Dylan's Sequential Theology 01.30.2013

For those of you that are looking for another comic to fill out your weekly stack, I have returned with more reviews! I've read a lot of great books this week, but I'm just going to share three that really stood out for me.

As always, you can purchase these comics digitally by clicking on the title, or buy them at your local brick and mortar store. It's a good idea to find it now, so you don't feel supremely awkward when you head over there on Free Comic Book Day later this year.

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Angel & Faith #18
Story by Christos Gage, Art by Rebekah Isaacs

I have certainly changed my opinion of this book since I first started reading it. "Angel & Faith" has quickly become my favorite in the Buffyverse. As soon as I put down an issue, I immediately want to marathon old seasons. It's nice to have a book that feels like a natural extension of the series, while still bringing something new to the table. 

Rebekah's art has grown on me. Her fight scenes are engaging, and her monsters are very well designed & eerily rendered. They aren't incredibly detailed with every tiny inked bit of sinew. There's a vague fright in the amount of skin they seem to have. Like so much razorblade horror wrapped up in a fleshy bag.  

It's full of the snappy-pop-dialogue the show is known for, without feeling like parody. And for anyone that liked Buffy but hated Buffy herself, then this is a series you might really enjoy. The Buffyverse does have a bit of a dense continuity these days, and the comics have added a lot of characters that may not be immediately familiar, but Christos Gage has done his time at Marvel and knows how to sell a character with a small economy of dialogue and a whole lot of action. 

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The Shadow #9
Story by Victor Gischler, Art by Aaron Campbell

Victor Gischler continues to play with the limit of The Shadow's power, and shows him as much more fallible than he is often presented. I'm not entirely sold on the idea when it leads to melodramatic statements like, "their emotions... they're unknown to me... I must rely on their body language to tell me what they are feeling." But this is a character of theatrics and high-melodrama so it's not inexcusable.

He has certainly amped up the adventure angle that Garth Ennis brought to the forefront in his opening arc. The Shadow is usually much more street-level, but it seems to work quite well. I think it has something to do with the visual of the scarf billowing in the wind.

Aaron Campbell draws an excellent sequence highlighting his sadistic determination as he jumps between airplanes that is quite thrilling, even if at times it's a little muddy. But Aerial combat is a very difficult thing to pull off in a comic book, so I cut him a good deal of slack. While each issue has some small thing that makes me cringe, it's still a fun book that definitely delivers on action & adventure.

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Star Wars: Agent of the Empire - Hard Targets #4 
Story by John Ostrander, Art by Davidé Fabbri & Wes Dzioba

This series surprised the heck out of me. It's set at a point in time where the Empire and the Old Republic are still trying to figure out if they can co-exist. The clone wars are over, but the rebellion is just beginning. 

It follows the story of one Imperial secret agent as he treads the line between doing what is right, and what is in the Empire's best interest (I'll give you a hint, he's a heroic protagonist).
I enjoy seeing that not everyone in the Empire is a generic British person who wants to kill all the Americans that want to separate from the Empire... er...
Anyway, Davidé's art is quite strong, and the velvety guache-like colors of Wes Dzioba makes this book a joy every month. I hope this book finds a way to live on after the Star Wars license reverts to Marvel, but its ultimate fate is anyone's guess.

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That's it for me this week. Come back next time when I will be sharing my sudden disappointment at a particular series that has quickly become my favorite book on the stands.

And as always, if you disagree with me, then prove me wrong.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for October 10th, 2012

Greetings Star Wars fans. Sorry for the delay. But I'm back now and I'm here to talk about the final installment of Star Wars: Knight Errant: Escape, written by John Jackson Miller and drawn by Marco Castiello. Last time we saw Kerra's worst fears realized. Her parents are dead and Lord Odion has taken possession of the Helm of Ieldis, the Sith artifact with the power to destroy all life in the universe (even you!). But there is a glimmer of hope as Yulan's faith in his master appears to be faltering, and all other Sith forces move to attack Odion ensuring that he never gets to use the Helm.

The issue begins with Daiman and the rest of the Sith in hot pursuit of Odion, who in turn is at his orphanage facility on Vanahame. We saw at the end of part 4 that Odion intends to use the despair of his orphan prisoners to fuel the Helm, which draws on the suffering of others to give power to its wearer. His plan to cause the orphans the most suffering is genius in its simplicity. Their lives have been nothing but routine day in and day out. There has always been light in their respective domes, dimming at the beginning of their sleep cycles and coming back to full brightness when it's time to wake up. They always eat the same thing at the same time. They always listen to the same holographic tutor for their daily lessons. Every day of their lives so far has been the same. So what would happen if that routine were violently interrupted?

Something as simple as turning off the lights is all it takes to unleash the imagined horrors in the mind of a child. Multiply that by thousands of children. An ocean of despair and it's all at Odion's fingertips. The effects of the Helm are seen immediately. Odion's disciples turn on one another. The Sith forces, once united against Odion, now tear each other limb from limb. Kerra attempts to free herself and strike Odion down, but to no avail. All hope seems lost until Yulan guns down one of the men responsible for the orphans' chambers.

