#431 - ... and with that "I wonder where 10 years went?"

So to start, in case you are wondering, the title is a quote from the Shawshank redemption, where during a conversation with Red about anniversaries at around the halfway mark, Andy says "I wonder where ten years went", referencing the first decade of his double life sentence.

Anyway, I love that film and, while the sentiment may be different, it felt like a fitting line to use.

So, it's New Years Eve in 2021 as I post this (having been writing it most of the week) and, with that, this marks the end of ten years of which I've been writing this blog.

Now, this week has been a little underwhelming when it comes to all things comics. I mean, sure, I received a whole host of comic trades from jolly old St. Nick in the form of the Criminal Deluxe Edition (Vol. 1), Crisis on Infinite Earths, John Ridley's the Other History of the DC Universe, Paul Cornell's I Walk With Monsters, Waid's Ant-Man and the Wasp, Lemire's The Sentry, Simone's Domino, Fantastic Four 1234 and Jed Macpherson's Cuddles as well as a digital gift of Spider-Man Masterworks Vol. 5. I also read through the entirety of Lemire and Sorrentino's Gideon Falls first omnibus, which I talked about earlier this week. Otherwise, however, I did very little with my other writing projects having been parked and deciding to take a break from my reviewing pile until the New Year. Ergo, it's been all quiet on the Western Front.

Therefore, I thought I'd just write about the year, and ultimately the decade in general because I always think that looking back is a good way to plan ahead and I sure have some things going forward which I wish to plan for.

But what can I say about 2021? Well, it's been quite a year (to put it mildly). When it's come to the comics we've seen on the shelves (when they've been there), I've felt that this year has been very much an anthology year thanks to things like Bi-Visibility, Marvel Voices and some 80th Anniversary celebrations on the DC for Green Arrow, Aquaman and Wonder Woman. This has also seemed to be the year of the limited series and the one-shot, with staple big-two characters getting more mini's than regular ongoings and some truly phenomenal one-shots coming out on a very regular basis.

However, while there have been some good things, 2021 just feels like it has been overwhelmingly bad. As I've thought back over the last twelve months, it feels like all comics has been subjected to is additional reveals of harassment by big name creators, publishers abusing their contracts with the talent on their books and even greater levels of toxicity and bullying against people within the community for no other reason than they are seemingly different to their bullies.

And while my own personal year has consisted more of me buying less comics and reading less of my own comics in favour of reviewing some truly phenomenal titles over at Pipedream Comics (which was a plus), it is certainly the larger, more macro events which has led to me feeling a sense of negativity and exhaustion toward comics that has been difficult to shake and a struggle to deal with, even as I've attempted to push it downstream several times.

I have to admit, it all feels like a far cry from when I started this blog all those years ago. When my then girlfriend/now wife encouraged to start my own little place to write down my thoughts (probably in an attempt to be relieved of having to listen to my yammer on about comics constantly), I know that I a. had delusions of grandeur in regards to my own importance and b. had little to no skill in how to write (beyond the basics) or in how to get my thoughts across coherently. At the time, my entire world consisted around the big 2 and superhero comics, especially as the 'New 52' was 6 months into its unveiling and Marvel's 'All-New' was just around the corner. However, as I think back on it, while the comics were enjoyable reads, it's surprising how incredibly limiting my pallette was.

Now, after 10 years of blogging, 7 years of reviewing and somewhere in between of regularly (trying to) communicating with the various talented creators of all that I read, I have come to realise just how bigger and wider the world of comics is. How much depth and quality exists beyond the big movie brand name of 'Marvel' and 'DC'. It's in the reviewing particularly that this has helped me, as Pipedream Comics editor Alex Thomas, who is most likely also my best friend in comics to date, gave me a wonderful chance to not only become a better writer and greatly improve my ability to critique and understand comics, their stories and their art but also read so many more comics which I'd probably have never even been aware of had I still been in the same place as 2011 came to a close.

In fact, as I jot all of this down, I find myself wondering, would I have done anything differently? The answer to that is isn't so cut and dried as 'yes' or 'no' because, while my experience has become so incredibly fruitful and ... evolutionary (for want of a better word), the feeling of exhaustion would certainly be something I could do without.

