Dead By Daylight: The Legion Preview

  

This was another graphic novel that came out when I was on travel. It's a fast-paced read that takes a penetrating look at why people choose to be villains. I've never played the game, but I readily understood the story and bonded with the characters. I enjoyed it, and hope to reread and review it in the future! Check it out! It's dark, chilling, and absorbing!

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

DEAD BY DAYLIGHT: THE LEGION

Author: Nadia Shammas

Illustrator: Dillon Snook

Cover art: Ivan Tao

Publisher: Titan Comics

SC, 112 pages, FC, $19.99

ISBN: 9781787738928

On sale August 6, 2024

 

Evil gets a new face in the first ever graphic novel spin off from the critically acclaimed video game, Dead by Daylight. When the rebellious FRANK crashes into the lives of JULIE, JOEY and SUSIE, together they’ll unleash bloody chaos onto the sleepy, dead-end town of Ormond. Witness the terrifying origins of THE LEGION.

 

Readers can unlock an exclusive in-game charm using the unique code found inside this Graphic Novel!

 

Teenage angst, anarchy and adoration combine for a perfect, violent storm of a comic. Compelling, familiar-yet-original characters make this the ideal jumping in point for the next big horror franchise.

 

Here's a look inside:

 

 

 

Dead By Daylight: The Legion is on sale August 6, 2024 at bookstores, comic shops and digital. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and Forbidden Planet for UK. 

 

 

Also available! Dead By Daylight: The Legion DM Edition featuring cover art from Jae Lee, available from your local comic shop or Forbidden Planet UK/Europe. 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3 Review

 

Writer: Amy Jo Johnson & Matt Hotson

Artist: Nico Leon

Colorist: Dono Sanchez-Almara

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Goñi Montes, Ejikure, Rahzzah, Frany, Ivan Tao, The Escorza Brothers & Nico Leon

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Trini Kwan's niece Selena tracked Kimberly to her remote mountain cabin. When Kimberly refused to train her, Selena assumed Rita Repulsa's appearance and attacked her. Why would Selena want to hurt Kimberly? Or did Rita return to life to kill Kimberly? Let's grab our power coins, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3, and find out!

 

Story

After Green Ranger Tommy Oliver failed to return from the moon, Kimberly extracted a promise from the surviving Rangers. They would never draw on the Morphin Grid again. Trini kept the agreement, but Jason disappeared while fighting crime as the Red Ranger. Former Blue Ranger Billy Cranston and Black Ranger Zach Taylor told Kimberly Hart they also utilized the Morphin Grid.

 

Way to let down the ladies, guys!

 

Kimberly awakens where her old life ended in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3. Jason, Billy, and Zach are also in Bandora Palace. Selena reveals that she wasn’t Trini’s niece but Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa's daughter. Her father may have died when Billy’s Benevolator detonated, but Rita survived. Or at least her spirit did.

 

Once again, Kimberly’s fears over the power of the Morphin Grid prove correct. Billy’s invention drew power from the Morphin Grid. Rita used that conduit to send her spirit there. Now a ghost in the machine, Rita spoke with her daughter through the Morphin Grid.

 

Jason, Billy, and Zach used the Morphin Grid to help others. Kimberly avoided it to shield Earth from malignant forces. Rita Repulsa inhabited it! Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3 tantalizes us with a glimpse of Selena's childhood. We don't know how Selena grew up, but we know her mother influenced her. In Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson’s story, Selena says she wants power, but her immediate plans involve emotional fulfillment. While seeking revenge, Selena lets her parents' killers live. If Selena achieves her objective, will it bring the satisfaction she craves?

 

Art

Billy’s Benevolator created a crater the size of Angel Grove. The debris orbits the moon, captured by the planetoid's gravity. Outside the damaged Bandora Palace, the Putties that once battled Rangers now clean up the debris. Inside, Jason—the first Ranger captured—hovers over Kimberly. Zach and Billy linger back, doubtless still smarting from their tongue-lashing in the diner. When Selena speaks to them from her mother's throne, the former Blue and Black Rangers assume fighting stances on the flagstone floor. Energy encircles them as they face the reincarnation of their old nemesis.

 

Dynamic layouts showcase Selena’s confrontation with her parents’ enemies, while inset panels reveal how she tracked them. Thoughtful camera placement keeps the action fresh in a now familiar setting. One of Rita's former servitors survived in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3. Although ravaged by age, he hobbles with a cane as he attempts to carry out Selena's plan. Nico Leon reveals Tommy Oliver’s final moments. His final act may explain Selena’s reluctance to kill.

