The Brittle Land Review

 

The Brittle Land Review

Writer: Tom Kane

 

In Tom Kane's novel The Brittle Sea, Richard Blackmore tracked the love of his life to a remote region in Alaska. She shot him for his efforts. Is this the end of Richard and Maggie's story? Let's leap into The Brittle Land, the second novel in Tom Kane's trilogy, and find out!

 

Story

Tears streamed down Magda Asparov’s face. Richard always had a powerful effect on her. Now their short-lived reunion reawakens Maggie, the personality Richard met when he rescued her from an ice floe after the Titanic disaster. Maggie remembers little after being abducted by Matthew Turner's henchman, William Harker. Now Matthew lies unconscious, the victim of a bear attack. Aided by Charlie and his daughter Kim, Maggie takes her daughter and flees the cannery she and Turner operated.

 

Nash Henderson finds Richard's body after it tumbled off the cliff. Miraculously, Richard survived. Unaware that Maggie's consciousness has returned and trying to find Richard, the old sailor returns him to his home in Richmond, Canada. Maggie searches the town of Cordova, finds clues about Richard, and follows. But their reunion will have to wait. World War I has begun. Seeking a purpose to ease his misery, Richard joined the British Navy and left for Europe.

 

In The Brittle Land, Tom Kane takes us back to our world one hundred years ago. Characters fight for honor, greed, or self-advancement. They achieve great things, only to lose all they've achieved. They sail into sea battles, charge across battlefields, and sneak through occupied lands. They are honored by historical luminaries and endure the ignominy of imprisonment. Plot twists and reversals of fortune abound before Kane brings his epic novel to a close.

 

Perhaps Kane foreshadows later events more than necessary. The Brittle Land also takes longer to get started than its predecessor. But like The Brittle Sea, this second novel delivers intriguing characters and thrilling action. Kane explains the historical events surrounding the characters better than in the first book. It's also a longer work, befitting the challenge of covering the entirety of World War I. Yet it remains a tale of ordinary people fighting for what they believe and seeking to accomplish great things, regardless of the obstacles fate hurls their way.

 

Thanks to Tom Kane for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Heroes battle their lesser natures—and the villains who seek to dominate or destroy them—in The Brittle Land: an epic tale of complex characters, intriguing interpersonal dynamics, and war. 

 

Related Links:

The Brittle Land is available at Amazon.com and other fine internet sellers. 

 

If you haven't read the first novel in this series, The Brittle Sea is free on Amazon.com.

 

Explore the entire trilogy, novels, travelogues, and science fiction stories at Tom Kane's website.

 

 

 

 

Amazing Spider-Man #37 Review

 

Writer: Zeb Wells

Penciler: Ed McGuinness

Artist: Emilio Laiso

Inkers: Mark Farmer, Wade Von Grawbadger & Ed McGuinness

Colorists: Marcio Menyz & Erick Arcinega

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz; Arthur Adams & Alejandro Sánchez; Kaare Andrews; Federico Vicentini & Matt Milla; Jerad Marantz

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 8, 2023

 

After criminals blew up his wedding, Randy Robertson’s helping Mayor Luke Cage combat organized crime. He needs superhero help to overturn Fisk’s Law. But when he visits Peter Parker’s apartment, he finds more than he bargained for. Is Peter’s best friend in danger? Let’s thwip into Amazing Spider-Man #37 and find out!

 

Story

Rek-Rap wants to tell Peter his adventures, but his idol doesn’t want to listen. Peter’s trying like crazy to get his big web-whangin’ cousin to see sense and return to Limbo pronto. Then in bursts Norman. “Get out of Oscorp,” he snaps. Peter can’t deliver a witty comeback. Out on Long Island, the crime bosses are whining. Then a visitor appears, and says, “Listen up, dears. I’m the one raising the ruckus in organized crime and no mistake!”

 

 

 

Rek-Rap tale involving Kraken The Hunter serves up a delightful play on words and comments on Black Peter’s actions. With his sin supply freshly stocked, Norman’s drawing boundaries. It’s understandable, given what he’s gone through. Most intriguing is the revelation of who ordered Madame Masque’s death, and how it relates to Hammerhead’s conversation with Silvermane in the last issue.

