Dandelion Trade Paperback Review

 

Writer: Sabir Pirzada

Artists: Martin Morazzo, Vanesa Del Rey, Eric Koda, Roy Allan Martinez, Gegé Schall, Thomas Campi, Adrian Rivero, Juha Veltti & Marquis Rogers

Colorists: Juha Veltti, Jacob Phillips & Lee Loughridge

Letterers: Aditya Bidikar & Taylor Esposito

Dandelion Concept Artist: Corwin Herse Woo

Pin-Up Artist: David Mack

Cover Artist: Tula Lotay

Back Cover Artist: Mark S. Brunner

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $16.99

Release Date: June 19, 2024

 

Life forces Reggie and his wife to abandon life on land. Experimental surgery can't help Amy walk again. Still, hospital bills leave them bankrupt. So Reggie and Amy scrounge up enough money for a radical new scheme. They will become Exiles from Earth and join the growing Lighter Than Air community. How will Reggie and Amy enjoy life among the clouds? And how did this movement begin? Let's pack our clothes, leap into Dandelion TP, and find out!

 

Story

In Sabir Pirzada’s story, Jen Nakamuto dreams of living above the land. She investigates the capabilities of solar energy, lightweight materials, and wind-harnessing technology. An ever-growing Human population scrambles constantly for their patch of land and often loses it due to global warming, political upheaval, and economic factors. Why not build airborne homes and float among the clouds?

 

In Dandelion TP, Jen imagines floating docking stations where these drifting homes can gather and form global communities. Unlike land-based cities, people can move and take their homes with them. Dandelion owners can enjoy the comfort of their homes while traveling anywhere at a moment's notice. Thanks to advancements in automation, machines perform most manual labor. Why not use drones to bring food and remove waste?

 

As with any dream, the rich and influential find ways to coopt Jen's dream. Once people like Reggie and Amy take to the skies, they can never return. Governments harness Jen's social movement to reduce problems like illegal immigration and homelessness. Instead of squeezing low-income earners into overcrowded housing and subsidizing their food, the poor and displaced enjoy five-bedroom homes, free utilities, and drone-delivered meals.

 

People like Reggie may regret the circumstances that forced them to become Exiles. Like Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley, Dandelion TP tackles technological and societal evolution. Some who take to the sky will stage protests and attack those who forced them to abandon life on land. Still, that doesn’t stop people like Reggie and Amy from enjoying better lives in the clouds.

 

Art

A community of artists descends on Sabir Pirzada’s story to show how people live on land and in the air. Martin Morazzo, Vanesa Del Rey, Eric Koda, Roy Allan Martinez, Gegé Schall, Thomas Campi, Adrian Rivero, Juha Veltti, and Marquis Rogers portray these floating homes, overcrowded cities, and talented revolutionaries. An out-of-shape salesperson forces Reggie to give up the possession he most cherishes for the woman he loves. Yet the wasteland where they take to the skies later thrives with life that defies their expectations and provides healing.

 

Juha Veltti, Jacob Phillips, and Lee Loughridge fill the myriad stories in Dandelion TP with a lavish spectrum of color. Purple-suited Clown Killers rain red upon greedy executives. Yellow and green enhance a protest on an island that sparks a violent response. Red and green suffuse one man's efforts to preserve traditional agricultural methods and uphold a family legacy. After two women meet in a purple and green skybar, they chart the limits of their Dandelions among the blue clouds. Perhaps the most heartwarming story is told in soft blues and features a person garbed in red and white.

 

Aditya Bidikar and Taylor Esposito's white letters enhance the birth of Jen Nakamuto's dream. Uppercase black letters fill orange and lavender narrative boxes as two women race through the starry night. Lowercase white lettering on black accompanies glimpses of Jen and diagrams of dandelions. An octopus and a bird speak white words into black dialogue balloons. Enlarged and colorful lettering helps us hear a familiar holiday cry. Sound effects amplify gunfire and malfunctioning drones, and green letters overlay a 3D graphic display as pirates sail their wooden ship into a sunken city in Dandelion TP. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When a restauranteur uses her bargaining skills to convince investors to fund her dream, she sparks a revolution in Human history. Jen Nakamuto’s dream becomes a springboard for stories exploring how Humanity’s move to Lighter Than Air Living changes life on Earth and charts the Poor’s path to freedom. The poems, podcast excerpts, conference transcripts, and stories in the Dandelion TP remind us how we resist change, create legends, and transform dreams into reality.