However, it's fair to say that if I could do it all again, I would. Every last bit of it (although I might have let Jon Lock go to the restroom a little sooner when we met at Bristol 2012)

I think that the feelings I have now are not down to the comics but (some of) the people who inhabit that world, as well as my own fear of standing up to them on the behalf of others.

Therefore, it brings into perspective what I want to do as 2022 begins. These actions consist of:

• First of all, I want to focus, almost exclusively, on my 'to read' pile. Therefore, apart from the remnants of my pull list, I don't intend to buy anything new (although that thinking rarely works ill grant you).
• However, when I do buy (hopefully when my 'to read' list is down to zero), what I do buy will majority digital in order to reduce the clutter in my house.
• Of course, if a comic does deserve to be physically represented on my shelf, I'll buy it as a trade, instead of floppies. This is because I've realised the difficulty I re-reading single issues as a bulk. Therefore, only FF and Lazarus will be bought in single issues (at least until they end).
• I'd also like to begin re-reading my current collection. The reason for this would be to streamline it reducing its size by disposing what I don't like, and keeping what I do. This way, my shelves would (hopefully) be left with only the very best.
• I'd like to get back into a habit of producing one pipedream comics review a week, something I felt I struggled to maintain on a consistent basis last year.
• Utilise the reviews to improve my descriptive writing better, as it is something I often feel I struggle with.
• Become a better critic, while maintaining positivity, by working on my analysis of comics.
• In order to fit all of the above, remember that I don't have to blog if I don't have time to. This is because, while I always enjoy writing here, I don't always have the content and my other responsibilities are a little more important (after all, this is just a personal thing).
• Attempt to develop a more positive outlook in general towards comics and the community at large. While I never attempt to act negatively towards anyone, I do feel I need to either avoid the negativity I see or not let it affect me. Either way, I want to give out an air of positivity.
• I want to work to get a comic of my own out. For years now, I've been writing scripts and ideas and I've now reached a point where I've been thinking about making them into something. I've got the logistical plans in my head and really now I only have to find the confidence to put what's in my head into action.
  

And that's everything. In truth it is a long list and certainly one I'm not sure I can fully stick to. I've learned in the last ... well, ten years, that while it's good to have a long list of objectives, I seldom ever manage to succeed with all of them. However, after the last two years, I've also come to realise that standing still isn't really much on the way of fun and so I would rather try and move forward (and most likely fail) rather than stay where I am indefinitely.

So, with that, my yearly ramble is at an end and if anyone who started reading this is still here then kudos to you. Now, I guess it's time to put my words into actions and get the new year underway. That said, while I have a lot of hopes and dreams of my own for 2022, what I really hope is that we'll get to see more positivity, something which I (for my part) can help facilitate.

As long as that happens, I have faith that the rest can all fall into place.

#430 - Gideon Falls Deluxe Edition Vol. 1

I'll be honest, I hadn't intended to write another blog post this year, certainly not a specific comic book/series post, after last week's had me jotting down my thoughts on Boba Fett is Dead. However, what i read next turned out to a vastly more absorbing read than I had ever expected.

A few weeks ago, amongst my many birthday gifts, I received a hardcover copy of the Gideon Falls Deluxe Edition Vol. 1. Having read the first issue for free on Comixology some time ago, as well as hearing an absolute slew of reviews and trusted opinions pretty much praising every single page of, I added it to my incredibly large wishlist before pushing it higher up the list and requesting a print copy (specifically this one) after reading Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino's Green Arrow run.

Gideon Falls (specifically this first omnibus containing the first three trades) tells the story of Wilfred Buckle, a priest struggling with events from his own past who is sent to the small town of Gideon Falls when his predecessor in the role dies under mysterious circumstances. However, Wilfred's (or Fred for short) view on this sleepy little town soon takes a turn when he is drawn by a mysterious voice and strange visions to a field in the middle of nowhere ... and a terrifyingly unusual black barn. Now, joining forces with the cynical sheriff and a zealous doctor, Father Fred attempts to learn the truth about this barn. Meanwhile, in a city a long way away, Dr Angie Xu finds herself drawn into the world of her patient, Norton Sinclair, a man with little past who continues to delve into the city's trash as he attempts to rebuild a structure he sees in his dreams ... the very same black barn.