 

Dono Sanchez-Almara colors Jason, Zach, Bill, and Kimberly's clothing to remind us of their uniforms. White energy pulsing through the blue dome evokes sunlight reflected in the sea. After a stream of pink energy signals Kimberly's departure, Tommy spies a child sitting on the worn wooden floor. As Selena reaches toward her mother's still form, her white hair and gray dress contrast with her mother’s colorful regalia and the crystal adorning the Magic Wand’s headpiece.

 

Large, black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3. Words grow bold for inflection and rarely shrink. Colorful sound effects help us hear Kimberly’s attempt to break free from the energy dome and Tommy's struggle to reach the Benevolator as it counts down to detonation. Ed Dukeshire’s immense letters compare the power humming through Billy’s device with the one constructed to resurrect Selena’s mother.

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While providing insight into Tommy Oliver’s final moments, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3 portrays the perils of social media, the allure of power, and how clinging to the past warps one’s character.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

ThunderCats #3 Review

 

Writer: Declan Shalvey

Artist: Drew Moss

Colorists: Martina Pignedoli

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Lucio Parrillo; Declan Shalvey; Jae Lee & June Chung; Ivan Tao; Drew Moss

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 10, 2024

 

Newcomer Calica enchants Lion-O. The ThunderCats’ young ruler wishes to accompany her outside. But when Lion-O draws the broken Sword Of Omens to check if it is safe, the embedded Eye Of Thundera doesn’t grant him Sight Beyond Sight. Instead, a door of glowing light appears inside the crashed flagship. What will Lion-O discover when he steps through this magical doorway? Let's extend our claws, leap into ThunderCats #3, and see!

 

Story

Lion-O peers through the glowing doorway. But before he can enter, something leaps out at him. Cheetara doesn’t hear Lion-O’s cry, but she hears Calica call for help. She races through the Thundarian flagship to find Lion-O beaming. Her leader embraces a long-lost friend.

 

When they enter the chamber, the ThunderCats discover a cache of weapons. Lion-O learns that his father appointed his friend to guard the room two months ago. They find no stasis pod to explain his friend’s lack of aging. Yet Jaga piloted the ship for years. Even though Lion-O’s malfunctioning pod slowed his aging, he still grew to manhood during their trip.

 

Jaga gave his life to pilot the Thundarian flagship to Third Earth. Yet his spirit haunts Mumm-Ra in ThunderCats #3. Seated upon his throne in the black pyramid, Mumm-Ra questions the glowing figure. He alludes to their shared past. But the Thundarian spirit does not answer.

 

 

 

In Declan Shalvey’s story, Panthro should be Lion-O's rock. Yet his Security Chief grows impatient with Lion-O. When Panthro countermands one of Lion-O's decisions, the situation escalates. Cheetara intercedes but realizes she must restore order quickly to protect her people's heritage and cohesion on this alien planet.

 

Panthro’s distrust of Calica is understandable. Why would the Mu'Tants abduct the girl before they destroyed Thundera? The previous issue also hinted at a psychic link between Calica and Mumm-Ra. As Jaga once wielded the Sword Of Omens, this suggests that Mumm-Ra gained access to the sword’s Eye Of Thundera and used it to communicate with Jaga and Calica. With Declan Shalvey cramming ThunderCats #3 with hints, mysteries, and drama, Tygra’s suffering almost goes unnoticed. While Cheetara strives to return order, the contest for leadership between his friends shakes Tygra to the core.

 

 

 

Art

Drew Moss reveals the grandeur of the ThunderCats’ flagship. Calica wanders through long corridors, Lion-O meets her in an immense conference room, and Panthro studies screens projected from computers in the hangar, surrounded by vehicles and Tygra’s repair equipment. Even broken, the ship hums with a technology indistinguishable from magic. When Lion-O first peers inside, the chamber mirrors the conference room in size and shape, with a central aisle lined by empty displays leading to an elevated throne. Yet when he and the ThunderCats enter, the walls seem to hug the shelves and cases filled with weapons in this Room Of Requirement.

 

Moss portrays earnestness, determination, despair, and overwhelming joy in the ThunderCats’ expressions. He propels the Thundarians into action amid rising tensions regarding Lion-O’s leadership. Yet the most fraught scenes belong to Slythe, the Mu’Tant leader. He entered the jungle to be alone. In leaving his people behind, he may have lost them forever. His desperate fight for survival in ThunderCats #3 reveals that he was wrong to claim victory over “this pathetic world.” 

