Category: Comics

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Comics Reviews TV

Lucifer Season 1 Review

“You make a mockery of everything divine.”

“Thank you.”

 

Lucifer Morningstar has grown tired of “playing a part in his father’s play” and left hell to “vacation” in the mortal world. Now amusingly set up in the City of Angels as the owner of an exclusive nightclub, his adventures of indulgence are about to be interrupted by a callback to his old duties: a murderer needs to be punished.

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Lucifer starts with the general idea of the DC comic of the same name and immediately breaks off into different territory. While it’s debatable if a more “faithful” adaptation would have been suitable and/or better for a tv series, what’s here works surprisingly well. Tom Ellis is a delightfully playful Lucifer, which anchors the show excellently. He’s charismatic and a horrible influence at the same time and wrapped up in a thoroughly amusing bundle, but still conveys a curiosity and internal conflict that shows room for growth. And of course equally important to the part is his phenomenal ability to really channel anger, rage, and a dangerous edge convincingly when needed.

The writers balance Lucifer’s unusual partnership with a local homicide detective and the associated crime of the week structure with a strong overarching story that shows real character development and intrigue over the course of the season. The mythology is carefully built and slowly revealed in bits and pieces. Lucifer is given depth of character, along with legitimate gripes with his former life that underlie his issues and actions, that adds layers and plenty of themes and dilemmas for the viewer to get caught up in to the show.

Like the approach, the series’ success is two-fold. The individual episodes stand well as isolated stories, providing decent mysteries and reasonably accessible points of introduction. But beyond that is an amazing cast inhabiting compelling characters caught in the ripple effects of Lucifer’s actions and their consequences.

The acting, atmosphere, and little dramatic touches combine to make the first season of Lucifer an engaging journey that feels complete yet ends with a big development that will no doubt echo through season 2. This certainly is not the Vertigo comic of the same name, but anyone willing to go along in the direction this series takes the same core concept will find a dark, intriguing, and yes, entertaining journey.

This show features the devil himself consider his morality, which is a philosophical avenue well worth exploring.

 

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Comics Reviews

Dungeon Crawlin’ Fools Review

Dungeon Crawlin’ Fools is the first collection of The Order of the Stick webcomic and contains strips #1-120, plus 18 new comics and author commentaries.

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OotS has become an epic tale and is the most consistently excellent webcomic there is. As of now there are about 1,050 strips of the webcomic, 5 print collections and another 3 print only books. It features a group of adventures in a Dungeons and Dragons setting. Literally – these are the adventure of D&D characters who are self aware, and a lot of the comedy in this first volume revolves around the author’s skillful blending of game mechanics into his characters’ dialog and actions. The fourth wall is optional when it comes to the good of the comedy here, and in this case it’s a great choice.

Familiarity with D&D will add depth, and no doubt make some of the jokes funnier, but is not necessary to read and enjoy. D&D parody humor and stand alone jokes are particularly prevalent in this volume as Burlew starts to decide what direction to take with his comic, but grows more organically out of the characters and situations in later volumes. Even by the end of Dungeon Crawling Fools, the plot starts to coalesce and several twists and key confrontations have occurred.

OotS’s art uses “fleshed out” stick figures. See the cover for an example. This “simplified” art style is used to great effect and fits the comic perfectly.

I highly recommend Order of the Stick in general, and the beginning, of course, is the best place to start. Dungeon Crawlin’ Fools itself is highly amusing and comprises a complete story arc, but still plants the seeds of future (more complex) adventures.

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Comics Reviews

“There are some people in the world who are just too evil to exist.”

Thieves and Spies is volume 30 of Stan Sakai’s samurai epic, Usagi Yojimbo. I recommend beginning with Vol. 1 of course, but the tales here don’t really depend on long running story lines. There are some returning characters it would help to be familiar with, but the gist of anyone we’ve seen before is well conveyed, so this isn’t a bad place to start overall.

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For those who are new to Usagi, a comment from my review of Vol. 1 on Sakai’s choice of medium that has remained relevant throughout the comic’s long run:

“The use of amorphous animals as the characters might seem unusual to first time readers, but it gives Sakai more visual diversity and symbolism to play with, and is executed with such finesse that it quickly becomes impossible to imagine the book without this choice. Don’t mistake the presence of animals as people as a sign this is a ‘kid’s book.’ Usagi Yojimbo covers a period of war, political unrest, and an unhealthy level of danger and can get dark and bloody at times.”

This trade opens with a three part story, and follows with four shorter ones.

