE JUNGLE BOOK: FALL OF THE WILD out now!

THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE #1-5

Writer: Jan Van Meter
Art: Roberto De La Torre
Publisher: Valiant Entertainment
Reviewer: Optimous Douche

Not to content to simply have us die first, the countless homages to man ghosts forever tethered to their lady loves, has had us die of in our prime so poker night will never be an issue again. “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,” where the poor bastard had to live in New England forever. “Ghost,” where the poor bastard had to be tethered to Demi Moore with her second worst hair cut since “G.I. Jane” and watch her make boring as shit pottery forever. Hell, even Edward from “Twilight” isn’t allowed to have a pulse and is perpetually dead inside without his precious Bella to whine and look vapidly at his razor sharp cheekbones. I get it, simply the Sci-Fi hyperbole of FOREVER LOVE, however I can’t abide the suffering eternity seems to hold in these prior examples.

Now, THE DEATH-DEFYING DR. MIRAGE (DDDM) is some good fun man killing I can get behind. In fact, I have for the past twenty years. As a card-carrying fan-geezer I was a full-fledged Valiant 1.0 collector who basked in the water tight continuity woven by the God particle of yesterday and today, Jim Shooter. DDDM the first round was a “Moonlighting” (ask your parents kids about this classic detective story where a hair plugged Bruce Willis fell in love with a post-op Rocky Dennis as they bantered sassy style) with that aforementioned Sci-Fi hyperbole of the paranormal. Hwen Mirage and his ladylove Cassandra were newlywed DINKS with an awesome gig grabbing ghosts. That was until they were placed in the wah-wah pickle of never being ale to do the hibbity-bibbity again after a duel with Master Darque from SHADOWMAN zapped Hwen into the literal manifestation of MC Hammer’s “You Can’t Touch This.” For a good two years we followed their antics in the waning days of Shooter as they crossed the universal titles in their Hyper-Color-Me-Bad clothes (makes me wonder if it was grunge and not the ousting of Shooter, which put Valiant into a 20 year hibernation).

THE DEATH DEFYING DOCTOR MIRAGE (DDM) reboot (and ironically prequel) mini-series epitomizes why I have fan-geezer gushed for Valiant 2.0 since HARBINGER burst back into the comic zeitgeist a few years ago; reverence driven by revolution. Not evolution mind you, because that would imply a winner, which would be egregiously false. No, revolution: The ability to change with the mores of a new generation and do so with a purpose to better the current state of affairs. Reverence is self-explanatory, but to make something so new so damn recognizable is a feat that all Valiant writers can take a bow for (and mist likely editorial for arranging and performing the cat wrangling of universal continuity). X-O MANOWAR moved from a leader in the boardroom to ruler of his own ancient subjects in today’s time. Why, we hate corporations more today. Likewise with Pete Stancheck’s Omega level mind bullets now being burdened by the ADD generation’s propensity for pill control over life’s woes (not judging, just saying…).

Hwen Mirage and his new gal pal, Shen Fang, take a similar turn darkly as their other Valiant hero predecessors of the past few years. Today we see a Mirage couple torn asunder since Hwen bit the big one long before this book started. Shen has a connection with the other world, as we see in the opening pages, where she cashes in (at the behest of her manager/accountant, not desire) on delivering last messages from recently departed. De la Tore’s art adds to the bleak tenor of the modern Mirage flailing in our abysmal economy. Each scratchy line helps carry forward VM’s depression fueled protagonist who truly desires death versus being Skype for every soul in the afterlife, except the one she most desires.

Action moves swiftly though, lamenting is handled compactly and briskly in Book 1, with enough woe to care, but not enough to be maudlin. Fang dives into the afterlife in search of Hwen by the last page. Now, here’s where it gets interesting(er). Heaven, hell and purgatory seem all rolled into one, and to get to Hwen, Fang shall traverse them all. There’s a LUCIFER level of meticulousness to the geography of the Valiant netherscape . the random dream and desire lands are described in detail of their representation of humankind’s universal soul. Ironic we only see these lands literally once our soul lost…don’t ya think. I did, and that’s another reason I praise Mirage. It made me think about life, death, love, lust and the way we are all prisoners of our own malaise.