 

 

 

Cheetara cuts an electrifying swathe of yellow through the red, blue, and green that enrich this story. Whether the action occurs during the day or night, Martina Pignedoli surrounds the characters in bright, rich colors. The atmosphere of Third Earth fills the air with appealing colors that contrast with the characters. When tensions rise in the Thundarian flagship--or something unexpected occurs--a cloud of beautiful color appears.

 

Lowercase black letters in colored narrative boxes relate character thoughts and off-camera dialogue. Black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection and swell for shouts. A heartfelt cry wafts through a disembodied pink oval. Mumm-Ra’s handprinted letters dominate cloudy balloons. Jeff Eckleberry helps us hear the Eye Of Thundera open, Slythe’s failure, and a bulkhead shatter in ThunderCats #3.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Repressed anger prompts a challenge to Lion-O’s leadership, a beloved friend returns, a mysterious room showcases a Mu’Tant weapon, and a villain discovers new adversaries in ThunderCats #3.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more covers and preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Man’s Best #1 Review

 

Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote

Artist & Colorist: Jesse Lonergan

Letterer: Jeff Powell

Cover Artists: Jesse Lonergan; Trish Forstner; Frany; Jae Lee & June Chung; Dustin Nguyen; Ivan Tao

Publisher: Boom!

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 20, 2024

 

After wars and environmental crises devastated Earth, the Tomorrow Corporation charged Captain Patel with preparing a new home for Humanity. Captain Patel brought along Dr. Winters, an inventor overseeing the terraforming equipment. Can Captain Patel and Dr. Winters reach Epsilon 32 and convert its ecosystem to save Humanity from extinction? Let's climb aboard Starship Horizon, take a giant leap into Man's Best #1, and find out!

 

Story

Dr. Winters' devotion to her education and career led to awkwardness with others. She brought her pets along to keep her company on the voyage. They guard her terraforming equipment from curious crewmembers during the day and keep her company at night. Dr. Winters also directs them through simulated battles in the holo-chamber. We don't learn why Dr. Winters feels her pets might need to defend their new home. Still, it makes sense to have people—or pets—prepare for the unexpected on an alien planet.

 

Captain Patel regards Dr. Winters’ experiments as little more than entertainment in Man’s Best #1. But then, Captain Patel doesn’t believe in his mission. Humanity’s cruelty and rapaciousness seem incurable. A family death further isolates him. He allows Dr. Winters to conduct her experiments, even if they drain the ship’s resources and detract from her duties. Still, Captain Patel has a more pressing concern. The ship's sensors no longer detect Epsilon 32.

 

Athos wasn’t Dr. Winters’ first pet, but the longhaired white cat leads her pack. At least, he tries. Porthos—an affable Golden Retriever--is his enthusiastic right-paw dog. Or should I say, his bionic right-paw dog? The problem pet in the pack is Lovey. The jowly terrier does what he pleases when he pleases, which inevitably dooms their simulated missions.

 

Pornsak Pichetshote fuels Man’s Best #1 with interesting character dynamics. Dr. Winters wishes Captain Patel would return her affection. Some crewmembers share Captain Patel’s disbelief in their mission. Yet Prichetshote primarily focuses on Dr. Winters’ pets. Lovey distrusts his owner and feels disinclined to follow orders. Porthos' exuberance diminishes her focus. Athos wishes he were a decisive leader who inspired his team to greatness.

 

Dysfunctional relationships are the least of their worries when Epsilon 32 suddenly reappears in their path. Captain Patel and his crew struggle to slow the ship’s momentum. After a turbulent blackout, the pets awaken in a wrecked spaceship. Where did the crew and Dr. Winters go? What happened to the terraforming equipment? The Incredible Journey has just begun!

 

Art

Starship Horizon propels an immense storage container between the stars. Captain Patel’s black eyepatch evokes the pirates of yore, while Dr. Winters' immense round glasses compliment her bouffant blonde hair. Jesse Lonergan’s loosely drawn characters give Man’s Best #1 a low-key appearance that lulls readers into this epic tale.

 

Lonergan packs pages with panels that provide insights into the characters without slowing the pace. From the simulated southwest landscape to the grid-like holo room, Starship Horizon’s crowded control room, and finally to Epsilon 32, Athos, Porthos, and Lovey travel through interest-provoking settings. Surgical implants allow Athos to control an exoskeleton, Porthos to generate a forcefield, and Lovey to fire weapons while hurtling about with his jetpack. Or at least when the well-fed terrier feels like it. Then there’s their simulated foe, a Klanker that punches projectile fists and fires lasers from its neck at our canine and feline heroes.