 

Rating 10/10

 

This review originally appeared on Comic Book Dispatch.

Witchblade #3 Review

 

Writer: Marguerite Bennett

Artist: Giuseppe Cafaro

Colorist: Arif Prianto

Letterer: Troy Peteri

Editors: Marc Silvestri, Matt Hawkins & Elena Salcedo

Cover Artists: Giuseppe Cafaro & Arif Prianto; David Mack; Marc Silvestri

Publisher: Top Cow Productions & Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 18, 2024

 

After the police arrested and questioned Sara, they released her pending further investigation. Sara used this time to study the strange entity that caused the bloodbath. As she learns how the Witchblade affects her, Ian Nottingham watches Sara. Does Ian spot one of the Human Traffickers entering Sara’s apartment building? How will he respond to the death that follows? Let’s leap into Witchblade #3 and see!

 

Story

Siry runs the Human Trafficking ring. Sara infiltrated a police protection squad paid to look the other way. Siry's lieutenant, Vinter, paid Sara to work for him. Vinter died when the Witchblade bonded with Sara. Sara claimed they didn’t pay her. The unpaid bill angered the corrupt cops, and the survivors of Vinter's squad sent someone to kill Sara. He didn't yell, "Land Shark.” The Witchblade still bit him in two. Sara doesn’t want to get arrested and questioned again, so she mops up the blood and burns his body parts in a pail on her balcony. Yet the fluid that pumped through the Human Trafficker’s veins wasn’t blood.

 

The more Sara learned about her father’s death, the less she trusted his fellow officers. Betrayed by the police, Sara fought overseas in a Black Ops squad. In addition to a soldier's PTSD, Sara also carries the guilt of carrying out the government's dirty deeds. In Witchblade #3, Sara tells herself she is just another victim. She argues that society preys on people, and men prey on women. Yet Sara can’t hide from the truth. She could have shut down Siry’s Human Trafficking ring long ago.

 

While Sara’s grasp on her moral center loosens, her body experiences rebirth. The Witchblade completes her. Perhaps the constant influx of knowledge flooding her senses and mind reveals the sham her life has become. Sara insists that she does all this in the name of justice. Yet Sara struggles to discern good from evil. Everyone is dirty. Even the so-called good people, like Sara's partner Michael and her civilian liaison Nicole, lie and break the law to protect her. How good can they be?

 

Sara serves as our guide in Marguerite Bennett's story. Yet Sara tells everyone in her life a different story. How much of what Sara tells us is true? While Sara seeks to understand who she is becoming, Ian Nottingham follows. He also watches people in pain, does little to help them, and serves a boss who regards people as commodities. Like Sara, his actions will reveal part of the truth about himself in Witchblade #3.

 

Art

Giuseppe Cafaro complements Sara's long dark hair and lips with dark clothes and shoes. The smuggler's organs are also dark. Ian Nottingham wears similarly dark attire. He frames his bearded face with long dark hair. Like Sara, he frequently frowns. Sara takes out her frustrations on a boxing dummy. Yet her scowl lingers as she walks past the men working at their desks. Few of her fellow cops look at her. Detective Fontaine, who taunted Sara in her police cell, crosses his arms over his chest as she approaches. Smiling people like Fontaine are rare in Witchblade #3.

 

Arif Prianto adorns Sara's apartment with green, brown, blue, and purple. Soft green light tinges street scenes of New Yorkers walking through gently falling snow. While Sara's memories are red, other locales betray Printo’s affection for brown, purple, blue, and green. Yet Witchblade #3 escapes a limited-palette look with rich shading, texturing, and clearly defined light sources. After the beautifully colored pages have come and gone, we share Sara's puzzlement over the Human Traffickers' purple blood.