I feel that maybe I went a little over the top in explaining the series concept but the truth is, I don't think even this amount was even enough to accurately describe and explain this comic and do it justice. This is because I found Gideon Falls to be an unusual story (to put it mildly) as it had such outlandish and bizarre scenes, set pieces and plot points that it left with with an every increasing number of questions than answers to those questions.

However, this ... 'strangeness' didn't change the fact that, despite it being ever mysterious, Gideon Falls was absolutely engrossing to me. I felt that Lemire's story was a real slow burn but pretty much from the get go I was completely captivated and I found myself drawn in deeper and deeper the further I progressed. Everything about this world/s (due to the fact it took place in more than one setting) had such an incredible atmosphere, making me think of the Alan Wake video game (which I guess means Twin Peaks too as the latter influenced the former), with characters which seemed a little exaggerated but just enough to actually make me more curious about what is going on (such as the mysterious 'Bishop').

As I said, this series left me with more questions than answers, but these are the type of questions which are still with me a couple of days after I finished reading. Unfortunately, I don't want to share those questions here as I don't want to spoil the series for anyone who stumbles across this who has yet to read it. However, thanks to the question of what the villain of the book really is as well as the connections between locations and why the travel between the two causes such unusual problems, As a result I really do wonder if, while the title seemed like an outright horror to begin with, is Gideon Falls more a comic that walks a fine line between horror and something more sci-fi?

As for the art ..., well, I don't what I can say that tops my love of Andrea Sorrentino's artwork after Green Arrow, his 80th Anniversary anthology and the recent Batman: the Imposter. Once again, I love Sorrentino's style in this book, as it is absolutely gorgeous in a gritty, very human kind of way and worked really well with Lemire's writing in drawing me in. In fact, the art style in the real world actually made me think of Michael Lark's style in Lazarus as it just seemed so grim and dirty in places, as if you could actually feel the dust kicked up when Father Fred first arrives. However, Sorrentino's work doesn't stop there as his artwork when the Black Barn takes prominence in the story is so trippy and is very LSD inducing as you move through it. That said, that art is still equally addictive, keeping me enthralled in the book even while I found the panels weird as they flipped and inverted from the norm, their angles were rather breathtaking that way. Then there were Dave Stewart's colours which, while very natural in the the Town and a lot of greys in the city, I was struck by all of the deep reds connecting to the black barn, which I found to be very eye popping as well as made me wonder if the villainous Smiling Man is really the Devil?

By the end though, of both the book and this post, I think it is fair to say that I'm not sure the length turned out to be long enough. I could probably have rambled on about this comic series far more than I already have as I delved into every nook and cranny the story offered up to me. The same could be said for this omnibus, where 16 issues was no where near enough, leaving me eager for the next deluxe edition (because I need something that'll match this one). I often wonder when the world in general praise a comic/book/film/etc, is it really going to live up to the hype? It's a flaw in my thinking that I really need to work on. With Gideon Falls, however, I can totally see what everyone is talking about when they cheer its name. This series so far was a phenomenal read and my only concern going forward is that I won't be able to get the second deluxe edition when it is released.

So, hopefully that'll be around Christmas time next year.

#429 - Star Wars: Blood Ties - Boba Fett is Dead (just in time for Christmas)

So Christmas is nearly here!!

As of when I posted this, it's Christmas Eve and tomorrow sees Christmas music, gifts, a floor full of wrapping paper, good food, good drink, family squabbles and falling asleep in front of the Queen's(?) speech.

However, maybe more importantly (don't tell my wife) is the realisation that in less than a week we get more new Star Wars in the form of the Book of Boba Fett.

With this new series that I've been anticipating since its announcement just around the corner, I thought I'd get into the mood for it by reading something relating to the man(derlorian) himself.

Star Wars: Blood Ties - Boba Fett is Dead does exactly what it says on the tin as the Galaxy's deadliest Bounty Hunter is gunned down by a group of Stormtroopers and Bounty Hunters. However, when news of this Manderlorian's demise is announced across the Empire, it is received by Cantina owner Connor Freeman, a man who owes the Fetts his life in more ways than one. But when a hooded figure begins hunting down those responsible for Boba's demise, is Connor seeking retribution for Fett and, if so, is his debt worth such a task?

It's been a while since I had first read the opening issue, one that Comixology were good enough to offer for free, but it had certainly piqued my interest in the entire mini by being a really good read.

