December 2, 2021 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Review: “Echoes of the Triumphant” no. 2

Things are starting to heat up in Reverb Comics’ “Echoes of the Triumphant no 2.” Ever since the chemical accident that has made some of the citizens of Echo City into Tweaks, or metahumans with special abilities, Adrian has gone from MMA fighter to beleaguered accountant to a wanted vigilante. And from the last issue, with some help from his brother Martin (a Tweak who can control computers), he has also stolen a suit of state-of-the-art armor from X-Pel (an organization aimed at policing the Tweaks and Echo City) to help him with his mission to track down Lionheart, the leader of the Tweaks.

With the first and second issues, comic writer Pat Murphy introduces us to Adrian, a young man who is just starting to figure out his purpose in the post-accident Echo City. Now, it seems that the vigilante may be in over his head. While Adrian is a formidable fighter and a capable investigator (is able to take on two Tweaks and is able to successfully track Lionheart’s money laundering activities to a strip club), he is still just a non-powered vigilante fighting against superhuman Tweaks. Even with a super-powered suit, Adrian does not know what he is getting himself into. A lesson he will soon learn.

While investigating Lionheart’s activities, he is admonished by his sister Alida who warns him to be careful. Little to Adrian’s knowledge, she sends over a friend to follow the neophyte vigilante and keep an eye on him. We learn that this friend of Alida’s is Loretta who happens to be a Tweak.

After Adrian encounters and gets beaten to a pulp by Lionheart, who is a muscle bound lion and human hybrid, Loretta comes to his rescue using her teleportation powers. He is taken to Loretta’s dimension at the behest of Alida. In addition, his sister urges Loretta to train Adrian to fight the Tweaks. Here, we also see Adrian’s arrogance. He feels that as an MMA fighter, he does not need any training but Loretta reminds him that he almost died at the hands of Lionheart. Adrian reluctantly takes Loretta up on her offer but he is quickly kicked out of her dimension for trying to make a move on her.Later on, Adrian finds Martin and they both decide to return to his apartment

Meanwhile, Richie, an acquaintance of Adrian, comes to Adrian’s apartment to tell Alida that he was fired for stealing the X-Pel armor he created (when it was Adrian who stole the armor). We learn that Richie needs medication after being exposed to the chemicals from the accident. It seems that he struggles with both anxiety and evil thoughts. Haunted by the lingering thoughts, Richie screams at them to shut up much to Alida’s horror. When Adrian and Martin return, the former throws Richie out much to his sister’s dismay. Saddened, Richie is still haunted by evil thoughts until, at the end of this issue, he meets a Tweak who shows him surveillance footage of Adrian stealing the X-Pel armor.

The story has gotten interesting and is connecting the characters. Adrian is hellbent on taking down Lionheart so that he could get the promotion he feels he deserves. However, it seems that his desires cause him to push people away. For instance, his arrogance and lust pushed away the aforementioned Loretta who offered to train him for his war against Lionheart. In addition, his desire to take out Lionheart caused him to push Richie away. Furthermore, Adrian always viewed Richie as a stalker or a tag-along and not a true friend. When I read this issue for a second time, I felt sorry for Richie since it seemed that he needed a friend and that Adrian further hurt him by not only kicking him out but stealing his armor which got him fired. And amidst all this, Alida has to pick up the pieces caused by the mess Adrian creates.

While the art done by Jarrod Bezzina has been amazing due to showcasing the character designs, I feel that there needs to be more in depth setting in the panels. For example, the first three panels of Alida talking with Adrian on the phone made me wonder whether she was at his apartment or if she was outside. The only way I was able to realize that she was outside was when she was handing flowers to a Tweak and the fourth panel showed her outside the store. I also feel that the timing of the panels is a little too quick at times. One notable example of this is on page 7 when Adrian is infiltrating Lionheart’s operation. I would have loved to see more panels of him running to evade fire from the Tweak and then changing into his suit. However, the fight scenes between the Tweak, and eventually Lionheart were my favorite panels since they showed a lot of action-to-action panel scenes.

Overall, the story and art of the comic are great and I am looking forward to seeing where “Echoes of the Triumphant” goes!

Written by Pat Murphy

Art by Jarrod Bezzina

Letters by Michael McAdam

Edited by Alexi Kott

November 4, 2021 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

‘Dark Knights of Steel no. 1’ makes it’s medieval debut with some crazy twists

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

When it was announced that comic writer Tom Taylor (“Superman: Son of Kal-El,” “DCeased,” “Nightwing”) was going to pen the series “Dark Knights of Steel,” something told me that I had to read this story. Something also told me that I was going to be in for a treat.

And sure enough I was.

“Dark Knights of Steel,” is not just a retelling of the origin stories of our favorite heroes and villains of the DC Universe in the vein of a medieval epic like “Game of Thrones.” In some ways, it is a story about family. In other ways, it is a story about a sinister conspiracy involving kingdoms. I feel that it is also a story about one man’s birthright and another man’s revenge.

When I read this “Dark Knights of Steel no. 1,” there were several twists I did not see coming.

