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REVIEW: ‘Lone Ranger: Vindicated’ #1

(Dynamite Entertainment, 2014)

Story: Justin Gray
Art: Rey Villegas
Colours: Morgan Hickman
Letters: Simon Bowland

I didn’t follow Dynamite’s Lone Ranger comics which launched in 2006 and recently ended despite reading a number of positive reviews over the years and it was with some trepidation that I requested this #1 to review. I’ve been in the wilderness for a while and reviewing a first issue feels like a good jumping-in point Continue reading

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REVIEW: ‘Mercenary Sea’ #1

(Image Comics, 2014)

Written by Kel Symons
Art & Colour by Mathew Reynolds
Lettered by Pat Brosseau

Having high expectations for a first issue of a new comic is only natural. It’s the first time that the writer’s creation meets its audience, and the roots and strands of all that’s to come begin to spread and grow and take hold. I’m generally quite picky but when it comes to buying comics my pickiness is amplified. Continue reading

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REVIEW: ‘Star Trek’ #29

(IDW Publishing, 2014)

Written by Mike Johnson
Art by Yasmin Liang
Colours by Zak Atkinson
Letters by Gilberto Lazcano

This Star Trek comic takes place after the events of Star Trek into Darkness, which makes it instantly comparable to comics like Smallville: Season 11 and X-Files Season 10 that take characters and events established on screen and continue telling that story in a different medium. Continue reading

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REVIEW: ‘Trillium’ #5

(DC Comics/Vertigo, 2014)

Written & Illustrated by Jeff Lemire
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual

I’ve been putting off writing about Trillium for months now. I was going to review #1 but it had already been claimed for review by the time I got in touch with Cory if I remember correctly. With each issue that I’ve read I’ve felt less and less inclined to write about the engaging, estranging, frustrating, atmospheric, experimental beast that is Trillium, one of the most interesting comics of 2013. Continue reading

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REVIEW: “Federal Bureau of Physics” #5

(Vertigo / DC Comics, 2013)

Review by John Monaghan

Story:  Simon Oliver
Art: Robbi Rodriguez
Colours: Rico Renzi
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher

In my reviews of FBP #1 and #2 I praised Oliver for the tension and pace of the comic, which plunged us head first into a world of physics anomalies where the fragment of the universe was unstable, and straight into a conflict between two partners at the FBP Continue reading

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REVIEW: “Trial of the Punisher” #1

(Marvel Comics, 2013)

Review by John Monaghan

Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Colours: Sunny Gho
Letters: Cory Pettit

The Trial of the Punisher #1 (of 2) is a ‘what if’ type story where the Punisher turns himself in to the police for the murder of a District Attorney and is put on trial. It’s obvious from the word go that Frank Castle isn’t turning himself in for the sake of turning himself in but Continue reading

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REVIEW: “Noctua” #2

(Alterna Comics, 2013)

Review by John Monaghan

Writer: Andrew M. Henderson
Artist: J. C. Grande
Colour: Eagle Gosselin
Letters: David Paul

In a society experiencing widespread viral vampirism, a brooding vigilante who has suffered a personal loss clashes with members of an organized crime family and a couple of police officers are left picking up the pieces. Continue reading

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REVIEW: “Federal Bureau of Physics” #2

(DC/Vertigo Comics, 2013)

Review by John Monaghan

Writer: Simon Oliver
Artist: Robbi Rodriguez
Colours: Rico Renzi
Letters: Steve Wands

Collider had to change its name after issue one because someone else had that name locked down. So here’s Federal Bureau of Physics / Collider #2.

Whereas issue #1 was concerned with building up and alleviating tension throughout and providing a bit of context for the series, issue #2 steadily builds up tension Continue reading

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REVIEW: “Daredevil” #30

(Marvel Comics, 2013)

Review by John Monaghan

WRITTEN BY:  Mark Waid
ARTWORK BY:  Chris Samnee
COLOR ARTWORK BY:  Javier Rodriguez
LETTERING BY:  VC’s Joe Caramanga

Firstly, a little context:  I’ve never liked Daredevil. It’s probably not something I can really justify. A mixture of bad timing and my personal tastes while growing up dictated that any time I dipped into Daredevil I was left cold. Continue reading

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REVIEW: “Collider” #1

(Vertigo Comics, 2013)

Review by John Monaghan

WRITTEN BY:  Simon Oliver
ARTWORK BY:  Robbi Rodriguez
COLOR ARTWORK BY:  Rico Renzi
LETTERING BY:  Steve Wands

The premise of Collider is that the fabric of the universe is unstable: the fundamental laws of physics “that were chiselled into stone at the beginning of time… are not as permanent as we thought.” Continue reading