Patra #1 Review

 

Writer: James Robinson

Artist & Colorist: Scott Kolins

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Scott Kolins & Francesco Francavilla

Digital Art Technician: Mars Ralston

Designer: Hannah Noble

Editors: Misha Gehr, Chuck Howitt-Lease & Daniel Chabon

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 21, 2024

 

Squad cars roar through the streets of Billford, Minnesota. A neighbor reported blood on a neighbor’s front window. When Sheriff Baines and his deputies Jimmy and Sara arrive at the modest single-family home, they find the bodies of parents and their three sons in the living room. What happened to their daughter, and who perpetrated the vicious attack? Let’s leap into Patra #1 and find out!

 

Story

While the Sheriff and his deputies assess the crime scene, a young girl awakens in the forest. Patra climbs to her feet and stumbles between the trees in her pajamas and too big sneakers. She can't remember how she got there. Patra can't recall anything that took place at her house. She senses something isn't right inside her. It goes beyond her lost memories. Then, a mask covers her face, and Patra holds a bloody knife in her hand.

 

As evening falls, Doctor Dakari arrives in Billford. He parks his classic car and discovers a hive of activity in the police station. James Robinson suggests that Dakari is the narrator of Patra #1. Despite the Sheriff’s initial reluctance at the intrusion, Baines welcomes the doctor’s insights. Dakari tells Baines about a young man at his mental wellness center. Jeremy Jones has a traumatic past, and this isn’t the first time he has escaped.

 

As Doctor Dakari relates his tale, Patra struggles with her new situation. She has seen a beloved pet, even though it no longer lives. Patra spotted the town in the distance upon awakening. But despite walking all day, she has yet to reach it. As Patra walks through the arboreal wilderness, someone else haunts the woods. While she initially casts it away, she later elects to keep the bloody knife. But the mask and the knife are a package deal. No matter how far away Patra throws it, the mask reappears on her face. The girl isn’t sure what is more frightening, the man she struggles to elude or the mask that keeps finding her.

 

While Patra wanders through the forest, Sheriff Baines takes Doctor Dakari to the crime scene in Patra #1. Sheriff Baines has reason to fear. He has never seen anything as violent as Jeremy Baines' slaughter. And if Doctor Dakari is correct, there is worse to come.

 

 

Art

The rounded vehicles racing past the wood frame houses imbue Patra #1 with small-town appeal. The police, clad in uniforms and jackets, hold their guns as they enter the house. As their shadows stretch across a carpet littered with broken toys that once were people, Patra awakens amid deciduous trees and evergreens. The wild strands of her thick hair resemble the tall grass surrounding her face. The skull mask that covers her face and her star-covered pajamas enhance the spectral nature of this eerie place. When she casts the mask and knife away, it seems to fade into the grass. But does it disappear, or is it the green ground fog that obscures her happy black pet?

 

Scott Kolins separates panels with black frames lined with red. The red lines match the blood-soaked carpet, Patra's bloody appearance, and the doctor's finned 1950s American car. Yellow, pink, and green pastels soften the busy police headquarters. But Doctor Dakari’s tale resembles a black, purple, and red painting on beige cave walls, as gods strike down Humans and stride like giants through civilization.

 

Jim Campbell casts black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes in Patra #1. Words grow bold for intonation, swell for volume, and rarely shrink. Sound effects relate racing and resilient vehicles and glowing knives that hiss into existence in the moonlight. But nothing is as powerful as a young girl’s verbal reaction to this strange, unearthly danger. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

After a killer escapes his doctor's care, he renews a pattern of violence that disrupts the tranquility of a small Minnesota town. But while the psychiatrist who relates this tragic tale knows more than he should, a savage killer hunts a young girl through an ethereal jungle inhabited by dead loved ones in Patra #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

Apologies that this one is so late, but it was too good not to review!

Firefly: The Fall Guys #5 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Junggeun Yoon

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 14, 2024

 

A crowd watches Malcolm Reynolds, Kaylee Frye, Leonard Chang-Benitez, Inara Serra, and Zoë Washburne on the gallows. “A noose never skips a meal when the Alliance is in town,” a girl remarks. Can anyone rescue Serenity's crew from Prime Minister Hamner, Marshall Gronk, and the troops holding the town of Beloved for ransom? Let's slip on our brown coats, leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #5, and find out!