The first twist is when Taylor takes us back to the fateful moment of the planet Krypton’s doom. We see Jor El and his beloved wife Lara, the parents of Superman, lament their planet’s impending destruction. You know how this story goes: the rocket ship blasts off from an exploding Krypton and it ends up on a grassy field on planet Earth. At this point, you’d think that this is where Jonathan and Martha Kent come into the picture to see a little curly-haired boy, who would become Earth’s greatest champion, stretching his arms out to them in a loving gesture. However, we see that Ma and Pa Kent are nowhere to be found and even more surprising,we see that Jor and a pregnant Lara are the occupants of the crashed spaceship. And what is even crazier is that Lara is about to give birth. Jor-El, notices a group of knights on horses surrounding him. As Jor-El tries to get help for his pregnant wife, the knights shoot their bows and arrows at him and suddenly, he kills the assailants with his heat vision. After that,Jor El and Lara welcome their son Kal-El to the world that they now call their home.

19 years later, the Els would establish their own kingdom alongside Thomas and Martha Wayne (a king and queen who would mysteriously die leaving their son Bruce an orphan). Both Kal-El and Bruce would become princes of the Kingdom of El. However, not everyone is happy to welcome the family of strange visitors from a dying world. Hence comes the second twist.

The El’s arrival is foreseen in a doomed prophecy by a young John Constantine and King Jefferson (aka Black Lightning). King Jefferson’s fear that the Els would take over the world causes him to send assassins who wield magic to assassinate them. This causes Jor and Lara to outlaw magic and forbid Kal from accompanying the Bat-Prince Bruce Wayne on his mission to fight the magic wielders.

Prince Kal-El, like his original counterpart that we know and love, is always eager to help much to the annoyance of Bruce. We see that he has a sense of justice and holds all life (innocent or evil) sacred. This is shown when he questions Bruce and his father on how to treat the captured Banshee (Dinah “Black Canary”Lance). While he seems to be a bit of a boyscout, he also has a bit of a chip on his shoulder as he brushes off the fact that Bruce is only an orphan when Jor El suggests that the Bat-Prince sit on the throne. When I read the interaction between Kal and Bruce, I saw that Kal may see Bruce as a rival for the throne since it is his birthright. This brings us to the third twist which involves Bat-Prince.

Bruce the Bat-Prince is every bit as Batman as Batman can be. He is stoic. He is as Harley in this universe would put it “ dark and brooding.” And like the original Batman, he has help in the form of his trusty friend (and occasional servant) Alfred and his “Robins” (Dick, Jason, Duke, and Stephanie). And comes the twist that drops the bomb: Bruce Wayne is a product of a tryst between Jor-El and Martha Wayne. That’s right, Jor-El reveals to the shocked readers and Batman that the Dark Knight is his son which makes him Superman’s Kyptonian-Human hybrid half-brother in this universe. And while Bruce is processing the revelation, Jor-El is assassinated by Green Arrow and the “Green Man” (Green Lantern) which causes a grief stricken Bruce’s eyes to turn into the familiar heat vision red. And that is when the story of “Dark Nights of Steel” actually begins.

Tom Taylor wrote an epic comic book story with the perfect ingredients: the DC Comics and medieval archetypes! And the twists in this first issue were the chef’s kiss! And I suspect that there are more twists and turns to come.

Another thing I enjoyed about the comic was illustratrations and coloring done by Yasmine Putri. Purtri’s art was the icing on the cake for this medieval DC epic. My favorite scene in the first issue is where Bruce and Jor-El are having their talk at the castle. The lightning is a common trope used in the Batman mythos and also serves an ominous omen for things to come. Another favorite drawing is the half splash of Bruce cradling his father Jor-El in his arms. It is here where we will really see him become the Bat-Prince, full-circle, and with Kryptonian powers which makes him more dangerous.

Overall, it is a retelling that would make everyone who has ever read, watched, or heard the stories of the heroes and villains of the DC Universe talk about this story for years to come. I’m serious when I write this! I am already looking forward to reading issue no. 2 and to see where it goes from there.

“Dark Knights of Steel no. 1” is available at your local comic book shop or wherever comic books are sold!

“Dark Knights of Steel no. 1”

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Yasmine Putri

Colorist: Yasmine Putri

Letterer: Wes Abbot

Publisher: DC Comics

An entire medieval world will be forever changed when a spaceship crash-lands from a doomed planet. Monarchs will die, kingdoms will rise, and what seemed the end of the world for many…was only the beginning! An epic high-fantasy story set in a DC Universe where nothing is what it seems… From worldwide bestselling writer Tom Taylor (DCeased, Superman: Son of Kal-El) and acclaimed artist Yasmine Putri comes a generational tale of good and evil within a brand-new DCU!

July 30, 2021July 30, 2021 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Luke Skywalker and Starlight Squadron bring the fight to the Empire in ‘Star Wars no. 15′

Ever since leaving the Lars Homestead on Tatooine due to the tragic deaths of his beloved Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen, Luke Skywalker has had quite the hero’s journey. He would meet the wise Jedi Master Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi who would introduce him to the ways of the Jedi. Skywalker would also meet the smuggler Han Solo and his wookie partner Chewbacca which would baptise Luke on the perils of adventuring. He would then go from farmboy to Rebel Alliance hero almost in one night when he rescued Princess Leia and destroyed the Death Star. After having several adventures with Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2, he eventually would further connect with his Jedi heritage when traveling down to the swamp planet of Dagobah.

Skywalker’s biggest trial would come when he went face to face with Darth Vader on Cloud City in the cloudy skies of Bespin. Vader would reveal himself to be Luke’s father much to the aspiring Jedi’s horror and disbelief. In addition, Luke would also lose his hand and his lightsaber that once belonged to Vader when he was still Anakin Skywalker.

