Review: Jim Shooter: Conversations

Jim Shooter: Conversations by Jason Sacks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

So I picked this book up because I was interested in learning more about Jim Shooter's time Valiant in the early 90s. Turns out there isn't a lot in here about that period, but it covers Shooter's career in comics pretty in depth. Now, this book is comprised of a series of interviews and there is some repetition as the book goes on. Each interview adds more to the overall picture though.

I recommend this book for anyone that is interested in the history of the comics industry. Sure it's nice to learn more about Shooter specifically and there is a lot in here that I didn't know about him. His insights into the comic industry are fantastic though. These interviews give a nice impression of how comics changed from when Shooter started writing, through his time as editor-in-chief at Marvel, and into his own attempts at creating a comics company with its own cohesive universe.

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Review: School for Psychics

School for Psychics by K.C. Archer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

I had a hard time getting into this book. The premise sounded pretty good. It's basically a pseudo sci-fi version of Harry Potter with somewhat older characters. Exploring different psychic powers and how they could be put to a good use is awesome. It falls short in the execution, especially with the main character, Teddy.

I found her to be pretty unlikeable. She's a loner and, despite being inside her head, she comes off as too harsh. And that doesn't really change during the book. I questioned her motivations at times not because it would be a stretch for the character but because the groundwork wasn't there to make it believable. Another thing that bothered me about the character is the way her power set changes. I don't know if the author changed their mind about what Teddy should be able to do or what. Her abilities change more rapidly and more distinctly than any of the other characters and it felt out of place.

There are some good moments to the book too. I was drawn in by the first few chapters because they made Teddy seem interesting. The different psychic abilities are fun to see in action. And the execution of the school itself, i.e. its purpose, how it comes together, etc., is fantastic. Unfortunately, it just isn't enough to make me want more.

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Review: Moon Knight, Volume 2: Midnight Sun

Moon Knight, Volume 2: Midnight Sun by Charlie Huston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book tackles some of the darker aspects of Moon Knight, ties it into the greater Marvel universe, and gives the character a new starting point. In volume one, Marc Spector was picking up the pieces of his life and trying to step back into the role of Moon Knight. Volume two dredges up a lot of old issues from his past and delves into the psyche of the character in an interesting way.

This particular series of Moon Knight is filled with blood, violence, and art that matches the heavy nature of the character. It also doesn't shy away from the fact that he is just a man. There are scenes where he is going through physical therapy, being torn to pieces, and questioned about any powers he might have. These seemingly unconnected moments tie back to the core of the character because he is not one of those legends that almost seem untouchable.

They also play a role in how this book interacts with the Civil War event that was going on at the time. The reactions from both Captain America and Iron Man to Marc Spector are great. My favorite part of the whole volume is how calculating he is to be able to sidestep that whole issue without just blowing it off.

There are a bunch of characters that show up that fans of the character will recognize. Admittedly, I'm not familiar with the one that ends up being the antagonist in this book. I still found him intriguing, especially when contrasted with the character that becomes Moon Knight's pseudo sidekick. Facing this threat gears Marc to look toward the future personally and in his superhero identity.

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Review: Batman: The Dark Knight: Master Race

Batman: The Dark Knight: Master Race by Frank Miller
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Despite the low score I'm giving this one, I actually enjoyed the story. The setup reminds me of Batman Beyond, in which Bruce Wayne is an old man no longer capable of filling the role of Batman and mentoring the next generation. At some point he needs to pass on the responsibility to someone else instead of trying to do it all on his own.

The villains in this one are a group of Kryptonians that escape from a miniature city in a bottle and decide to take over the world. The motivation is weak, but it allows Miller to explore the idea of what it would mean for Superman's offspring to have to choose between Krypton and Earth. And that's a lot of what the story ends up being with various members of the Justice League mixed in. As big as this book is, I felt like some of the extra storylines needed more to them. There are some big moments that are really cool, but not much happens in this story.

I hated the art in this book. At first it didn't really bother me. It was kind of quirky and I could deal with that. But there are times when the female characters look like men with boobs. And the posture choices in the second half of the book just seemed odd, especially when they were repetitive. I guess it is meant to emulate the style from Miller's previous Dark Knight books, but some of it seemed out of place for the character.

