Earl’s Comic Reviews: Week of Jan 28th, 2015

An interesting week of books for me. I’ll take a gander at any video game-related comic that crosses my eyes, and picked some books at random that turned into surprises.

Quantum and Woody Must Die #1

This book is fun!

It’s witty, it’s speedy, it’s creative and the characters are just a blast to read.

Though this is part of the Quantum and Woody franchise, I had no problem jumping in with this number one and feeling right at home. And now I’m disappointed I’ve been missing out. Few comics legit get a chuckle out of me, but I found the dialog so refreshingly human and genuine that some of the exchanges left a smile on my face.

The book is still a superhero book, and you get some really nice setpieces. I found it a nice change of pace that people don’t shy away from the destruction and chaos that ensues from such battles, but the people of the city are willing to accept it because it gets the job done. Though, it does leave a lot of bitter feelings along the way.

The art is slick. I think because like the heroes costumes, it just seems a tad past generic, which makes for a nice treat. And some really trippy color usages in a few panels.

Review 7 (out of 7)

 Graveyard Shift #2

Being a vampire can’t be easy. Need to be invited into people’s home, have to avoid sunlight and all religious symbols burn. But finding out your a vampire has to be even tougher. Graveyard Shift #2 deals with Liam and his girlfriend, Hope, discovering that she is a vampire, and what that means for them.

While this comic is very light on action, with the only major kerfuffle being at the very start of the issue, the rest of the comic focuses on Liam and Hope dealing with well being a vampire. I found it to be a honest and refreshing look at your life. Like it continues, but not for both parties the same way. Hope wants to run away, as far as she can, from her problem and start anew. By the end of the issue though, we realize that would be dangerous for Liam and anyone around her.

Liam, on the other hand, tries to go back to normalcy when he returns to work to continue a case he may be connected to the vampire attack, and finds himself in an awkward situation. As he has a formerly dead-wife, who is no-longer dead, but who had a funeral so most people think are dead… a Monday for some!

The art in this book was really cool. I liked the first half of the book a bit more since the characters were cloaked in the shadow so you got a lot of cool lighting shots and neatly framed facial shots. Really stood out. Also liked how some characters would emerge into frame. Gave the book a bit of a cinematic flair.

Review 6 (Out of 7)

Angry Birds Transformers #3

Not quite sure what I expected from Angry Birds Transformers, but it does tell you everything you need to know in the title. It’s a book in which the birds and pigs of Angry Birds play the respective roles of the Autobots and Decepticons from Transformers. This issue starts with both sides both aside their difference to fight for their homeworld. There’s some clever action, backstabbing and fights to be found, but this is a book for kids, and really won’t hold most people’s attention for long.

I do really love the style of the book. It’s simple and clean, but makes great use of colors and designs because they world of Angry Birds is so neatly defined. Some cool visual moments too, including one that combines the best of Transformers and the Angry Birds video game for a “Clever move.”

Review 4 (out of 7)