Fortunately, the series as whole measured up to that first issue in my opinion as I thought Tom Taylor had created an entertaining story which finally seemed to show Boba Fett as the badass many a Star Wars fan has wished him to be since Return of the Jedi. I really enjoyed the characters whom Taylor filled the story around Fett, from the Bounty Hunter's wife and (very funny) daughter, to the antagonists with a vengeful agenda against Fett (I could even hear Fett's post Attack of the Clones voice when I read his dialogue). However, if there was one thing about this story which I couldn't get on board with it was the connection between Boba and barman Connor.

However, this struggle was mainly down to timelines and consistency (how did a Clone have a kid that was older than Luke and Leia?), which is pretty easy to ignore.

The art, on the other hand, was something I didn't enjoy quite as much. I mean, the art is solid and has a photo-realistic look that I like. However, unlike J.K. Woodward's work in Mirror Broken and The City at the Edge of Forever, I struggled to get into this series' work as much. That said, I did enjoy the accuracy that was put in to ensure that Jango and Boba reflect the actor who played them.

In the end, despite some problems that I had with it, I thought Boba Fett is Dead was a good read. It is just a shame that it isn't classed as part of the new Disney Canon (although you never know). Nonetheless, it's intrigued me enough about the Legends series that I might just check out the prior, connecting Boba Fett minis.

#428 - The Good Asian vol. 1

It's been a busy week for me this past week as I have been working my hardest to make the time so that I could get around to completing my submission for Band of Bards Comics' upcoming anthology, From the Static.

Fortunately I was able to make that time and so I have now submitted my idea and all I have to do is wait.

However, by some miracle, I also managed to make enough time to get a fair bit of reading done this week as I not only attempted to get started on my birthday reading but also get through the last few pull list comics of 2021.

My first (and main) read for this week was The Good Asian Vol. 1 by Pornsak Pichetshote, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Lee Loughridge and Jeff Powell. This series told the story of Edison Hark, One of America's first Chinese-American Police Officers, who finds himself summoned to San Francisco by his adopted brother, Frankie Carruthers, when their father's Chinese maid goes missing. However, as Hark begins investigating the young woman's disappearance, he stumbles upon evidence of a thought long dead Triad hitman having returned to San Francisco's Chinatown. Now Hark must navigate a city of persecution to finish the job he was given, as the tinderbox all around him and his people threatens to go up by the slightest spark.

Now, I must admit that I've probably overdramatised what goes on in this story but, regardless of whether its concept is bigger or smaller than I've described, I found this to be a highly captivating read. Of course, I did find myself concerned that this wasn't the case to begin with as I struggled to connect with the first issue during my first readthrough. However, this was less the case during the my second readthrough (because I somehow managed to have an abundance of time to read it twice) as it was a much easier read, making a lot more sense to me, probably due to the notion that I had a better idea of what I was reading (I suspect the first time I had expected something very different than what I got.)

The rest of the issues in this trade I found to be a lot more engrossing (although, issue 3 was the weak link thanks to the change in perspective from Edison to some random character not seen until this issue ... unless I missed something), With the character of Hark coming off as a really intriguing character and very much a true noir hero in the sense that he's an anti-hero despite his apparent unlikability (as I recently discovered in an episode of the Netflix series 'Voir', characters can be engaging but unlikable). In fact, I lot of this really resonated with me thanks to its noir influence with every page, every panel, I read being done so with a noir type tune in my head (the way the old movies used to be). That said, while everything about it came across as classic noir, I couldn't but feel a sense of relatability in the story with present times, with the notion of Brexit feeling like a similar concept towards Europeans as the American immigration ban against the Chinese.

I guess some things never really change, we always need someone else to blame for our problems.

Anyway, much like the story, I really loved the art in this series. Alexandre Tefenkgi's style has so much European flair (which, of course, makes sense) and as I looked through the pages I really fell I love with his work. It made me think it was like Darwyn Cooke crossed with Cliff Chiang, although that may be too easy a comparison. Regardless though, it really sold me on the Noir vibe and really trippy in places, which worked well with the otherwise classical aesthetic that the art, as well as Lee Roughridge's colouring and Jeff Powell's lettering gave, the former of which really looked like no two pages were coloured the same way, adding to it this night time in the big city feel.