 

Man's Best #1's limited color palette provides contrast in small and large panels. Lonergan imbues characters and backgrounds with a sponged or speckled appearance. The weathering and patinas lend the story a distressed, lived-in appearance that evokes how George Lucas differentiated Star Wars from the idealized futures of earlier sci-fi films.

 

Jeff Powell places large, uppercase letters in colored backgrounds and white dialogue balloons. Words grow bold for inflection and occasionally enlarge or shrink. Sound effects help readers hear the animals purr, howl, hiss, and bark while the Klanger pops its top. Powell shakes the reader when the klaxons blare and the crew of Starship Horizon brave the perils of bashful Epsilon 32.

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When a terraforming mission goes awry, a bionic Golden Retriever, a flying terrier, and a cat clad in exoskeletal armor must brave the dangers of an alien planet to save their Human masters in Man's Best #1.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

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

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2 Review

 

Writer: Amy Jo Johnson & Matt Hotson

Artist: Nico Leon

Colorist: Dono Sanchez-Almara

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Goñi Montes, Ejikure, Inhyuk Lee, Ivan Tao, the Escorza Brothers, Nico Leon and Santa Fung

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 13, 2024

 

Kimberly Hart changed her name. She abandoned her friends to live in obscurity. Kimberly returned to Angel Grove to celebrate the opening of the Trini Kwan Memorial Park and Youth Center and lay flowers on Tommy Oliver's grave. Yet the past refuses to remain buried. Poor decisions imperil Kimberly’s remaining friends, while the next generation of Power Rangers threatens to awaken the horrors of yesterday. Can Kimberly avert the catastrophe she worked so hard to prevent? Let's grab our power coins, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2, and find out!

 

Story

Twenty-two years ago, the Power Rangers led an assault on Bandora Palace. Finster ordered his army to defend Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd’s fortress. Red Ranger Jason Scott reminds his comrades they don't have to win this war, but Green Ranger Tommy Oliver and Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart need time to carry out their mission.

 

Blue Ranger Billy Cranston’s plan was elegant and heroic. His Benevolator would draw energy from the Morphin Grid. Instead of killing their enemies, it would sap the dark energy from their souls. Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart snuck into the moon palace, searching for a room steeped in dark energy to detonate it. What place could be more steeped in Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd’s evil than their bedroom?

 

If only Rita hadn’t discovered them, forcing Kimberly to shoot the witch amid her vicious attack on Tommy. If only Tommy hadn’t damaged the Benevolator during the fight. If only Billy’s timer had worked instead of instantly detonating the damaged device! Presumably, that's why Tommy didn't teleport back to Earth in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2. All Kimberly knows is the explosion left her without Tommy to wrap her arms around and with Rita’s blood on her hands.

 

Perhaps Jennifer blames Billy for the Benevolator’s fragility. Billy, Zach, and Jason’s decisions to break their pact and draw power from the Morphin Grid put all their lives in jeopardy. Someone discovered Jason, who resurrected his Red Ranger persona to save others. After returning from her visit with Billy and Zach, Trini Kwan's niece Selena arrives on Jennifer’s doorstep. How did the girl track Jennifer down to her remote log cabin?

 

In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2, Pink Ranger actress Amy Jo Johnson and co-writer Matt Hotson relate the Power Ranger’s final, tragic battle. Jennifer tells Selena that she won’t train her. Unlike her surviving fellow rangers, Jennifer believes the best way to protect Earth is not to draw upon the Morphin Grid. Will Selena bow to Jennifer’s superior wisdom? Is Selena all she claims?

 

 

Art

A two-page spread reveals the scope of this final battle. As the Power Rangers' zords attack, Finster’s forces march out to meet them. The Earth rises behind Bandora Palace, sunlight reflecting off its atmosphere while stars punctuate the surrounding void. A second double page makes clear the overwhelming nature of Finster’s forces as the glowing Earth emerges behind the massive moon palace. Shard-like panels reveal the fractured nature of the Ranger's bold offensive and compare the revelry inside the palace with Kimberly and Tommy sneaking in via the sewers.

 

A vast window replaces the exterior wall of Zedd and Rita’s cathedral-like bed chamber. Nico Leon conveys the intense fight between Rita and her Putties versus Kimberly Hart and Tommy Oliver in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2. The couple's cozy sitting area, desk, bedroom furniture, bookcases filled with books (and more stacked on the floor), and architectural detail ground the frantic action, making it even more poignant when Kimberly kills Rita in the villainess’ lovely lair.