 

Story

Alert! River awakens from her vision just as Serenity bangs into debris. She and Simon hid in a spaceship graveyard to protect their ship and Zoë’s daughter from the Alliance fleet. But with all the wreckage rustling around like mangy cows in a herd, they're likely to get battered and bruised if they stay there. Plus, River thinks her vision is more than a dream. But how can they bypass the Alliance fleet and hightail it to the moon called Plymouth? Simon might have an idea worth pursuing!

 

Back in the one-horse doctor town of Beloved, Captain Kaylee and her crew hide and watch as Marshall Gronk torches the theater. Now, where will the ever-popular Can-Can Dancing Revue perform? The crew itches to prevent the Alliance tank from burning more buildings with its Naplasma cannon. In their graveyard shootout with the Archambeau gang, Kaylee tipped her hat to Malcolm as Master Tactician. But Mal left to track down Zoë, who went rogue and started speaking with her late brothers-in-arms. So how can the Serenity crew save Beloved?

 

While tackling weighty issues, Sam Humphries keeps the tone of Firefly: The Fall Guys #5 light and fun. His dialogue sparkles with humor. New crewmember Bernard Chang-Benitez endears, while the discombobulated Sheriff Persimmon helps the outlaws stay focused. Marshall Gronk rages at the locals for sheltering enemies of the state. Prime Minister Hamner recognizes the need to adapt to changing circumstances. Amber Archambeau illustrates Malcolm’s fear of wielding power over others for too long. He may be wearing a new hat, but Mal demonstrates his caring and leadership skills by helping Zoë see the error of her ways. The issue ends with Prime Minister Hamner fearing for the future of the Alliance, while the Serenity’s crew fear for hers.

 

Art

Things get a bit confusin' as Serenity navigates through rowdy rubble, but River's shock and fear are evident, and Simon looks determined to help. A translucent dome composed of hexagons shields the wooden buildings of Beloved, not letting the townspeople out to tend their fields or check their herds. Lines accompany rapid movement as Zoë tries to protect the theater and avoid the resultant firestorm. Malcolm and Captain Kaylee give the Alliance soldiers a few good licks. Faceoffs multiply like flies on a carcass as the tension rises. That is when people don't get guns pointed at them, sometimes from inches away. Jordi Pérez delivers a rollicking Sci-fi Western populated with appealing and appalling characters.

 

Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli lavish a limited palette on Jordi Pérez’s art in Firefly: The Fall Guys #5. They paint River’s vision in wood tones, akin to intarsia compositions. Space fills with purple, blue, and pink as River and Simon bang into debris and worry about their friends. The raging fire invades the pink air under the forcefield with a gout of angry yellow. The yellow reflects off the soldiers' green and purple uniforms. The rising sun dispels the darkness in Hamner’s control center as she and Gronk argue. The bright morning sun streams through the energy shield, giving life and radiance to all in its path and leaving everything else in the brown or purple shade.

 

Jim Campbell shoots black, uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Words swell with pride when voices rise. Bernard sweetly croons in lowercase. Bullets ricochet off buildings, and explosions dispel the flagging darkness as the sun rises in this penultimate periodical. Thanks to the rootin'-tootin' folks at Boom! Studios for providing a copy of Firefly: The Fall Guys #5 for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Marshall Gronk is burning down the house, Prime Minister Hamner finally sees the light, and the beleaguered inhabitants of Beloved differentiate between criminals and outlaws in The Fall Guys #5.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

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

Red Sonja #7 Review

 

Writer: Torunn Gronbekk

Artist: Walter Geovani

Colorist: Omi Remalante Jr.

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo, Bjorn Barends, Joseph Michael Linsner, Francesco Francavilla, Jenny Frison, Frank Thorne & Cosplay

Publisher: Dynamite Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 24, 2023

 

Red Sonja opened an interdimensional portal and freed the god trapped in Lady Alaberta’s black diamond. Kulan Gath used the portal to defy death and return to the mortal plane. Now, Gath marches through the border kingdoms, leading a band of ravagers. More trouble afflicts nearby Brythunia. What terrors did Red Sonja unleash on the Hyborian World? Let’s leap into Red Sonja #7 and find out!

 

Story

Kulan Gath defied the gods and returned to Earth. Now, he feels aches and pains, and his aging muscles tire from exertion. Gath had planned to take over Thord Varg’s army, but the She-Devil defied him and freed the soldiers from their oath. So Gath gathers a band of sword and axe-wielding traitors. They storm a castle and celebrate their victory in a tavern.

