Got No Strings To Hold Him Down

 

Expected Publication:  October 23rd, 2013

Hellboy: The Midnight Circus

By: Mike Mignola (Story) & Duncan Fegredo (Illustrator) & Dave Stewart (Colorist)

Dark Horse Comics

ISBN-13:  9781616552381

 

Young Hellboy runs away from the B.R.P.D. only to stumble upon a weird and fantastical circus and the few demons from Hell who inhabit it.

 

Review

 

     The synopsis is really brief on this particular graphic novel, which makes sense as it's only 58 pages long on the whole.  I myself have a favorite superhero and Hellboy is that superhero.  I like that he came from the pits of Hell, but was raised to be a force for good.  The backstory of Hellboy's life and world is some of the best stuff Dark Horse has published in my opinion.  I have a serious soft spot for young Hellboy, so I was bouncing off the walls when I saw this available for request on NetGalley!  Young Hellboy is feeling like he doesn't really fit in at the B.R.P.D. and everyone treats him like a child.  They won't let him do anything, Professor Broom is never around AND one of his babysitters has just made Hellboy read Pinocchio instead of his favorite comic.  This makes Hellboy think about whether or not he's a real boy and what his place in the world is.  So Hellboy decides that he'll leave and find somewhere else he can be useful; somewhere he can do something.  Running away, he finds a circus that sets up between midnight and one a.m.  Of course it happens to be staffed by demons, who must decide whether or not to take Hellboy as one of their own or leave him to fate.  Also, Hellboy has a run in with the ghosts of some 1930s child murderers.  Will he make it back to Professor Broom?

     I absolutely LOVED that this story was written by Mignola (even if the artwork wasn't his, it was in his style as well) and the note before the start of the book tells us where the idea came from, and why he contrasts Hellboy with Pinocchio.  I never really made a comparison between the two myself, but after reading this I could definitely see the parallels in their lives/experiences.  The circus and its demons were absolutely creepy and the sinister silence of that hour was wonderfully illustrated.  The animals in cages were particularly memorable for me.  I liked that even when Hellboy decides to go back to the B.R.P.D. he runs into trouble with the child murderer ghosts near the train tracks.  But my favorite part (other than Hellboy protesting the thought of reading something other than his comic! :) is the moment between Hellboy and Professor Broom at the end, who are so deeply entwined as Father and Son that their relationship is entirely beautiful.  The comforting embrace at the end coveys that depth of feeling.  Overall, my only real complaint with this one is the length.  I would love to own a copy for myself when it's released but wish that it had been at least twice as long.  The allusions to Hellboy's future destiny might confuse new readers, but I recommend this to older fans who miss the days when Mignola had the reigns.  It was good to be thrown back, even for just fifty pages, into the golden era.

 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is October 23rd, 2013.*



The Lone Ranger Rides Again!

Expected Publication:  July 9th, 2013
The Lone Ranger Omnibus, Volume 1
By: Brett Matthews (Story), Sergio Cariello (Illustrator) and Paul Pope (Illustrator)
Dynamite Entertainment
ISBN-13:  9781606903520

Dynamite's The Lone Ranger series - written by Brett Matthews and expertly rendered by Sergio Cariello and Paul Pope, with incredible covers by the amazing John Cassaday - is a must-read for long-time fans of America's favorite hero of the Wild West! Now for the first time ever, all 25 issues, plus The Lone Ranger: Creed #0 FCBD story, are available in one-amazing collection! The Lone Ranger Omnibus Volume 1 features 632-pages of this classic Eisner Nominated series, as well as a complete cover gallery! Read the entire story of how John Reid was transformed into The Lone Ranger, and, along with his partner Tonto, set a new standard of justice in the Old West!

