Friday, July 13, 2018

Frontline Reviews For Week Of July 11, 2018!


Join us on the Frontlines with our weekly review roundup. This is where we have assembled to give our thoughts on various issues that are released each week. This week we have BrantJayJesseJustinKat, & Louis giving reviews for books from Aftershock, Alterna ComicsArchie ComicsAspen Comics,  BOOM!  StudiosDark HorseDC ComicsDynamite EntertainmentIDW Publishing, Image Comics, Lion ForgeMarvel Comics, Titan ComicsValiant Comics, and Zenescope Entertainment! Check out the reviews below and let us know what you think in the comments below or on Twitter. Welcome to the FRONTLINE REVIEWS, hope you enjoy the experience!




RELAY #1
Written By: Zac Thompson
Art By: Andy Clark
Story By: Eric Bromberg, Donny Cates and Zac Thompson
Colors By: Jose Villarrubia and Dan Brown
Letters By: Charles Pritchett
Cover By: Andy Clark and Dan Brown
Variant Cover By: Christian Ward
Price: 3.99


Relay #1 is a trip into a distance future or so we are led to believe, where the Relay a massive monolith is basically the overlord of all the known worlds.   And if your world chooses not to embrace the Relay, well then you are wiped out completely.  In this story we follow Jad and William who are agents of the Relay as they carry out their daily duties, which includes normal police duties of keeping the peace and taking down protestors and malcontents.  While the main objective from the Relay is the find a person named Donaldson who supposedly died 300 hundred years ago and of course bringing more unknown worlds under it’s control.  Andy Clark and Zac Thompson weave a story that cannot be explained easily or very fast, as there is double meaning to so much of what we see in this book.   This is a solid first issue that leaves you with more questions than answers, and we need the answers. ~ Justin @ExileState

Verdict: 3 Stars





METAPHASE #1 (of 2) 
Written By: Chip Reece
Art By: Kelly Williams
Letters By: Peter Simeti
Cover By: Kelly Williams
Price: $1.50


Metaphase is a great comic that proves dreams can happen and that comics are a source of hope and inspiration for everyone. Chip Reece took his real life story, made a beautiful testament to his son and
invited everyone to share in it.Ollie's dad is the super hero named Sentinel, and he wants to be just like his dad. Only one problem, Ollie was born with Down Syndrome. This first issue introduces us to both Ollie and his father, while setting up the world that only has two issues to tell its story and does a great job in doing so. Ollie's passion leaps out of the pages and put a smile on my face as I remembered my own days of running around the house with a towel cape. The story is truly universal. My one issue is that this is just a two-issue book so some finer character moments have to be sacrificed like where is Ollie's mom? ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 ¼ Stars




ARCHIE #32
Written By: Mark Waid & Ian Flynn
Art By: Audrey Mok
Colors By: Kelly Fitzpatrick
Letters By: Jack Morelli
Cover By: Audrey Mok
Variant Covers By: Robert Hack & Kelly Fitzpatrick And Peter Krause & Rosario "Tito" Peña
Price: $3.99


The last issue in Mark Waid's fantastic run. This is the 698th issue of Archie with #699 coming out in October and Archie #700 following it. This was a great run with a very fitting conclusion. Archie and the gang are being held hostage by the Blossom twins' biological father and it is up to Archie and his infamous bad luck to save them all. Why this is so fitting, is because the series started with Archie's bad luck and ends with him pretty much defying that bad luck but others step up. This issues shows perfectly what Archie is all about, friendship and community. I also like how Waid left things "wrapped up" while leaving it wide open for the new creative team. Mark Waid will be missed. Audrey Mok did an excellent job with the art here, this series has had a lucky run with great artists on it. A bitter-sweet finale, just like every school dance. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 ¾ Stars




NU WAY #1
Created & Story By: J.T. Krull, Dinna Wu & Yuyan Song
Written By: J.T. Krull
Pencils By: Alex Konot
Inks By: Mark Roslan
Colors By: John Starr
Letters By: Sal Cipriano
Cover By: Alex Konot & John Starr
Variant Covers By: Various
Price: $3.99


Nu Way #1 introduces us to a brand new world, one where technology is everywhere including ultimate fighting competitions and the fighters themselves. We meet one of the new up and coming fighters Zihao who grew up on the streets where he learned to fight to defend himself while always dreaming of something better. It isn't until we meet Cassi that we really learn the backstory of Zihao as the two grew up together and each made their way off the streets in different ways. This was a great first issue that really pulls you into this exciting heart-pounding world of ultimate fighting but at the core is this story of these two, and how their pasts and futures are intertwined. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 Stars







