I, Vampire: Volume 1 Review

Way back in September 2011, I, Vampire was among the titles launched as part of DC Comics' New 52 initiative. It was a title that many people, including myself, missed out on in its original run. So now that it's out in Trade, should you give it a read? Definitely. I, Vampire is an under-appreciated gem that all comic fans should have in their collection.

I, Vampire revolves around the character of Andrew Bennett, a vampire who for many years has been trying to stop his former lover Mary (also a vampire) from rising up with her army of vampires and killing all the humans. However, in the events of the first issue of this collection he finally loses control of her, and so after years of peace between the vampires and humans a dark time begins. The first volume follows the story of Mary and her army mass-murdering humans across America and Andrew's desperate attempt to stop her, with the help of his friend John, the not so friendly Tig, and Batman himself. And it is a blast to read.

It's also great for new comic readers wanting to dip their toe into the DC pool, as I, Vampire has a very self contained story. You don't need any knowledge of the DC super-heroes to love this book, so if you want an easy jumping-on point, this should be it.

Joshua Hale Fialkov writes a variety of great characters: some are likeable, some are insane, some are just plain badass - but all of them are interesting and character's I'd like to see more of in the future. Whether we will or not is a different story seeming as I, Vampire is being cancelled after it's nineteenth issue! *sad face*

Fialkov manages to write Andrew as a good vampire - but not in an annoying Twilight way - he's a good vampire, but still a total badass. He may still love Mary, but he doesn't sit around staring at her, instead he actively tries to kill her which is a lot more entertaining to read.
Meanwhile, the supporting cast is also good. John, Andrew's oldest friend, comes across as an intelligent character and one that - despite being a lame human - can hold his own against the vampires.

And then there's my two favourite character's in this book: Tig, a vampire hunter who forms an uneasy alliance with Andrew, and Mary herself. I know it sounds strange to say the villain is one of my favourite characters in a comic, but Mary's attitude and behaviour is just so deliciously evil that it's hard not to like her.
Then there's Tig, who I'm particularly interested in after reading the end of Volume 1. No spoilers, but what I will say is after that twist of an ending there's going to be tough times ahead for Tig!

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Then, there's the art by Andrea Sorrentino. Before I, Vampire, it's fair to say he was a relatively unknown creator. Now though, I'm happy to say that this book has led to him being discovered (he was recently bumped up to the much higher profile book: Green Arrow). Sorrentino's art fits perfectly for a book like this.
The darkness of the art works well in making you feel immersed in this darker side of the DC Universe, and most of the time looks absolutely beautiful. However, there were a few panels in the book where I thought things got a bit too dark, and too much detail was sacrificed as a result. On the whole though, Sorrentino's art fits this book perfectly and I hope to see more from him in the future.

One other flaw that also holds I, Vampire back is that some pieces of dialogue feel a little out of place, and move the story on a little too fast. Not a huge problem, but it did take me out of the story a couple of times throughout the book.

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The Walking Dead: Volume 2 - Miles Behind Us Review

Volume 2 of The Walking Dead, introduces new characters, new places, and develops the character's further. It carries on directly from the shocking end of the first one and sees Rick and his band of survivors moving on from their camp to find another place to stay.

Robert Kirkman does a brilliant job of keeping the story fresh and the characters interesting. Not once in this book did I feel like this was a repeat of the first volume - mainly due to the challenges we see the characters face. We see the survivors facing moral issues, and (without giving anything away) the deaths of some people in the group change characters drastically.

The writing is a similiar style to the original although the use of swear words becomes more common - not in a distasteful way, in fact I think it makes the story far more believable. I have no doubt that we'd all drop some swear words once in a while if we were trying to survive a zombie apocalypse! Once again, silly lines return but this is something you see in this series from time to time.

I think that Volume 2 of The Walking Dead is on a par with Volume 1, the story is stronger than the original and the writing and art (which by the way is still black and white, like Volume 1), is still top notch. Although I still think that the slightly later volumes (4, maybe 3 onwards) is when this series really comes into its own. But saying that the early volumes are still an excellent read.