Hwen escapes, I won’t say how. It’s a barter system of lies, souls, favors and stories. Lots of stories. Good stories though, cleverly serving to strengthen our emotional tethers to our heroes in “a how I met my dead husband” series of flashbacks. Now, I don’t know whether to be confused, annoyed or anoint applauds for a 180 from the original. These two can now touch, thanks to a haptic like suit Feng sports, she and Hwen end the book with an embrace, before their dual adventures continue in a few months. Was this on purpose, was I mistaken on the tangibility of this moment or was this an oopsie daisy? With how much I loved this primer mini (also in publishing model design to test before going balls deep with revenue sieves like SHADOWMAN) I will report back on who is confused.

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

BATGIRL #38

Writer(s): Cameron Stewart & Brenden Fletcher
Artist(s): Babs Tarr w/ Cameron Stewart
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Humphrey Lee

I guess there’s no real way to gauge just how much you lovely, angry people kind of pay attention to us content generators on a “personal” level from what we divulge in these pieces (outside of social media I guess, in which case I surmise the answer is “not much” since my Facebook follows are about on par with your standard 14 year old schoolgirl) so I’ll preface the rest of this by saying: Hello, I’m Humphrey and I’m an (getting oldish?) 33 years old and I have never been even remotely “hip.” You kids and your “insert obnoxious sounding non-music!” Get off my “apartment complex equivalent to a lawn since I am young enough to be a part of the first generation to not really own houses because we cannot afford them!” Now, I do not know if my personal insight on this book (BATGIRL) is really relevant because, honestly, I’m not sure I’m anywhere near its target audience these days unless those that assemble this book through the marketing machine are just assuming anyone who reads a comic with a set of Bat-ears on it is in that circle. Regardless of the target or intent or my tripping over my walker, I really like this book.

Now, I somewhat insinuate that BATGIRL is now a demographic book because, for those not paying attention, it seems as though “girls” are now reading “comics.” I KNOW!! I kind of awkwardly look at a forty-five degree angle at the floor just out of habits I developed as a teenager. But as comic book properties have become more popular as previously nerd-specific material is becoming more and more mainstream, previously “untapped markets” let’s call them he says in no way making a double entendre are out there and publishers are going to want their money. Much as I’m a man who is not exactly a fan of pandering when it comes to my media because I think it more often than not results in intentionally or not insulting your panderees, it makes sense to me that when you have a young, female protagonist (who is part of the family of the most popular brand name in comics to boot) and you find yourself with a inundation of new readers who would probably identify with that character if you found a creative team with the right voice to speak to that audience, it makes sense that you would pull that trigger.

Also, I feel obliged to add here, since I know even bringing up the idea of writing specifically to a group such as the “gurrl power!” audience that was not as prevalent a few years ago immediately makes some in the comic book community start to froth at the mouth, I just want to add a quick “Fuck Yourself” before moving on with my trying to express why this book works for me if you happen to be in those ranks. Just because you may have had a harsh and/or lonely set of experiences growing up with your nerd books that entitles you in no fucking way to take it out on a more accepting generation gaining an interest in them. And if this title here becoming more demographic centric upsets you for reasons in that same vein because of your anti-PC sensibilities, I will politely remind you that you’ve had fucking decades of publishers writing specifically for your white male dollars, so my heart bleeds for your plight as the tables are now starting to turn, it really does. You can still sleep soundly at night though knowing Congress is still 80% you and working hard to keep things Lilly-white for you daily.

And there you have why I don’t really have any Followers…

So, yeah, BATGIRL. What can I say; a lot of it comes down to energy. Say what you will about my generation, even though I may be at the tip of it, but there is a manic panic about what they do. It’s a world that is interconnected on a way that the entirety of mankind has never seen before and thereby is always on the move and Stewart, Fletcher, and Tarr have turned this BATGIRL into a book the exemplifies this. And, really, there is probably not a possible existing character for such a movement given her “Oracle” role in a past life. In a world of “likes” and “swipe rights” and identity theft and on and on, who better to role model for a generation enveloped within this environment than the young, super tech savvy, kick-punching super heroine? I may have some issues with the implementation and side characters, but the daily grind that Barbara goes through per issue between her school projects and social life and face punching endeavors has a kinetic appeal that cannot be denied if it’s something to which you’re attuned.