 

As in the Emissary story arc, Peter seems overwrought in Amazing Spider-Man #37. Rek-Rap’s a Limbo lightweight new to superheroing. Yet Peter would rather shout at the big-and-powerful youngster than be calm, patient, and kind while he convinces the loveable lunk to return. Nor does Peter stand by his worshipper when Rek-Rap is in danger. Zeb Wells’ latest story may feel a little clunky, but Peter learns he should have paid more attention to Rek-Rap when he returns to his apartment and finds Randy’s phone. Is he suffering through aftereffects of carrying Norman Osborn’s sins? Is Peter struggling to come to terms with how he treated Kraven?

 

 

 

Art

Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, and Wade Von Grawbadger bring bronze age appeal to Rek-Rap’s story. Despite a great design and menacing poses, Kraken The Hunter’s facial features fail to shine. Still, the staging of spider symbiote’s fight with the adversary evokes Rek-Rap’s tussle with the Grave Goblin in the last issue. Peter takes off and puts his uniform on several times, seemingly for no reason other than to show his face. Rek-Rap may be slow in Amazing Spider-Man #37, but when he finally understands Peter sees him as more irritant than valued partner, his reaction is heartbreaking.

 

Emilio Laiso conjures a criminal interlude as mob bosses moan they’re the modern day Maggia. Hammerhead looks different than in recent issues, while a late entrant evokes Dr. Strange. 

 

 

 

Marcio Menyz & Erick Arcinega imbue Rip-Rap’s Storytime Adventures with four-color appeal. After ASM #31 hinted that Madame Mostrosity’s activities extend far into the past, Rip-Rap’s bronze age Marvel Tales make you wonder how long the demon has lived. At times, the four-color treatment seeps into panel backgrounds as Peter and Rek-Rap share the spotlight. Green suffuses backgrounds in Emilio Laiso’s interlude. Overall, some pages show less vitality, while others shine. Along with the differing art styles and Peter’s costume changes, the coloring changes lend an uneven quality to Amazing Spider-Man #37.

 

Joe Caramagna’s black letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read, yet rows of text look tightly packed. Attractive red- or blue-edged narrative boxes relate Rek-Rap’s stories and Peter’s responses. The Rek-Rap Storytime Adventure logo looks worthy of gracing a one-shot or limited series: hint! Hint! The sound Madelyne’s Repossessor makes as he approaches Rek-Rap will send chills down your spine.

 

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing this issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As Gang War approaches, the crime bosses, the Repossessor, and even Peter Parker view cruelty as an expedient way to achieve their objectives in Amazing Spider-Man #37.

 

Rating 8.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #3 Review

 

Writers: Wes Clark Jr. & Steven E. de Souza

Artist: Ediano Silva

Colorist: Vinicius Townsend

Letterer: Taylor Esposito

Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo; John Royle; Arthur Suydam; Cosplay

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 8, 2023

 

Someone's sending test teams into the Forbidden Zone. Sheena wonders who's disturbing the natives. Can she discover who wants to exploit the indigenes' home and why? Let’s leap into Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #3 and find out!

 

Story

As Omar cruises the river, he asks an old fisherman if he's seen a young blonde. As Sheena's friend Don Felipe realizes the young man is spinning a yarn, the vine-swinging jungle queen lands on Omar's boat. Having identified Omar as one of the Norteamericano outsiders, she draws a knife and demands answers. When Omar's men appear, Sheena must defend herself while demanding answers from the cowardly Cowodis.

 

While most of her friends are fascinated by the Blessing Goddess, Tyler is warming to her new roommate. Still fixated upon fame, riches, and earning her father's approval, the purple-haired schoolgirl leaves the amulet her friend gave her with Chim to accompany Sheena to the library. The girls research the history of their school, preparing a report to celebrate its 400^th Anniversary. But are they alone in the quiet, book-lined aisles?

 

Writers Wes Clark Jr. and Steven E. de Souza weave intertwined plot threads into Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #3. For less valorous reasons, Tyler's father—the head of the secret police—shares Sheena's interest in the Cowodi survey teams. Thanks to Tyler, he knows “monkey girl” is more than just the long-lost daughter of an influential family. Following orders, Omar’s boss Gordo searches the city for Chano, the university student who processed an ore sample Sheena secured. The Norteamericano outsiders will threaten Sheena's Human friends Bob, Ransome, and Don Felipe. And what about Chim? Given how the Blessing Goddess’ amulets affect the schoolgirls, can Sheena’s small simian resist its charms? 