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Review: Ultimate Fantastic Four, Vol. 1

Ultimate Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't know why, but I never really got into the Fantastic Four. There's a lot of potential. Something about the characters never hits home for me. This book collects the first two volumes of the Ultimate series. The first volume is okay. It introduces the characters and sets them in the world. Volume two is really good because it focuses on the conflict with Dr. Doom and explores some of the ideas that I tend to associate with these characters.

The FF are younger in this series and are involved in a government program to train the brightest minds in the country. An accident gives the heroes their powers, which is nothing new. Despite some reframing of character origins/ideas the initial story is, or seems to be, mostly a throwback to older FF comics. As someone who hasn't read much of those, it didn't work very well for me. The art is cartoony and bright for the most part. It's not bad, but it's not my preferred style.

The second half of this picks up quite a bit. I could have done without the backstory that is used for Doom. Maybe it seemed cool or edgy, but it just ends up pigeonholing the character. It's like he couldn't even have a chance. Anyway, the effect that the accident in volume one has on Doom is interesting. I feel like the story plays to his strengths in a lot of ways and gives a realistic approach to his situation. The art felt like more of the same from volume one. As much as I enjoyed the second half of the book, I don't anticipate reading more from this series.

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Review: Shadowman, Volume 3: Deadside Blues

Shadowman, Volume 3: Deadside Blues by Justin Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is something of a mixed bag. It doesn't follow up on the events of volume two in any specific way, but there are a couple instances where it is referenced. It's really a collection of stories surrounding Shadowman and his enemies that does a wonderful job to flesh out this corner of the Valiant universe.

First off, it opens with the origin of Shadowman's number one nemesis: Master Darque. This story is fan-freaking-tastic. It's dark (sorry) and gives an added dimension to this character. I want to read more about Darque and his sister Sandria after this one. Loved the art too. It has a quality to it that reminds me of watching really old movies, which is really fitting.

This leads into a story that explains the origin of Shadowman and how the Darques are involved. It does leave some questions, but I thought it did a great job rounding out a sort of mini-arc. Again, I enjoyed the art, although it is pretty different from the last story. The coloring really makes certain characters and images stand out.

I could see some people feeling a bit put off by the third issue. It isn't really connected to anything else in the Shadowman series up to this point. Sure, it utilizes Dr. Mirage from the second volume and gets into the supernatural more. One thing that I felt this story could have used was a better introduction to the spirits that Shadowman faces off against. Overall, it was a fun side story on what might happen in a day of the life of Jack Boniface. This probably had the weakest art in the volume. I can't say it was bad in any specific way though.

The last issue is actually three different stories that take turns exploring the character. They do a good job showing off the character of Jack, for better or for worse. We get to see a little bit of the Deadside and some of Shadowman's exploits in New Orleans. This volume as a whole builds on what was introduced in the first two books. I'd like to see a more cohesive story for the character down the road though.

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Review: Babyteeth Volume 1

Babyteeth Volume 1 by Donny Cates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book despite the fact that not a whole lot happens. It's not dragged out or stagnant, but it spends a lot of space setting the foundation. Sadie is a 16 year old girl that gets pregnant with what may or may not be the antichrist. There is certainly some weird stuff that goes along with the pregnancy/birth. And part of the story is just her trying to deal with having a baby, no matter how strange it is.

There are some cool elements of this book. The first thing that comes to mind is when Sadie goes into labor. Up until that point the book could have been just about a normal teenage girl that gets pregnant. Near the end it really starts to pick up and show that there is a plan for the story as a whole. I'm not quite sure where it's going at this point, but I want to find out.

I did enjoy the way the book is told. It uses a frame narrative in which Sadie is telling the story to her child. This allows her to give hints about what is going to come in a more natural way; sometimes things just slip.

The character art seemed kind of rough. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it also isn't something I look for in comics. The backgrounds and set pieces are usually done really well. Part of this might be the coloring. Babyteeth is creepy and awesome.

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