MECH CADET YU #10
Written By: Greg Pak
Art By: Takeshi Miyazawa
Colors By: Jessica Kholinne
Cover By: Takeshi Miyazawa & Raúl Angulo
Price: $3.99


Mech Cadet Yu is Greg Pak's best work to date, and I hold his Incredible Hulk run as one of the best of all time. The way he pours the emotion into every script pulls you right into it. You are not just someone reading a comic, you are right there with the Cadets. I felt like I was with Sandford fighting for Blue to live, and I felt like him too, I felt the pain he was feeling about losing a friend. Pak has managed to make something so out of this world so grounded by making about something we can all relate to, connection. It is the simple connection that we all have to those we love, be it family or friends we all make that connection in our lives. But Pak isn't the only one who brings the raw emotions, Miyazawa has the hard job of showing those emotions and the hardest is to show us those emotions from the Robos, and he succeeds. Every panel with Blue shows his pain and loyalty and it really comes through. As the series comes closer to its end I find myself feeling like Yu, fighting to hold on to Blue while he is reaching his end, not wanting to let go. Damn you Greg Pak!  ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 5 Stars



RUINWORLD #1
Written By: Derek Laufman
Art By: Derek Laufman
Letters By: Warren Montgomery
Cover By: Derek Laufman
Variant Cover By: Sean Galloway
Price: $3.99



RuinWorld is a great all-ages adventure! Our main characters Rex (the Fox) and Pogo (the Pig) are young adventures out searching ruins for treasure and perhaps a relic, but little do they know that the relic they found holds more then they expected including tentacles and a treasure map! Their dynamic is a classic one, Rex being the brave adventure and Pogo being the sidekick that will keep things exciting for him. But the book also cleverly hides some social commentary with the bugs like Barr in this world that even though he stole their map has me hoping he joins the team. I had fun with this book and look forward to continuing this adventure with Rex and Pogo. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 Stars





DISNEY'S INCREDIBLES 2: CRISIS IN MID- LIFE & OTHER STORIES #1 
Crisis In Mid-Life Part 1 
Written By: Christos Gage 
Art By: Gurihiru 
Letters By: Richard Starkings & Comicrafts Jimmy Betancourt 

Bedtime Story Part 1 
Written By: Christos Gage 
Art By: J Bone 
Colors By: Dan Jackson 
Letters By: Richard Starkings & Comicrafts Jimmy Betancourt 

A Relaxing Day At The Park 
Written By: Landry Q. Walker 
Layots By: Emilio Urbano 
Pencils By: Andrea Greppi 
Inks By: Roberta Zanotta 
Colors By: Angela Capolupo 
Letters By: Chris Dickey

Cover By: Gurihiru 
Variant Cover By: J Bone & Dan Jackson 
Price: $3.99


I feel like I just stepped out of the theater, this is actually the kind of story I wanted from Incredibles 2, more family focused. The downside here, was the opposite of my downside for the movie, I wanted more Elastic Girl. The first story was about Bob realizing he is getting older and perhaps it is time to pass on his wisdom to the next generation by training his kids. The second story was Bob telling his kids a story from a past adventure, while the finale story felt like the tradition Pixar short featuring Jack-Jack's adventures at the park. My favorite was the first tale, because it is going to be more family based. But my favorite moment is from the second story when Bob was telling about "The Summer Crossover", it was the perfect way to bring the comics into the world of The Incredibles. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 ¼ Stars



SHE COULD FLY #1
Written By: Christopher Cantwell
Art By: Martin Morazzo
Colors By: Miroslav Mrva
Letters By: Clem Robins
Cover By: Martin Morazzo
Price: $4.99


She Could Fly centers around what appears to be an Autistic teenage girl obsessed with this woman that has been seen flying around on the news. No one knows who she is or where she came from, but this teenage girl, Luna, relates to her because she’s unique just like her. Luna’s downside is that she has these constant violent thoughts and a voice in her head constantly telling her to do harm to everyone around her, which is vividly illustrated in drastic and graphic ways. She sees a therapist and recites a mantra to help her stay centered, but once something happens to the flying woman, all bets are off.

