Top Cow Freebies

I stumbled across something pretty awesome. Top Cow is offering the first issue, and in some cases the first volume, of a lot of their series' for free. Check it out here! I don't think I've read anything from this comic publisher, but this certainly gives me some incentive to get started.

Free Image Comic: Codename Baboushka #1

Codename Baboushka: The Conclave of Death #1. Antony Johnston and Shari Chankhamma. 2015. Image Comics. 33 pages.

Rating: 4/5

Codename Baboushka is about a Russian countess who fled to the United States for asylum. Now she is being blackmailed by a secret government agency to become a spy and assassin that will carry out missions that could hurt the government's reputation.

The first chapter is a great introduction to the character and the series. There is the implication that she has a criminal background and we get to see her in action pretty quickly. Her skills and resourcefulness are impressive. It shows her recruitment and first mission, which makes the story feel well put together. The only downside is that there wasn't enough background info on the contessa, but that happens with such a limited format. I hope to see that expanded in later chapters.

A digital copy of the first issue is available for free from Image and Comixology until 4/27/2016. I recommend listening to this podcast with Antony Johnston related to the series.

Free DC Comic: Superman/Batman

Comixology has a free Superman/Batman comic to coincide with the new movie. Here is the description provided:

After a quick origin recap of our world's finest heroes, a new, improved Metallo has come on his birthday to attack both Metropolis and Gotham, bringing the guardians of each city together for a monumental battle! Plus, Lex Luthor assembles a mysterious super-team assigned to "help" the Man of Steel.

The art by Ed McGuiness is fantastic. I really enjoyed the first few pages showing the origins of Batman and Superman. There is a nice compare/contrast going on between the two heroes. I wasn't impressed by Metallo, but I was not familiar with the character going in. There just wasn't enough development for my tastes, but the short format (only 26 pages) doesn't allow for a whole lot.

The final scene of Lex Luthor's super-team gives some hints of who is involved. It is definitely a hook to get people to come back for more.

Free Image Comic: Ringside #1

Image Comics is currently offering a digital copy of Ringside #1 available for free. Find it on the Image website or Comixology. This will be available until 3/30/2016 at 11:59 PST.

Ringside #1. Joe Keatinge, Nick Barber, Simon Gough, and Ariana Maher. 2015. Image Comics. 38 pages.

Rating: 3/5

I feel like my connection to wrestling is matched pretty well with the creators of Ringside. It isn't something I follow any more, but I have watched on and off over the years.

Anyway, Ringside is about a former wrestler, Danny "The Minotaur" Knossos. His story reminds me of the movie The Wrestler, but he seems to have things together a bit more in this first issue than the guy in the movie. We get a tour of his former associates and an introduction to a young wrestler trying to make a name for himself.

The story didn't blow me away, but it is a nice introduction to the setting and characters. There is clearly more to Dan than we see here. The ending should hook anyone that enjoys the rest of the story into checking out more of the series.

The art is fine, but there are times where shadows are used almost excessively. There are points where it works to give a good reveal though. I feel like the creators could have shown a bit of the characters and built a bit more into the world. It's hard to judge based off one issue how the rest of the series will go.

The column at the end was great. I always enjoy reading what the creators have to say about themes,  influences, and the characters they created. They make some excellent connections that I wouldn't have thought of myself.

Symmetry #1 - Free Image Comic 3/16-3/23

Symmetry #1. Matt Hawkins and Raffaele Ienco. 2015. Image Comics. 30 pages.

Rating: 4/5

The digital copy of Symmetry #1 is available for free from Image and on Comixology until 3/23/2016 at 11:59 PST.

Symmetry is a science fiction story about a utopian society created after A.I. became widespread. It reminded me of The Giver, but with greater technology. In fact, robots are everywhere and everyone has an A.I. implanted in their heads at birth.

There is not a lot of plot in Symmetry#1. It sets the stage by following Michael through his life, until an accident occurs during a field trip. The world building is great and Hawkins uses a couple pages at the end to explain how he approached the story.

It is almost creepy how uniform everyone is. Every moment seems to be regimented to prevent any free thought. Even vacations are planned out. People only come together to produce children, not for real relationships.

Starve #1

Image Comics has made Starve issue #1 available for free until 3/16/2016. You can get a digital copy directly from Image or from Comixology.

Check out my review of Volume 1 to see what it is about.