 

Troy Peteri orders black uppercase letters into red-outlined golden narrative boxes and white dialogue balloons. He portrays Sara's indictments against her coworkers with red uppercase letters on yellow Post-It Notes. Immense white letters in gold-bordered black boxes place us in time and space, while Sara’s thoughts appear as small white uppercase letters in rounded brown boxes. Sound effects energize an explosive multipage fight. Sara might as well ask, "You call that a knife?" as she becomes a mass of living blades and crashes through equipment, doors, and ceilings in Witchblade #3. Thanks to Image Comics and Top Cow Productions for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Sara Pizzoli plumbs the depths of a police force protecting Human Traffickers and seeks those involved in her father's murder. Sara's web of deceit and life of denial make it difficult for her to accept that other superhumans walk among us in Witchblade #3.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

Minor Arcana #1 Review

 

Writer, Artist & Colorist: Jeff Lemire

Letterer: Steve Wands

Cover Artists: Jeff Lemire; Tula Lotay & Dee Cunniffe; Dustin Nguyen; David Mack; Jenny Frison; Fernando Rosales; Michael Dialynas; Kevin Wada; Soo Lee

Designers: Tom Muller & Grace Park

Editors: Maya Bollinger, Eric Harburn & Matt Gagnon

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 4, 2024

 

After years in the big city, Theresa returns to her hometown. She dreads the move, but her mother needs her. Can Theresa make this situation work? Or is it a dumpster fire that will incinerate her life? Let’s grab our Tarot decks, leap into Minor Arcana #1, and find out!

 

Story

The bus driver shouts at her. Theresa awakens from a dream. She has arrived! Theresa lumbers out and glares at Limberlost. She drags her roller bag to the local Psychic shop. But Theresa can't face her mom yet and heads to Stella’s Café for a cup of joe. The waitress invites her to sit anywhere she likes. Theresa takes a table and stares out the window at her mom’s shop. Suddenly, the waitress is getting all personal, reminding her of their High School days. Theresa can’t take this. Not now. So, there’s nothing for it. It’s time to reenter her mom’s world.

 

Nothing has changed. Theresa's mom welcomes her warmly. Then Vickie mentions that she expected Theresa yesterday. Vickie also wonders why Theresa doesn't take more pride in her appearance. Vickie dresses to impress her clients and create the supernatural aura they love. But all Theresa sees is a sham. Her mother puts on a show. Vickie preys on people's sadness in this no-hope town that most dream of escaping but never do. Theresa can't respect her mom. Suddenly, all the old frustrations and anger arise. Theresa hurries to the local tavern. But drinking will only bring a momentary escape. Besides, she is on the wagon. So, Theresa tracks down what used to satisfy her. There's nothing there for her now. Still, there is comfort in memories.

 

In Minor Arcana #1, Jeff Lemire tackles the difficulties of escaping our past. Theresa moved away, but new friends and work didn’t fill the aching void inside her. Now, her mother is sick. Vickie needs her. And according to Vickie, Limberlost needs Theresa. No preppy influencers or commercial interests are revitalizing Limberlost. In this small community, people seek connection. Theresa observed her mother with clients while growing up. So what if it is all a show? The future is a scary place. Theresa can offer them guidance. Theresa can assure mourners that their loved ones still care about them. The clients want to believe what Theresa will tell them. After all, doesn’t everyone need something to believe in?

 

Minor Arcana #1 is subtitled The Fool: Part One. But is the Fool card up or reversed? If it falls upright, the Tarot card offers the possibility of new beginnings. But if reversed, it portends folly, lack of direction, and poor judgment. Theresa’s life up ‘til now seems rooted in the reversed card. Perhaps there is still time to turn her life around.

 

Art

Theresa's cheekbones jut out, and lines surround her eyes when she frowns. The wind blows her straggly hair out of her drawn face as the slim woman drags her roller bag past barren trees and old stone and brick buildings. A church steeple rises above the thrift shop and the coin laundry. While most people Theresa passes return her frown, Kelly’s eyes glow, and a smile stretches across her face when Theresa says something Kelly wants to hear.

 

Jeff Lemire lavishes watercolors on his hand-drawn art in Minor Arcana #1. The green and blue skies press down on this town of yellow, brown, and gray buildings. Kelly's red jacket outshines Teresa's gray pants and the green stripes on her sweater. The warm brown and yellow psychic shop suggests vitality. Red neon signs glow in the windows. The drawn drapes hint at purple. But Theresa dreads entering the shop, with its red walls, purple drapes and tablecloth, and a purple lamp that shines down on a smoky yellow and brown globe.