Thematically and conceptually, this is an interesting story to tell and from a unique perspective, and I commend the writer for that alone. However, the overall shifts from Luna’s thoughts to the present wasn’t completely clear at first, and several times I wasn’t sure if she had actually followed through. Characters were introduced at random points that usually made little sense, and the art was as messy as some of the lettering tended to be. These facets and the graphic nature of the violence all jolted me out of the story several times and made it difficult for me to enjoy the true message behind the story. A solid idea with poor execution in my opinion.~ Brant @BrantFowler

Verdict: 2.5 Stars



DETECTIVE COMICS #984
Written By: Bryan Hill
Art By: Miguel Mendonca
Colors By: Adriano Lucas
Letters By: Sal Cipriano
Cover By: Eddy Barrows
Variant By: Mark Brooks
Price: $2.99


On the Outside continues to be a good arc. We learn a bit more about the antagonist, Karma, but not everything. There are some awesome fight scenes between Karma and Cassandra Cain which should make 90’s Bat-fans happy. The way Bryan Hill handles Jefferson Pierce (a.k.a. Black Lightning) is entertaining. Wen Batman asks Jefferson to train his younger allies, Hill focuses on Jefferson’s role as an educator instead of a superhero in this scenario. Also Hill’s dialogue for Jefferson make me want a Black Lighting solo title if he writes it. Overall, readers can pick this issue up for Batman but stay for Black Lightning.~ Louis @SpiderMan1991

Verdict: 3 ½ Stars



THE FLASH #50
Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Howard Porter
Colors By: Hi-Fi
Letters By: Steve Wands
Cover By: Howard Porter & Hi-Fi
Variant Cover By: Francesco Mattina
Price: $3.99


The Flash War has been hit and miss for me, with high and low spots throughout the short arc. But this issue culminated with major repercussions not just for the Flash family, but for the entire DC Universe. The battle of Barry and Wally vs. Zoom/Flash was well done without being overdone. They could have taken the new power set too far making him unstoppable, but Williamson toned it down and used the abilities sparingly. He also built in a way to defeat Zoom, which was much needed. The conflict Wally faced in Hypertime to the result of the breaking of the Speed Force Barrier played out into a dramatic and poetic ending for the Flashes, and resulted in a nice surprise at the end for longtime fans - something that was long overdue!

With all of these facets of the story coming to a head, it made this final chapter of The Flash War a fitting end and a strong beginning for the next chapter of their story. Not only that, but it unleashed more than just one addition to the tale by the book’s end. The only drawback for me was the art, which still could have been stronger. I think given the gravity of the action at play, a more polished art style would have fit better than the muddy stylings of Howard Porter So half a point off of what otherwise is a near perfect issue! ~ Brant @BrantFowler

Verdict: 4 ½ Lightning Bolts




HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #48
Written By: Robert Venditti
Pencils By: Rafa Sandoval
Inks By: Jordi Tarragona
Colors By: Tomeu Morey
Letters By: Dave Sharpe
Cover By: Doug Mahnke and Wil Quintana
Variant Cover By: Tyler Kirkham and Arif Prianto
Price: 3.99


Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #48 begins the Last Charge story arc with Divided and Conquered as we see a full assault from the Darkstar’s on Mogo the Green Lantern’s base.  While most of the corps is there fighting, the green lanterns from Earth along with Orion, Hector Hammond, Zod and Arkillo begin an attack of their own on at the home of the Darkstar’s and uncover something truly sinister. Robert Venditti keeps the action fast paced while still unraveling this story.  Rafa Sandoval’s art captures the epic scale of battles on Mogo and in Space like no other.  This is definitely a ride you don’t want to miss. ~ Justin @ExileState

Verdict: 4 Stars


HAWKMAN #2
Written By: Robert Venditti
Pencils By: Bryan Hitch
Inks By: Andrew Currie, Daniel Henriques and Bryan Hitch
Colors By: Jeremiah Shipper
Letters By: Starkings and Comic Craft
Cover By: Bryan Hitch
Variant Cover By: Stjepan Sejic
Price: 3.99


Hawkman #2 give us more of Carter Hall’s history as his continues to search for answers about himself and what is coming for him.  This search brings him to the donated items from his time as Prince Khufu of Egypt in a London museum.  Here he is transports back in time to the temple in Egypt and he comes face to face with himself from that time before being brought back to the present and where he finds a clue.  This issue is great for any history fans out there. Robert Venditti continues his further exploration of Hawkman’s past in fantastic fashion and Bryan Hitch’s art leaps off the page, especially when the action begins.  I’m in the for the next issue that cannot get here fast enough. ~ Justin @ExileState