 

 

 

Art

Lifelike portrayals and compelling backgrounds welcome readers to Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #3. Ediano Silva captures quiet moments of reflection and realization, social interaction, and jungle battles in exacting detail. Injuries inflicted may not appall, but Silva doesn't stint on the blood, guts, and gore. One of Gordo's goons bears a confusing resemblance to Chano. Yet all the characters and settings appeal amid pages packed with panels. A double-page spread relates the thrill of a chase in a creative flood of mesmerizing moments.

 

A forest of greens and a river of blues enhance Omar’s approach while Don Felipe tries to catch a big pirarucu. Blood and water splash as Sheena battles her attackers along the rapids. Sunlight and shadow fall on muscles, skin, and clothing, including Sheena’s animal skin one-piece. Vinicius Townsend's rich and nuanced coloring makes every character pop as Sheena hunts for the truth.

 

Given the plentitude of dialogue, Taylor Esposito’s black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons delight the eyes in Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #3. Energetic and colorful sound effects help you hear blows and gunfire. Tyler's amulet activates in a still room. Pete's squawks demonstrate his above-average intelligence. Now, if only Tyler would stop slurping her Vita-Glo slushies!

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Wheels within wheels, a large cast of characters, balloon-packed panels, and two compelling mysteries make this jungle tale a demanding but absorbing and exciting read. For maximum enjoyment, reread the first two issues, keep your Spanish-to-English dictionary close by, and unearth the treasures buried within the pages of Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #3.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art & view more awesome covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Firefly: The Fall Guys #3 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Adam Gorham

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 8, 2023

 

Alliance Troops hold Beloved to ransom. Captain Kaylee and her crew trade blows in a barroom brawl. Prime Minister Hamner wants Zoë Washburne’s dead. Can life get any crazier for the Serenity crew? Let's leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #3 and find out!

 

 

Story

Amber Archambeau and her gang contracted to hit the Prime Minister. Knowing the Alliance wouldn’t rest until they hunted down Hamner’s assassin, they framed their rivals to take the blame. Using her Companion contacts, Inara secured a respite in the Diamond Cutters Brothel. But believing the Browncoats had done the deed, the patrons’ cheers drew the soldiers’ ire. So now Zoë—a former boxing champion, Bernard—who once started a fight over half a Sarsaparilla—and the others bob and weave with the Alliance soldiers.

 

With their hidey-hole blown, it's time to hit the road. A dose of humor helps them stomach the way Alliance troops beat up citizens. With an energy dome encasing the town, they can run and hide, but they can’t flee. Along the way, their path intersects with the Archambeau gang, and Zoë wonders if their rivals don’t have the right idea. General Hamner was a butcher. As Prime Minister, she's bringing the hurt to every Alliance world!

 

Sam Humphries spices character dialogue with zany zingers in Firefly: The Fall Guys #3. The Serenity folks crash through fights, shootouts, and a high-flying getaway. While Zoë takes the spotlight, Mal mentions why he relinquished the Captaincy, and Kaylee fights to maintain order. New crewmate Bernard proves the breakout character, riding on adrenaline and enjoying every moment of the issue’s wild ride.

 

Art

Starship Troopers march through Gunsmoke streets in Firefly: The Fall Guys #3. Soldiers slap wanted posters on electronic billboards. A stagecoach hovers over the dirt road. Its inverted wooden wheels conceal thrusters. Some characters look similar and fail to convey age. More establishing shots might help readers follow the action. Still, Jordi Pérez’s dramatic poses and shifting camera angles energize panels, and every member of the crew bar one gets a mustache.

 

Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli use a limited palette in Firefly: The Fall Guys #3. Color combinations change by the scene. At times, a lack of contrast prevents clarity. At others, images electrify.

 

Jim Campbell’s black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read. He uses bigger ones to introduce the cast and lowercase gray words for lowered voices. Sound effects help readers hear crashes, bangs, and blasts. Occasionally, they hover smackdab in the action zone, shouting, "Here I am! Look at me!" Rascally varmints!