This book is definitely a must buy because it is an improvement on the original and an essential part of the story. I urge you to keep reading this series because it is one that keeps getting better and better.

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The Walking Dead: Volume 1 - Days Gone Bye Review

The Walking Dead has become an absolute phenomenon as of late, and so I thought that I'd dust off Volume 1 of the comics and give it a review for those who are interested. First of all, I should say whether you watched the first season of The Walking Dead TV show or not - if you want to get into the comics - you still need to start with Volume 1. Simply because there are quite a few changes that the TV Series made - some minor, some quite big - so don't go skipping to future volumes, as you'll miss a great opportunity to get to know these characters deeply.

One thing that the two versions share is how this all begins. Rick Grimes, a police officer working in the USA, gets shot while trying to arrest a generic law-breaker. The consequence of this is that he is sent into a coma for many weeks - and while he's in the coma, this whole zombie thing kicks off.

The events that follow that range from exciting escapes from a zombie horde, to camp-fire chats as Rick gets to know some of his fellow survivors. What I'm really saying is you won't get bored reading this book.

Robert Kirkman's writing I believe is pretty good, however it should be made clear that this comic is for mature readers only. While it begins fairly tame, it gets a lot darker and a lot more explicit as the book goes on. And speaking as someone who has read ten volumes, it only gets worse for there on out with many gruesome scenes in the following volumes.
But, we should really focus on this volume seeming as that's what we're reviewing, and I have to say that while it's an entertaining read, don't expect anything too mind-blowing just yet. After all, this volume is really just setting the scene, introducing the reader to this grim world and the characters in it. Kirkman writes up some interesting character back-stories to keep even the non-action scenes fun to read.

However, one of the main complaints I have with the book is the script. While good for the most part, there are many lines that feel forced and out of place which took me out of the read a little. Add to that the fact that some characters can end up sounding the same and you have a script that needs a little work. Thankfully, its nothing too major at this point, and so the book isn't too affected.

The art in the book is well drawn and interestingly left in black and white. This was most likely a creative move to portray a world so miserable, that it is devoid of colour. Despite the lack of colour it is still easy to differentiate between characters and times of the day due to the use of different shades, meaning this unorthodox art style pays off and doesn't get at all confusing.

To conclude, I think that Volume 1 of the Walking Dead is a good start to a great series, but believe me when I say better stories are yet to come. This doesn't stop it from remaining an entertaining read, but to new fans I advise you stay with it for at least another two volumes. If you're not sucked in by that point, then you've got some serious problems.

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Taskmaster: Unthinkable Review

Taskmaster. Another C-List Marvel Villain who has now had a graphic novel of his own. Taskmaster's first major appearance was in #196 of The Avengers back in 1980 as a villain who can learn and counter fighting styles and techniques in a matter of minutes, he's popped up from time to time ever since - most notably in this year's Marvel vs Capcom 3.

This book tells the story of Taskmaster, fresh from the Siege of Asgard, currently living in Tokyo, and being confronted with the fact that a rumour is spreading from the Org (a major society that unites all the evil super communities e.g. A.I.M, Hydra etc.) that Taskmaster is now working for Steve Rogers. Not good if your a villain. Thus a bounty is put on his head for $1 Billion.

The problem is Taskmaster can't remember much at all - not even his real name! He has absorbed so many fighting styles over the years that his actual memories are being replaced. Luckily he has a technique called a memory palace that's going to help him remember how he got his powers, who the Org is, and then find out who framed him, and we're with him for the duration.

Then and Now

The story really is excellent. Fred Van Lente does a great job of making this relatively short story mysterious, gripping and absolutely insane! Van Lente is very good at making you feel something for the characters in the book. I hardly knew Taskmaster before reading it, and now I actually feel something for him! Then there's the second main character Mercedes Merced who from the beginning Lente makes a likeable, relatable character. When the story gets particularly crazy, Mercedes is a good way of giving the reader something to relate to in all the madness.
And it does get crazy! Somehow though, Fred Van Lente manages makes a tale involving a town full of Nazis and a ruthless Mexican mob who also play in a rock band surprisingly emotional, while still throwing in some funny pieces of dialogue throughout so to not forget the craziness of the situation.
Plus, the ending is phenomenal. There's a shock reveal near the end of the story that left me picking my jaw up from the floor, meanwhile the ending itself is surprisingly sad and really makes you feel for Taskmaster.