However, the latest “Star Wars” comics have shown Luke slowly maturing after his ordeal on Cloud City. He has begun to take his training seriously and has also realized that he should not dwell on his failures but to learn from them. In the process, he had to let go of finding his first blue-bladed lightsaber and in the process, he found a new yellow-bladed lightsaber.

Now as Leia, Chewie, Threepio, and Lando Calrissian are on Jekara taking part in the mission to rescue Han, Luke joins Wedge Antilles and Starlight Squadron to rescue the Rebel Alliance 11th Fleet Division. But along the way, Skywalker has encountered something familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time.

Warning Spoilers Ahead

Issue no.15 begins with Luke Skywalker volunteering to join Wedge Antilles and Starlight Squadron to rescue the 11th division. Although the Rebels have been successful in creating a new code thanks to the talky droid and having a few victories, not everyone is feeling hyped. A-Wing pilot L’ulo Lampar voices the condition of the scattered Rebel Fleet and the missing Shara Bey (Future mother of Poe Dameron). Luke tries to give his comrades hope by telling people that he, Leia, and the other heroes are planning on rescuing Han Solo from Crimson Dawn on Jekara. Wedge acknowledges this but tells the pilots that saving another fleet division would be more important. With that, Luke and Starlight Squadron blast off into hyperspace to find their fellow Rebels.

When the Rebels jump out of hyperspace, they head to the orbit of Ab Dalis which should be familiar with fans or people who have read Charles Soule’s novel “Star Wars-The High Republic: Light of the Jedi.” Freyta Smyth, one of the Starlight Squadron pilots, makes a reference of the fragments from the doomed Legacy Run space freighter which is a part of the planet killing billions of inhabitants. Since the incident, which was about centuries before the Battle of Yavin, the planet had been abandoned.

I feel that it was awesome that Soule’s writing bridges the High Republic era with the Skywalker Saga. From Luke’s new yellow-bladed lightsaber to the name of Starlight Squadron being named after Starlight Beacon (a space station created by the Jedi and the High Republic to unite the galaxy), it shows that the High Republic era was such a huge influence to the galaxy,

Starlight Squadron picks up a transmission from the planet which is confirmed to be from the 11th Rebel Alliance Fleet Division. The 11th division is getting pinned down and overrun by Imperial forces which consists of a Star Destroyer Ultima II, tanks, AT-AT’s and an army of stormtroopers. The beleaguered Rebels and their Colonel, Chouch, receive news that among the six Rebel starfighters coming to rescue them are Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles. However, the Imperials aboard Star Destroyer Ultima II are overconfident that they can crush the Rebels. The commander plans on reporting his success to the ruthless Commander Zhara and orders TIE Fighters to intercept Starlight Squadron.

While Luke, Wedge, and Starlight Squadron fight the TIEs, one of the Rebel soldiers comes up with a crazy but brilliant idea. The soldier tells Colonel Chouch that when she was a part of the geological survey team, she was examining the stability of the planet. Her plan is to have one of the pilots fire their weapons at a small target on the surface just above the Ultima II which will create a chain reaction.

While the Imperial commander on board Ultima IIis confident that he will be victorious, the pilots of Starlight Squadron are contemplating on whether they should go through the coordinates given to them by the rebel ground forces. Freta discovers that since the target is so small, this task looks like a job for Skywalker, who destroyed the Death Star which also had a small target in the form of the thermal exhaust port. Now, we see the inspiration behind the soldier’s plan and who better than Luke Skywalker to take the shot?

As Luke goes in for the shot, he feels that he is in familiar territory. He’s back in the Battle of Yavin with his sights set on the thermal exhaust port with proton torpedoes ready to fire. However, as Luke is cornered by Vader, he sees Han coming to his rescue with the Millennium Falcon. But to his horror, he also sees the Corellian YT-1300 freighter getting destroyed by Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced. As Luke questions the memory, he is in an unfamiliar situation. This is clearly not how things went during the Battle of Yavin.

Luke sees Vader aboard his TIE advanced telling him that he will fail to save Solo and that he belongs to him. Then Luke sees Vader blast the Falcon with his ship. This is when Luke realizes that this is a Force vision. Horrified by this nightmare, Luke freezes up but Wedge snaps him out of it and Luke fires his torpedoes but misses! However, as Luke plans on making another run, Wedge and the other pilots fire their torpedoes onto the targeted area which causes a chain reaction. Suddenly, the surface erupts in an volcanic explosion which destroys the Star Destroyer Ultima II.

I feel that Soule adding a very familiar scene was the best part of this comic. This scene takes you back to that moment when Luke hops aboard Red Five for the first time and takes the fight to the Empire. The moment that made Luke Skywalker a hero and a legend. However, in this scene, Luke gets a little cocky as he thinks that the task as of him will be a piece of cake. However, the Force vision of the Millennium Falcon getting destroyed causes Luke to freeze up and miss the shot. This shows that Luke still has a lot to learn as a Jedi since he still has an arrogant streak about him which he inherited from Anakin.

The Rebels are victorious but Luke is a little bummed that he missed the target. Wedge assures his Force sensitive comrade that everyone misses and that he should not beat himself up for it. Wedge thanks Luke for assisting Starlight and wishes him luck with the mission to Jekara. The Rebels are elated to more good news when they receive a transmission from Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma who is accompanied by Mon Calamari Admiral Ackbar.

Meanwhile, as Luke heads to Jekara, he tries to contact Leia who, along with Lando and Chewie, is cornered by Boba Fett. Leia cuts off the transmission as Luke tries to tell her that he had experienced a Force vision warning him that Darth Vader is coming after Han (and if you have read “War of the Bounty Hunters no.2,” “Doctor Aphra no. 12,” “Darth Vader no. 14,” along with the end of this issue, you would know Luke’s vision comes true.)