 

Thanks to the rootin'-tootin' folks at Boom! Studios for providing a copy of Firefly: The Fall Guys #3 for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Trapped in a maze, the Serenity crew fights to stay alive, and Zoë conceives a dramatic solution to life, the Alliance, and everything in Firefly: The Fall Guys #3.

 

Rating: 7.8/10

 

To view more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Dead Lucky #10 Review

 

Writer: Melissa Flores

Artist: French Carlomagno

Colorist: Mattia Iacono

Letterer: Becca Carey

Cover Artists: French Carlomagno; Stefano Simeone

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 8, 2023

 

When Morrow personnel tried to apprehend Pyre, he turned Fisherman’s Wharf into a warzone. Bibi brought her Ghost Squad to stop the fighting, but someone activated an Artificial Intelligence Destruction protocol. This command authorizes lethal force. Bibi and Pyre stand back-to-back as the Morrowbots close in. Can they withstand the robots’ attack? Let’s charge into Dead Lucky #10 and find out!

 

Story

Jimmi Morrow promised to make the streets of San Francisco safe. But after six months, the curfew remains in place. With the Morrowbots deploying deadly force, the Mayor wants to cancel Morrow’s contract. Jimmi’s assistant has run the company since he contracted a fatal illness. Korin tries to get his advice, but he's withdrawn into himself. Until his laboratory can replicate the mysterious substance that empowered Bibi and Pyre, Jimmi can't be bothered.

 

As for Bibi and Pyre, they’re taking the fight to the Morrowbots. After Pyre’s buddy Stoker fell amid the fight, Bibi pulled him out of harm’s way. But Pyre doesn’t care how much chaos he unleashes. He would raze San Francisco to watch Morrow burn. Unfortunately, Bibi’s problems grow when someone activates a second A. I. D.

 

In Dead Lucky #10, Melissa Flores weaves a large cast in an intricate dance. Some characters—like Bibi, Maria, and Valentine—are so complex it's hard to know what they want at any given moment. Others—like Stoker and Bibi's Salvation Gang team—seem superfluous. Like its predecessor, the tightly packed installment delivers a mix of drama and excitement. If the series must end with issue 12, it seems likely to go out with a bang!

 

Art

French Carlomagno fills panels with attractive characters in realistic settings. Some panels could speak more clearly, such as when Bibi cares for Stoker. As one panel features a member of the Salvation Gang, it seems the team survived its mission in Jordan. Hooray! Some changes between panels seem abrupt, such as when Pyre stands alone on a roof looking in one direction. In the next panel, Stoker stands by his side, the men face a different direction, and another character has appeared nearby. The biggest plus in Dead Lucky #10 is the robots. In addition to the elegant, feminine civilian robots, this issue introduces a muscular, masculine model that oozes meanness.

 

Mattia Iacono’s vibrant colors energize action scenes and celebrate San Francisco’s thriving artistic community. The fluorescent coloring salutes a city as striking and unique as the uniform Georgia designed for Bibi.

 

Dead Lucky #10 features uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons with adequate spacing between lines. Red-letter robot utterances are small but rare. Big blue block letters announce location changes. Becca Carey’s sound effects enhance battles while never drawing attention away from those who struggle to keep the peace or merely stay alive.

 

Final Thoughts

When a billionaire loses interest in his technological empire, someone transforms his creations into soulless killers in Dead Lucky #10.

 

8.8/10

 

For another awesome cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Spider-Boy #1 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott

Artists: Paco Medina; Ty Templeton

Colorist: Erick Arciniega; Dee Cunniffe

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $5.99

Release Date: November 1, 2023

 

In Spider-Man #11, Spider-Boy sensed a man was in danger. When he touched a freshly washed shirt hanging out to dry, young Bailey Briggs realized Gutterball was to blame. Can Spider-Boy save the man from the villain? Let's fwip into Spider-Boy #1 and find out!

 

“Solo Run”

Story

Our heroes hurtle into Lucky Lane’s bowling alley. Aided by Spider-Man, Spider-Boy saves the endangered man, the proprietor, and others from Gutterball. Yet everyone regards Bailey with horror. When he sees a photo of him “monstering out” on the front page of the Daily Bugle, Bailey realizes why.