 

The god brought Red Sonja to a convent in Brythunia. While the She-Devil healed from her ordeal, more injured people arrived. They filled the beds of the infirmary where the sisters attended their wounds. The Sister Superior summons Red Sonja to her office in Red Sonja #7. She explains that the injured began arriving shortly after Red Sonja. The victims describe strange, otherworldly attackers. Sister Superior wonders if Red Sonja opened the Gates Of Hell. She disapproves of the She-Devil’s violent life but hopes Red Sonja can close the gates and end the Witching Hour.

 

A sister gives Red Sonja herbs to ward off evil spirits. Red Sonja accepts the nun's kindness but knows it will take more to banish the demons. She mounts her horse, and rides to the nearby village of Ludlow. Red Sonja finds the streets abandoned. Frightened villagers peer out the windows of their homes. A scream fills the air. Red Sonja spurs her horse into a gallop.

 

In Red Sonja #7, Torunn Gronbekk shows how the She-Devil empathizes with others. Although she wields great power, Red Sonja risks her life to protect the weak and helpless. This time, she'll face more than Kulan Gath's band of sword and axe-wielding traitors. Gods walk the Earth. Legendary creatures called Tsjoko seek out human prey. Fear of these ancient Earth Spirits drives the Brythunians to abandon civilized gods like Mitra or the goddess mentioned by Sister Superior. Instead, locals appeal to ancient gods and follow a less humane worship.

 

Still, Kulan Gath remains a threat. Through his knowledge of human nature and the force of his personality, the sorcerer mobilizes an army capable of storming a castle. Only after securing victory does Gath summon magic. He's on a mission. Gath searches for something or perhaps someone. Whatever he seeks, rest assured it won’t bring peace to the Hyborian world.

 

 

 

Art

Kulan Gath digs a cane into the snow as he climbs a hill in Red Sonja #7. He grits his teeth, and his exhalation is visible amid the storm. While a castle rises in the distance, a barren tree frames our view as he turns and urges his followers to keep up. Their features look soft compared with Gath’s crows-feet, wrinkles, and prominent cheekbones. Yet they raise their weapons above their heads as they shout and charge the wooden castle doors.

 

Garbed in black & white cloth from head to toe, a sister covers her mouth when she sees Red Sonja has pulled up her dress and tied it beneath her breasts. The sister fumbles to loosen the knot. Leaving her axe and wood pile behind, Red Sonja smiles as she dashes off. Sister Superior wears a frown as she talks with the She-Devil. Her frown deepens as she grasps Red Sonja’s weapon and lifts it with two hands.

 

In Red Sonja #7, Omi Remalante Jr. enhances Walter Geovani’s storybook art with vibrant color. The traitorous rabble rejoice in the gray stone tavern illuminated by flaming torches. Yet Kulan Gath’s electric green magic makes the interior seem dim. The blood of injured locals matches Red Sonja's hair and cape, although the latter two show more highlighting and shading. Her armor and weapons shimmer like silver and gold, contrasting with her lightly tanned skin. While brown, gray, and beige dominate the town of Ludlow, verdant green fills panels as Red Sonja rides into the surrounding forest.

 

Jeff Eckleberry shares Torunn Gronbekk’s narration on beige parchment and dialogue in white balloons. Wavy rows fill yellow balloons as the drunken traitors celebrate their victory. Stressed words grow bold, and raised voices swell the large-size uppercase words. While enormous black letters threaten to burst their balloons, the green clicking that fills panels hints at the danger threatening Red Sonja, if not all humankind.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

A sorcerer who returned from the dead seeks supernatural power, and ancient gods judge Humans guilty of crimes against nature in Red Sonja #7.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

 

Firefly: The Fall Guys #4 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Becca Carey

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 10, 2023

 

Prime Minister Hamner wants Zoë Washburne dead. The Archambeau gang wants all her friends in Beloved dead. Orbiting the planet, the commander of an Alliance Cruiser wants River, Simon, and Zoë’s daughter dead. Can Captain Kaylee and her crew escape this one-doctor town, reunite with River, Simon, and Emma, and get Back In The Saddle Again? Let's leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #4 and find out!

 

 

Story

Captain Kaylee’s crew holds Amber Archambeau and her gang in a cemetery standoff. Kaylee knows Malcolm Reynolds is the better soldier, so she tips her hat to his battlefield experience. Mal’s Gene Autry maneuver surprises everyone and gains them an advantage. Still, Amber and her friends elude their grasp.