 

Dono Sanchez-Almara fills the opening panel with gold, silver, and red as Rita and Zedd drink a toast to Zordon’s death and their inevitable rulership of Earth. Green and Pink Rangers shine amid the brown tunnels beneath the regal moon palace. Rita’s Magic Wand leaves pink contrails as it flashes and crashes into green-clad Tommy, casting yellow sparks and summoning white lightning. Blue, pink, red, yellow, and purple fill the air as the Power Rangers teleport back to Earth in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2. Kimberly remembers this heartbreaking victory as she stares out the window of her log cabin. The glass captures the glowing moon rising above the forest, as the yellow-orange fire burning in the hearth symbolizes the triumph that devoured her life.

 

Large, black uppercase letters inhabit white dialogue balloons. Words grow bold for inflection and rarely shrink. A thick-colored border celebrates a familiar rallying cry. Thin-colored balloon outlines make radio transmissions ranger-specific. Ed Dukeshire helps us feel a selfless ranger's pain and the empty end of a woman devoid of virtue.

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Kimberly Hart’s friends break their agreement to shield Earth by not drawing power from the Morphin Grid, a villain arises to menace them all in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

ThunderCats #1 Review

 

Writer: Declan Shalvey

Artist: Drew Moss

Colorists: Chiara Di Francia & Martina Pignedoli

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Lucio Parrillo; Declan Shalvey; Jae Lee & June Chung; Ivan Tao; Drew Moss

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 7, 2024

 

Lion-O entered his stasis pod as a boy. He awakened as an adult. Birth makes him the leader of the ThunderCats. But he has much to learn. Can Lion-O lead his people and wield the Sword Of Omens despite his lack of education and experience? Let's leap into ThunderCats #1 and find out!

 

Story

With their homeworld destroyed and their fleet ravaged, the only surviving ThunderCat ship crashed on Third Earth. Lion-O’s friends WileyKat and WileyKit are cubs. His journey into adulthood begins with no friends his age among the skilled and experienced adults Tygra, Panthro, and Cheetara. Lion-O has no peers. Can he lead and protect his people?

 

Lion-O seeks solitude in the desert. Instead of answers, he discovers an arriving spaceship. The Mu’Tants tracked their damaged ship! Desperate to prove himself, Lion-O unsheathes the Sword Of Omens. The Eye of Thundera, embedded in the sword, unleashes its power. The adults at his crashed spaceship, the troops aboard the Mu’Tant vessel, and a dark figure who inhabits the Black Pyramid realize Lion-O is in trouble.

 

In ThunderCats #1, Declan Shalvey introduces a cast of colorful and appealing characters. He paws lightly over their history to focus on the crucible Lion-O must pass through.

 Lion-O fled Thundara as a frightened boy. Now, Lion-O must guide and protect an endangered species. Lion-O can look to Tygra for guidance. Panthro can teach him how to wield the Sword Of Omens. But like Paul Atreides, Lion-O must discover his birthright amid a trial by fire.

 

Art

The ThunderCats leave their damaged ship to explore the alien desert of Third Earth. As Lion-O runs up a slope, a shape emerges from the darkness overhead. A beam of light streaks up from the Sword Of Omens, revealing the ThunderCat symbol to the arriving spaceship. Their leader, Lord Slythe, cringes at its intensity. In the Desert Of Sinking Sands, a giant skull perches on a vine-covered stone floor before a pit within the Black Pyramid.

 

Drew Moss packs pages with panels that convey history, character, and reactions. Splash pages and double-page spreads introduce and show the cast in action. Backgrounds give way to speed lines amid motion and conflict. Smoke rises from a battlefield when WileyKat and WileyKit surf the air currents on spaceboards and drop capsules onto the combatants.

 

Reds, yellows, and blues dominate ThunderCats #1. Chiara Di Francia and Martina Pignedoli's limited palette breathes life and drama into each page. The yellow explosions accompanying the ship’s flight from Thundara and the fiery streak of their ship hurtling through Third Earth's sky match the glow inside the stasis pod that robs Lion-O of his teen years. Highlights enrich characters with individuality, while shadows enhance the drama of this opening installment.

 

Lowercase black letters in colored narrative boxes introduce the characters, relate their thoughts, and tell of the dangers facing them. Black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection and swell for shouts but rarely shrink. Jeff Eckleberry infuses training, hunting, and battle scenes with energetic sound effects. When Lion-O raises the Sword Of Omens, his giant white-edged black shout echoes through the remaining pages of ThunderCats #1.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Robbed of his teen years, a young hero struggles to lead the hunted survivors of his race with the strength of his adult body and a mythic sword in ThunderCats #1.

 

Rating 8.2/10

 

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