 

With no place to call home, the F.E.A.S.T. shelter where Aunt May works takes Bailey in. Christina Xu—another volunteer—regards him as a friend. Peter Parker arrives with a new edition of the Daily Bugle. Thanks to Peter, the article hails Spider-Boy as Manhattan's latest hero. But when the ten-year-old returns to the bowling alley to receive his reward, the ceremony doesn’t go as planned. 

 

 

Dan Slott’s “Solo Run” raises intriguing questions about how recent Spider-Verse events reshaped reality. Most people seem ignorant of Gutterball. Yet a cop recognizes him. In Spider-Man #11, Bailey claims Gutterball was out to get the man, which suggests he also knows the villain. Timing and logic inconsistencies menace Spider-Man's visit to the Daily Bugle offices. Lastly, Madame Monstrosity's choice of Humanimal to send on her mission is either blind luck or a subconscious suggestion, given she doesn’t remember creating Bailey. Still, readers discover how Bailey became Spider-Boy, meet a friend from his past, and see him pit his spider abilities and wits against one of her Humanimals in Spider-Boy #1. 

 

Art

Paco Medina conveys the fight’s furious action as Gutterball fires his bowling pin handgun, Spider-Boy rescues bowlers, and Spider-Man swoops in for the takedown. Bailey’s conversations with Christina convey the ten-year-old's desire for acceptance, his camaraderie with Christina, and his kinship with Peter. Surrounded by her Humanimal servants, Madame Monstrosity works in a laboratory less impressive than Norman Osborn’s but more upscale than Doc Ock’s recent lair. Erick Arciniega’s bold, vibrant colors energize the bowling lane brawl, reveal how volunteers help make F.E.A.S.T. a home, and enrich the drama as young Bailey relives the day that changed his life forever.

 

 

“Balloonacy!”

Story

Christina drags Bailey away from F.E.A.S.T. for the best meal of the year, so he figures they should nab the best spot to observe the Macy’s Day Parade. Bailey carries her as he climbs a highrise. On the roof, they meet Squirrel Girl. When a child's balloon alerts Spider-Boy that all the spectators are in danger, Spider-Boy and Squirrel Girl leap off the multistory building and race through the crowded streets. Their appearance prompts Professor Emilio Helio to launch his evil plan.

 

Dan Slott’s story Balloonacy in Spider-Boy #1 builds upon children’s love of parades and balloons. It also puts a sinister spin on the inflatable characters people display on holidays and businesses use year-round. Spider-Boy's unconventional solution will please parents and teachers while introducing readers to Balloon Man and Captain Squirrel. Like Spider-Boy, the latter wears a mask to protect his identity. 

 

 

 

Art

As spectators flood Sixth Avenue, giant balloons float between tall buildings. Ty Templeton portrays holidaymakers with expressive faces. Images surround Spider-Boy’s masked face, illustrating the inrush of information from his spider sense. Dee Cunniffe’s palette softens this all-ages tale in which Spider-Boy and Squirrel Girl battle a balloon vendor wearing a balloon over his head and hat.

 

In “Solo Run” and “Balloonacy," Joe Caramagna thwips black uppercase dialogue into white balloons. Whispered exchanges shrink words, raised voices enlarge them, and intonation emboldens or colors them. He seasons Spider-Boy #1 liberally with sound effects to help us hear Bailey's battles and feel the ten-year-old's pain.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Madame Monstrosity’s links to the Scorpion and the Human Fly—as revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #31—combined with Daily Bugle demonizing in Spider-Boy #1, compare Marvel’s newest Spidey Hero with Spider-Man’s turbulent past. After Bailey proved he could tackle adult villains in Dan Slott’s Spider-Man #11, Peter Parker steps aside to let his new sidekick battle people from his past and make all-new friends in the all-ages Spider-Boy #1.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Traveling To Mars #9 Review

 

Writer: Mark Russell

Artist: Roberto Meli

Colorist: Chiara Di Francia

Letterer: Mattia Gentili

Cover Artists: Roberto Meli; Michele Benevento; Dario Tallarico; Brent McKee

Publisher: Ablaze

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 1, 2023

 

In leaving the spaceship, Roy Livingston signed his death warrant. Already terminally ill, he’s got a few days on Mars before his shuttle and suit’s air runs out. Was his flag-planting exercise worth it? Let’s warp into Traveling To Mars #9 and find out!