 

Until now, Marshall Gronk squeezed Beloved with his iron fist. Now, the Prime Minister pushes him aside. The former battlefield butcher vows to capture her old enemy. Hamner’s convinced that Zoë tried to assassinate her in Firefly: The Fall Guys #4. If the good citizens of Beloved are sheltering Zoë, they're all her enemies!

 

Haunted by ghosts, Zoë abandoned her friends. She wants to finish what Amber started. Among the Serenity crew, Malcolm knows best how Zoë thinks. (At least he does when she’s not seeing ghosts in Crazy Town). Can Mal find her before she does something that could brand a target on all their backs?

 

In Firefly: The Fall Guys #4, Amber Archambeau aims to finish what she started. Even if Mal finds Zoë and convinces her to desist, can Mal prevent Amber and her friends from pulling the trigger on the PM? And should he? While the Serenity crew operates in an ethical gray area, Sam Humphries couldn't paint Hamner blacker. How many deaths would result from Hamner’s assassination? Might her death ignite another interstellar war?

 

Or, regardless of repercussions, would whoever kills Hamner hold the moral high ground?

 

Art

Kaylee and Inara gaze around the cemetery as they ponder their untimely end. Hexicons rise above the angel atop the mausoleum and the barren tree branches, a reminder of the forcefield that prevents their departure. An overhead view of the battle heralds the arrival of unexpected assistance. Faces and dotted lines on a map suggest a board game. The mayor removes his hat while visiting the Prime Minister. Gronk's outstretched arm warns the mayor to choose his words carefully. The man refuses to meet Hamner's eyes as he converses with her. Soldiers surround a tank as it rolls along the snow-covered road. The fire issuing from the gun promises to rain down destruction upon Beloved's wooden buildings.

 

Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli lavish a limited palette on Jordi Pérez’s art in Firefly: The Fall Guys #4. Guns fire yellow streaks across characters in closeups, while an overhead view shows white streaks linking silhouettes across the greenish ground. The pink forcefield contrasts with the Alliance soldiers' green uniforms and helmets. Light shades of pink, purple, blue, and green illuminate the Serenity crew on this night. An orange monitor casts light into the dim control center. Blue space fills with tan, yellow, and orange when the Alliance cruiser fires upon the fleeing Firefly-class vessel.

 

Jim Campbell’s black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read. Words grow large and bold for raised voices. They shrink and turn gray for lowered utterances. Colored narrative boxes cluster next to the faces of each player on the game board, identifying crewmates' responses as Malcolm organizes his Archambeau ambush.

 

Thanks to the rootin'-tootin' folks at Boom! Studios for providing a copy of Firefly: The Fall Guys #4 for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As Zoë Washburn and Amber Archambeau race to assassinate the Alliance Prime Minister, Captain Kaylee gives Malcolm Reynolds a new rank, and graveyards become redoubts on land and in space in Firefly: The Fall Guys #4.

 

Rating 8.6/10

 

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

Firefly: The Fall Guys #2 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Inhyuk Lee

Publisher: Boom!

Price: $4.99

Release Date: October 11, 2023

 

Amber Archambeau and her gang hoodwinked Captain Kaylee. The job—to steal the Land Office safe—was a ruse. Now, the Alliance wants the Serenity crew for the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Hamner. Can they avoid capture for the worst possible crime? Let's leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #2 and find out!

 

Story

Five bandits ride through town. They fire at any Alliance troops that get in their horses’ way. But Malcolm Reynolds and company can’t reach the Serenity in time. So, Captain Kaylee hides the horses between two buildings and calls River and Simon. “Blast off now! Leave before the Alliance throws up a security cordon! Above all, keep Zoë’s daughter Emma safe!”

 

An energy dome traps Kaylee and the gang inside the town. At least the Archambeau gang is locked inside. And the Prime Minister's still alive. That's a plus! Only it's not because she and Zoë have unfinished business. It goes back to their days in the war, when Hamner was a general and Zoë a lowly corporal.

 

Sam Humphries throws a lot of history into Firefly: The Fall Guys #2. He jostles readers back and forth in time without showing each step in their journey. Still, his story is a real hoot, Gorram-rich in action, chemistry, hijinks, and hilarity. If you can handle Humphries’ hoodwinkin’ and switchbacks, this yarn is for you, pardner!