Verdict: 4 Stars




RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #24 
Written By: Scott Lobdell 
Art By: Dexter Soy & Alisson Borges 
Colors By: Veronica Candini 
Letters By: Taylor Esposito 
Cover By: Trevor Hairsine & Antonio Fabela 
Variant Cover By: Guillem March 
Price: $3.99


If you're not reading Red Hood And The Outlaws do yourself a favor and pick it up! Bizarro is losing his intelligence and reverting back to the way he was when he met Jason and Artemis, and the city of Gotham may pay the price. Meanwhile Jason having found out some hard truths about his dad seeks justice but will he cross a line that he can not comeback from. Last issue Lobdell jabs you in the heart and makes you care about Jason's father, and this issue he mainlines the adrenaline that leaves you jaw dropped and wanting the next issue right now. The art never disappoints delivering the action while giving us those tight shots to bring home the emotion. Now I just wonder, can Lobdell pull a trifecta with issue #25? ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 ½ Stars



SUPERMAN #1
Written By: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils By: Ivan Reis
Inks By: Joe' Prado
Colors By: Alex Sinclair
Letters By: Josh Reed
Cover By: Ivan Reis, Joe' Prado, & Alex Sinclair
Variant Covers By: Adam Hughes & David Mack
Price: $3.99


Bendis officially begins his run on Superman and he is off to a strong start. This isn't a perfect issue but I do like the potential of the story and I like the direction for the most part. We know that Nuclear Man is coming in Superman #2 and now you can see how it will be one of two ways. I loved the nod to Superman IV with J'onn telling Superman to lead them to teach them how to get past the war and stuff, a nice twist on the letter from a kid. Reis, Prado and Sinclair work beautifully together, the way they put the fantastical into the everyday is stunning. I can't wait to read Superman #2 the only negative thing about Bendis being on Superman right now is that his books have went back to being monthly. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 ½ Stars


WONDER WOMAN #50
Written By: James Robinson
Art By: Stephen Segovia, Jesus Merino & Andy Owens, Emanuela Lupacchino & Ray McCarthy
Colors By: Romulo Fajardo Jr. & Chris Sotomayor
Letters By: Saida Temofonte
Cover By: Jesus Merino & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Variant Cover By: Jenny Frison
Price: $3.99


It has all come to this. The Dark Gods that Wonder Woman wished into the DCU have taken out everyone, and it was up to Diana and her brother Jason to stop them. But as we left off last issue, Jason had been turned to the dark side. But that’s not where this book picks up. Instead, we fast forward past the final battle to see Diana seeing Steve off before he rejoins the Navy. There’s some appropriately sappy moments between the two that fit the tone of their relationship as Diana recounts what happened to Jason during that final battle we were robbed of seeing as it took place. Instead, we get bits and pieces of flashbacks to learn exactly what took place and how it ultimately affected Jason.

I felt short-changed by the storytelling method here after following this arc from the start and being excited for the conclusion. It felt like it was just this thing that happened that everyone moved on from before we, as readers, had a chance to even absorb it. The art was gorgeous as usual, but the story structure faltered, and the ultimate conclusion left me unfulfilled. ~ Brant @BrantFowler

Verdict: 3 Stars




NANCY DREW #2
Written By: Kelly Thompson
Art By: Jenn St. Onge
Colors By: Triona Farell
Letters By: Ariana Maner
Cover By: Babs Tarr, Tula Lottas, Jenn St. Onge
Price: $3.99


As per usual, Nancy Drew is hiding something from her friends as she digs deeper into the case that brought her back to her hometown. Kelly Thompson does a great job at intensifying the mystery by including a new character into the mix, while still giving the necessary spotlight to Nancy’s other supporting cast members. I love Jenn St. Onge cartoony take on the characters, while still keeping the world very stylish. Thompson and St. Onge have captured lightning in a bottle with their modern take on Nancy Drew, and I can’t get enough. ~ Kat @ComicUno

Verdict: 4 ½ Magnifying Glasses





TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON #1
Written By: John Barber
Art By: Ales Milne
Colors By: Sebastian Cheng
Letters By: Tom B. Long
Cover By: Alex Milne & Sebastian Cheng
Variant Covers By: Various Artists
Price: $4.99