“The Thief and the Kunoichi” features the return of some familiar faces and has an interseting set of circumstances placing some of them at apparent cross purposes. The length gives everyone a chance to shine a bit, and this is a strong start to the volume. It was great to see my favorite ninja back, although on the other hand a certain reccuring thief is moving more and more away from “charming rogue” and into “selfish to the core and unlikable” territory. I expect there will be consequences on the horizon.

There’s a dark edge to entire volume, and the remaining four stories all have overtones of selfish and cruel people valuing themselves and their desires above the lives of others. It could just a be a coincidence that these stories were told in succession, but more likely I feel that Sakai is building to some larger crossroads point for Usagi. All four stories are conflict heavy, featuring a one-armed swordsman, a samurai escort on an unusual job, a foreign dignitary with ruthless curiosity, and a promised bride under attack by bandits. All are equally intriguing and provide interesting variations on similar themes.

Thieves and Spies is a serious and thought provoking entry in Sakai’s epic, and is another excellent read as per usual for this series.

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Comics Reviews TV

The Flash Episodes 1 & 2 Review

“My name is Barry Allen, and I’m the fastest man alive.”

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Finally got a chance to try DC’s critically acclaimed Flash series, and it’s off to an amazing start. Barry’s origin is told in a way that not only establishes numerous important supporting characters, but firmly illustrates who Barry was BEFORE he became the Flash, so the viewers have a point of reference and can fully relate to what he’s going through. It’s vital to getting people emotionally invested, and done to perfection.

In addition to sharing his origin and setting up the series, the pilot has a jaw dropping epilogue which adds a ton of layers to the show and sets up ominous overtones that continue into episode 2 and look to be the central background arc holding the season together. The episodes stand alone nicely otherwise while still developing plot and characters organically out of the events and conflicts Barry must deal with. Episode 2 provides a lot of background on Barry’s childhood and how it shaped him and those around him. There’s also a lot of subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) foreshadowing in both episodes that serve as a treat for fans familiar with the comic mythos.

What I’m most impressed with though is the atmosphere. There’s a sense of wonder at the center of everything that gives the show great heart and makes it a joy to watch. Barry’s extremely likable, which makes him engaging, easy to cheer for, and just plain fun to tag along with.

 

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Comics Reviews

Monstress #1 Review

Maika Halfwolf has entered the lair of the enemy, choosing to venture inside the wall that keeps two formerly warring cultures separate and brave a city where her people are used as slaves and for experimentation. Is what she’s after worth the risk?

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This triple sized first issue is a strong introduction to Maika and her world. The comic doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable topics or depictions, and is blunt in its approach to horrific actions and attitudes from the very start.  The nonchalant way certain things are discussed immediately establishes the uncomfortable status quo and the moral depravity of the Cumaea, a ruling coven of sorts experimenting on Maika’s race, the Arcanic. Their obviously just scratching the surface here, but there’s already nice themes of class warfare, racial tensions, and the prices of power building.

The art is excellent and highly detailed, nicely bringing Liu’s vision to life. The comic has a steampunk aesthetic but the world is just as infused with magical and spiritual elements as technological ones. It’s a fascinating mix so far.

Monstress is off to a powerful start with a gritty presentation, an intriguing background world, and a compelling main character. Will be interesting to see how the story grows from here.

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Comics Film Reviews

“Take your glow stick and go home.”

Justice League: War is based of the first story arc of the New 52 Justice League reboot, and features the first meetings and teaming of these reimagined versions of DCs biggest heroes

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The New 52 was at best a mixed bag, and a lot of what I didn’t like about it was on display here. The heroes don’t have the complexity or appeal of the previous versions, and several of them have been made more bloodthirsty and violent. In some cases, like Wonder Woman, it fits and is a natural direction for the character. It most others it just makes them grating and unlikable. The dialogue and character interactions are often downright painful, particularly those featuring Shazam. Superman is a complete cipher, just there to expedite the plot and get into the expected scuffles. Speaking of which, the conflicts between heroes are extremely contrived, and could have been resolved in seconds with a little talk and a lot of Green Lantern not being an ass.

There is some fun to be had here though. As much as I dislike this take on Green Lantern and his attitude, seeing Batman interact with him and put him in his place (repeatedly) is hilarious. While I find the underlying reasons behind the fights and the strategies employed flimsy, the action is quite well done and exciting to watch. And the movie is true to the source material, adapting the comic faithfully and making it work in a different format.

Overall I don’t have a lot of fondness for Justice League: War because the New 52 approach isn’t to my tastes, but there are some highlights and for viewers who do like these versions of DC’s heroes this is a strong adaptation.