 

Art

Jordi Pérez serves an ample helping of frontier western appeal in Firefly: The Fall Guys #2. She confronts this with highfalutin spaceships and holograms, providing a pleasing mix of old and new. Have trouble discernin’ former Captain Mal from recent addition Leonard? Clue: Leonard’s the one with the mustache. Watch out for the Alliance troops! They look ready to take on the bugs with Johnny Rico. But who wants to live forever?

 

Oh, and if you want confirmation that Jordi Pérez dresses Malcolm Reynolds in a brassiere in Firefly: The Fall Guys #2, I'm not spillin’ the beans, Browncoats!

 

Francesco Segala, assisted by Gloria Martinelli, bathes scenes in a rich mixture of limited color combinations. Green, orange, or purple often dominates. Scenes with the horses resemble watercolors. White surrounds Serenity’s bid for freedom as engines ignite, unleashing torrential energy.

 

Jim Campbell’s black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read. He uses bigger ones to introduce the cast. Sound effects roar as Serenity blasts off and hurles through Plymouth’s atmosphere.

 

Final Thoughts

Trapped in a small frontier town and framed for an assassination attempt, the Serenity crew scramble to hide from Alliance troops in Firefly: The Fall Guys #2.

 

Rating 8.4/10

 

For more great covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Firefly: The Fall Guys #1 Review

 

Writer: Sam Humphries

Artist: Jordi Pérez

Colorist: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Francesco Francavilla; Justine Florentino; Ejikure; Ariel Olivetti; Madison Goyette

Publisher: Boom!

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 6, 2023

 

In space, no one can hear you scream that the Alliance sucks. That's a shame, as they've made it difficult for the Serenity's crew to make an honest living. Still, Malcolm Reynolds and company do what it takes to get by. What indecent proposal might they receive in Beloved, a frontier town on the terraformed moon Plymouth? Let's leap into Firefly: The Fall Guys #1 and find out!

 

Story

Zoë and Kaylee walk into a saloon. Amber Archambeau and her gang pull their guns on the two women. One gang member trains her rifle on Malcolm Reynolds. He's slumped over the piano, so Amber thinks they've got Captain Kaylee right where she wants her. But wait! Inara poisoned their drinks while tending bar, and she’s got the antidote. Advantage Serenity in Firefly: The Fall Guys #1!

 

Malcolm Reynolds action figure available at Amazon.com

 

 

Even if Amber tricked them into the meeting, Kaylee knows they need the job. To quote Zoë: they're broke as a joke. Amber offers a solution: steal the Land Office safe, and they'll be rich! Whoa, hold on, partner! Inara suggests they'll be moderately underpaid, but they'll get by. Plus, they’ll put one over on the Alliance, which always makes the Serenity crew happy.

 

Then Alliance security forces break up the wrangling at gunpoint and throw everyone in the security pens.

 

Sam Humphries doesn't show how the Serenity crew fares in the security pens or how the Alliance forces separate the two gangs. Nor does he mention how Kaylee and Zoë get a heavy forklift up a flight of stairs. The team never speaks Mandarin, and there's no mention of Inara’s former status as a Companion or Head Priestess of House Madrassa. But his zinging dialogue will please the most beleaguered Browncoats, and his double-crosses and plots-within-plots make Firefly Fall Guys #1 a joy to read.  

 

Art

Jordi Pérez conveys Serenity's size as Zoë bids her daughter Emma adieu on the loading ramp. The Spanish artist makes Beloved look fit for horse-drawn carriages. She's not afraid to show scenes, such as Prime Minister Hamner’s ship landing, from tilted camera views. A few characters—such as Serenity's crewmate Leonard Chang-Benitez—would have benefitted from further definition. Better-known characters—especially Kaylee and Zoë--are expressive and reminiscent of the TV series, and action scenes in The Land Office are exciting and explosive.

 

Serenity Wooden Puzzle available at Amazon.com

 

 

Francesco Segala, assisted by Gloria Martinelli, bathes shadowed characters in purple. They splash oranges and reds liberally from their limited palette, and grays and muted colors abound. Lighting may change clothing color from one panel to the next. Still, shadows trail Kaylee and Zoë as they walk across the pale blue snow toward the rising sun, and Prime Minister Hamner looks as vicious as Zoë paints her surrounded by red, white, and blue Alliance flags.