The end is nigh for the Transformers Universe as Unicron is tearing through the universe devouring 12 of the planets that have ben Cybertronian colonies and it appears nothing can stop him. If you are new to the Transformers Universe and want to jump on for the end of it, I suggest you read Transformers Unicron #0 the 2018 Free Comic Book Day book for free on ComiXology, and the Story So Far page in this issue. A lot has happened in the Transformers universe and it has all been building ups to this big event. Barber does a great job keeping everything together here and being as new reader friendly as possible, which is a huge feat, but this still reads best if you have been reading the comics. The art here is aamazing Milne and Cheng manage to make the Transformers timeless, they are the perfect combination of my childhood memories and the present day. A big concern or problem a lot of fans have with Transformers as a whole is how text heavy it can be, this seems to balance that well also, It isn't like reading a encyclopedia, but this isn't a two minute read either. This is a great first chapter in the Unicron story and I can't wait for the next part! ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict 4 Stars






DIE!DIE!DIE! #1
Written By: Robert Kirkman & Scott Gimple
Art By: Chris Burnham
Colors By: Nathan Fairbairn
Letters By: Rus Wooton
Cover By: Chris Burnham
Price: $3.99



Die!Die!Die! is a brand-new title that came to comic book shops this week as a complete surprise. It’s nice to go in to a title completely blind, unsure what adventures lay within the panels before us.  Between a horse race and a motorcycle/Hummer chase, you’re immediately thrust in to the action of this foul-mouthed, hyper-violent story.  The story revolves around a Hillary-esque politician and a band of wetworks black-ops soldiers.  As a first issue, this book does its job wonderfully. We get to understand the world we are in and our cast of characters. But then, blood and severed noses at our feet, we’re left wanting to know what’s next. This was definitely a good read for a first issue, but it’s not for the faint of heart.  Rated “M” for Mature.  ~ Jesse @ComicsJLS

Verdict: 4 ¼ Stars



OUTPOST ZERO #1
Created/Written By: Sean Kelley McKeever
Created/Art By: Alexandre Tefenkgi
Colors By: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letters By: Ariana Maher
Cover By: Alexandre Tefenkgi
Price: $4.99


I knew from the cover that this story would be right up my alley. I also had faith in McKeever as a fan of his past work. I was correct in both assumptions as I thoroughly enjoyed the first issue of this new Image series. We are introduced to a colony of people living on another planet having crash-landed there, but the environment isn’t conducive for human beings. Generations now of humans have lived here thanks to a biodome they created to sustain themselves, but the weather is harsh and has to constantly be monitored.

The story centers around a group of 14-year olds who are taking their aptitude tests to learn where their jobs will be in the community. Some are pretty set on their course, while others yearn for more, and some just desire to help in whatever way they can. The story starts off with a daring leap that could have killed one of these kids because her calculations were off, but sets the tone for her desire to further the human race by going beyond the dome to discover new ways to branch out and live on the ice planet.

Ultimately, the issue culminates in danger advancing and the entire colony having to work together to endure. It was a solid and intriguing read from cover to cover with complex and rich characters, powerful art in this intense version of a slice of life tale, and several meaningful themes at play. McKeever and team did an excellent job at introducing us to this world and its cast, and the many dangers they face, both emotional and physical. Great read that I highly recommend.  ~ Brant @BrantFowler

Verdict: 4 Stars




FARMHAND #1
Written By: Rob Guillory
Art By: Rob Guillory
Colors By: Taylor Wells
Letters By: Kody Chamberlain
Cover By: Rob Guillory
Price: $3.99


Farmhand immediately sets up a story of horror and science fiction. The story’s narrative provides some backstory while not giving everything away. Rob Guillory and Taylor Wells doe an outstanding job with the design of the Jenkins Farm. The farm looks like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory if Willy Wonka went into stem cell growth instead of candy production. As someone who usually reads superhero comics, I found this issue very accessible and fun. So if you like stories with an engaging mystery and horror vibes then you should pick up the first issue of Farmhand. ~ Louis @SpiderMan1991

Verdict: 5 Stars






VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER VOL # #1 
Written By: Mitch Iverson 
Art By: Rubine 
Colors By: Beni Lobel 
Letters & Assembly By: Andworld Design 
Cover By: Mariko Yamashin 
Variant Cover By: Missy Peña 
Comic Con Cover By: Keezy Young 
Price: $3.99 