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Comics Film Reviews

Son of Batman Review

“The psychos just keep getting younger.”

Batman’s about to meet the son he never knew he had, but things are bound to be rocky considering Damian’s been raised by assassins since birth.

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Damian is a hit or miss character for me, but wow did they nail him here and use him as the center of a great story. The conflict between who he was raised to be and his father’s ideals and methods is balanced perfectly and an extremely compelling hook for the movie. The plot carries things well with clever twists and well developed, logical complications. It’s supported by incredible action and a formidable villain to bring everything together.

One of the things that’s vital for my enjoyment of a story are characters who are flawed without being artificially stupid to advance the plot. The cast here all have diverse motivations and personalities that reflect directly in their actions. When mistakes are made, they’re logical and believable extensions of the characters’ mindsets. This is so important to immersion and is done very well here. I also love the dialogue and character interactions, which beyond being entertaining do an excellent job of conveying the aforementioned personalities and motivations. Seeing all featured heroes acting like the detectives they are at various points is another highlight.

Son of Batman is much better than I expected going in and one of the best DC animated features I’ve seen in quite a while.

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Comics Film Reviews

Deadpool Review: “That’s like… 16 walls!”

“Guy came in here looking for you. Real Grim Reaper-type. I don’t know. Might further the plot.”

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If ever there was an epitome of “good for what it is,” Deadpool the movie is it.

Ridiculous, rude, and raunchy from the get-go, Wade Wilson’s over the top adventure revels in excess and absurdity. It also largely works, thanks to clever writing, self-awareness, and Ryan Reynolds’ delivery. This is no masterpiece, but it is a hilarious ride to tag along with. There’s a lot to be said for knowing what you set out to accomplish and sticking to it, and Deadpool is exactly as expected in all the right ways.

Check any comparisons to other movies (superhero and otherwise) at the door and you’ll find an amusing and unique R-rated super not-hero movie full of laughs and limbs. Or, you know, go see something else. I’m sure Mr. Pool will understand.

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Comics Reviews

Rat Queens Volume 3 Review

This trade collects Rat Queens #11-15 and Rat Queens Special: Braga #1. There are a lot of layered story threads in Rat Queens. Best to start at the beginning.

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What a roller coaster this volume was. While the focus was firmly on Hannah and her family, backstory on the other Queens is also woven into the narrative. There’s a LOT of developments in the five core issues here, and a huge shake up to the status quo to close them out.

Previous story points are built on nicely, and a few times I got so caught up in the comic I wanted to scream at the characters. The many outstanding story threads makes the news that only one issue will be published after those contained in this trade before an indefinite hiatus for the comic. Here’s hoping it comes back soon.

I was a little worried about Stjephan Sejic’s departure, but while significantly different Tess Flower and Tamra Bonvillain’s art works quite well to continue Wiebe’s tale.

The stand alone special issue featuring Braga that closes the trade was ok, but raised more questions than it answered and the color palate detracted from the art.

Still loving Rat Queens overall, and I’ll miss it while it’s gone.

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Comics Film Reviews

Captain America: Civil War Review

“They’re not stopping.”

“Neither are we.”

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I completely adore the way the Marvel movie universe has been building, and Captain America: Winter Soldier is perhaps my overall favorite of the bunch. So to say I’ve been impatiently waiting for Civil War would be a VAST understatement. I’m thrilled to say it’s just as fantastic as I hoped.

Part of Winter Soldier’s strength came from the core characters having relatable points of view and struggles. Civil War wonderfully captures this same aspect. EVERYONE in the movie acts the way they do for specific, understandable reasons. This really grounds all the conflict and makes sure the clashes between heroes feel compelling and natural instead of awkward and forced. There were several surprises as the story unfolded and a few things played out very differently than I expected, yet everything flowed logically and nothing came out of left field. And of course the expected sublime touches of humor were present throughout. I can’t say enough about how engrossing I found this film.

A particularly impressive aspect is that all of the above is accomplished while juggling a huge cast. While some characters obviously received stronger focus and more development than others, no one felt neglected or under-developed. From the secondary cast I particularly enjoyed seeing more of Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Ant-Man. But the amazing part was how two new, important heroes were established in this movie while still doing justice to the other TEN. Both Spiderman and Black Panther were written, handled, and played perfectly. It gives me great hope that it is possible to manage the sure to be significantly larger cast of the Infinity War movies well if done with care.

Alright, I think I’ve been clear enough about my love for Captain America: Civil War so I’m going to wrap this up to avoid devolving into spoilers. Go see it!