Review: Charlie's Angels Vol. 1

Charlie's Angels Vol. 1 by John Layman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not super familiar with Charlie's Angels. I've probably seen a few episodes of the show, but it's never been anything I've followed. In spite of that, I was curious about this book. The concept behind the series isn't bad. I think people that enjoy the characters and the series will get a lot out of this book. It goes back to the early days of the Angels and shows off their skills.

The first chapter of this had me pretty hopeful for what the book would be. It felt episodic and was quite a bit of fun to read. It kind of stagnates after that though by falling back on tropes of using Germans and Russians as the bad guys. It was kind of fun to jump back to the 1970s with these characters, so the villains used here make sense but didn't work for me. The best part of this book has to be the attention to detail that calls back to the show. Long time fans should appreciate that.

Even though this book didn't wow me, I liked how it ended. It set up future stories without committing to any particular storyline. I probably wouldn't continue this series, but I'm glad I gave it a chance.

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Review: Submerged Vol. 1

Submerged Vol. 1 by Vita Ayala
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

During the middle of a hurricane, Elysia travels to the underworld to confront her personal demons. I like the little mythological references that come with this story, particularly Cerberus and the boatman. I'm not sure that the specifics of Elysia's story (e.g. the problems with her family) matter all that much. I liked this for the journey that she goes on to come to terms with her decisions. The way the other characters manifest is interesting because it subtly builds toward the end. For me it was satisfying to see her complete the journey and look toward the future, even if this is all of her story that we get to see.

I am kind of split on the art though. For the most part it is great. However, there were times that the character faces looked odd to me. Maybe it's more of a personal preference, but it did jar me out of the story a few times because they just didn't look right. Despite that, I think this book is worth checking out.

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Review: Shadowman (2018) Volume. 3: Rag and Bone

Shadowman (2018) Volume. 3: Rag and Bone by Andy Diggle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Volume 3 brings us back to the present after exploring the past of Shadowman and the origins of his loa. This time Jack and Alyssa are taking on Sandria Darque to prevent the resurrection of her brother.

I liked this arc quite a bit. Jack is learning. He is definitely making strides with the loa and developing on his own. Alyssa is a great companion for him. They seem to complement each other rather well. Her skills certainly come in handy during this storyline. I almost would have preferred a story that didn't involve the Darques because they have been used a lot in relation to Jack. It's fine though. I still liked what was put together in this book. And it is nice to see an end of sorts to the Baron Samedi plotline.

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Review: Judge Dredd: Origins

Judge Dredd: Origins by John Wagner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. I've only read one other Judge Dredd book, so I don't know a ton about the character. What this book does, rather than acting as an introduction to Dredd himself, goes into the history of the world in which he operates. So we get to see quite a bit about how the Judges came into existence and became such prominent figures in the Mega Cities of this futuristic world. Plus, it gives some insight into the existence of so many mutants and explores some of the dynamics between the castes of characters in the setting.

Dredd continues to be somewhat of an enigma for me though. Even after seeing his origin story, this book didn't really feel like it was about the character. It is pretty fantastic for what it brings to the table though. I think the art took some time to grow on me. It's kind of gritty like the story that it is helping to tell. With this book behind me, I'm certainly willing to read more about Dredd and the world he inhabits.

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Review: Faith: Dreamside

Faith: Dreamside by Jody Houser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Now this is the type of story that I want to read about Faith. It is bright and fun and zany. So, it starts off with Faith keeping a low profile because she is wanted for murder. When Animalia makes an appearance and asks Faith for help with some ghosts, things take off. There are some great female characters in this book between Faith, Animalia, and Dr. Mirage. I will always take more opportunities to see Dr. Mirage make an appearance in a Valiant title.

I particularly like how the personalities between the three ladies play off each other. Each brings a unique perspective to this world they live in. The journey into the Deadside is great too. The realm the characters travel too is so different from what has been shown before. It is bright and silly (but don't let that stop you from reading this book). I also like the references to not only events in previous Faith books but the stories of Animalia and Dr. Mirage too. The only shortcoming of this book that I can think of is that it doesn't do a great job of introducing the characters. So someone who hasn't read other Valiant books might be a little confused at first.

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Review: Shadowman, Volume 4: Fear, Blood, and Shadows

Shadowman, Volume 4: Fear, Blood, and Shadows by Peter Milligan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Weirdly enough, almost the entire time I was reading this volume, I felt like I had already read it. I don't mean that as a slight against the story because a lot of that feeling came from the art. I'm not sure if there were some callbacks to this volume in the recent series that is coming out or what.

Anyway, this book tries to give Jack Boniface some personality and sort of acts as a call back to the original series from the 90s. Jack is having some anger issues and finds himself waking up in alleys covered in blood. The Abettors, who were introduced as a group meant to assist Shadowman, are looking to usurp Jack because of his unpredictability. Meanwhile, Alyssa is trying to fall in love with him? I don't really know what is going on there. It makes sense that they might have a romantic relationship at some point, but for all the talk of it in this book neither of them really seem into it.

But the art works well with the story. It is as dark and brooding as the story is. There are some decent story ideas presented in this volume. I like the fact that the shadow loa gets an opportunity to show off its goals. The execution is a bit lacking though. None of the story beats really got me excited for the character. Through the first four volumes of this series the story has been pretty fractured and it shows.

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