Review: Judge Dredd: Year One

Judge Dredd: Year One by Matthew Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I decided to pick up a Judge Dredd Humble Bundle after hearing one of the hosts on the I Read Comics Book podcast talking about some of the different stories. Year One is the first one out of the batch that I read, and it was a lot of fun.

This is supposed to take place during Dredd's first year out of the academy. He shows a lot more certainty than you might expect from a year one book. The story seemed to lay out that the process of becoming a Judge is pretty intense and could reasonably explain why Dredd wasn't portrayed as more of a rookie.

One aspect of the story that I enjoyed in particular was the focus on psychic/supernatural elements. This wasn't something I was anticipating from a heavy sci-fi/dystopian world. There's a mystery associated with those elements that Dredd has to unravel.

The book as a whole felt like it did a pretty decent job introducing Dredd and Mega City One. There wasn't anything amazing about the art, but it is pretty solid all around. For my first Judge Dredd book, it certainly did a nice job of getting me excited to read more. Now I just need to find some time to dig into the rest of the bundle.

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Review: Quantum and Woody, Volume 2: In Security

Quantum and Woody, Volume 2: In Security by James Asmus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is something very satisfying reading a book as ridiculous as Quantum and Woody. They are adopted brothers, constantly bickering, and the source of their superpowers requires them to spend time together or explode into cosmic dust. Throw a goat that shoots lasers out of its eyes and a clone of the woman that was trying to kill them in the previous volume into the mix and things just escalate.

Quantum takes a private security job for a rich man that pits the duo against an anti-government compound. This book doesn't shy away from stereotypes and drops in just enough elements to distort them and make it really enjoyable. The art complements the story really well too.

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Review: Nowhere Men, Vol. 1: Fates Worse Than Death

Nowhere Men, Vol. 1: Fates Worse Than Death by Eric Stephenson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meh! Okay, so the book isn't as bad as that, but it does have some issues breaking up a lot of the potential. It's loosely based around these four characters that revolutionized science in the mainstream, had a falling out, and dispersed. A lot of the book follows what happens, but there are two major issues that I see as a reader. One, I don't particularly care about any of these four characters. Two, I have no idea how they managed to pull off their biggest accomplishment. I feel these go hand in hand and the story could have been better by clueing the reader in.

Despite that failing, there is some interesting stuff in this book. The secondary storyline, which follows a group of scientists on a space station, involves a mysterious infection that changes a persons physiology. The results remind me of the X-Men in how varied the changes are and the fact that some of these characters get strange powers. It seems like the idea is to converge these two storylines down the road, but there aren't many hints as to how that is going to happen.

The art is pretty good. The way the book is laid out, particularly with some of the backup pieces that are meant to expand on those four main characters, is a nice touch. It can slow the reading down at times, but it tries something different in the comic medium and attempts to flesh out the setting.

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Review: X-O Manowar, Volume 4: Homecoming

X-O Manowar, Volume 4: Homecoming by Robert Venditti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series continues to impress me. Volume 4 is somewhat of a filler, but not in a bad way. It serves to bridge what happened in volume 3 with the greater events to come. There are some important events that happen in this arc. Yet it seems to dial things back and focus more on Aric and the characters around him.

So, Aric returns to Earth after defeating the Vine and immediately decides to annex his former homeland from Romania. Of course this causes some problems. Two great things come out of this. First, the Eternal Warrior shows up. We get to see how he and Aric crossed paths before and how their views of the world have changed since then. Second, trouble in paradise. The world at large isn't happy with Aric taking over a portion of any country, and some of his newfound followers don't appreciate his style of leadership.

The art does a nice job of following the tone of the story. There are even some idyllic moments that contrast the problems brewing beneath the surface.

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Review: Deadpool vs. The Punisher

Deadpool vs. The Punisher by Fred Van Lente
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a ton of fun to read. Admittedly, I enjoy Van Lente's writing a lot and in the right context both of these characters can be ridiculous. For me, the combination worked. The circumstances that set the characters against each other, and eventually on the same side, aren't the greatest, but that's okay. There are equal parts humor and grittiness that showcase both of the characters. Throw some solid artwork into the mix and this seemingly throw-away title becomes something truly enjoyable. Is it the best thing ever written? Heck no, but that isn't the point.

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Review: Motor Crush, Vol. 1

Motor Crush, Vol. 1 by Brenden Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was really skeptical of this book because of the first few pages. It came off as gimmicky and a little boring. Domino Swift is a racer that's a little different from most. Her background is a mystery, even to herself. But she develops into such a great character that I found myself rooting for her.

She splits her time between racing professionally during the day and participating in street races at night to earn drugs. There is a purpose for the narcotics in the story, which isn't even fully revealed in this arc, that helped make it more interesting. I definitely want to find out more about the origins of this drug and how Domino fits into it.