 

Steve Wands conjures black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Frequent intonation emboldens and enlarges words. The wonky wheel’s clacking draws a passerby’s attention as Theresa heads for the house she used to call home. Yet the knocking that fills her mother’s shop could transform Theresa’s life in Minor Arcana #1. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

A dream plagues Theresa while she sleeps. She returns to it again and again. She ran away from her hometown for as long as she could. Now, she is back in Limberlost. Theresa must face whatever her subconscious and the universe want to tell her in Minor Arcana #1. After all, life is but a dream.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1 Review

 

Writer: Kyle Starks, Patton Oswalt & Jordan Blum

Artist: Ryan Browne

Colorist: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Letterer: Nate Piekos

Cover Artists: Scott Hepburn & Ian Herring; Ryan Browne; Martín Morazzo; Dan Hipp; David Mack

Publisher: Dark Horse

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 10, 2024

 

Shiteater is a local at The Lower Lair. After working all day at Burger Bite, he enjoys chatting with the bartender and relaxing with a stiff drink. But Gridiron Ghoul doesn't want the lowlife bug infesting his favorite hangout. Can Shiteater appease or befriend the bully? Or will he have to find another hangout to unwind every evening? Let's spread our wings, fly into From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, and find out!

 

Story

The Entomologist’s giant bugs wreaked havoc on society. But he also created people-sized ones. The villain sent swarms of bugs to pummel or incapacitate his enemies before he swooped in for the kill. The authorities honored the Entomologist’s exploits with a stay in their finest secure facilities. But they didn’t touch Shiteater because he didn’t threaten anyone.

 

Gridiron Ghoul disapproves of Shiteater, but the anthropomorphic fly has friends. His cat-loving landlady tends to his wounds and makes him dinner. A fellow employee at the Burger Bite shares her troubles with him. Another shares his record collection with his bug buddy. And then there's Goliath, the giant beetle who resides at Twilight City Zoo. Goliath wishes Shiteater would join him there. But who knows how the zookeepers would react to an unwanted guest? Besides, Shiteater wants to make a meaningful contribution to society.

 

 

 

Shiteater can trust some of his friends. Others value him only for how he can help them. A coworker employs him for a side gig but disrespects him. His boss yells at him, overworks and underpays him, and insists he is a disposable commodity. In From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, Shiteater clings to his dreams. He wants to use his unique talents and abilities to achieve his destiny. But first, he must discover what that is.

 

Kyle Starks, Patton Oswalt, and Jordan Blum's story speaks to anyone who has ever felt undermined or sidelined. The Entomologist created Shiteater in a lab. Left to fend for himself, he doesn't fit in anywhere. People like Gridiron Ghoul remember his past and refuse to see him any other way. Stained by his association with the Entomologist, Shiteater is a magnet for disdain. Yet one night, Shiteater has a brainwave. He’ll have to learn new skills and find some willing helpers to accomplish it. But as the old saying goes, A Bug’s Perfect Life is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

 

Hey, who says insects don't sweat?

 

 

Art

Shiteater climbs atop the thick hardcover book on the barstool in his leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1. The bartender smiles at him while a masked hero advertises a candy bar on the flatscreen TV. But Gridiron Ghoul, dressed in his football helmet and jersey, doesn’t believe the big-eyed bug belongs beneath the fairy lights and superhero masks adorning the bar. A backhander sends Shiteater tumbling through the air.

 

Shiteater trudges past a crashed flying saucer, not glancing at the fleeing aliens as he enters the boarding house next to the nude ghoul-y bar. While a cat on the floor looks up at him, most sprawl atop stair rails, a Black & White tube TV and cable decoder box, furniture, and his landlady’s head. Later, The Fly sits in the back of a coworker's van with his cheeseburger from Burger Bite. He vomits digestive juices and slurps up his meal. 

 

 

 

Ryan Browne and Kevin Knipstein lavish a loaded palette of bright and appealing colors on Browne’s art in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1. The air turns pink as Shiteater’s swarm attacks one of the Entomologist’s enemies. A magenta scorpion towers over the street while Shiteater’s former green-clad boss rides between its eyes. Shiteater's enormous orange eyes turn pink as he rides atop the racing purple van easier than the fake insect on the roof of Switek and Zito’s Bug Van. Orange, purple, pink, green, and blue surround the stage as Richie imagines playing drums in a punk band.