All of a sudden Odion lurches forward. Something is not right with the Helm of Ieldis. There is no longer any despair coming from the orphans, but instead a horrible wave of relief and happiness. Odion discovers that the lights in the orphans' chambers have been turned back on, and at Kerra's signal, Yulan frees them from their chambers for the first time in their lives. Odion's plan has backfired on him. What was supposed to be his well of concentrated suffering has instead become and inferno of joy that burns him from the inside out. He pleads with Kerra to take him from Vanahame, but she refuses, content to let Odion suffer before the end. 

After all is said and done, the Odionate is disbanded and divided among the other Sith Lords, with Damian coming out of it with the biggest share. Yulan is left with the task of finding the orphans' proper homes. It would seem that being the first adult they'd seen in their whole life caused them to imprint on him as their father, and so he feels responsible for them. This suits him just fine as it gives his life purpose, which it has lacked for quite a long time. And Kerra is left to return to her job of protecting the galaxy as a Jedi Knight.

I enjoyed the way this story arc ended. I'll admit I was a tad disappointed that there wasn't a climactic battle between Kerra and Odion, but I can't imagine the issue playing out any better. After reading issue 4, I was imagining all these horrible ways that Odion was going to extract the pain and suffering from the poor defenseless orphans. Many elaborate torture devices were contemplated which made me feel truly terrible about myself as a person for being able to think of them. I never thought that all he'd have to do to truly create fear and despair in the orphans was to turn off the lights. It touched on how I used to be afraid of the dark as a kid and made the moment feel real. It was really uplifting then to see them saved by Yulan.

I'm very interested to see what the next arc will bring as I hope you all are too. Will Kerra be further tempted by the dark side in her next adventure? Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Come back next week, Star Wars fans, for a 2-part review of Darth Maul Death Sentence #3 & 4.

Until then, may the Force be with you.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for September 19th, 201

Greetings Star Wars fans. Welcome back for the exciting conclusion of this amazing series: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison. Last time, Vader had just recruited the strongest prisoners from the secret Jedi prison: Prism. He hoped these people would help him attack Headmaster Gentis, a man responsible for an attempt on the Emperor's life. Time is of the essence, as Vader and his forces must rush to intercept Grand Moff Tarkin before he can go to Coruscant and fall into Gentis' trap to take control of the entire Imperial military.

The issue opens with Tarkin's arrival on Coruscant. Gentis awaits with the entire Imperial Academy behind him, seemingly in a show of respect. But of course this is just a ruse. As Tarkin and his entourage exit their shuttle, Gentis orders them taken into custody. Everything seems to be going according to plan. Until all hell breaks loose. 

Turns out Tarkin wasn't alone. Vader rushes forth, his subordinates and the prisoners of Prism in tow, and proceed to lay waste to Gentis' forces. They are nothing more than a collection of students who clearly have a lot more to learn when faced with the Jedi's fiercest enemies from the Clone Wars. Among the fallen students is Gentis' last son. As Gentis embraces his son's lifeless corpse, he is engulfed in a flurry of Sith lightning, which courses throughout his body and melts his flesh. It would seem Tarkin didn't only have backup from Vader. The Emperor has returned and he is pissed.

From there we see the Emperor's forces make short work of retaking the Empire. Lieutenant Tohm is given the task of executing the traitors. Moff Trachta is awarded the rank of Grand Moff and appointed Headmaster of the Imperial Academies. And the prisoners are granted conditional freedom as long as they promise to never return to the Empire. However, this freedom proves to be short-lived. As their shuttle takes off from the launchpad, the prisoners explode over Coruscant. It would seem Lieutenant Tohm is truly a ruthless servant of Lord Vader.

Even the Emperor is impressed by this fact. He suggests that Tohm might prove to one day be a suitable replacement to Vader, should anything ever happen to the Dark Lord. Vader sees through the Emperor's words to their true meaning and has a private conversation with Lieutenant Tohm. The Dark Lord intends to give one final lesson to his would be successor, and what follows is one of the most chilling moments in any. Comic. Ever. Period.

This story arc is quickly becoming my all time favorite. It reminds us all why we first loved Darth Vader as a character (and it wasn't his dislike of sand). It is the absolute ruthlessness that he keeps contained beneath his cold mechanical demeanor. To quote a wise Jedi master, "He's more machine now than man. Twisted and evil." He no longer sees the people who serve with him as allies, but as tools to be used and then discarded when they have outlived their usefulness or as threats who must be eliminated. If this arc cemented anything into the Star Wars universe, it's this: you don't fuck with Darth Vader. And I dunno about any of you, but I hope Haden Blackman returns for future arcs of the Dark Lord of the Sith, with Agustin Alessio's art returning as well. These guys produce absolute gold.