The art done by Ramon Rosanas and the coloring by Rachelle Rosenberg made this issue vibrant as Soules’ writing. One of my favorite panels is of Luke reliving the memory of flying his X-Wing Fighter into that Death Star trench only to see an alternate version where Han gets shot down by Vader. My favorite splash is of the volcanic explosion on the Star Destroyer. It symbolizes the Rebels’ tenacity to never give up despite insurmountable odds.

Now that just about everyone and their mother has come to Jekara to bid for Han Solo, how will Luke react when he learns that his vision has come true. How will the young Jedi react when he discovers Boba Fett has Princess Leia and his friends cornered? And how will Luke react when he learns about Qi’ra’s history with Han? “War of the Bounty Hunters no. 3” is, without a doubt, going to be another explosive issue but the next issue seems to be teasing a rematch against father and son before their fateful encounter on Death Star II!

Writer: Charles Soule

Artist: Ramon Rosanas

Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Publisher: Marvel

Synopsis: “Friends and Enemies” Luke Skywalker embarks upon an epic mission with Wedge Antilles and the brave pilots of Starlight Squadron to rescue a lost division of the Rebel Fleet. Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian attempt to save Han Solo from the evil clutches of Boba Fett. But what hidden vision will the Force send to Luke about the troubles to come?

January 6, 2021January 5, 2021 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Review: Scouts Honor

Writer: David Pepose

Artist: Luca Casalanguida

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual

Publisher: Aftershock

The first comic review of the new year has arrived in the form of the comic book, “Scout’s Honor.” The comic is written by David Pepose (“The O.Z. and Spencer and Locke”), illustrated by Luca Casalanguida, colored by Matt Milla, and lettered by Carolos M. Mangual. There will not be too many spoilers in this review as I will only be talking about the aspects of the comic and not telling the full story. But if you have not read the comic yet, I suggest you give it a read before reading this review.

“Scout’s Honor” takes place more than two centuries into a post-apocalyptic future. The world is a barren wasteland after a nuclear war. A violent version of the Boy Scouts of America, called Ranger Scouts had emerged from a bunker and saw what had become of the world they once knew. The Scouts decide to survive a new world born of nuclear destruction.

Courtesy of David Pepose and Aftershock Comics

When reading this comic, I felt that Pepose borrowed several themes from the Judge Dredd, “A Handmaiden’s Tale,” and Mad Max. The Ranger Scouts, like the Judges from Judge Dredd, are an police force of Boy Scouts used to enforce order by brutal means. The scouts are also able to rise in the ranks by gaining merit badges due to their feats out in the badlands. The highest honor for a Ranger Scout is the Valor Badge which any scout can procure before becoming an elite Eagle Guard.

And the order that the Ranger Scots are enforcing is one of patriarchy in which, under the third law, they are “forged in brotherhood, beyond our sisters and wives,” which is not too different from the Republic of Gilead. In addition, like Gilead, the order is a pseudo-religious order that is derived from the Ranger Scout Survival Handbook written by a Dr. Jefferson Hancock. Six laws, like the aforementioned third law, have been derived from the handbook that the scouts have to follow to enforce their order.

Pepose has written an ensemble of characters that are going through several challenges. The first character, Kit, is a rising star within the Ranger Scouts. However, nobody, with the exception of Kit’s father, knows that Kit is actually a girl and if the Ranger Scouts were to find out, she would not be a Ranger Scout. The second character is Dez Shepherd, a fellow Ranger Scout who is a friend and rival of Kit. Dez is portrayed as a young man who wears a chip on his shoulder due to trying to gain approval from his father, Thomas, who is the ordained Scoutmaster. Dez is seen as more proficient with vehicles and technology, much to his father’s dismay. In addition, Thomas favors Kit over his own son and perhaps, may choose the former to become an Eagle Guard which is an elite Ranger Scout. Then there’s Kit’s father who is very concerned for the safety of the young lady especially when it comes the the third law.

When seeing these characters, I remembered speaking with David on the Earth-16 Comics Wire podcast about how he created characters for his comics. Like in “The O.Z.” and “Spencer and Locke,” Pepose usually wrote characters who have experienced trauma of some form. For instance, Dorothy Gale in “The O.Z.,” the granddaughter of the original Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz,” had PTSD from her experiences as a soldier fighting in the War in Iraq. The one character I see having the most trauma would be Dez since his father puts a lot of pressure on him to be a capable Scout, like Kit and I have no doubt that this will play a huge role as the story progresses.

The art done by Casalanguida has a lot of action-to-action sequences with the panels. We see this in the beginning of the comic where Kit, Dez, and a rookie Ranger Scout name Eddy are hunting for a gamma boar. A scene-to-scene transition was used at the beginning of the story to give readers the idea of how the Ranger Scouts rose from the ashes of the old world and to take us to the present day where we are introduce to Kit. Casalnguida’s art also had some powerful scenes which included the aspect-to-aspect panels which showed a statue of Jefferson Hancock, Eddy being laid to rest, and Thomas Shepherd orating an eulogy for the fallen Scout. Another power scene was the aspect-to-aspect scene in which showed the panels showed Kit conversing with her dad and the revelation of Kit’s secret. The coloring done by Milla set the mood within the comic. One my favorite panels showed Kit lending a hand to Dez. In this panel, a light is shinning right behind Kit which signifies that she is indeed the gallant hero of the story and also the shinning example that Dez’s ios expected to follow, by his father.