 

Amid the hoodwinking, swindling, and frame-ups, Jim Campbell leaves nothing to chance in Firefly: The Fall Guys #1. His black, uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons are easy to read, the big-time character introductions are fun, and the sparse sound effects enliven the debut issue of this rip-roaring Sci-Fi series.

 

Final Thoughts

Desperate circumstances forge unlikely partnerships when a visiting Alliance dignitary threatens to make the Serenity crew the Alliance’s Most Wanted in Firefly: The Fall Guys #1.

 

Rating: 8/10

 

For variant covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

James Bond: Himeros HC Review

 

Writer: Rodney Barnes

Artists: Antonio Fuso, Pierluigi Minotti & Giorgio Pontrelli

Colorist: Adriano Augusto

Letterer: Social Myth Studios

Cover Artist: Francesco Francavilla

Publisher: Dynamite

Price:$24.99

Release Date: August 30, 2023

 

A new video game threatens the intelligence community. Its arms dealer inventor wants to sweep his salacious past under the carpet. Can James Bond uncover his secrets before the man compromises MI6? Let’s shoot into James Bond: Himeros HC and find out!

 

Story

Britain sent billionaire financier Richard Wilhelm to prison. Arms dealer Anton Banes sent an assassin to cut short his stay. M requests that a parliamentary undersecretary ask their allies to put any deals with Banes on hold and sends James Bond to Miami, Florida.

 

Bond's not in Miami to follow Alex Dimitrios or ruin Auric Goldfinger's card game. He rushes to protect Sarah Richmond, Wilhelm's right hand. Bond arrives as a hit is going down and helps the woman escape. After winning her trust, she presents a dilemma. M ordered Bond to bring her to London to testify against Banes. Richmond wants to secure evidence on Wilhelm’s fortified island to indict the arms dealer and shut down the late billionaire's human trafficking operation.

 

 

 

In James Bond: Himeros HC, Anton Banes has a painting of the Greek god of sexual desire. The arms dealer tells a client that the Greeks allowed pedophilia because they understood that people needed diverse outlets for their cravings. But after years of investigating deadly criminals, Bond knows the truth: the one thing that links them is their ability to rationalize crimes.

 

While I enjoyed James Bond: Himeros HC's pulse-pounding action and furious pace, I wish Rodney Barnes had ended the story less predictably. I didn't understand his interactions with Q and felt the video game subplot needed further development. Still, I enjoyed Bond's globe-hopping adventures and understood Sarah Richmond’s predicament. The woman wasn’t blameless, but she was another of Wilhelm’s victims.

 

 

 

Art

The James Bond: Himeros HC impresses immediately with a flurry of scenes inside Belmarsh Prison. M meets with the parliamentary undersecretary secretary, and the men walk through MI6 files. Bond and Richmond exude charisma and battle with style and grace. Antonio Fuso awes you with a Porche’s beauty and a high-speed road-battle with a Lamborghini. Sadly, later artists struggled to emulate his work. While action scenes hum with energy, thick lines replace thin ones, making it harder to inhabit locations and interiors.

 

Like Fuso, Adriano Augusto starts strong. He loads his palette with colors, and the hues and textures breathe life and depth into Fuso's inks. Pierluigi Minotti and Giorgio Pontrelli give Augusto less to go on, and his work loses atmosphere and nuance. Still, highlights and shadows throughout James Bond: Himeros HC reminds us why we wear sunscreen in Florida and the Caribbean.

 

 

 

Social Myth Studios places black uppercase letters in white and colored dialogue balloons. Off-screen conversations inhabit narrative boxes, and immense, colored sound effects help you hear buzzing cell phones, machine gun reports, laser beams, and exploding vehicles. Rodney Barnes never overdoes the easy-to-read dialogue, the time and space locations appeal, and the Bertz Rental Cars sign made me smile.

 

James Bond Lego Car available at Amazon.com

 

 

Final Thoughts

Britain’s superspy defies M to close a human trafficking ring while challenging a damaged woman to become the best she can be.