 

Nate Piekos fills white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with large uppercase black and colored letters. Sound effects like an orange Swat, a green Ralf and Snort, and a tan Vrooom enliven action scenes and dramatic moments. Descriptions fill the air, commenting on stacks of money, Gridiron Ghoul’s dental care, and Shiteater’s self-image. In From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, street advertisements comment on the quality of the products and services offered, and the villain’s secret lairs are always carefully marked. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

A lab-grown fly, stripped of his wings, vows to better himself while navigating the sticky social web of users, abusers, and double-dealing friends in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1.

 

Rating 10/10

 

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

Destro #1 Review

 

Writer: Dan Watters

Artist: Andrei Bressan

Colorist: Adriano Lucas

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Andrei Bressan & Adriano Lucas; Andrea Milana; Nikola Čižešija; Steve Epting; Jorge Fornés; Jonboy Meyers; David Mack; Jason Howard & Annalisa Leoni; Jason Howard; Freddie Williams; Tyler Kirkham; Camron Johnson; Sajah Shah; Jamie Sullivan

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 19, 2024

 

A General announces that protestors have reached the gates. Surveying the tall stone walls that protect him from his subjects, the Prime Minister orders him to send soldiers to quell the insurgency. Can the protestors overthrow the Republic of Darklonia? Let’s strap on our armor, load our weapons, march into Destro #1, and find out!

 

Story

When the soldiers leave the safety of the outer walls, a Battle Android Trooper raises its weapons, and the protestors flee. The BAT shrugs off the soldiers’ bullets and continues firing. When the General tells the Prime Minister that android soldiers have breached their defenses, the PM realizes he should have fled.

 

Destro is the leader of his Scottish clan. His company, MARS (or Military Armament Research Syndicate), provides weapons to the international community. Recently, Cobra Commander gave Destro Energon to build weapons and war machines. Destro also used it to power his BATs. The new power source is a game-changer, and Destro knows he has a valuable ally in Cobra Commander. But Cobra Commander holds a monopoly on Energon and an irritating habit of believing that anything associated with Energon belongs to him. Destro is desperate to keep MARS the world’s premier weapons supplier. So, he attacks beleaguered Darklonia and installs his cousin Artyom Darklon as its ruler. But everyone knows who's in charge.

 

In Destro #1, Dan Watters portrays a leader isolated from Humanity. Everyone he deals with is looking for an edge, and Destro must constantly look over his shoulder to ensure no one attacks his business or undermines his leadership. His metal mask, a symbol of his heritage, further isolates him from Human contact. The only people he can look to for support and inspiration are the former lairds of his clan. So, as Napoleon Hill suggests in his iconic book Think And Grow Rich, Destro interacts with statues of his ancestors. Is he crazy or the sanest man alive? While time answers that question, Destro will find holding a fortress more difficult than taking it and learn that a home can also be a target.

 

 

 

Art

Like Wild West Outlaws, the protestors tie bandanas around their faces as they raise signs and blazing signal flares above their heads. The soldiers who walk through the thick wooden doors in the tall stone wall look like mercenaries, each wearing whatever suits his fancy. Despite its Cylon Centurion helmet and chest-mounted control panel, the Battle Android Trooper wears a uniform as it raises arm-mounted weapons. The wind blows smoke before him, and trees behind him frame the fleeing protestors. Light bursts from the soldiers' rifles and streaks toward the BAT, who fires back with one arm cannon, the other raised toward the sky. When the soldiers glance up, they see more BATs soaring through the clouds beneath helicopters.

 

Andrei Bressan spares a page to reveal the BATs flying the unfriendly skies above Darklonia and most of two more pages to show the crowds and armored vehicles outside the gates of Artyom Darklon's new home. But Bressan usually invokes awe in smaller panels, as Destro #1 transports readers to the Scottish Highlands and the jungle of Sierra Gordo, South America. Bressan introduces readers to the sunbathing beauty who runs Hybrid Technologies and two brutal brothers who are the mirror image of each other. Yet Destro commands the most attention, with the wide collar that evokes a venomous Cobra's hood and the metal mask that covers his head, but unlike that of Cobra Commander and King Louis’ imprisoned brother, reveals his every expression.

 

Adriano Lucas lavishes a loaded palette on Destro #1. Vivid landscapes soften for smoke and haze, and artificial lighting changes the colors of clothing and furnishings. Heightened colors portray the BATs’ perspective. Scenes awaken interest in the infinite diversity of nature and Humanity. Destro treks through snowy, windswept mountains painted in shades of blue, red, and white. When Destro stands on the purple rock dais and speaks with the brown statues in red alcoves, readers sense the abandoned castle’s majesty.