The characters around Domino are pretty great too. They might be part of why I enjoyed the book so much. There is her father, who happens to be her mechanic and coach. Their relationship might be the best in the book. Add onto that Domino's former crew chief, and possibly lover.

The art is pretty good. Elements of it didn't click with me, particularly early on. It grew on me as I got into the book more though.

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Review: Book of Death: The Fall of the Valiant Universe

Book of Death: The Fall of the Valiant Universe by Jeff Lemire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are some great stories collected in this volume. It is a companion to the Book of Death miniseries and focuses on the end of some of the key Valiant characters. I think it helps to be familiar with the characters to get the most impact from these stories. So read up on X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Ninjak, and Pete Stanchek/Toyo Harada.

At times these stories are joyful and tragic and they capture the essence of what I like about the characters so much. Plus, they fill in some gaps about what happens between present day and the 4,001 stories.

The art and writing are top notch across the board. This isn't something that is essential reading from Valiant, but it is a great addition for fans.

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Review: Bloodshot, Volume 4: H.A.R.D. Corps

Bloodshot, Volume 4: H.A.R.D. Corps by Christos Gage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alright! This is some good old fashioned action filled comic book storytelling right here. Bloodshot is a beast. Adding the H.A.R.D. Corps on top of it makes for a really fun book.

So, this picks up where volume three/Harbinger Wars leaves things off. The continuity between the different arcs is something I really appreciate in Valiant comics. Anyway, Bloodshot is back with Project Rising Spirit to lead a strike team against Toyo Harada. I like the way the creative team is able to add new characters via H.A.R.D. Corps and make them interesting right off the bat. It develops how people are chosen to participate in the program and what the consequences may be.

The art is good. It definitely fits for the type of story that is being told. I feel like the creators get a chance to revel in the over the top action stuff because the character and the book allow for it. Sure, there is some character building too, but that almost takes a back seat on this one. Anyway, the series continues to be enjoyable and I will definitely be picking up the next arc.

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Review: Klaus

Klaus by Grant Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Santa Claus has never been so cool. I like that he starts off as a seemingly normal guy that was run out of town and lives on his own now. As the story progresses, we see the magic that surrounds him and how that creates and is influenced by the legend. This is definitely a different view than the overweight jolly version we are all used to. But I think it works because Morrison doesn't really change the core of the character. Instead he is exploring his origin.

The art is wonderful. Even the more mundane moments of the book are drawn extremely well. It helps build the setting and make the story come alive. Then there are the fantastic elements, particularly when we first get to see what makes Klaus different, that elevate the book.

My only particular complain probably has to be the antagonist, the mayor (or maybe equivalent) of the town where Klaus grew up and everything takes place. He borders on evil for being evil, which makes him a little boring. But his role isn't the heart of the book and does serve to give Klaus an opportunity to grow.

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Review: X-O Manowar (2017) Volume 3: Emperor

X-O Manowar (2017) Volume 3: Emperor by Matt Kindt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clayton Crain's art is the real winner in this book. Despite being pretty dark at times, it is just gorgeous. This series has been rocking the art from the beginning, so I'm really glad to see that trend continue here.

The story wasn't as good as the previous two volumes. It sort of deals with the fallout of X-O Manowar deposing the former ruler of the largest nation on this alien planet. I think I didn't enjoy it as much because Aric wasn't really taking charge. Instead he spends most of this volume reacting to the things that are happening around him. It's a shift in the character that might be difficult for some readers to adapt to.

I did enjoy the continued world building. I really want to see how this is going to be tied into the rest of the Valiant universe. With the way this series has been going, I am excited to dig into the next arc too.

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Review: Silver Surfer, Vol. 1: New Dawn

Silver Surfer, Vol. 1: New Dawn by Dan Slott
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I don't know much about the Silver Surfer. This book didn't do a whole lot to fill in the gaps either. There are references to his past, i.e. working for Galactus. However, this book seems to assume that the reader will know at least that much about the Surfer. Despite that, it actually is okay for jumping in and reading about the character.

I wasn't a huge fan of the writing or the art though. That's a tough place for a comic to be in. First off, the writing didn't grab me. The story is okay, but I felt like there wasn't much reason for me to care about the characters or ultimately what happened. Usually I enjoy a book that makes references to other bits of pop culture, but the efforts here seemed kind of ham fisted. There were some amusing moments to lighten things up though.

As far as the art, the style did not work for me at all. It may have been bordering too much on the abstract for my tastes. Certain panels, particularly ones with the Surfer in them, seemed to have a weird perspective or tended toward less realistic character design. The color work was good, especially with all the strange outer space stuff.

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