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Review: Fogtown

Personally, I don’t get noir. I mean, I get noir, but I don’t understand why anyone in the twenty-first century still enjoys film or book noir, in which misogyny and frivolous women reside. Maybe it’s a girl thing, but hey, misogyny is kind of dumb if you ask me, not all women are fickle, and anybody who calls me a dame will promptly get punched in the face.

Anyway, Fogtown is a good example of what doesn’t work about noir, which is a tricky genre as it is.

Check out my full review over at OneMetal.

Vertigo Crime invites readers into the seedy underbelly of a 50s San Francisco with Fogtown, a noir-styled graphic novel told from the perspective of a private eye named Frank Grissel. The often drunk detective has more than a skeleton or two hidden in his closet.

Tags: Andersen Gabrych, Brad Rader, DC, Fogtown, OneMetal, Vertigo
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Pull-O-Rama: August ’10

Ancient Roman vampires, apocalyptic horsemen-gangsters from Mexico (or possibly hell), and soul-hungry demons—monsters are coming out the wazoo this week at Impulse Creations.

Below are a few teasers, but you can read the full reviews here.

“David Hine dumps in all the right ingredients for a classic Darkness tale, lets it simmer, and before readers can catch their breath, they’re peering over a heaving pot of perfectly seasoned hellfire-side cuisine.” - The Darkness: Four Horsemen #1

“Fans of vampire fiction like True Blood might relish another half-naked glimpse into the undead world, but for those of us without a fang fetish, Ides of Blood does introduce a somewhat different means of examining the same old corpses.” - Ides of Blood #1

“Demons are creepy. Demons illustrated by Alina Urusov are even creepier. Unfortunately, the goosebumps-inducing demon in Witchblade: Due Process only adds a margin of the oomph the one-shot sorely needs.” - Witchblade: Due Process

Tags: DC, Due Process, Four Horsemen, Ides of Blood, Impulse Creations, Pull-O-Rama, The Darkness, Top Cow, Wildstorm, Witchblade
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Pull-O-Rama: July ’10

Like Charmed? This month’s Pull-O-Rama feature at Impulse Creations includes an early review of Charmed #1 from Zenescope Entertainment. You can enjoy a little B&R and new indie series goodness on the side, too.

“Dying for a old western style comic with the paranormal and supernatural flair of Hellboy and the detective storytelling of Sherlock Holmes? Hang up your coat and hat and call off the hounds because The Sixth Gun might be just the book readers have been craving.” - The Sixth Gun #1

“In the recently released Batman and Robin #13, the Dynamic Duo’s luck has run short. Not to mention the artwork will send a good chill or two up your spine.” - Batman and Robin #13

“Next week, Zenescope Entertainment channels the Power of Three into comic book form.” - Charmed #1

Tags: Batman and Robin, Charmed, DC, Impulse Creations, Oni Press, Pull-O-Rama, The Sixth Gun, Zenescope Entertainment
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Review: Revolver

Bang, the world’s tearing itself apart. Bang, it never happened. That’s exactly the setup for Matt Kindt’s new graphic novel, Revolver. Read my review over at OneMetal.

“I lie down there; I wake up here.”

From Super Spy author and illustrator Matt Kindt’s imagination emerges Revolver, a new original graphic novel published by Vertigo. The mind-bend asks a difficult question: Is a life full of meaning worth sacrificing for one of shallow comfort? The answer comes easier than readers might think.

Meet Sam. Until a few minutes ago, Sam has never been in a fight, let alone killed another human being. Of course, only a few minutes ago, his luxuriously dull world existed free of terrorist-driven explosions, his superficial girlfriend waited just around the corner, and his biggest complaint was having to edit someone else’s party photos. At 11:11 every night, Sam finds himself walking through a different reality. The boss he once hated now spearheads an underground revolution in which he takes part: a newspaper called “Revolver,” bent on reporting the country’s turmoil that has made looting, savaging, and murder casual occurrences. Each time Sam wakes up, his dead-end job and materialistic obsessions seem pettier than ever before, and only Sam remembers the night’s change—or so he thought. Confused and troubled by the events unfolding around him, Sam seeks the one link between his two worlds: a man named P.K. Verve.

