by Chris Davidson 


*Warning Possible Spoilers* 

Seed of Destruction was Mike Mignola’s first foray into creator owned content. It was originally released in March 1994 and it has aged superbly, better than fine wine you might say. Mignola grants us a story involving destiny, mysteries and the ever present human thirst for knowledge. Hellboy himself is obviously not human but he grew human idiosyncrasies as he was raised by humans, one man in particular being Trevor Bruttenholm. 

by Chris Davidson 

*SPOILERS*

Magneto #1

Writer – Cullen Bunn  //  Artist – Gabriel Hernandez Walta

Following on from Uncanny X-Men #16, Magneto #1 follows Erik as he once again goes his separate way leaving behind Cyclops' reformed school for the gifted.

Mutants are being experimented on and murdered; Erik’s mind has snapped. He cannot and will not sit by idly while these crimes continue. He will do all in his power to stop these nightmares from occurring as shown in one of the very first pages of the book; the ghastly drawing shows what savagery Erik has turned to. The image is one of a Doctor Eli Hatcher on his knees in the street with half a dozen poles impaled in his head. This man presumably committed crimes against Mutants, we as the reader only know him through Erik’s mind. Is he really guilty and does Erik have a right to take his life?

by Chris Davidson

She-Hulk #1

Writer – Charles Soule  //  Artist – Javier Paulido

Not knowing a thing about She-Hulk I was surprised to learn that her transformation was due to Bruce Banner saving her via blood transfusion. The first few pages set up the tone for the book quite quickly as it’s a light hearted book and something the industry is severely lacking in. It’s actually quite surprising how fitting Soule feels for this book and I truly believe he should stick to lighter themed books.

Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) is an attorney who has been working extremely hard for the last year, and spending many nights working late. It’s time for her yearly review and she is expecting a worthy pay rise, lamentably she is informed that there will be no increase. Quite upset with the information she promptly quits and decides to drown her sorrows with alcohol. A woman by the name of Holly Harrow stumbles upon Jennifer who decides to help her in regards to Tony Stark stealing her late husband’s technology. It’s a case Jennifer is more than happy to take considering she is close friends with Tony; a simple 5 minute talk will have everything sorted out surely. Jennifer tries to play by the rules through Tony’s attorneys who won’t allow her to see Tony himself. Things get a bit violent when she decides to side step the attorneys and break the rules to get to Tony.

The artwork by Javier Pulido is very simple, this is not a bad thing at all though as it melts perfectly with the light hearted approach from Soule.

by Chris Davidson

Writer – J. Michael Straczynski  //  Artist – Sid Kotian

Straczynski may have been the man that created the amazing TV series Babylon 5 and he seems to have a very large list of accolades next to his name but this story was not very attention grabbing. Minis that are 5 or less issues generally do not have much room for the story and characters to breath. They tend to feel rushed or the pace is so slow you wonder how the book could possibly become exciting or engaging. This book encapsulates many of the problems attributed to minis.

We are introduced to Allison, a private investigator who specialises in stopping the world from ending; it’s a speciality that has been passed down for generations. Al is the first female in the lineage to take on this task, it would have been her brother but she never had one.

by Chris Davidson 


Ms. Marvel #1

Writer – G. Willow Wilson  //  Artist – Adrian Alphona

Marvel’s “All-New Marvel Now” initiative rolls on and with it comes an all new #1 by the name of Ms. Marvel. It’s not the Ms. Marvel you may know and love though as Carol Danvers is nowhere to be found. 

Wilson introduces us to a young Muslim-American by the name of Kamala Khan, the book gives us an insight into her daily struggles regarding her chosen religion as she seeks acceptance from both her parents and school colleagues. The original Ms. Marvel came upon her powers due to being caught in an explosion of a Kree device known as the Psyche-Magnetron, for those of you who don’t know the Kree are an alien race. Our new heroine fortunately is not trapped in an explosion; she is however (massive spoiler) discovered to be an Inhuman as a Terrigen Mist drifts through Jersey City. This will not be too surprising for anyone that has been following Marvel’s comics, if you have no understanding of what Inhumans are or what the Terrigen Mist is you should really catch up on Marvels latest event Infinity.