After the other week, I really didn't expect myself to be annoyed with a cliff hanger ending so soon but I guess I'm here again. I really enjoyed the Good Asian and now need volume 2 to see how it ends (and not just because I have my theories and want to see if I'm right.)

After that I went through a few one/two issue reads, starting with Dancing with the Dragon #1-2 by Rob MacKinnon and Luca Casalanguida. and published by Scout. This comic followed and Irish couple struggling to get by in San Francisco (again? What are the odds?) until chancing upon a dead money laundered sees the pair attempt to move in on his business. However, things go awry when they attempt to double cross the Triads all the while an FBI happens upon their trail.

Now, I've before been silly enough to judge a book by its cover and with this it is much the same, although in the opposite direction. When the cover for the second issue came across my computer screen, I found myself intrigued by both the title and the visual to think that this might worth my time. Unfortunately, after searching out the first issue and reading both it and the second issue, I have to admit that I just don't think that this is my thing. The thing is that there is nothing technically wrong with it, but I only found small niggles to these issues which I struggled with.

These included the main characters, both of whom really didn't connect with me in the same way as many beforehand (such as the Good Asian above, who took a arguably unlikable character and made him interesting), making me struggle to care about their journey as well as the pace feeling almost breakneck, as I zoom through the issues although this was less in an engrossed way and more like it just eager to get done.

On the other hand, I did think the art was solid, if unmemorable compared to some of the things I've recently been reading. Unfortunately, in the end, these two issues just didn't grab me in any way (which is a shame) and, as a result, I highly doubt I'll be back for the rest of the run.

Next up, fresh from my pull list, was Star Trek: The Mirror War - Data #1, a tie-in to the Tipton mini series which Celeste Bronfman, Roberta Ingranata, Valentina Pinto and Neil Uyetake tell a small one-and-done story between the cracks of the main event. This issue focused on the Enterprise's resident Android who, with a brief window in his schedule, confronts the newly returned Lt. Barclay as he struggles to re-acclimatise to the Mirror Universe. However, upon learning the truth behind Barclay's distance, the pair return to his home world in order to right a past wrong and get the Lt.'s mind back onto the mission at hand.

So far I have been a little quiet in regards to the main Mirror War story, feeling as if the plot is only slowly moving forward. With this Data one-shot, I certainly found myself much more invested and entertained as I got through it. I thought the issue was a nice way of looking into Barclay's history while also allowing us to see the differences between the mirror and Prime Data's.

What I enjoyed most about this issue, though, was the art. I really liked Roberta Ingranata's art style in this issue as it had this clean, almost porcelain-esque style which actually worked well for an issue about the man-made Data. In fact, this art and Pinto's colours on top of it really made me think that we are seeing everything through Data's eyes, with the clean perfection of it all being how the Lt. Commander perceives the world he is in. Overall, this issue gave me a lot to think about compared to the main story and, while I have hope that the Mirror War will be something great by the end, this Data one-shot was a good read while I wait for the rest.

Afterwards, I read Fantastic Four: Life Story #5, the penultimate instalment of Mark Russell, Sean Isaakze, Carlos Magno and Nolan Woodard's true time depiction of Marvel's first family which saw the day finally come where Galactus arrives. However, as the world submits itself to its upcoming fate, the Silver Surfer approaches Reed with an offer he may not be able to refuse as he and his family continue to find a way to stop the Destroyer of Worlds from devouring theirs.

Up until now I've found this series to be up and down a bit but generally OK. However, with this issue I thought it was a really enjoyable issue as the seeds which had been sown since the beginning came to fruition. What I like about this issue is just how emotional it was, from the lead up as the world prepared for the end, to the final Showdown and Reed's fateful decision. However, what really struck me that I didn't expect was Dr Doom's eleventh hour proposal that made me wonder why no one had ever considered such a plan before (as terrifying as it sounds).

As for the art ... well, there is little I can say about Sean Izaakse art which I haven't gushed about before. Once again, I absolutely loved the art in this issue, which just looks fantastic in my eyes. The look of some many of the characters, from Doom to Galactus, the Surfer and even the final shots of Reed are so gorgeous to me, helped by Carlos Magno's colours which I thought gave every this really movie-like sheen to it (if that makes sense).