 

Rus Wooton ushers readers into Destro #1 with large uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. White and light-blue letters in dark-blue boxes list the merits of BATs and drones. Sound effects help readers hear volleys of gunfire and explosions devour tanks and ground. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Astoria Carlton-Ritz, the new CEO of Hybrid Technologies, visits Artyom Darklon’s weapons fair, she looks forward to resuming her life in Manhattan. But a freak accident in Darklonia may suggest a new business opportunity or a rare ability in Destro #1.

 

Rating 10/10

 

For more cover art 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.

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 Review

 

Writer: Danny Lore

Artist: Karen S. Darboe

Colorist: Cris Peter

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Karen S. Darboe & Cris Peter; Betsy Cola; David Mack; Joshua “Sway” Swaby

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 17, 2023

 

The teen years can be rough. But no one's life has changed more radically than Brielle's. Thankfully, her father has entered her life and explained her dhampir heritage. Can Blade help her hone her newfound powers to become a legendary monster hunter like him? Grab your wooden stakes, leap into Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 with me, and let’s find out!

 

Story

Who hasn’t lost someone important to them and wanted them back? In Brielle’s case, it’s a father she’s never known. Suddenly he’s there for her when she needs him most. He trains her to use her new powers and gives her presents. (Well, warrior presents). She can even hug him, and he'll hug back. Now she's got a real family like everyone else. Only she hasn't. Someone abducted her mom!

 

Blade plays the responsible dad and sends her to school the next day. Her friends Jay and Rebecca are there for her, but New Girl Whitney provokes her. Catfight! Meanwhile, Blade’s got his knives out at a cemetery. He may have more experience than Brielle, but neither fight goes according to plan in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4.

 

I had trouble understanding the events following Brielle and Whitney's fight. One aspect concerns Whitney. The second is how the school enforces the principal's decision. There's also a mention of cloning. Huh? Tell me more about how that works, please! Still, the biggest mystery is why Blade—a dhampir or Daywalker—wears his Sunglasses At Night.

 

What’s that? So he can keep track of the visions in his eyes? Thanks for that, Corey Hart!

 

 

 

 

Art

Karen S. Darboe certainly likes her inks. Instead of drawing fully-realized backgrounds, she often delivers black splatter. Some panels remind me of watching an inker apply inks mixed with varying amounts of water to paper at a recent convention. The effect suggests shadows, dirt, and smoke. She often centers smaller panels on pages. I found this distracting on one page, as Brielle’s black boot frames the left side of the page, and Whitney’s yellow tennis shoe stands out on the right. Still, showcasing the latter allowed her to capitalize on it in the bathroom scene.

 

Jay and Rebecca are Brielle's friends and her primary support group. Yet their features always look a little blurry to me. Likewise, Blade and Brielle's battles often blur, as if vampires and monster hunters move too fast to capture. Still, I liked how Darboe shows Brielle's emotions in the opening scenes as twinkling stars, an ellipsis, and a dragonfly. I also enjoyed how she shows Brielle's reflection in Blade's sunglasses.

 

 

 

The coloring in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 is fiery, feisty, and fun. You’ll see that immediately with Brielle’s purple and pink hair. Cris Peter paints scenes and characters in appealing colors and disguises all-too-many blank backgrounds with a textured color wash that seems like a colorist's response to an artist's love of ink blotting and spattering. Perhaps the white tears on Brielle's dark face aren't realistic, but they communicate.

 

Joe Sabino’s uppercase black lettering in white dialogue balloons is easy to read and follow. He displays Brielle's thoughts in pinky-purple narrative boxes that contrast with the black lettering. I particularly enjoyed how he expresses Brielle's shock at the damaged, blood-splattered kitchen.

 

As with the story, I didn't understand the art in a few panels in Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4. These chiefly involved Blade. I don't want to throw out any spoilers, but twice he screams (or yells—sorry, Real Vampire Hunters don't scream). I'm not sure why. Was Blade in pain or merely trying to distract Deacon Frost?

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #4 delivers a teen-friendly story of family, empowerment, and the supernatural in an appealing, all-ages package. With a new Blade series hitting comic shops this July, there’s never been a better time to discover the world of Marvel’s night-stalking Daywalker.

 

Rating 8/10

 

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