Review

 

     I have heard of Lone Ranger before and know about the T.V. show from the 50s, the comic books and even the racist stereotypes of the character Tonto, his Native American companion.  Never have I experience any of these things firsthand before now.  What the hell took me so long???  Seeing as this was a review copy, only the first hundred pages or so was collected in it, instead of the 600 and some in the full volume that will be released in July.  But the first hundred pages held more than enough adventure, tragic backstory and hero origins to make any comic book proud.  I loved the balance between dark and light in the artwork.  It had splashes of major color, like the real Old West but also represented the darkness in Lone Ranger's life and it's evolution while dealing with the massacre of his family, all the while not trivializing it or making it into 'statement' art like so many graphic novels become.  I loved the depiction of Tonto as his friend, equal and mentor in revenge, avoiding stereotypes for the most part except for a depiction of him carrying come scalps, but to say that no Native American ever scalped anyone would be PC rewriting history, so it didn't bother me all that much as a reader.  This comic managed to represent copious amounts of violence without becoming an exercise in unnecessary gore like another I read fairly recently, a retelling of Sleepy Hollow which could have taken lessons in tasteful violence from the newest incarnation of the Ranger.  As a fan of Westerns such as Young Guns, The Angel and the Badman, Dances With Wolves, Lonesome Dove (book and film), and the miniseries Into The West, this had an apprehensive start for me.  I knew I would enjoy it in some capacity, but was unsure quite how much - I was rewarded for my faith with a comic that I really loved.   My copy left off with a cliffhanger and I want to know if the Lone Ranger ever has a showdown with Butch Cavendish, the main villain of this rebooted series! :)  I guess I will have to get my hands on a full copy when it's published.  All I can say is that this comic managed to avoid some of the traps that comics trying TOO hard often fall into - lurid or sparse artwork, too much text, clichéd action sequences - and it definitely impressed me as a reader.  I don't know if I'll be seeing the upcoming film, but I'm a definite fan of the upcoming graphic novel!  Recommended for fans of Western novels and films, who like the tragic hero stories and have a thirst for justice.  I don't know how fans of the original comics will feel, but I'd like to think they'll enjoy it.

 

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Netgalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is July 9th, 2013.*

Pantha Volume 1: The Goddess and the Dangerous Game

 

Expected Publication:  May 7th, 2013

Panthaa Volume 1: The Goddess and the Dangerous Game

By: Brandon Jerwa & Pow Rodrix (Illustrations)

Dynamite Entertainment

ISBN-13:  9781606903896

 

Leaping and roaring into the comic world from her debut in the pages of Vampirella, the mysterious crimefighter called Pantha has endured since the 1960s. This feline femme fatale has remained relatively obscure over the years, but she always returns to give horror-action fans something scary (and a little sexy) to sink their fangs into. This new story presents Pantha as the last living avatar of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet. Commanded by Ra to walk the earth for all eternity as atonement for Sekhmet's transgressions in life, Pantha seeks out evil in all its guises. With the power to transform from a beautiful woman into a feral panther, this is one super-heroine who is much more than just a pretty face. Pantha also wields the Scarab of Atum-Ra; forged from the ancient god's tears, this amulet is an object of great power that many forces would kill to possess. The Scarab can destroy cities, corrupt souls, and open doorways to other dimensions.

 

Review

 

     Pantha is part of a living representation of the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet and is forced to watch life pass her by for eternity, due to all her sins in life.  She is given an ultimate weapon called the Scarab which is made of Ra's tears, can transform into a panther and Pantha is able to open portals to other dimensions.  Can she and her friends from the secret organization she's part of manage to stop the other gods from destroying the world while battling for the immortal god Chaos' throne?  As a straight, slightly conservative woman I felt slightly uncomfortable the entire time I was reading this comic.  Now with that statement out of the way... I did enjoy the storyline.  But sometimes I feel a little bit lost when I go into fantasy comics and the story/characters seem like they've already been completely established.  This was one of those times for me.  I still didn't understand who Mayra was supposed to actually be and why Pantha was so obsessed with finding her before something bad happened.  I think maybe she was one of the incarnations of Sekhmet besides Pantha. but I'm unsure.  After the focus on Chaos and the underhanded machinations of other immortals/gods (goddesses too!), the inclusion of a portal to a different dimension and the battle with the vampire-esque creatures in Vampirella's world seemed out of place and slightly jarring.  It was nice to get a glimpse at the world of Vampirella, where Pantha originated, but it seemed unnecessary to me all the same.  The artwork was very nice and struck a good balance between the extreme colorization of old-school comics and the darker, more serious tones of the modern 'graphic novel.'  Overall it was interesting to read this, but not really my type of comic.  I prefer my scantily clad female comic characters to be actual superheroes like Wonder Woman.  Although, turning into a panther is extremely bad ass too! :)

 

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is May 7th, 2013.*