All in all, this has got to have been the strongest issue of the series so far and has me looking forward to next month and to see how Russell ties everything off.

And finally for the week, I read Batman: The Imposter #3 by Mattson Tomlin, Andrea Sorrentino and Jordie Bellaire This issue finished the Black Label series which saw the Dark Knight find and defeat a vigilante killing criminals in his name all the while continuing to contend with the inquisitive cop on his trail and his former therapist blackmailing him into sessions on the couch in the hope to change his ways.

Much like it's prior two installments, I found myself really enjoying this issue as I read through it. In fact, it was really engrossing right up until the end when it felt like the story just couldn't stick the landing. The thing is though that, upon thinking it over for a little bit, I realised that maybe its underwhelming finish was more my problem than the story's. Mattson Tomlin's story is a rather engrossing single story, perfectly placed within the Black Label because it doesn't belong within continuity. However, I realised that this story could be the most realistic depiction of Batman I've ever read. It feels hopeless, and cynical and unable to make some giant sweeping change. These are all things which, for a guy who expects such things from his superheroes, maybe I wasn't expecting or ready for.

The artwork, meanwhile, gave me no such ambivulent emotions. I really love Andrea Sorrentino's art and have done ever since the New 52 Green Arrow introduced me to it. While this issue seemed to have a degree more of a horror slant than the previous issues, Sorrentino's work, coupled with Bellaire's colours I thought gave it this real gritty, very real look which actually works a lot better than I realised when I think about the realism the story is trying to set up. This issue was another good read, but I do wonder to myself if it is better or worse than my initial feelings. Therefore, I'm going to have to read all three combined when the new year is underway to get a definite opinion.

And that's another week done. Now with only one until Christmas and two until the new year, I'm going to have to see how much I can cram in before I begin afresh for 2022.

For next week though, in honour of his new show, the main read is going to have to be based on Boba Fett!

#427 - the Modern Frankenstein #1-5

While Christmas continues to speed towards us (or are we speeding towards it?), the most important week of this addict's life has just come to an end.

It's been a busy old week as, over the weekend just gone, I hit another Birthday. It wasn't a landmark one or anything, but it was a good old time with my wife and kids which saw me gifted a whole heap of comic goodness. This goodness included volume one trades of White Ash and the Good Asian, a Superman Bust, a Man of Steel (Film connected) watch,  some Eaglemoss trades in the form of JLA: Tower of Babel, JLA: Act of God and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, a bunch of funky t-shirts and, to top it off, a hardcover volume one collected edition of Gideon Falls.

So, all in all, a good haul.

However, while the week started off with some big additions to my comic library, none of these were the main focus of my reading week.

You see, this week's main read was the Modern Frankenstein #1-5, which I've been sitting on the single issues of for a couple of months since its release. Created by Paul Cornell, Emma Vieceli, Pippa Bowland and Simon Bowland and published by Heavy Metal/Magma Comix, this series follows the story of Dr Elizabeth Cleeve, a promising young doctor studying under the tutelage of the brilliant but mysterious Dr James Frankenstein. However, when Frankenstein seemingly cures Elizabeth's mother from a seemingly incurable condition, the student finds herself drawn deeper under her teacher's thrall (in more ways than one) when he invites her to see his true work: Experimenting on people in order to find cures for all conditions of the mind in order to make people 'better.'

Leading into this series, I had high hopes for it to really work for me given it's creative team. With the story being written by the legend that is Paul Cornell (Captain Britain & MI13 and I Walk with Monsters) and drawn by the fantastic Emma Vieceli (Breaks), two of my favourite creators going, the Modern Frankenstein seemed like a sure fire win. However, while it was a good read, I'm not sure if it was the absolute hit I was expecting.

When I originally read the first issue some months ago for review purposes, I thought that the issue had something of a slow burn as it started a truly cerebral thriller. This continued to be the case here as, reading the story in it's entirety, I realised that the Modern Frankenstein continue to move at a slow pace throughout the first three issues at minimum, even feeling like it had slowed down more so after the opening instalment. Of course, I'm making it sound like a bad comic read and nothing is further from the truth as, despite its slowness, I found myself truly sucked in and eager to know how this story was going to end, for all of the players if nothing else. I found the characters to be ... well, not very likable but then, given their actions through the series, maybe that's the point. Nonetheless, both Frankenstein and Elizabeth were very intriguing characters as will was intrigued by their actions and how both dealt with the emotional repercussions of them. This helped keep me invested as the story reached the final act and their views and objectives seemingly diverged. As such, the twist toward the end was a little unsettling, despite it being a nice payoff from an earlier set up, and helped ramp up the horror aspect while also improving my concern for the fate of one of the leads while disliking the other in equal measure.