Until next time Star Wars fans, may the Force be with you.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for September 12th, 2012

Welcome back Star Wars fans! It's time again to get your Star Wars fix. Today I'll be discussing part 4 of the current arc of Knight Errant, Escape written by John Jackson Miller, & drawn by Marco Castiello. The last time we visited Kerra, she had gone with General Yulan to Skarpos, where the forces of Lords Odion, Damian, and Malakite were in a three-way battle for the Helm of Ieldis, a Sith artifact capable of giving it's wearer incredible power. Kerra blows her cover and turns on her Sith companions when they approach the cave where the Helm is said to be, unknowingly leading Odion right to it.

We open on this issue with Odion overlooking the battle. He has found the helm and Kerra is his prisoner, but the helm isn't working the way Odion expected it too. He finds that wearing it grants him no extra power. That is, until Yulan pulls from the caves a locket matching one that Kerra possesses. This is a huge blow to her, as she knows it could only have come from her parents, which Yulan says he found dead. As Kerra falls deeper into despair, Odion starts to feel a sudden surge of power.

Odion realizes that it is the pain and despair of others that powers the Helm. Kerra's pain alone makes him feel like a god. He begins to use his power out over the battlefield, turning ally against ally, controlling the fighting entirely. As more and more soldiers die, Odion's power grows exponentially. Even Damian begins to fall under his spell, but flees before Odion can use him as a puppet for long. With the battle won, Odion leaves Skarpos with Kerra in chains.

Aboard Odion's ship, Yulan visits Kerra to present her with a recording of her parents explaining the power of the Helm. It seems that the Helm, channeling the anguish of thousands of people at once, can destroy all life in the entire universe. Knowing this, Kerra's parents chose to sacrifice themselves in an effort to conceal the Helm from anyone ever finding it. This thought perplexes Yulan, who believes all life has no meaning, and therefore can't fathom why someone would use their death to preserve life. 

This thought is interrupted by the ship’s landing. Yulan tells Kerra that he doesn't know where they've been taken, as it was Odion who set the course of the ship. Before they can wonder about this for long though, they discover that they have arrived on the planet of Vanahame, where Odion keeps the Cloister. This facility houses thousands of orphans, all isolated from the rest of the world. Kerra comes to the realization that harnessing the power of the children's suffering will make Odion unstoppable.

This issue did a pretty good job of setting things up for the finale. As it is sometimes said, the night looks darkest before the dawn. And things are certainly dark right now for Kerra and the rest of the galaxy. There is some hope though, as it seems that the sacrifice of Kerra's parents has awakened something in Yulan. What he'll do from here remains to be seen though, as Odion does have a pretty strong grip on his mind. Another thing remains to be seen, and that is how Kerra will react to the deaths of her parents. I pointed out in the earlier issues that Kerra's obsession with finding her parents was putting her at risk of falling to the dark side. Why then should their death's not push her over the brink and plunge her into darkness? Guess we'll have to return next month to find out.

Until next time Star Wars fans, may the Force be with you.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for August 29nd, 2012

Welcome back Star Wars fans. This week's Star Wars book is Darth Maul: Death Sentence #2 by Tom Taylor & Bruno Redondo. Last time we saw our horned hero, he and his brother, Savage Opress, had tracked down the one responsible for the bounty on their heads. Before they could dispatch retribution though, they were confronted by a trio of Jedi sent from Coruscant to investigate Maul's return.

As you may remember, I was a big fan of the previous installment. I thought the story and artwork wonderfully captured the incredible savagery that is Darth Maul. It confirmed that Maul should have been the prequel trilogy's equivalent to Vader, and how it was a criminal mistake to cut him out after only 10 mins of screen time. I mean come on Lucas, if you're going to base the bulk of your marketing around a single character, the obvious choice is to let said character come back in future films. Luckily though, there are other media formats for Maul to continue his legend.

This issue picks up right where the last one left off and jumps right into battle. We're shown quite a bit: the power of the two brothers when combined, Savage's lack of control or foresight, the capability of Maul's new legs, and the fact that there is most likely no line that Maul won't cross. Maul is taken by surprise and wounded in the confrontation, causing him to flee and leave behind his incapacitated brother to the mercy of the Jedi. The heat of the desert beyond the mines proves too much for him though and he loses consciousness.

Maul begins to hallucinate and struggles against his doppelganger with the body of an enormous spider. Spider-Maul then transforms into a creepy as hell Obi-Wan and declares that Maul will never be able to stand against him. I really enjoyed how this scene harkened back (or is it forward?) to the cave scene from Empire Strikes Back. Maul eventually awakens from his nightmare among the people of the desert. They inform him that he is the "Demon in the Light" the elder foresaw coming to “lead their people against Ja'boag so that they can return to their homes in the caves before the day of the three suns burns them all alive.” Maul accepts this role, hoping that these people can help him save his brother from the Jedi.