It’s not only the protagonist’s background that has me interested, Wilson is very talented with her dialogue, and the way everyone interacts with each other feels very fluid.

The art on display is by Adrian Alphona and surprisingly I find it very pleasing to the eye, I say surprised as I did not enjoy his art in Uncanny X-Force (Volume 2). This could very well be due to the colourist Ian Herring; his subdued offerings seem to make Alphona’s artistry abundantly more expressive.

by Chris Davidson

Guardians of the Galaxy #11.Now

Writer – Brian Michael Bendis  //  Artist – Sara Pichelli

Many people have been quite harsh towards the new Guardians of the Galaxy book; I guess I can be happy in my ignorance since I have never read any of the earlier volumes. I will admit that one of the main reasons I keep buying this book is due to Sara Pichelli and Steve McNiven’s art as they are both extremely proficient artists. They cram their books with insane amounts of detail, intricate shadowing, superbly crafted anatomy from panel to panel. In this issue Justin Ponsor’s colouring is proficient while complementing the work that Pichelli has achieved and allowing her shadowing to catch the eye. My only complaint visually would be the horrible use of a stock image for Earth towards the end of the book.

Bendis on the story side has unfortunately allowed this book to stagnate; it started off quite intriguing, especially in issue 0.1 where we learn about Peter Quill’s childhood. Bendis needs to provide more character building; this was perfect for it as it involved the characters sitting at tables talking. Sadly it was a wasted opportunity due to Tony Stark taking up precious panels and a Skrull taking up even more panels.

I am more than content proceeding with this book due to the art but Bendis needs to step up his game, and hopefully the next 4 chapters of The Trial of Jean Grey pick up the pace.

by Chris Davidson 


Jim McCann has been known for several of his works such as New Avengers: The Reunion and his Eisner award winning The Return of the Dapper, but what really sticks in my mind is Mind The Gap. And with the artwork primarily of Rodin Esquejo, Mind The Gap came together in 2012 through Image Comics.

Mind The Gap is essentially a murder mystery story without an actual murder; it’s currently up to issue 16 and has commenced its second story arc. It begins with a young girl named Elle Peterssen waiting for her train in the subway; she is viciously attacked, left unconscious on the ground, subsequently rushed to hospital and stuck in a coma.

We are quickly introduced to her best friend Jo Wilson, her boyfriend Dane Miller along with her family; Eddie her brother, Min her mother and Edward her father. Jo and Dane decide to take on detective duties to figure out why the attack has taken place while Elle’s family immediately come across as very shady with many secrets hidden.




 

by Chris Davidson 

Deadly Class #1

Writer – Rick Remender  //  Artist – Wes Craig

Rick Remender has continually proven himself as a compelling writer with Black Science, Uncanny Avengers and especially Uncanny X-Force under his belt. I had not actually heard of this book until the day it was released, but seeing his name on the cover I just knew I had to buy it.

I didn’t know what to expect opening that first page, what I discovered was a very personal story about Marcus Lopez. Set in 1987, Marcus is homeless, alone and in desperate need of finding a reason to continue living. We follow his search over the span of 11 months, we learn how tough it is on the streets, we learn about his horrific past and what he holds dear to himself. By the end of this first chapter he does find that reason to live, however, the choice he needs to make is not so straightforward. I feel the person that unquestionably gives this book its visual identity is the colourist Lee Loughridge, he has worked with Remender previously on Fear Agent. The two work well together and Loughridge helps convey the required emotions through the usage of colours; one such moment occurs in a very touching moment on a bridge where various purples present the sombre mood perfectly. I should also mention Wes Craig’s art, initially it was harsh on the eye but I quickly became accustomed to it. Action feels as though it has a lot of kinetic motion and the slanted panels heighten the pace.

by Chris Davidson

There are many comic books out there for many varied readers, bountiful stories, worlds and characters to discover in many differing genres. There are well known books and there are lesser known books. The well-known books allow the creators to flourish countless readers to enjoy them. The lesser known books unfortunately don’t receive the love they deserve, the creators don’t receive their earned credit and readers miss out on wonderful stories. 

I want to highlight comics like Bone, that I feel are lesser known and in doing so I am hoping to introduce this work of art to a new audience.