As for the art, I really liked Vieceli's art style that is used here, with it having a clean look which, when coupled with Pippa Bowland's colours, has this look which makes me think of how classical it comes across as, sort of like Curia Regis in that it is attempting to reflect the original Frankenstein's era but in a more modern setting. I also thought that the art really had an unsettling look to it in some way, which certainly helped later when the story seemed to push towards the more horror side. In fact, my only complaint had to be that while the colours really suited the pencils, I do wonder if they were too light for the more horror tinged final act of the story.

By the end, I have found myself struggling to find a theme for this series (or maybe it had too many). Is it about the dangers of needing total Control? How obsession can be dangerous? How Love can make you blind until it is too late? Should you disregard the rules for the greater good? Maybe it's a little of all of them. Still the Modern Frankenstein was a good and engrossing read and, having finished, I'm glad that I gave it the time to check it out.

So, with Modern Frankenstein done, I moved onto White Ash Season 2 #1, which I read for the purpose of reviewing for Pipedream Comics. This issue, which picked up a couple of months after the first volume and resulted in its characters hunting down another villainous Brood, felt like a continuation of that first season both in terms of story telling and its overall presentation and quality. The art still looked terrific here, and continued to make me think of work done by Darwyn Cooke and my buddy Robert Ahmad.

Meanwhile, I really thought that the characters had begun to get more interesting, with a couple more who had previously been in the background looking like they were being pushed up to a more 'main cast' type of role (or would be if this was a TV show). Suffice to say, this series continues to get it monstrous hooks into me good and proper and I really do look forward to what more is to come during the rest of this second season (and hopefully beyond).

I then moved onto Fantastic Four #38, which I picked up early this week after being unable to get it from my LCS on New Comic Book Day last Wednesday. This issue started a (presumably) two part story where the Wizard arrives at the newly rebuilt Baxter Building in order to retrieve his 'son', Bentley-23. However, rather than do battle with the First Family, Bentley Whitman produces a weapon that the FF were not expecting; a legal summons. Now, with the help of the MU's super lawyer She-Hulk, the Richards clan must do battle with their enemy in a battlefield they are not used to; the courtroom.

For me, FF has been having a good run of late of consistently good issues but I did feel that this one was where the ball was dropped a bit. I can't lie that I really liked the concept on display here, but the execution left something to be desired in my eyes. Almost the entire issue felt like a slog and I really struggled to feel all that invested in its progression. It wasn't helped by the fact that the main three family members (minimal Johnny this week) seemed to act really out of sorts for much of the issue (don't get me started on Sue pushing for a fight). I also wasn't overly impressed with the depiction of the Judge, who really felt like she was a caricature of the type of cliched judge you seen in a TV show.

On the other hand though, I really loved the art. This issue's art is, as usual, phenomenal thanks to Francesco Manna. This does make me ponder 'Where do Marvel keep getting these artists?' as, after Isaakze, Medina, Silva and now Manna, they have placed a terrific selection of creators whose styles not only mesh together in terms of consistency but also look absolutely fantastic (pun very much intended). To cap it off (or get the ball rolling I guess) was a truly beautiful cover by the Dodson's which will always make things better in my opinion. However, despite the great art, this issue was only an ok for me. I'm hoping that it's let down is solely due to a lack of an ending and I really want to believe that the next issue will bring its stock up and make it all one of those 'whole is greater than the sum of its parts' deal, but I guess we'll have to wait until next month to see.

And that's been the books I've read this week. In truth, I did start one other, but given that I didn't finish it while I wrote this, that comic will fold over I next week.

Not that it'll take me long to finish the Good Asian.

#426 - Snow Angels Season 1

After last week and finishing off the Hawkeye series, this week begins my effort to cram as many comics into December as possible in order to prepare for a special Pipedream project that we have coming up.

This doesn't just mean new comics (well from my perspective) but also more of some older ones that I only read the first issue for.