 

Story

After six months, Roy reached Mars with his companions. Leopold and Albert talked, felt emotions, and enjoyed movies with him. The robots found new friends in the rovers from previous missions. Foremost among them is Perseverance II, which Roy calls Vera. The rover reported the natural gas deposits that excited energy companies back on Earth. Yet when Leopold and Albert introduced it, Vera admitted that it lied.

 

In Traveling To Mars #9, Mark Russell invites us to share Vera’s journey. It’s a story of heartbreak as the rover struggled to understand why its creators fell silent. What did it do wrong? How could it repair the damaged relationship? As it sought answers, it met more of its kind. Abandoned by their creators, Vera welded the scattered rovers into a community. Eventually, Vera conceived a way to become valued once more and get the answers it desperately craved.

 

As in previous issues, Roy’s thoughts return to the past. A hurricane caused him to doubt God's existence. The fragility of life taught him to value it more. He’s tempted to spend his remaining days avoiding Vera, Leopold, Albert, and the other robots. After all, they’ve done him and Humanity wrong. But as a former pet store manager, can he ignore these aging, mechanical beings who look to him for hope?

  

Art

When he met Vera, Roy sensed cruelty and indifference. Roberto Meli details the weathering, surface imperfections, and brokenness of the rovers in Traveling To Mars #9. As Vera rolls across the regolith, testing shale, sending radio signals, repairing its robot brethren, and gazing upon a member of the species that created it, we sense something more. We feel the pain, longing, and determination that earned it the name Perseverance II.

 

Roy likened trekking across Mars to exploring Arizona in a beekeeper suit. Chiara Di Francia brings light to this red planet with the dust Roy and the robots kick into the thin Martian atmosphere. Blue seeps into objects not bathed in the distant sunlight, whether a crater wall, a pile of mechanical debris, or Roy's transparent helmet. Light speeds across pages, following prescribed pathways, forming a circuit-like backdrop as Vera regales Roy. Mauve lines streak panels showing the rover's journey, while yellow circles make radio signals visible. Umber shadows roam orange dunes, darkening each wheel's tracks. A stained component deemed unsalvageable lays in a bluish shade while the robot community seeks its next temporary home in Traveling To Mars #9.

 

Mattia Gentili reveals the characters’ speech with black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons. Vera accompanies her illustrated past with black words in yellow narrative boxes. Roy’s thoughts appear as lowercase words written on scraps of beige journal paper. The latter may strain the eyes more than the robots’ conversations. Yet sound effects enliven Vera's story, and Roy's emboldened words swell as he attempts to come to grips with the robot community's leader.

 

Thanks to Ablaze Publishing and Arancia Studio for providing this copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Do you ever feel unwanted? Traveling To Mars #9 reminds us of the pain of abandonment and how those who work hardest are often deemed inconsequential and needy.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

King Spawn #27 Review

 

Writer: Todd McFarlane

Artists: Javi Fernandez & Kevin Keane

Colorist: Ivan Nunes

Letterer: Andworld Design

Cover Artists: Dan Panosian; Don Aguillo

Publisher: Image

Price: $2.99

Release Date: November 1, 2023

 

Spawn doesn’t want Cogliostro on Hell’s Throne. So he asked the Visage to send him there. She did so after warning that he could never return. What battles will Spawn wage in his new home? Let's leap into King Spawn #27 and find out!

 

Story

Al’s past flashes before his eyes as he falls. Powerless to halt his descent, doubts assault him. Questions probe his memory. Why did Hell choose him? What made Al Simmons worthy of returning from the dead?

 

Rage formed him. He tried to ignore what his father taught him. Ultimately, he became what he hated. The military valued his rage. Jason Wynn wished he could find more killers like Al. But Wanda paid for his talent. Al couldn't protect her from himself.

 

In King Spawn #27, Spawn travels to an area forbidden to symbiotes. Before he can accomplish his goal, he must endure testing. Is he just another lost soul striving to protect others? Or does Al Simmons belong in Hell?