As the story progresses, there is a dark twist on the real history Ranger Scouts that set’s Kit’s world upside down. There is doubt that this twist will cause a chain reaction as the series progresses. What will Kit do with this new knowledge and will the Ranger Scouts stay the same once this twist is revealed to them?

You can grab “Scouts Honor #1” at your local comic book shop.

December 10, 2020 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Review: Crossover #2

Writer: Donny Cates

Artist: Geoff Shaw

Colorist: Dee Cunnifee

Letterer: John J. Hill

Story Edits: Mark Waid

Publisher: Image

Synopsis: “KIDS LOVE CHAINS,” Part Two The event continues to unravel as Ellie, Otto, and Ava rise from the ashes of their comic shop to begin their four-color odyssey to find the truth beyond the dome. Meanwhile: super-prisons! Magic guns! Mysterious government agents! And other stuff, too!

Warning: Contains Spoilers

Issue #2 begins with a television news reporter informing the public that comic book writer Brian K. Vaughn was found murdered. The unknown narrator says that this is an “second arc storyline” and that he or she “shouldn’t have even brough it up” and reminds us that comic book fan Ellipses and the son of a religious zealot Ryan Lowe are destined to become lovers. But right now, Ellipses has no love for Ryan as she is seen spiting at his face after he set fire to the comic book ship

This story was split into two arcs for Ryan and Ellipses after the burning of the comic shop. Ryan is arrested by the cops and taken to an office of a government official, Special Director Nathaniel Abrams Pendleton who was appointed by the President to incarcerate comic book heroes and characters. It is also revealed that the director has been working with other comic book characters to install power-dampening lights in the cells of the imprisoned characters. Pendelton gives Ryan a briefcase which a pistol and letter that mentions Ellipses and also advises him to travel to the dome. Pendleton advises the young man to complete his job or he would place him somewhere where his zealot father would not be able to bail him out.

The arc with Ellipses involves her plan to take Ava back to her family and also find her parents who are believed to still be trapped in the dome. This arc had more revelations involving the loss of family for both Ellipses and Ava. Elipses and Ava are staying over at Otto’s house, still shaken by the events from last issue. Otto learns that Ellipses has been living in his comic book shop since she started working there. In addition, Ava reveals that she did not escape a dome but a interment camp where the government is imprisoning comic book characters and experimenting on them. Ellipses decides to bring Ava to the camp to reunite with her family much to Otto’s protest. Otto is wary of Ava and mentions that if reading comics taught him anything, it was that Ava could have powers or be a mutant. While Ellipses shoots down Otto’s suspicions, they are confirmed when the ending of the comic reveals a splash page of Ava using heat vision to roast a rodent.

This issue continues to deliver. One of the things I enjoyed about this issue was the artfully subtle references of well-known comic characters in the government that were drawn by Geoff Shaw and colored by Dee Cunifee. Donny Cates’ writing also keeps on having me want more Crossover and to see where the next issue takes us.

Who wrote that letter that mentioned Ellipses? Who is Ryan supposed to use the gun on? How will Ellipses react when Otto’s suspicions about Ava are proven true? And is the man with the “S” on his chest who we think it is?

Crossover#2 is out now and can be purchased at your local comic book store.

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Review: GRIT #1 – 3

Publisher: Scout Comics

Writer: Brian Wickman

Penciler: Kevin Castaniero

Letterer: Micah Myers

Colorist: Simon Gough

Scout Editor: James Pruett

Scout Production: David Byrne

When I was introduced to GRIT, I decided to give it a read. The comic centers around Old Man Barrow, an “ageing monster hunter” who is very brutal in his monster hunting methods with the use of his axe. As the comic progresses, Barrow unexpectedly joins forces with Ari, “a hot-headed young witch dead set on breaking him of his ultra-violent habits.” When I read the first two issues following issue #3, several things made me a fan of the comic.

The first thing that got me glued to the comic was the character dynamic between Barrow and Ari. The protagonist Barrow is a loner who hates people and witches. He spends most of his time hunting mythical creatures. He is a cleaner of the land hired by the local townspeople to hunt monsters. Barrows is also a hack and slash monsters first and asking questions later character. But we learn that this monster hunter has a unique past that involves his mother doing horrible things.

Next, we are introduced to Ari, who is a firebrand witch that disapproves of Barrow’s brutal methods. Ari is seen as foil to the more calm but savage Barrow. As a witch, Ari can cast spells. In addition, she loves nature and is able to communicate with animals. She also is more methodical and strategic as seen in Issue#3 when she and Barrow take on the blood demon at Black Dog Bottom. Throughout the series, the two characters are hilariously almost at each other’s throats with Ari calling Barrow names and criticizing his violent behavior while Barrow, annoyed with the witch, tells her the nature of his job as a monster hunter. It is towards the end of Issue #3 that Ari’s view about his methods towards other creatures seem to have some effect on Barrow as he is seen giving up his sword to a man crying for help because monsters in his attic.