The week started with the latter of those, which was Snow Angels Season One, something I had been fortunate enough to review the first issue of for Pipedream Comics back in the Summer. This series followed Milliken and Mae Mae, two sisters who live inside a massive trench located within a frozen wasteland with their pa and their village of 'trenchfolk.' However, when the family return from a hunting trip to find their whole settlement slaughtered, the trio must make a break for uncharted parts of this endless trench in order to escape a mysterious killer who seeks to end them for seemingly breaking the rules of the trench.

I really enjoyed Snow Angels first issue back when I reviewed it and so, when Comixology were doing a sale on all of their Originals titles a few weeks back, this was definitely going to be up there amongst my purchases. Thankfully, I'm glad that I did because the remainder of season one more than matched up to what that first issue seemingly promised.

What I loved about this series was that I felt Jeff Lemire had crafted a deeply captivating and, above all, engrossing story. It really felt like, for every new page and new set piece, Lemire just added yet more mystery to this world, leaving me with more and more questions about what is going on (though not in confused way). As for the characters, I'm a little in two minds about the leads, Milliken and Mae Mae. I did find the characters a little irritating in their constant 'needling' of one another (being a dad of 2 myself, I sure get 'Pa's' exasperation). However, as the story progressed, both felt like they grew up quickly (as circumstances would no doubt require) and, by the end, I found myself a little torn up for them as they had to say goodbye.

As for the art, Jock's work is getting a lot of action with me and, while his work here and on Green Arrow Year One is years apart, he once again knocked it out of the park with me for very similar reasons. This is because I thought that Jock's work again showed a real brutality to the environment, with the sparseness and roughness of the lines really giving the world that necessary harsh and cold feel. He also nailed the characters in my opinion, with the the family giving such Resonant looks of sadness and fear while the snowman, the villain of the piece, look seriously menacing while also making me wonder who or what it is.

If there is one thing that frustrates me about Snow Angels it is that despite it drawing me in more and more as it progressed, it finished on a cliffhanger that now makes me crave season two. Fortunately, this is a very simple first world problem to have. I really enjoyed reading this series and am glad I included it with my 'secret' project I'm currently working on elsewhere (more about that later). I just have to hope that I can get the second season sooner rather than later.

So, with Snow Angels all read, the rest of the week was spent reading a few single issues. 

First up was Hailstone #1, another Comixology Originals comic by Rafael Scavone and Rafael De Latorre which followed a small town Sheriff in Civil War America attempt to find five missing townspeople who were lost (or maybe taken) in the middle of the nearby woods.

I must confess that this intrigued me. I get the impression that whatever the antagonist of this story is, it is supernatural in nature. However, I was left with so many questions by the end; why are the people taken and not left for dead? What's the purpose of the army camp? and why has everyone gone to pot since the camp arrived? Also, what is up with that Captain?

Meanwhile, I really like the art here, with it having a really gritty look which works well for the era the story is set in as well as helping make it rather horror-esque. Of course, it didn't fully wow me by the end, but it does make me intrigued enough to check out the whole series, probably during a future sale (which I'm sure will happen).

I then capped off my week by reading a preview excerpt of Producing at the End of the World, a new Anthology which is currently being kickstarted by Soda and Telepaths' Anthony Pollock (whom I also asked a few questions on the subject for Pipedream Comics this week). Appropriately enough given the title, the stories this comic contained were all tales regarding the end of the world.

The preview itself was not the entire book (sadly) but the first four stories and, I must say, that if the rest of the title is half as good as those four tales then this anthology is going to be something special. I really thought all four of these stories were something truly special, providing a sort of subverted storytelling which I really like. I can't lie, I'm surprised by the varied imagination surrounding this concept and now realise why my own submission to this anthology failed; these stories are in a class of their own and put what I wrote to shame.

As a result of reading this preview, I found myself incredibly hyped to read the full comic and happily pledged that way (I'm not settling for just half). The hard part is now waiting for the kickstarter to make 100% and then for Anthony to send out all of the copies.

Hopefully, the rest of my backlog can quell that frustration.

For this week though, that was me done ... well, almost. I did read one other comic but as that was for a review purpose, which I haven't written yet, I figure I'll fold that over into next week's post.

Though what I mainly talk about next week is still up for debate.