This issue did a great job of keeping up the intensity. I always wanted to see what the next page had to offer. Whether this is because Darth Maul is just so inherently badass or because it's just such a well written and drawn book, I'll leave to you to decide. A few interesting new questions were introduced: What will the Jedi do with Savage Opress? What do the desert people mean by "Demon in the Light"? Will Maul help the people overthrow Ja'boag or does he have some ulterior motive? Guess we'll have to wait the four torturous weeks until next month to find out. 

Until that time everyone, May the Force be with you.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 08.29.2012

Welcome back to Sequential Theology! This time around we have the continuing adventures of "Angel & Faith: Trans-dimensional paranormal investigators," more wacky highjinx from the Nicolle brothers on Axe Cop, and Darth Maul: Death Sentence is a giant robot kick to the teeth.
As always, if you disagree with me, prove me wrong.

Angel & Faith #13
Story by Christos Gage, art by Rebekah Isaacs

When we last left our heroes they were in the hell dimension of Quor'toth attempting to
a) Restore magic to their dimension
b) Save a tribe of demons that worship Connor (Angels' son) as a messiah
c) Not die.
All while Quor'toth slowly corrupts each of them and makes them give in to their dark side. Being a fan of crazy Faith, it was great seeing her struggle with that aspect of herself, and this series has the potential to bring some much needed motivation for her which was lacking when she was in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4. She was crazy, and wanted to live life to the fullest, but that's not a character motivation and Christos Gage uses internal monologue to its fullest advantage with her.
Since this is the penultimate issue, this little detour to Connor's "homeworld" was pretty brief, but definitely fun. Not sure why I accept the over the top fantasy aspects in Angel & Faith, but can't stand it in Buffy... Most likely the general concept of "cheerleader living a normal life while fighting demons at night" tends to box in the rules of what is "too big." Anyway, I digress. If you want more Faith and Willow, this book is excellent. I don't know if I'd recommend it to Buffy & Angel fans outright, but it's definitely worth a look.

Axe Cop: President of the World #2
Story by Malachai Nicolle, art by Ethan Nicolle
My god, this kid can write. This series may have absolutely nil characterization, but the stories are fantastic. It feels like a Lee/Kirby era comic from the 60s or a comic from the 30s. Just endless imagination on every page. What most writers would stretch out to three years worth of story, Malachai & Ethan give you in 20 pages. It may be "too ADD for your internet," but if you miss reading comics about Gorillas on their tippy-toes with missile launching fists fighting robots, than this is the book for you.
It twists and turns in directions that are obvious, but because of our jaded modern minds and expectations of logic, their payoffs are incredibly satisfying. With everything flying at you all at once, the simplicity of story (cop with axe becomes president of the world; fights evil) hides the ever complex onion-esque layers of this series. There is the over arching plot, the plot of each rather self-contained issue, and then the backstories of each character introduced. This formula happens every time, and can possibly feel tedious, but Malachai creates backstories full of fodder for Ethan to flesh out with his art.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I also don't know if it's possible. Just know that in this issue, a giant Chee-Rex (half cheetah half t-rex) rides a flying motorcycle, and tries to destroy the world, and that's just the splashpage on pages 4 & 5.

Darth Maul: Death Sentence #2
Story by Tom Taylor, art by Bruno Redondo

When it was announced that Darth Maul would return to the Star Wars universe in a larger role, I was excited about the prospect. But at the same time, wasn't too sure if his re-introduction to the Star Wars universe was necessary (as if his death was). And when I saw his robot legs, I just mentally re-imagined him as having regular legs due to a long stint in a Bacta tank and I was merely misremembering the robot goat legs. But that's the design they are going with, so I guess I'd better get used to it.
But, I was optimistic to see how Tom Taylor would flesh out everyone's favorite Dathomirian beyond being the one-dimensional icon seen in Episode I. And he really nailed it by showing his relationship with his brother. The first issue was a lot of explosions and very little characterization from Darth Maul, or his brother (the reasonable replacement if horribly named) Savage Opress. And while I don't expect too much characterization, the first issue told me little more than "these two are badasses and they do badass stuff." This time around, there was much more characterization and I was able to really get into the story.
More violence, more crazy action, but it becomes more than that as Darth Maul fails and has to pick himself up. By the end of this issue, Darth Maul is in charge of the lives of many innocent people, and what this dark lord of terror and hate does with that power will be very interesting indeed.

Not convinced you should buy Darth Maul: Death Sentence #2? Here's Chris' much more in depth review.

Before I end this, I want to also point out that Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #4 came out last week, but I didn't get to it until this week. This book really deserves the praise it's getting from other comics review sites. If you love the Star Wars universe, definitely pick up the trade when it is released. It's easily one of the best things to happen to the franchise since the Dark Empire trilogy.

Thank you all for enjoying what we do here. If you haven't yet, please listen to our latest episode where we interview Joko Budiono, his latest book Teddy-1 really deserves your attention.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for August 22nd, 2012

Welcome back Star Wars fans! I'm sure you were all as eager as I was to read the latest issue of "Darth Vader and The Ghost Prison." The last time we saw the Dark Lord of the Sith, he had just taken control of the Jedi Council's secret prison with the assistance of Lieutenant Tohm and Moff Trachta. Elsewhere, General Gentis, headmaster of the Empire's military academies, continues his plan to kill the Emperor and take control of the Empire so that he can bring peace.