Another thing I liked about the comic was that both Wickman’s writing and Kevin Castaniero’s art help to create a unique world that was a fusion between fantasy and “southern-fried” wit. This is a fantasy story told in an almost Western theme. When I read Barrow’s dialogue, I can hear a deep Southern accent, almost like Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Walking Dead) or maybe Sam Elliot voice (The Hulk, Ghost Rider). As for Ari, I can only hear Monica Rial’s (Dragon Ball Super) voice which made me realize that it had a bit of a hilarious North vs South vibe in a fantasy world. Or maybe a millennial vs baby boomer vibe. To me the art is a little reminiscent of anime or manga art when the facial reactions are used to express emotions, like Samurai Champloo. The way the characters and creatures are drawn by Castaniero and colored by Simon Gough give the comic a noir and rustic style. And I definitely cannot forget how awesome lettering done by Micah Myers was in this series, especially with the explosion scene in Issue #3 in which was caused by Ari.

I wonder if we will be seeing more of the misadventures of Barrow and his unique relationship with Ari. Issue #3 cannot mean the end of his monster hunting ways forever. And what about Ari? What is her story? And will she become someone who will become the closest thing Barrow has to a friend or family? I am looking forward to see how the gritty fantasy of worthy of the name GRIT unfolds.

November 29, 2020November 29, 2020 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Review: Black Cotton

Black Cotton

Publisher: Scout Comics

Writers: Patrick Foreman and Brian Hawkins

Art: Marco Perugini

Letters: Francisco Zamora

Patrick Foreman’s and Brian Hawkins’ (Don’t Ever Blink) latest comic Black Cotton is set an alternate universe where the black race is the majority and the white race is the minority. The story centers around the Cottons, a powerful and wealthy black family who owns Black Cotton Ventures, a successful business that has roots dating back 400 years in America’s history. The elite family’s world is rocked when the news of a black police officer shooting a young minority white woman hits the airwaves. That police officer is Zion Cotton, the son of Black Cotton mogul and Elijah Cotton. As a result, a furious Elijah puts his daughter, and Zion’s sister, Qia up to the task of cleaning up the family’s image while the entire country becomes embroiled with protest from white minorities.

When I read this comic, it took me to a parallel universe that is a mirror of our world. This comic portrays an alternate reality where minorities are still affected by the presence of the majority. Only difference is that the majority is a different skin color. In a sense, this alternate reality is a character in the comic. And like our world, it has been teetering on the edge of division caused by political and discriminatory strife.

One of things I enjoyed about the comic is that it shows that had the roles been reverse, society would mostly be the same. If a shooting from a cop, who is of the majority race, on a minority were to occur, protests and riots from minorities would still be triggered. Police officers, especially ones from elite families, would be marked by the media and protests.

When I read the scene where the news of Zion shooting of the young white woman begins reaching the door step of the Cotton family business, I began to think back to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two African-Americans murdered by the very people sworn to protect and serve: the police officers. Like the murder of Floyd and Taylor, the murder of the young white woman at the hands of Zion has sparked protests from white minorities. We see the organization the minorities protesting under “White Lives Matter” signs in front of Zion’s apartment. And we also see that the matriarch of Black Cotton, Zion and Qia’s mother, is willing to give money to the white woman’s family to brush everything under the rug.

With the familiar themes of racism and privilege, this comic’s writing does an amazing job of having the reader ask questions about this world that seems, again, similar to our own. Were whites subjugated to slavery like African Americans in real life history were? Did the Civil War end in a different way? Were the Native Americans treated any different? And I know that these questions will be answered with the help of Zion and Qia’s brother, Xavier who is tasked with doing a school project on the history that his family has been a part of for 400 years.

The comic art along with the pacing of the panels compliments the writing. The panels from the first scene had me asking why Zion was chasing the young white woman. A part of me almost feels that there was more to the story as to why Zion shot the white woman. I also liked how the comic ended on Qia and Zion’s mother asking the family on how much she would give the Nightingale’s, the white woman’s family which the panel was used as a cliffhanger.

I am looking forward to learning how the relationship between Elijah and Zion became strained. Did Zion believe he had a bigger calling that taking over the family business? Does Qia enjoy working for Black Cotton? And what secrets will Xavier find out? Scout Comics will launch Black Cotton on February 2021 and it is on my list of comics to read.

As many of the characters would say: Black Cotton.

November 9, 2020 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Review-Star Wars #8-The Will of Tarkin: Prey

Writer: Charles Soule

Artist: Ramon Rosanas

Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Warning Spoilers Ahead:

Star Wars #8 continues the Will of Tarkin arc that began on issue #7. Imperial Commander Zahra is on a mission to kill Princess Leia and crush the Rebel Alliance which is still reeling from the defeat at Hoth. We learn from the last issue that Zahra had a mentor-like relationship with the ruthless Grand Moff Tarkin. We also learn that Zahra is taking part in this mission to avenge Tarkin and to get back at the Rebels for taking away her opportunity to redeem herself to her mentor.

At the beginning of the comic, we are taken to several flashback panels where Darth Vader, via hologram, tasks Zahra with hunting down the Rebels. The former Anakin Skywalker refused to take part in the mission as ordered by Emperor Palptine since he is still fixated on his personal mission to find his son Luke Skywalker after the duel on Cloud City.

We are taken to the present where the Fourth and Seventh Rebel Fleets have the Imperials trapped in a pincer maneuver. However, Zahra plans on boarding the battleship ship Leia is on and kill the princess. Zahra is able to successfully board Leia’s ship and easily kill the Rebel Troopers try to contain her. Zahra hacks into the comm systems and threatens to destroy the ship from within unless she confronts Leia.