Tags: DC, Matt Kindt, Revolver, Steve Wands, Vertigo
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Review: Blackest Night

I’m on a roll this week! See what’s buzzing with the Blackest Night GN (hint: more than just flies). Check out my review in OneMetal’s hot ‘n fresh comics section.

Blackest Night devastated the DC Universe, assembling superheroes and villains in a massive showdown against the resurrected. Geoff Johns forefronts the event in which life and death are “overrated” … at least until the good guys pull the punches.

The day that Superman died has changed from one of mourning to remembrance, but as Coast City gathers to honor the heroes and innocents who have fallen, evil forces converge. The first of the Black Lanterns, Black Hand, has risen and stolen the buried skull of Bruce Wayne, whose remains Alfred Pennyworth buried alongside those of his parents. Hungry for flesh, black rings swarm momentarily unnoticed, latching onto deceased victims and their memories. As Black Hand’s army grows in number, the Justice League and the other six Lantern factions take heed, especially when the rings start claiming living hosts.

Tags: Alex Sinclair, Blackest Night, DC, Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, John Prado, Julio Ferreira, O'Clair Albert, Rob Hunter
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Review: A God Somewhere

This book killed me inside. It sure was good, though … you just might want to cry for humanity when you’re finished.

Why is it so … you know? Visit OneMetal for the full review.

A God Somewhere tiptoes the boundary between Wildstorm, its actual publisher, and Vertigo, DC’s heavier and more mature back end of comic book titles. John Arcudi’s original graphic novel evolves from a simplistic, almost cliched tale of a man who wakes up with superpowers to an unrecognizable nightmare that ruins everything, and everyone, in its path.

The first chapter begins with a message of destruction, but the narrator’s warning only grazes the violence to ensue. Readers should brace themselves for a terrifying and gut-wrenching experience. Outlined with implications (unfulfilled love, a severed connection between brothers, racial indiscretions), the comic quickly takes a dramatic turn in exploiting them. When an unidentified explosion rips through Eric Forster’s apartment building, many are left dead or buried—except for a completely unscathed Eric. What’s more, he soon develops an omniscient mentality, knowing when and where others need his now superhuman assistance. The change rattles those close to him in different ways, but the initially pleasant book gradually falls into uncomfortable territory once Eric’s personality, intelligence, and world view show signs of tampering.

Tags: A God Somewhere, Bjarne Hansen, DC, John Arcudi, OneMetal, Peter Snejbjerg, Wildstorm
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Review: X-Files/30 Days of Night #1

X-Files? Vampires? Yes, please! This Wednesday, July 14, you can have both thanks to Wildstorm’s line-up. And how is the crossover? Click the link and head over to OneMetal to find out for yourself!

The television phenomenon whose supernatural, paranormal, and extraterrestrial graces earned it nine long seasons, two movies, and more praise than one basement office can tuck away has met revival in the comics community. After Topps Comics provided fans three years of issues, which matched the second through fifth seasons, the X-Files packed up and transferred to its new home at Wildstorm (DC). Now a successful writer and a guitarist are bringing two horrific sci-fi wonders together on the page. 30 Days of Night co-sire Steve Niles and Adam Jones of Tool fame have partnered for the six-issue crossover X-Files/30 Days of Night, which premieres this Wednesday.

Wildstorm isn’t holding back in celebration, either. They’ve arranged a total of three distinctive covers to accompany the debut: The standard cover features the work of Andrea Sorrentino (God of War), the X-Files variant that of Tom Mandrake, and the 30 Days of Night that of Sam Kieth (The Maxx, Lobo). With Mandrake previously contributing visuals to The Spectre and Batman comics, the DC familiar is providing the main artwork for this latest X-Files mystery.

Tags: 30 Days Of Night, Adam Jones, Andrea Sorrentino, DC, OneMetal, Sam Kieth, Steve Niles, Tom Mandrake, Wildstorm, X-Files
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