 

8.4/10

 

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

Creepshow TP Vol 1 Review: Part 1

 

Creepshow Volume 1 Review

Writers: Chris Burnham, Paul Dini, Steve Langford, David Lapham, Maria Lapham, Steve Foxe, L Marlow Francavilla, Francesco Francavilla, Ariela Kristantina, Kyle Starks, Henry Barajas, Steve Orlando, Clay McLeod Chapman

Artists: John McCrea, David Lapham, Erica Henderson, Francesco Francavilla, Jorge Corona, Fran Galán, Dani, Marianna Ignazzi, Anwita Citriya

Colorists: Adriano Lucas, Mike Spicer, Trish Mulvihill, John Francois Beaulieu, Brad Simpson, Fabiana Mascolo, Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

Cover Artists: Chris Burnham & Adriano Lucas

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $14.99

Release Date: March 22, 2023

 

The 1982 Creepshow movie ripped through cinemas with stories written by Horror master Steven King. The movie spawned two sequels, a comic book novelization, and the TV series Tales From The Darkside. After owning the ‘80s, Creepshow refused to die, returning with a web series, a streaming TV series, and Scholastic tie-in books. It's even returned to comics courtesy of the good folks at Image. Are you ready for ten new terrifying tales? Then let’s dig into Creepshow Volume 1 and brave what we find inside!

 

Take One

Writer & Artist: Chris Burnham

Colorist: Adriano Lucas

 

When three Trick Or Treaters ignore written instructions—and memories of draconian punishments awarded by the former owner of a shuttered house—they discover that Death still has its sting. Burnham’s story reminds us of society’s current trend away from traditional Trick Or Treating, and the ending highlights the sometimes twisted ethics of horror stories. Detailed penciling, tilted camera angles, silhouettes, textured coloring, and excellent shading and light sources give this comic a film noir appeal. The over-the-top violence and gore make Take One a fitting companion to Spawn: Unwanted Violence. Strangely, the morning after welcomes an October sun. Did the boys get their dates mixed up? Was that why we saw no other Trick Or Treaters on those dark streets?

 

 

Shingo

Writers: Paul Dini & Stephen Langford

Artist: John McCrea

Colorist: Mike Spicer

 

A daughter’s birthday party becomes the latest battleground for separated parents. Shingo asks: when parents refuse to get along, how does this affect their children? The circular nature of the story suggests how parents can initiate a cycle of dysfunction and abuse that lingers for generations. Its lighter, humorous tone allows readers to recover from the last story's graphic excess. The art’s more Golden Age than Modern and reminds me of the EC horror comics that the United States Senate called a Comic Book Menace in 1954.

 

The Gorgahmorahh Tree

Writers: David Lapham & Maria Lapham

Artist: David Lapham

Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

 

Dysfunctional families enrich the soil in which horror stories grow. The way Lapham draws people in The Gorgahmorahh Tree reminds me of his 90s Harbinger run. Each panel compels as Lapham contrasts the majestic, ancient tree with Daphne’s cluttered, disordered home. How much of what occurs is real? How much does Daphne imagine? This third story in Creepshow Volume 1 evokes classic episodes of The Avengers, Night Gallery, and Doctor Who. It also reminded me of Patrick Ness' novel A Monster Calls and the 2016 movie. An unreliable narrator, a tortured daughter, and mesmerizing art turn an old gardener's adage on its head in this unique take on an oft-told story.

 

Creator’s Rites

Writer: Steve Foxe

Artist: Erica Henderson

 

Creator’s Rites tackles elder abuse: a subject most don't want to face. Compare the years it takes to become a doctor or nurse with the weeks of preparation (perhaps via the Internet) to work in a nursing home. We may never become luminaries in the comic world, but if we live long enough, we’ll all need help meeting our basic needs. Do Henderson's Old School TV animation style and vibrant coloring blunt the edges of Foxe’s story or make them sharper? Seemingly ripped from the final days of Stan Lee, Creator’s Rites cuts deep.

 

Hair

Writer: L. Marlow Francavilla & Francesco Francavilla

Artist: Francesco Francavilla

 

Jimmy feels more kinship with wild animals than civilized people. The barber doesn't hurt anyone, but Jimmy’s actions aid the animals in the forest outside town. The character reminded me of activist Nick Van Owen (played by Vince Vaughn) in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Scenes of town life evoke the Andy Griffith Show and Groundhog Day, with no newcomers saying "Heavy" or asking for a Pepsi Free. Francavilla's carefree, heavy inks and limited palette--greens, yellows, and oranges—give Hair a faded appearance. Hair combines a love of nature with a yearning for a simple life in a mood piece that—while not surprising--lingers. 

 

To read this review in its entirety, and preview art from Take One, see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.