Leia and Zahra come face to face as the ship’s interior is darkened. The Imperial Commander relates to Leia as she mentions that they are both orphans. Zahra mentions how her parents were killed by rebel terrorist and she joined the Empire to save little girls from the same experience she went through. She also mentions that Tarkin mentored and made her who she is. While talking with Leia, Zahra swiftly injures the princess with a sword that resembles a kitana. Then the Imperial commander blames Leia for orchestrating the attack on the Death Star which led to Tarkin dying “thinking that she was a failure” and that the Rebels took away her opportunity to redeem herself. Zahra concludes that the only thing she can do is avenge her mentor but Luke, with the new yellow-bladed lightsaber he acquired from the previous issue comes in the nick of time to save the day. The Imperial escapes along with the retreating Imperial fleet.

During a Rebel briefing and while recovering from her wounds, Leia tells Luke that she saw something in Zahra’s eyes that told her that the Imperial wanted to hurt her and feel her pain. Leia concludes that Zahra was expressing darkness and hated.

The comic ends with Zahra, in pure ruthless Tarkin fashion, boasting how Leia bleeding from her sword was a good day for her. She tells her lieutenant that she won’t stop going after Leia and vows to use her blade to finally kill her. She also boasts that she planted seeds of fear in Leia’s head so that she would be unable to galvanize the Rebel Alliance.

Charles Soule’s writing continues to remind me that he knows how to write Star Wars. His notable work on Darth Vader in 2017, which explored Vader’s early days in the Empire and running the Inquistorious, was an enjoyable run.

The art done by Ramon Rosanas and Rachelle Rosenberg in this issue was also reeked of Star Wars. There were some favorite panels in the comic which included Vader recruiting Zahra to hunt down the Rebel Fleet, the Splash that showed Wedge Antilles leading a squadron of Rebel Star Fighters, and Leia’s showdown with Zahra. The meeting between Vader and Zahra reminded me a lot of the prequel films in which the holograms were used frequently. Even in holographic form, Vader looks intimidating. The starfighter scene was just a reminder that the Rebel Alliance is always ready to fight even against seemingly insurmountable odds. The scene between Leia and Zahra parallels Luke and Vader’s duel in the carbon freezing chamber with the light vs dark themes and shadows being used.

However, the one thing I scratched my head on was why Soule added Luke into the scene between Leia and Zahra. I felt that this was Leia and Zahra’s fight, even though Luke too was responsible for blowing up the Death Star and killing Tarkin. I guess Luke was added probably to make this scene a teaser to the real fight between Leia and Zahra. In my opinion, however, Princess Leia is capable of taking care of herself and probably would have put up fight against the passionate Imperial. Luke probably would have come after Leia and Zahra exchanging blows against each other with the latter surviving but not without having injuries. It would have further planted more seeds of doubt in Leia and to start changing her perspective on her tactics against the Empire.

Overall, I am enjoying the Will of Tarkin arc as well as Soule’s run. I am looking forward to see how Zarha takes residence in Leia’s head rent free. Will Luke help her regain her confidence like he had regained his? And what is in store for the unbroken Rebel Fleet?

Star Wars #8 is out and can be purchase it at your local comicbook shop.

November 6, 2020November 6, 2020 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Review: John Walker: U.S. Agent #1

Writer: Christopher Priest

Penciler: Georges Jeanty

Inker: Karl Story

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino

Cover Artist: Marco Checchetto

Warning Contains Spoilers:

Christopher Priest’s (Black Panther, Deathstroke) John Walker: U.S.Agent #1 is a reminder that John Walker, the titular protagonist, may have carried the Captain America mantle but, he is no Steve Rogers. And in this comic, the townspeople of Ephraim, West Virginia let that be known when they are interviewed about what had transpired when the super soldier arrived. The townspeople also talk about how a corporation called Virago was affecting the towns economy by usurping their coal mine and how the presence of U.S. Agent gave them false hope since he resembles Captain America.

This is seen in the splash on page 5 where the townspeople are hurling insults at U.S.Agent and his new partner, Morrie (not Bucky), a Chinese-American agent with martial art skills.

John Walker is tasked with protecting Virago which was a front for S.H.I.E.L.D and the same organization that is sucking the town dry.

After meeting Morrie and stopping a bomber posing as a pizza guy, Walker comes across a little girl on a bicycle who gives him a message “Hope not ever to see Heaven…” which is a quote derived from Dante’s Inferno. The super soldier also has a flashback of a little girl we learn is his sister when he tells the girl to “beat it sis,” only to finish the quote by saying “I have come to lead you to the other shore.” It turns out that the little girl has a message from his handler which takes him and Morrie to Ephraim. After exchanging a couple dirty jokes on the way to the small town. Walker and Morrie are attacked by a group of masked assailants. The leader of this group is revealed to be John’s sister. Katie all grown up and armed with a pistol at the super soldier’s face.

Priest’s writing in this comic has a lot of dark humor. I have read some of his run on Deathstroke and the interactions between John and Morrie are very similar to Slade Wilson and Billy Wintergreen. And it Priest’s writing that is a reminder that this is not a Captain America story, this is a U.S.Agent story. John Walker is no Steve Rogers. He is a shoot ‘em up and hotheaded version of Cap and the type of soldier that Professor Erskine warned Colonel Phillips about. In several comics, U.S.Agent sometimes would come to blows with Captain America.

To some readers, this is also a story about a small-town vs a giant corporation, which is also a government cover up. And to other readers, with the inclusion of Katie, it is a family or sibling rivalry story.

When I read this comic, several questions popped in my mind. Why Ephraim of all places? Why would S.H.I.E.L.D. or the US Government, use a corporation as a covert front in a small mining town and take away the one thing that was helping the town thrive? There’s obviously more to the story here.