Jefte Palo is just another reason why this series was awesome. His art looks absolutely stunning in many places throughout the book. He draws Taskmaster and co. with great style and it really makes the series a joy to read. His style may not be for everyone, but I know that I really enjoyed it.

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MODOK's 11 Review

MODOK is one of my favourite Marvel characters ever, purely because of the way he looks. He's a giant evil head that floats around in a chair/body? The entire idea of MODOK is hard to take seriously - but that's why he's so cool!

Recently MODOK has been popping up a lot with appearances in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, The Super Hero Squad Show and Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, so I thought it would be appropriate to go back and review MODOK's little-known limited series MODOK's 11.

For those of you who have no idea who he is, or if you think you don't know enough about the guy - don't worry. The book tells you pretty much everything you need to know about MODOK's relatively simple origin. How A.I.M turned employee, George Tarleton, into a big head with a brain millions of years more advanced than any human. Originally meant to help A.I.M, MODOK went rogue. There's your origin right there, and the book wastes no time telling it - getting it out the way fast to focus on the real story.

This book sees MODOK recruiting a bunch of other forgotten C-List super villains from the Marvel Universe to pull off a heist of incredible proportion, while all the super-heroes of the universe are preoccupied fighting World War Hulk.
The story was a lot of fun to read and I'd recommend it to any Marvel fan, particularly the ones who like more obscure characters. Using these forgotten characters and viewing the story from the villain's perspective makes this comic feel very fresh, new and somewhat unique. Not only this but the amount of betrayals, double-crossings and twists in this book not only reminds you that these characters are villains, but it also makes it an exciting read full to the brim with surprises.
Plus, the great thing about using unknown characters is that you have a fairly blank canvas, and Fred Van Lente uses that to great effect, setting up some interesting back stories and personalities for many of the characters. It's just a shame this series wasn't slightly longer, to see these stories develop further.

Another flaw about this series is that the story does take a couple of issues to really get going. The first chapter and a half are enjoyable enough however it doesn't really hit its stride until issue three, which is disappointing as the story is only five issues.
I should also say that while this book is a lot of fun, if you want a meaningful, or dark read then this is completely the wrong book for you. MODOK's 11 is really for people who want to have fun reading a comic. This series doesn't have any great life lessons or morals to teach, it just wants to ensure you have a good time reading it and it succeeds.
Lente made the right choice in not taking this book too seriously, it allows itself to poke fun at the characters with a script that genuinely made me laugh on some occasions.

The artwork in this book by Francis Portela is nice and colourful fitting well with the book's light-hearted tone.

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Batman: Arkham Asylum Review

Most people know Batman: Arkham Asylum as a game - and a very good one at that - but what some people don't realise is that the game was loosely based on this graphic novel of the same name. Unfortunately, this comic doesn't really hold up against the game in any way, shape or form and while it may have been great in its time, I'd say it's one to avoid.

Arkham Asylum is an odd book. The story goes that the inmates have taken over the Asylum and Batman has to go in there and put things straight, while saving the captive wardens. Meanwhile, the book also tells the story of the founder of Arkham Asylum and what happened to him.

This book calls itself a "hard-hitting psychological horror." But is it really? My answer has to be no. This book isn't scary - disturbing sometimes, yes - but not very scary. Adding to that it wasn't what I'd call hard-hitting either.

It's merely a book with a big ego. It thinks that it's more dramatic then it actually is. To be honest, I just found it boring. I'm sure a lot of hardcore Batman fans will hate me for saying that but it's the truth. I'm sure if you're willing to invest a lot of time into the book you might be able to see deeper into the story - but the book gives you no reason to do that because it just isn't fun to read.