Boy howdy, did this issue ever hit the ground running. The last issue ended with Tohm suggesting to Vader that they free the prisoners held captive by the Jedi. And then rather than see the course of events play out directly after that point, we're instead dropped right in the middle of the aftermath of that decision. This choice on writer Haden Blackman's part really helps us to feel the hecticness of being in the middle of a battle. As the battle plays out, we're introduced to two new characters, Baron Nax Cirvan and Captain Shonn Volta.

Cirvan and Vader have a history that is repeated briefly during the battle. At the first sign of Vader being off his guard, Cirvan won't hesitate to stab him in the back to seize power. Volta is given much more development in this issue, as we learn why it is that she hates both the Jedi and the Republic. Hearing her reasoning, one might even agree that she's in the right. Not only do we get her backstory, but we learn more about Lieutenant Tohm, and it continues to make the reader empathize with him. One might even start to like Trachta as he gives a pretty good speech to the remaining prisoners to get them to join Vader in the fight against Gentis' forces in exchange for their freedom.

Gentis is given even less time in this issue than the last (a mere two pages).  I realize that it's called "DARTH VADER and the Ghost Prison," but I'd still prefer to see a bit more of Gentis' side of the story. Or at least have his dialogue feel a tad less expository. I'd rather see him put his plan in place rather than hear him talk about it with his accomplices. But I'm sure we'll see more in the next issue, seeing as it's the final part of the arc. It's just so sad we have to wait a whole month for it. 

Until next time Star Wars fans, may the Force be with you.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for August 8th, 2012

Greetings fellow Star Wars fans, I'm writing today about the 3rd issue of Star Wars: Knight Errant: Escape. Previously, we saw Jedi Knight Kerra Holt masquerading as a Sith. Working for Lord Daiman, she was sent undercover to infiltrate his brother, Lord Odion's forces. While executing her mission, she discovers that her long lost parents are actually still alive and have been forced to look for the Helm of Ieldis for Lord Odion. Risking her cover being blown, Kerra investigates the whereabouts of her lost parents, only to discover they had learned the location of the Helm- the planet Skarpos, which has just been conquered by Odion! Taking an even further risk, she decides to accompany General Yulan to Skarpos in an effort to beat Odion to the Helm.

Rather than jump right into where Kerra goes next, the issue instead begins with some backstory on why Lord Odion has such a rivalry with his brother, Daiman. Apparently there's a large fortune to be inherited by whichever brother proves himself to be a true Sith by conquering the most worlds. It's a nice peek into how Sith family and political dynamics work in the Old Republic. We're also shown the beginnings of Odion's connection to the Force and how he first started to feel pain from the existence of others. The implication that he resolved himself to the slaughter of all life in the universe at such a young age is certainly chilling and shows Odion in a much more menacing light.

The next scene only exacerbates this when Kerra discovers a massive chamber filled with orphans, who have been cut off from each other by their own individual domes. Their only companionship being their holographic tutors. General Yulan explains to Kerra that this is to produce a massive army of soldiers for Odion, completely devoid of all hope and ready to give their lives for him. Yulan explains that he once lost his children to disease, and it drove him to suicide. But before he could, he was recruited by a Claimer and told that life and death have no meaning. Latching onto this concept, he drives himself to become an ultra-efficient killing machine.

Kerra arrives on Skarpos amidst a 3-way battle between the forces of Lords Malakite, Daiman, and Odion, all of which are searching for the Helm. Upon learning of Daiman's presence, Yulan orders Kerra to search for the helm while he keeps the enemy forces occupied. When they find a tunnel leading to the Helm, Kerra quickly turns on her Sith companions, inspiring a cringe-worthy line reminiscent of the "we'll meet again" uttered by so many comic book villains past. Kerra proceeds through the tunnel and finds her mother's satchel. This fills her with such single-minded hope, that she rushes forward into the next chamber completely unaware of the ambush that awaits her. Someone has beaten her to the Helm!

I liked what this issue had to offer the series. It fleshed out 2 of the main villains very nicely and also gave us a taste of the consequences that Kerra will suffer by putting her personal interests above her mission. Her time among the Sith has changed her enough that she has lost her focus and can't see the danger around her because of her obsessive desire to discover the whereabouts of her parents. And it is because of this that someone else reaches the Helm first and takes control of its power.

What does this mean for Kerra and the rest of the galaxy? Guess we'll have to return next month to find out. Until next time everyone, may the Force be with you.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for August 1st, 2012

Greetings again Star Wars fans. Welcome back to the Midichlorian Corner. Since this week was a little light on Star Wars books, I decided to go back and review the OTHER Star Wars book Dark Horse published last week. This time I'll be covering the last installment of Star Wars: BloodTies - Boba Fett is Dead. 