There were some funny moments in the comic. One notable moment was when Walker’s shield was destroyed when stopping the bomber’s car. Another was when Morrie outclassed him in hand-to-hand combat which reasserts that John Walker is not Steve Rogers. Priest, in a sense, almost makes U.S. Agent a parody of Captain America. Even a kid who Walker gives his shield to alludes this by saying that the weapon is a rip off.

The art done by Georges Jeanty frequently employs moment-to-moment and action-to-action sequences. This was notable in the panels showing U.S. Agent aiming his gun at every pizza delivery guy walking to his door step and in the panels showing him fighting Morrie. The coloring done by Matt Milla helps to tell the story that this is U.S. Agent from the black and red uniform to his U.S. shield.

As I write this, I can see how the story of a corporation going into a small town and taking away the jobs of small townspeople makes for an intriguing story. One of the former coal workers even admitted that he blew up Virago’s power plants which prompted the government to call Walker which make it appear that he is there to protect the interests of Virago and the government. Obviously, we will see what is really going down in Ephraim in the next five issues.

John Walker U.S. Agent #1 is out now and can be bought at your local comic book store.

November 5, 2020 The Earth-16 Comics Wire

Review: Crossover#1

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Donny Cates

Artist: Geoff Shaw

Colors: Dee Cunniffe

Letters & Design: John J. Hill

Story Edits: Mark Waid

Cover: Geoff Shaw w/Dave Stewart

When I read Crossover #1, I was expecting Donny Cates (God Country) to bring us something in the magnitude similar to a Crisis on Infinite Earths or a Secret Wars. I was expecting Images characters like Invincible, Mark Grayson to end up on the Walking Dead Universe and encounter Rick Grimes. Or other characters like Lil’ Depressed Boy ending up in the world of Chew. But what Cates and his team have bequeathed to us was a not just a crossover of heroes battling it out. He gave us a crossover on an alternate version of our own world in comic book form.

What was described by the unknown narrator as a “superhero summer event,” occurred above the skies of Colorado on January 11, 2017. And when the narrator said that if the cataclysmic event “was a comic, it would be the greatest selling book of all time” but “it was real,” chills went down my spine. And that was when I knew that Crossover was going to be more than just a meeting of the heroes. It was also going to be a meeting of heroes that would lead to a lot of deaths and change the lives of everyone involved forever. The result of the infighting of the heroes caused Colorado to be enveloped in a force field. And that is when the story begins.

Since the incursion of the Crossover, the public is against comic books or anyone who worships them. Comic enthusiasts, cosplayers or comic shop employees are ostracized from the public, especially the ardently religious. At the center of this story are three characters: Ellipses, a survivor of the Crossover, a comic shop employee, and daughter of writers who are still trapped in Colorado; Otto, the owner of the comic shop Ellipses works at; Ryan Lowe, a son of a religious zealot and bully of a father and a closeted comic book enthusiast who may have some connection to Ellipses, and Ava, a comic book character that came from the force field with the help of a certain superhero.

The events in Crossover #1 implode when Ryan, albeit reluctantly, obeys his dad by throwing a Molotov cocktail onto the comic shop when Ava’s presence terrifies the store patrons. The comic’s story become more climatic when Ellipses looks at Ava’s drawing of the hero who had let her walk out of the force field. The drawing appears to be a hero with a “S” on his chest which could mean that it was Superman who let her escape.

One of my favorite parts of the story is the narration. It is very subtle since the narrator is unknown or unseen. The narrator brought up interesting comparisons between humans and the fictional characters. I also liked how he mentioned that the story of Crossover is about “believing in something when the whole world tells you that you’re wrong, about trying to find a home when the one you have feels broken or gone,” “it’s also a love story,” and “a story about hope.”

I must confess, I haven’t read anything by Donny Cates before this comic. I actually gave God Country a read which also starts off with a narrator. When I read the first issue of God Country, I became as instantly hooked to that story as I did this one. I will probably cover God Country in another review of video in the future.

Going back to the story, I feel that one of the powerful things about this story is how it relates to our everyday lives. Ellipses is an outcast due to her love for comic books which parallels how some people to this day put down comics or graphic novels as a medium nor being serious or making young children degenerates. Speaking of that sentiment, the shirt that Otto wears to be ironic was of Fredric Wertham, a German physiatrist who believed comic books warped the morals of young children.

I am also a huge fan for Geoff Shaw’s art which I also saw in God Country. His drawings of the force field made the Crossover event in Colorado look ominous yet beautiful since you cannot have a comic book crossover without heroes battling it out. His drawing of the comic book character Ava had me react the same way Ellipses and Otto did. Ava’s comic book-like appearance had my jaw drop; she’s a little girl who resembled a comic book drawing with dots all over her face. And we definitely cannot forget about the lettering done by John J. Hill which gave the scenes depth. Notable examples were when the red neck threw a bottle at Ellipses, Otto alerting Ellipses of Ava stealing a comic, and the explosions at the comic book shop after Ryan throws the Molotov cocktail at it.

Crossover has already got me hooked and I’m already excited for what is in store for issue #2. Who is Ava and why did someone let her out of the force field? What is the relationship between Ellipses and Ryan? Will we see some familiar heroes or catch glimpses of them? And, will the force field enveloping Colorado break?

Cates and his team have created an exciting story that I feel will change how people, whether avid comic readers or not, will view comic books and graphic novels forever. Don’t believe me, just give this a read.

Crossover#1 is out now and can be purchased at your local comic book store.

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