Unfortunately, as I said above, some of the actual happenings are not so great to go with the ones that make perfect sense and that are opening up some interesting little mysteries. The constants have been a lost thesis project of Babs’ that was essentially a digitally coded model of her already computer like brain and a wave of social media popularity that has been somewhat starting to permeate her life and identity. As she’s become the trending #BatgirlofBurnside she’s started to buy a little into her own hype, which is not so much of a stretch of a woman of her age and tech saturation to ride that wave. And her juggling her social life with her costumed life and school life, it’s identifiable and well written all across the board. Except for (depending on your perspective) “little” things like how one of her social conflicts is a failure to aid Dinah Lance, aka Black Canary, out with something important now rendering her homeless and kind of bumming around Babs’ house. She’s also in a band, because I guess that’s what you do with former hardcore trained herself to be one of the most fearsome hand-to-hand fighters on the planet. This could be me being a curmudgeon though as her BIRDS OF PREY for the several years pre-New 52 seemed like something too perfect with which to mess.

Continuing with this commentary on the not-so-keen aspects of this run so far, the rotating cast of brand new and commentarial relevant villains has been a mixed bag. For the most part they have been an okay assemblage of scummy peoples using technology and social media whoring as an excuse to perpetrate shitty deeds on the public, but sometimes you just get a bland dud such as in this issue where Batgirl’s self-hype buying leads her to chase down some reality star schmuck who likes to street race. Considering the chicanery that you could have a brand new Batgirl villain get into with this more “app savvy” approach (and that this run has actually realized once or twice so far) you could definitely set your sights higher than this. Especially since it is a little too on the nose with the other themes of this issue, primarily that of Barbara having herself some dates and interludes with a young man on the GCPD who thinks vigilantes interfere with cop jobs too much and that Batgirl’s newfound public persona and the brazenness she is acting with more are a danger to the citizenry. I think you can see where these two threads inevitably intertwine…

That unfortunate detour into Negative Nancy space aside though, I still have enjoyed this creative direction on the overall. Exploring the public servant menace aspect of vigilantism, especially with a character that has such personal ties to that profession, is an interesting rabbit hole to dive down here. Most of the “likes seeking” vandals she has butted heads with have been amusing in their own over-the-top manners, as well as celebrating and roasting the culture creating them and Batgirl’s newfound trending spike. Then there’s the juggling a social life aspect - especially in this kind of hyperactive culture - and her relationships with friends, peers, and potential mates and how she keeps messing things up thanks to her multiple identities and commitments, the tech-centric background plots, and then some really stellar and stylish art just bringing a rounded out and robust package here.

That robust package may just not be for you, though, for whatever reason really. Maybe the inherent “disposability” of the villain of the weeks is not your flavor (and I can see that being probably the biggest barrier considering how they are so heavily tied into the zeitgeist themes this book is working) or some of the overarching plots are not working for you. That, my friends, is what they call valid criticism. It works for me and I can easily see it not being for some others, especially when it comes to the let’s say “worldliness” of the book now. But if your objection here is that this is no longer “your Batgirl” because some guys in the bullpen realized a 20-something, smart and sassy female lead may be a good gateway for all the new females picking up floppies at the stands? Then sad to say you’ve got more important things to be analyzing than these here adventures of the plucky ginger.

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, The MySpaces, 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.

CONAN/RED SONJA #1

Gail Simone and Jim Zub
Artist: Dan Panosian
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics and Dynamite Entertainment
Reviewer: Masked Man

The two greatest heroes of the Hyborian Age are back together again. As SKULL KICKERS' Jim Zub joins current RED SONJA scribe Gail Simone for a rousting tale of sword and sorcery, illustrated by Dan Panosian. Although unlike a typical team ups, this appears to be a collect of one shots.

To get into the goods of this issue (aka spoilers), Simone and Zub appear to be setting up various team-ups between 'the Barbarian' and 'the She-Devil with a Sword'. This first issue “The Age of Innocence” has Conan and Sonja meeting up for the first time. The actual story isn't that remarkable, as they meet like Valeria and Conan did in the big 80's movie. They also run afoul of a beast master, someone who trains animals for blood sports. Oddly enough, Simone just did this like three issues ago in RED SONJA itself. The business of the Blood Root is a bit lost on me. As I couldn't figure out the timeline, or if or when characters were actual killed. I'm either stupid, or things will be explained more in the next issue- “The Age of Adventure”, where Conan and Red Sonja will be a little older and into their prime, as they were a newbies here. And you know what happens when main characters meet for the first time- they fight. Simone and Zub do not let us down.