I came into this one quite late in the game, but the prologue got me fairly caught up. Apparently the galaxy believes Boba Fett has been killed by a group of mercenaries. But our bucket-headed bounty hunter hero has other plans. The hunt is on for the man who hired his attackers. In his search, Fett finds out that the "man" behind the attack is actually a woman who works for the planetary governor of Concord Dawn, where Fett's half brother Connor Freeman, former wife Sintas Vel, and daughter Ailyn have taken refuge from Fett's supposed killers.

A lot goes on in this issue and yet not much happens. All we see is a raid, a shootout, and a verbal confrontation. It's the climax, so naturally we can expect lots of action, but it would have been nice to see a little bit more than that. Now granted, I didn't get a chance to see what came before, but nothing I saw here had much of an impact on me. It didn't really feel like anything was at stake or like Fett was really being challenged. He makes such short work of the mercenaries, one might think he could have done it with one hand while covering his eyes with his other hand. There was just no sense of danger, mainly because this takes place at some point before/during the original trilogy, and therefore we KNOW Boba Fett survives. Even with a certified badass like Boba Fett, while we're reading, we still want there to be a SMALL thrill of danger. Otherwise, despite all the gunfire and explosions, it's all just a little boring. After thoroughly enjoying Darth Maul: Death Sentence last week, I was really expecting more out of Tom Taylor.

I was also extremely underwhelmed by the Chris Scalf's art. The faces are oddly proportioned and the characters don't seem to be moving so much as they're posing. The "painted" look that he uses is also fairly distracting and when you're not looking directly at any of the characters, you notice that it allows him to be a little lazy with the backgrounds, often times only realizing buildings with a few shapes with no real detail. Pretty much the only one drawn well is Fett. Perhaps this was done put the focus on him or differentiate him from the rest. I'm not sure. But I'd have much rather seen the same care and detail put into the rest of the characters too. 

I don't mean to sound too harsh. It's entirely possible that I'd have enjoyed this a lot more if I'd been invested in it from the start, but coming in at the end like this definitely didn't do it any favors. It feels odd to say this about an arc titled "Boba Fett is Dead," but I really hope the next arc brings more to the table. Boba Fett is one of my favorite characters from anything EVER, and it would be really nice to continue on with his adventures. 

Until next time everyone, may the Force be with you.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for July 25th, 2012

Greetings fellow Star Wars fans. Welcome back. In this review, I'll be discussing Dark Horse's newest Star Wars tale, Darth Maul:Death Sentence. I'm sure the rest of you would agree with me that pretty much the only reason worth acknowledging the existence of The Phantom Menace is Darth Maul. Probably the greatest misstep of the prequel trilogy was killing him off after barely more than 10 mins of screen time. He had the potential to be this generation's Darth Vader. No doubt after grudgingly admitting this, Lucas and Co. resurrected him from the dead in the Clone Wars animated series. I don't particularly like that his new legs look identical to Grievous', but I guess beggars can't be choosers.

According to Dark Horse, Death Sentence takes place directly after the events seen in the latest episodes. Darth Maul and his brother Savage Opress seek the necessary funds to start their own army. But in their search they have attracted the attention of the Jedi and many others who would like nothing better than to see the brothers dead. The story begins with a weasel (I'm sure the character design was deliberate) named Zika ratting out the location of Maul and Savage to a group of bounty hunters. The scene is handled very well and given a nice mysterious vibe as neither of the brothers is mentioned by name until they are finally revealed. And when they are, boy oh boy does the shit ever hit the fan. Cut to Jedi Knight Salmara and her padawan, Dray. They're given a small throwaway scene mainly to explain how Maul survived (which to me felt a tad expository, and then it's back to the action. The brothers dispatch the bounty hunters without much effort, leaving the leader alive enough to interrogate regarding his employer, Ja'boag.

After a scene with the Jedi Masters discussing Salmara's mission to investigate how Ja'boag knows of the brothers' existence, we cut to a mining colony, where the brothers land their ship and take in the lay of the land. It seems that Ja'boag has a small army of his own. I don't want to ruin what happens next, but it's one of the most incredibly badass sequences I've ever seen in a comic. Maul and Savage then make their way into Ja'boag's complex. It would seem that Ja'boag doesn't have much longer to live, but as the issue comes to a close, the brothers receive an unexpected surprise that could potentially foul up their plans.

As you can tell, I really liked this issue. And as you may have also figured out, the only interesting parts of the issue are the ones featuring Darth Maul and Savage Opress. I understand that this was probably deliberately done to showcase the two main characters, but I really hope the others are given more due in future issues. The rest of the story moves along at a brisk pace that will more than likely have you reading it again once you've finished. I'm very interested to see where writer Tom Taylor takes the story from here. His characters all seem to have their own personalities, and it's refreshing to see the variety he's giving us. Bruno Redondo's art shines here as well.  His characters and environments are very detailed and he has a great sense of motion. He really captures the ferocity of Maul and Savage. I can't wait to see what lies in store for them next month, and I hope the same is true for all of you. Until next time everyone, may the Force be with you.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 07.18.2012

As if it wasn't Dark Horse heavy last week, this time around it's all Dark Horse. But it's all excellent stuff. While you're at your local comic book store this week, or buying comics on your tablet during your lunch break, don't miss out on these.