 

Art

Spawn falls through a white abyss. Javi Fernandez & Kevin Keane spin memories like shards of glass, revealing childhood abuse, schoolyard fights, death on the battlefield, and meeting Wanda. Tentacles greet Al's entrance to Hell. A face filled with eyes and teeth looms. Scorpions, spiders, and other insects infest this Valley Of The Shadow. If Al Simmons fears Death in King Spawn #27, he doesn’t show it.

 

Spawn's crimson suit and cape paint a trail of pink like a brush across a virgin canvas. At the heart of the green fires, white stars burn in his eyes. Ivan Nunes uses red to amplify a limited palette for Al's memories. He enhances characters, objects, and backgrounds with highlighting, shading, and texturing. Gray smoke surrounds Spawn in the darkness. Yet the fractured floor reflects light, and the tentacled creature glows with unwelcome vitality.

 

Yellow uppercase letters glow within brown narrative boxes as Todd McFarlane retells Al’s origins in King Spawn #27. Andworld Design helps us hear the impact as Spawn hits Hell’s stone floor. The tentacled monster speaks white letters into cloudy black balloons. Spawn responds with his signature-styled balloons. His words are big, black, and beautiful. Yet the color of a stressed word reminds us of his eyes. Does Spawn’s final utterance suggest a link with Gaia? Or is it just the anger that drives him?

 

Thanks to Image Comics and Todd McFarlane Productions for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Who are we? Where do we belong? Spawn must wrestle with such questions and accept his destiny in King Spawn #27.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Space Between #1 Review

 

Writer: Corinna Bechko

Artist & Colorist: Danny Luckert

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Danny Luckert, Ariel Olivetti & David Mack

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 1, 2023

 

Revla defies orders and risks her ship to save another pilot’s life. Upbraided by her commanding officer, Revla’s heretical response lands her in solitary confinement. Will she follow orders, write a contrite confession, and get her wings back? Let’s soar into The Space Between #1 and find out!

 

Story

Revla expected reward, not punishment. Frustrated by her society’s stringent rules, she escapes her room. When others approach, she pulls away a grill and hides inside an air exchange vent. Perhaps the cat who snuck into her room inspired her. Either that or the crawlspace arouses her curiosity. But when she reaches a service ladder and tries to descend, she slips and falls.

 

Thankfully, Revla bounces off a safety net and splashes into a water vat. Les helps her climb out of the algae growth tanks. He shows her how more of her food is grown. Les also introduces her to his assigned breeding partner. Revla discovers these lower levels operate by different rules than she’s used to. After Les escorts her back to the upper levels, Revla shows him the stars for the first time.

 

The Space Between #1, science fiction author Corinna Bechko introduces us to life aboard the Dodona. When the generation ship reaches its destination, Revla, Les, and everyone they know will be dead and forgotten. Over time, society has stratified, and their leaders have stressed some rules over others. Revla and Les’ defiance gets everyone’s attention. Their actions prompt others to question the hollow asteroid’s society.

 

Art

In the cockpit of her winged globe, Revla pursues her fellow pilot. As the ships hurtle toward the Dodona, buildings rise from the asteroid bathed in starlight. Revla tows the other ship aboard and exits her craft. Work crews race across the hanger bay. Clad in safety gear, they avoid the engine flames writhing from the towed vessel.

 

Facial expressions communicate the characters’ feelings about each other and their world. Characters walk and run through this richly drawn world, where the privileged feast their eyes upon the glowing stars through floor-to-ceiling windows while the less privileged grow food in tanks and columns. Danny Luckert shows us all the hatches, panels, and rivets of Revla and Les’ carefully constructed world. Its cool, muted colors threaten to drain the warmth from its inhabitants. Yet the beauty of the starry abyss they travel through and the flora and fauna they cultivate hint at what gives solace to the Dodona’s inhabitants in The Space Between #1.

 

Jim Campbell fills panels with easy-to-read black letters in white dialogue balloons. Radio communication inhabits white or yellow balloons with snipped edges. Colorful sound effects help you hear Revla’s tow cable clamp the out-of-control craft and feel her splash into the algae tank. You may need to squint to read Revla’s apology in The Space Between #1, but it’s worth the effort.

 

Final Thoughts

A peaceful protest sparks societal change aboard a generation ship in The Space Between #1, a comic sure to please fanciers of cats and science fiction.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.