Now where the plot fails to entertain, the execution of the story does not. Simone and Zub have a lively script with plenty of action and good characterization of our heroes. So any fantasy fan should have a good time with this issue, even if it isn't all that and a bag of chips. I'm definitely curious to see the upcoming issues, to see how Simone and Zub will evolve Sonja and Conan over the years.

Panosian's artwork does good job selling all the action of the series. He has a strong cartoon-ish penmanship that reminds me late great Jack Davis. Most of the time his sketchy style works well showing of the energy of a scene, but it occasionally gets a little too sketch and looks a bit too lazy. His storytelling is extremely well done though. Add to this Dave Stewart's amazing coloring job and this is a great looking book. As for our characters, Sonja looks good in nearly every panel, though I found Conan to be a bit lacking at times. The mullet just looks awful on him, but I suppose this was to show a sign of youth with Conan.

Now I don't know about you, but I do love me some 'sword and sorcery' and am fairly impressed with this first issue. So while not wholly original, it's well done and I know I'll be happily coming back for more next month.

DEEP STATE #3

Writer: Justin Jordan
Art: Ariela Kristantina
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Reviewer: Morbidlyobesefleshdevouringcat

Spun out of the head of Justin Jordan and then placed into the hands of artist Ariela Kristantina and colorist Ben Wilsonham, DEEP STATE is a comic that invokes a read similar to watching the X-FILES while having the cerebral, goth sounds of CHELSEA WOLF play in the back of your head. DEEP STATE takes the standard conspiracy narrative and fleshes out a thematically gritty sci fi experience, explicating themes of government and media responsibility, consequently showing what happens when the agents in those fields, who are meant to protect us, fail.

Following John Harrow, an agent of conspiracies and the individual responsible for ensuring that other worldly events stay hidden away, has a big job on his hands. Recruiting Ms. Branch, a relentlessly curious and incredibly able bodied cop (although it is never firmly stated what position she holds prior to being recruited by Harrow, only assumed), the Scully and Mulder duo must track down an old Soviet space craft sent to the moon in the 1950’s. The thing is the old relic had never made it back to Earth —until now. Whatever creature that had been harboring within the natural satellite had discovered a way to operate it, and bring it back, but for what purpose?

The third issue picks up from the team’s horrifying discovery of a local boy, pinned to his garage wall mutilated and torn apart. But, what appears to be a disastrous scene from a SAW flick is in actuality the remains of a classroom. The alien that had descended from the old space shuttle tore apart the boy’s body in an act of learning, not fear or instinct to kill, but rather to just simply engage itself in human anatomy. And, when you honestly dwell upon this action, it’s really effing terrifying. Not only in the fact that there is an entity surging through rural Pennsylvania, easily tearing apart human limbs to have a better understanding of our basic bodily functions, but the parallels this draws to real human events.

That’s the beauty of this comic, the minimal ingression that is needed to imbue darker, philosophical meanderings without an onslaught of monologues or third-person narration. The comic isn’t heavy on those techniques to produce exposition, well, DEEP STATE doesn’t have much exposition at all. But, with the dialogue of our heroes in combination with Kristantina’s expressive characters there’s not much need for it. The pair are able to fully encapsulate sequential art without caving into the limitations that the medium endures.

One thing of note with this issue is Kristantina’s ‘sketchbook’ style art developing and becoming more refined. Her work and expertise really shine through in this issue as she gets to play around with more action scenes, providing dynamic perspective panels and intriguing compositions. This only being the third issue of the series makes DEEP STATE even more inviting, if only to see where Kristantina will the story next.

DEEP STATE is more than just a comic of conspiracy theories on the loose, it’s an inventive piece that bargains with it’s readers what they really know about the human experience in terms of how we might ingest media content or the difficulties of interacting with the unknown, and the consequences that might ensue, all the while masquerading behind a fun, intelligent narrative. This is definitely a comic I want to see slipping into my hands more often than not.

Editing, compiling, imaging, coding, logos & cat-wrangling by Ambush Bug
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
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