BALTIMORE: DR. LESKOVAR'S REMEDY #2
Story by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden, Art by Ben Stenbeck
Many years back, I read the first volume of Hellboy and was so bored to tears by John Byrne's writing, and a little unimpressed by Mignola's art that I decided to write the series off completely. But I've been tired of hearing people say, "you're missing out," so I've been trying to dive into the Mignola-verse and devour as much as I can to make a more informed decision.
As a second foray into Mignola's writing, this was much better. A peg-legged vampire-hunter, spouting concerted one-liners while traveling through post-WWI Europe fighting evil? Yeah. I'd read more of that. Lord Baltimore feels like Wolverine mixed with Van Helsing with a touch of Blade thrown in for good measure. That sounds terrible, but it's really not. I doubt Mignola was thinking of any of those characters when he and Golden were writing this book. It's got a strong classic supernatural feel that will please any gothic horror fan in the mood for adventure.
Ben Stenbeck's monster faces cast in silhouette feel like they are doing their best Mignola impression. The people have a much more cartoony simplistic look that sounds tonally off, but actually works quite nicely. Where Stenbeck really shines on this book is the locations, and the hordes of monsters attacking this tiny village full of all kinds of ravenous fiends. 
Also, this trio's combined efforts have made me scared of crabs.

CONCRETE: THREE UNEASY PIECES
by Paul Chadwick

This was my first exposure to Concrete, and I have to say, I will be buying more. The basic concept is that a man was abducted by aliens and they changed him into a being made of living concrete. And it's a big Jack Kirby-esque mountain of concrete. Now the main character searches the world solving environmental crises, small domestic disputes, social injustice and searching for answers to his transformation. But his figure is more a means to an end in an otherwise realistic world. When Concrete attempts to solve the town's excessive drunken population by hugging the criminals into submission, he quickly realizes that no one man (no matter how invulnerable) can do this job, and another fix must be found.
I adore how simple and quite Chadwick's world seems. These people are perfectly at ease with Concrete, and yet he is the only one of his kind. The art is excellent and, from what little I've skimmed in used bookstores, does not seem to have dipped in quality since the book's first appearance on the comic book stands. It's beautiful stuff. It reminds me of the line focused work of old Lord of the Rings illustrations. But yet it's in a completely contemporary setting... Well done Paul Chadwick, you have another convert.

DARK HORSE PRESENTS #14

Dark Horse presents was recently revived a little over a year ago and it's definitely changed tact from "See the pioneers of the Bronze Age working again" to "we do it all and we do it awesomer!" This magazine has everything comedy, superheroics, horror, sci-fi and a haunting piece of dream logic that I can't stop thinking about. As I've said before, I love the anthology format and it's even more impressive when a company packs this much story into one issue. This one is definitely worth the higher price tag. If you've been feeling like your comic reading's been in a bit of a rut, put back three DC books, or two Marvel books and check out this series. Worse comes to worse, you might find some more creators to look into. I'm only going to highlight 4 of the 15 stories contained within this issue, but hopefully, that's enough to get you to pick it up.


ALIENS: INHUMAN CONDITION story by John Layman, art by Sam Keith
I always forget how nice it is to see Sam Keith's work. DC seems to have difficulty coloring his stories, and so I tend to be disappointed by his recent Batman series the past decade. But in this installment, he really brings the horror. Several scientists and representatives of Weyland-Yutani look on as a xenomorph fights a synthetic human. This somehow grizzly spectacle causes a woman who helped design the Artificial Combat Unit to remember her time spent trapped in a facility for weeks with one of these aliens. After the simulation is over, one of the scientists visits her in her room and we learn more about her past all while these memories keep invading her mind. She is broken and trying to behave rationally when she is constantly confronted with the creature that took her life from her. And Sam Keith portrays her closed down psyche with the same power he brought to the Maxx back in the 90s.

HELLBOY vs. THE SABERTOOTH VAMPIRE by Mike Russell
Everything you need to know is in that title. And possibly this photo.

BUDDY COPS story by Nate Cosby, art by Evan Shaner
This is a new series by Nate Cosby and Evan Shaner starring (you guessed it) two partners policing the city. T.A.Z.E.R. is a by the book android, and Uranus is an over-the-top intergalactic superhero who has been "demoted" to the more traditional channels of law enforcement. Uranus' sheer joy at wanting to wreck things with no sense of consequence had me laughing nonstop. And while T.A.Z.E.R. might be a typical android straight-man to Uranus' wacky hijinx at this point, I'm still excited for what else these two have in store as the series progresses.