I grew up on the original Voltron (yes I am that old) and I love Dreamwork's Voltron: Legendary Defender on Netflix, and Lion Forge provides me the Voltron fix I need after binging Season 6! The Paladins are trying to protect the planet Pinot Sentas from the Galra but some members of the Voltron Coalition need some inspiration to help and Allura handles it perfectly/  Everything I love about the show is right here, the action, the adventure, the fun and yes even time for a nice cleverly disguised social commentary lesson!   ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate


Verdict: 4 ½ Stars





THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1
Written By: Nick Spencer
Art By: Ryan Ottley
Colors By: Laura Martin
Letters By: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover By: Ryan Ottley & Laura Martin
Price: $5.99


A fresh, amazing era is here with Spidey’s new creative team, and I have to say I really enjoyed Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley’s take on the character. Spencer does a great job at balancing Peter’s personal life with his job as Spidey and bringing in consequences from Dan Slott’s run. Of course, my favorite part of this issue being what Spencer adds with MJ and Peter’s relationship - hopefully Marvel isn’t teasing us with all these One More Day references. On artwork, I enjoyed Ottley’s style even if MJ looks a bit like Atom Eve from Invincible. As a huge Spidey fan I had a blast with this issue, and I can’t wait to see where this creative team takes the book.  ~ Kat @ComicUno

Verdict: 4 ½ Stars




CHAMPIONS #22
Written By: Jim Zub 
Art By: Kevin Libranda
Colors By: Marcio Menyz
Letters By: VC's Clayton Cowels
Cover By: R.B. Silva & Nolan Woodard
Price: $3.99



To paraphrase the song "these are the Champions my friends..." Finally I feel like I am read a true Champions book! Sure they still have the young activist slant to them, but they are more dimensional not, they are heroes now and GASP this is a Marvel book that uses continuity! I think the best part of this issue is the emotional connections we finally get to for with this team, I feel like Viv and my emotions have been turned on. I would say the only downside for me is honestly Iron Heart's new costume, it just looks so busy, but that is countered with Brawn's new look. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 ½ Stars




DAREDEVIL #605
Written By: Charles Soule
Art By: Mike Henderson
Colors By: Matt Milla
Letters By: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover By: Chris Sprouse and Marte Gracia
Price: 3.99



Daredevil #605 sees the conclusion to the Hand invasion of New York City by the Beast and the return of Mayor Fisk as only Charles Soule can write it.  Out manned Daredevil and what’s left of the Order of the Dragon make a desperate dash for City Hall, and along the way become horse thieves with style. Mike Henderson’s art smacks you in the face as the fighting gets hot and heavy. Plus, thanks to a call for him from Foggy, Spider-man, Elektra, Moon Knight, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage show up to level the playing field.  But just because the fight with the Hand has ended doesn’t mean the fight for NYC is over by a long shot as Daredevil finds out a secret that the Kingpin has been keeping.  The next issue begins a new arc that you don’t want to miss out on. ~ Justin @ExileState

Verdict: 4 ½ Stars




MS. MARVEL #32
Written By: G. Willow Wilson
Art By: Nico Leon
Colors By: Ian Herring
Letters By: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover By: Valerio Schifi & Rachelle Rosenberg
Price: $3.99



Ms. Marvel has grown so much as a title, but it’s always nice to see a series go back to basics. Ms. Marvel #32 allows the book to return to its roots by having Bruno and Kamala team up as they try to figure out their new dynamic with each other, and along the way Kamala loses control of her powers. I felt like I was reading the first arc of Ms. Marvel all over again, but from a new point of view. As for the artwork, I’m glad to see one consistent artist on multiple arcs with Nico Leon on the title as Ian Herring on colors has kept a consistent tone for the series throughout. Ms. Marvel #32 is a great continuation from last month’s milestone issue, exploring multiple facets of what makes Ms. Marvel so great.  ~ Kat @ComicUno

Verdict: 4 ½ Stars


X-23 #1
Written By: Mariko Tamaki
Art By: Juan Cabal
Colors By: Nolan Woodard
Letters By: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover By: Mike Choi, Jesus Aburtov, Jen Bartel
Price: $4.99