The art in this book is what really attracted me to it. Dave McKean adopts a very unique style for this story, however I'm sad to say the result is disappointing. While there are some panels where the art looks beautiful, most of the time the art is too abstract for its own good, making the story hard to read and understand. This is disappointing as maybe if the art had been toned down just a little bit I could have been able to appreciate more of what this story was trying to say.

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I understand that this book has lasted 15 years and has a following amongst comic fans, but unfortunately, I won't be joining that following any time soon. I just found this book boring. Whatever story it was trying to tell ends up being lost in the hard to understand art.

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Marvel Shadowland Review

Shadowland seems to have had some pretty bad press recently. A lot of sites have been calling it one of the worst, if not, the worst Daredevil story ever. I think that's a little unfair and I've got to say, while it's not he best comic I've ever read by a long shot, it isn't that bad.

Shadowland tells the story of how Daredevil gets reborn. He's taken control of The Hand (who have always been one of his greatest enemies) and it has changed him. How it changes him is a bit of a cop out I'll admit, but it's still enough to warrant a solid story.
I thought this whole series was action-packed and somewhat enjoyable and by the end gives you a look into what the future of Daredevil will be. However, it was by no means flawless.

The story isn't as good as some other marvel events - which is saying something as Marvel have done a lot of crappy events. Plus, there are some parts in here that seem to go nowhere which is annoying as there are interesting characters who don't get their stories told fully. These stories may be followed up in Shadowland tie-ins, but I shouldn't have to pay extra to get the full story.

Plus, there were several parts of the script that were clumsy and just sounded incredibly silly. The classic villain who narrates all the moves she's doing as she does them just feels very juvenile, and it crops up a lot. However, outside of these annoying scenes, the writing holds up OK as not all the characters are written as poorly as that. 
The ending of this event was what got most fans annoyed and there's no denying it's a little anti-climatic. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say it's not very original and a little disappointing. However, it doesn't ruin the entire book, merely it taints the experience somewhat. Still, there is fun to be had here. 

The art in this book by Billy Tan is a highlight of the story. His illustrations are good, and although they're not the best you'll ever see, they get the job done and fit well with the story due to some good colouring by Christina Strain.

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Osborn: Evil Incarcerated Review

Osborn: Evil Incarcerated is in many ways a prologue to what I hope will be a great story in the next year: The H.A.M.M.E.R War - which will feature Norman Osborn's new plan for the world, a new set of Dark Avengers and the return of H.A.M.M.E.R! But Evil Incarcerated tells a different story...

Osborn has been arrested after the disastrous events of Siege and a small group of politicians are deciding what to do with him as he has not yet (and may never) be sentenced at a proper trial. After a transfer to a top secret prison that almost no one knows about, to put it simply, all hell breaks loose! A "Goblin Cult" who have infiltrated the prison want to help Norman escape, while outside the prison we're treated to a large helping of political backstabbing, fear and panic.

The story is well-written by Kelly Sue DeConnick who writes some great, likeable and interesting characters who I'd like to see return in the future. Plus the pacing is great and there's enough action to keep you interested throughout the story's five issues.
Where this book really succeeds is in building on Osborn's unstable personality. DeConnick does a good job in reminding us that no matter how many times he's defeated, as long as he's alive, he will never give up - a simple truth, but one that makes him all the more intimidating.

Emma Rios' art is an interesting variation on the stuff you usually see in comics - and while I know some people really enjoy her art - I have to be truthful and say it wasn't for me. People looked a little too cartoon-y and scruffy at some points and I just don't think her art style really fitted the theme of the book. But if you know for a fact that you like Rios' art, then this may not be a problem for you.

The biggest problem I had with this book is that it's merely setting up for a bigger story - it's the comic-book equivalent of a support act at a concert. This shouldn't be a problem as the main reason I bought the book was in anticipation for the H.A.M.M.E.R War story taking place in the Avengers/New Avengers titles next year, but I'm afraid it was. By the end of this story all you have is a bunch of open doors for the main event, making it feel a little pointless overall.

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