A SPY DREAM by George Schall
This story was hands-down the best thing I read this week. I had to read it twice, and continue to have questions, and enjoy falling in love with George Schall's art all over again. His style is in that magic sweet spot between cartoon and realism that makes me swoon. It reminds me a lot of GB Tran's work actually. George's sense of motion is impeccable, and his anatomy never falters. The way he breaks down time into panel increments and his layouts really help reinforce the dream concept. My only complaint, is how he renders facial hair. They look like they are drawn on instead of being actual facial hair but that's a personal pet-peeve.


And those were just my favorites from this issue. This particular issue is EASILY worth its $8 price tag. 

DARTH VADER IN THE GHOST PRISON #3
Story by Haden Blackman, art by Agustin Alessio

Chris may have already covered this issue on his column, but it bares repeating. This series is excellent. If you have been dying to see Vader at his most stoic and have found it increasingly hard to take him seriously, Haden Blackman brings him back to that tortured soul we used to know and love. And Augustin Alessio manages to not only make him imposing, but the Prism, the Jedi Guantanamo Bay, feels quite cold and foreboding. What has impressed me about the Star Wars comics today is their analysis of the Dark Side of the force and how its leading to entropy is never just a product of evil, but a manifestation of human common human attributes.
It's also nice to see a writer casting the Jedi in a darker light. Their motives for building the prison make sense, but it also has to be considered if their seeming hypocrisy was the right thing to do or if they had become the thing they are trying to defeat. It makes you think that maybe Vader wasn't wrong for going to the Dark Side, and that it wasn't just the adolescent whimpering of a hormonal teenager.


Not impressed? Tell me I'm wrong.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for July 18th 2012

Greetings again Star Wars fans! This week I'll be talking to you about the 3rd installment of “Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison.” This was my entry point into the story, but I've got to say, I wasn't lost for a second. Haden Blackman does an excellent job of writing this issue in such a way that by the end of it, you forget you're actually reading part 3. 

To fill you in on what happened before, the Headmaster of the Empire's military academies has made an attempt on the Emperor's life. All of his students are behind him save one, disabled Lieutenant Laurita Tohm. Tohm aids Darth Vader and Moff Trachta in moving the Emperor to a secret hangar bay while they look for a place to get Palpatine the care he needs. Perhaps the Jedi had such a place, and it is at the beginning of this issue that we see Darth Vader has gone to the abandoned Jedi Temple to find out.

It gave me such an eerie chill to see Vader standing in the middle of the Jedi briefing room watching holograms of Jedi Masters long since dead. We learn that the Jedi had a secret prison, secret even from the Republic, and that they've been running it for years. It was Vader's former self, Anakin Skywalker, who was in fact responsible for the capture of more than half of its inmates.

Vader is enraged to find that this was kept from him and hurls a chair out of a window with the Force. It was really shocking to see Vader lose his cool like this. We're all used to seeing the cold and collected Vader from the films, who very rarely shows his anger. So to see him completely lose his shit, even if just for a moment, is pretty damn awesome. To do it in such a recognizable location from the films just adds that much more weight to the moment.

For those like me, who haven't read the previous issues, we're then introduced to two more major players, Lieutenant Laurita Tohm and Moff Trachtis. We get to see how each of the characters suffered their own disfigurements, we get a good feel for the balance of power between them, and we get the feeling that there is clearly no love lost between these two, though there is at least respect. 

In the next scene, we see both new and familiar faces. Grand Moff Tarkin is being briefed by Headmaster Gentis of the attack on the Emperor. When questioned, Gentis makes it seem like he has the Emperor in his care and that Darth Vader has mysteriously disappeared. This greatly interests Tarkin, who decides to come visit Gentis on Coruscant to take over the investigation. It was cool to see another familiar face from the films. I always thought Tarkin could have made a better villain if Lucas had known his franchise was going to be popular enough to continue past the first film, and so it's very nice to see him again here. Gentis is interesting because, while he is loyal to the Empire, he's not at all loyal to its leader. His one-page scene later on, where he explains the motivations behind the attack, really makes you root for the guy, because he values each and every Imperial life. Well, you know, except for the Emperor's.

The last part of the issue, when Vader takes over the Jedi prison Prism, moves at a quick pace. Vader comes one step closer to the eradication of the Jedi, Trachtis shows just how much a monster he really is, and Tohm comes up with a plan to help Vader retake control of Coruscant. It sets up the next issue nicely and gives you a better understanding of the newer characters. I'm definitely interested in continuing this series. As a huge fan of the original trilogy, it's always nice to read new stories that feature Vader. It also doesn't hurt that Agustin Alessio's art here is absolutely incredible. This is the first time I've read a Star Wars book that felt less like a comic and more like an extension of the films, and that is due in no small part to the expertly drawn characters and environments by Alessio. His characters are all very emotive and it really lends a lot of weight to certain scenes when you can clearly see what the character is feeling. I can't wait to see more of it.

Let us know if you enjoyed it too. Until next time, may the Force be with you.