Following Tom Taylor’s All-New Wolverine, Mariko Tamaki and Juan Cabal take on Laura and Gabby’s characters with X-23 #1 in a debut that keeps all the personality Taylor instilled with his delightful run. Tamaki with her first arc focuses on a major theme from Laura’s origins and the X-Men franchise itself - genetics. The Stepford Cuckoos, in a nice change of pace, take center stage as Tamaki draws a very interesting parallel with them and Laura. Tamaki brings the same emotional beats Taylor did in his run, while also perfectly balancing Gabby’s infectious personality. My only negative with this debut is that Laura’s name change is ignored, hopefully this is addressed in a future issue. Juan Cabal also brings a familiarity to the title as he worked on All-New Wolverine. It was great seeing him draw these characters again. X-23 #1 captures Laura and Gabby perfectly, while building a unique story arc we haven’t seen with the character.  ~ Kat @ComicUno

Verdict: 4 ½ Stars





DOCTOR WHO - THE ROAD TO THE THIRTEENTH DOCTOR - 
THE TENTH DOCTOR - GHOST SHIP #1
The Ghost Ship
Written By: James Peaty
Art By: Iolanda Zanfardino
Colors By: Dijjo Lima

The Road To....
Written By: Jody Houser
Art By: Rachael Stott
Colors By: Enrica Angiolini
Letters By: Richard Starkings & Comicrafts Jimmy Betancourt
Cover A By: Robert Hack
Photo Cover B By: Will Brooks
Cover C By: Christopher Jones
Price: $3.99


The Road To The Thirteenth Doctor is upon us and it starts right here with my favorite, the Tenth Doctor! This first story "The Ghost Ship" felt ripped right out of the show, it was a nice one and done story that saw the Doctor, Gabby and Cindy rescue a ship that was unknowingly to its Captain was testing a new weapon for Earth Gov. The Doctor and his handy dandy Sonic Screwdriver fixes things just in time. I loved the little Star Wars reference that Peaty threw in there and Zanfardino did a great job capturing David Tenant's Tenth Doctor's charm. The second story "The Road To...." the was a nice teaser, whetting the appetite for the coming of the Thirteenth Doctor. I love the pomp and circumstance Titan Comics is doing for such a major milestone in the Doctor Who mythos. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict: 4 ¼ Stars





BLOODSHOT SALVATION #1
Written By: Jeff Lemire
Art By: Doug Braithwaite
Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
Letters By: Simon Bowland
Covers By: Kenneth Rocafort, Renalto Guedes, Whilce Portacio with Raymund Lee, Ryan Bodenheim with Andrew Dalhouse
Price: $3.99



 I have heard people say they can't find an "in" to the Valiant Universe, to them I offer up Bloodshot Salvation the book is a nice introduction to the character and whets your appetite for the larger Valiant Universe with characters like Ninjak having small roles in the series. Straddling between two time periods (present day & 4002) the story shows how Bloodshot is carrying out his end of the bargain that left him in the future and his daughter alive but older in the present with her mother Magic being hunted by Omen. There is action here, but more so their is depth as it shows Bloodshot dealing with having to kill someone he wasn't expecting, a great moral check. We also finally have Magic finding out Bloodshot is out there somewhere, but Rampage is there now and he wants Jessie. This is a nice little cliffhanger that has me eagerly anticipating the conclusion to this series. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate

Verdict 4 Stars





THE MUSKETEERS #5
Story By: Joe Brusha & Terry Kavanagh
Written By: Terry Kavanagh
Art By: Daniel Mainé
Colors By: Bryan Valenza
Letters By: Taylor Esposito Of Ghost Glyph Studios
Cover By: Igor Vitorin & Ivan Nunes
Variant Covers By: Various Artists
Price: $3.99


 Zenescope is known for a few things like their covers, reimagining popular fairy tales and stories, and their strong female characters, and The Musketeers doesn't disappoint. I always loved The Three Musketeers something about the daring swashbuckling adventures really captured my young imagination. I also loved the lore of King Arthur and this book combines two of my loves in one awesome adventure! The story is fast paced which helps set the tone and feel that you are with them on this adventure to take down Merlin, the 4th Musketeer if you will. I loved the way Merlin is woven throughout time and how in the end Shang is like Charlie with the Musketeers being his Angels. But I have to admit a huge plus here is that they are stationed in Philly and the art team did their homework because Philly looks like Philly here, which is something a lot of comics do not get right.  ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate


Verdict 4 Stars



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