Comics

Darksiders II: Death’s Door

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 01/11/2015
Posted in: Comics, Dark Horse. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment
2454756-darksiders2_pg01

Darksiders II is a fantastic game. It’s become a trend to slowly release comics up until a game’s release, but Death’s Door proves why this is such an issue. The main reason is that most of the game’s story can’t be spoiled before its release, thus limiting the comic’s story. Death’s Door feels pointless and empty. Each of the 5 issues is only 13 pages full, maybe 10 sentences each. Sure, the art is good, but the story is seriously lacking, and there’s absolutely zero character development. We don’t even know who Death is or the other Horsemen, and the entire story is about some artifact that Death is trying to get back from an angel. Completely pointless and just plain forgettable.

What this comic also shows is that they need to be released after the game’s release. This gives the writers more freedom to advance or even divert from the game’s story while also incorporating and talking about it. Death’s Door at least looks decent, but it’s also nothing special. Nearly every page is one piece of art with a few words that Death is narrating. It’s all a bunch of foreshadowing and riddles. The entire comic doesn’t make any sense, even for people who have played the games. Sure, we know who the characters are, but this series just doesn’t do the Darksiders franchise justice.

Choker

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 07/04/2014
Posted in: Comics, Image. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment
1124286-choker_1

If you see Ben Templesmith on the cover, you know the series you are about to read is going to be full of horror, death, gore, and insanity. Choker is chock-full of that. The story revolves around an ex-cop, Johnny Jackson, who gets called back by his old boss to bring a prisoner who escaped back. It doesn’t turn out well, as the department is using a steroid-type drug on their cops called Man Plus, which is somehow connected to the prisoner’s drug ring. The story takes a long time to catch your attention. It starts out with you completely lost and characters talking like you already know what’s going on. Later issues backtrack to catch you up until you hit the final wall.

Choker isn’t the best series I’ve read, but I read it mainly for Templesmith’s art. His sick and twisted watercolor drawings are fantastic and one-of-a kind. He’s one of my favorite comic artists. Sure, it looks messy and sloppy compared to most artists, but it’s unique in a way that it matches the story it’s telling. Choker doesn’t have the most memorable characters; it’s too short to keep you hooked for long, with only six issues; and the story is kind of predictable. The whole 20-minute-in-the-future setting is nice, with a scummy city like Gotham City or even Neo Tokyo. I wanted to know more about Shotgun City and its inhabitants, maybe some side stories.

If you like crime dramas, you will like Choker. It has vampires, gore, cops, mutants, and crazy characters. Just don’t expect to be in it for long because it ends before you even realize it started.

30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow – 10 Years Later

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 06/24/2014
Posted in: Comics, IDW Publishing. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment
605093-returntobarrow

After the horrific events of the previous chapter, Return to Barrow gives us all-new characters and a whole new terrifying event in Barrow. If you thought what happened wasn’t bad enough, there are crazy people still living there, even though it’s the main target for vampires. A new sheriff moves into town with his son. Due to the events of the past volume (where the original survivor writes a book exposing vampires), the vampires are now leaderless and want everyone in Barrow exterminated.

I honestly have to say I feel this chapter is a cop-out. Why do we have to return? Sure, I can understand that the vampires want to wipe everyone out, but why fully concentrate on this event again? It feels like a re-hash, and even though these people are better prepared, it was the frightening concept of everyone not knowing what was going on that made the first chapter so memorable. I like the new characters, and the tension is there along with the dialog among the vampires (these guys are vicious bastards).

If you’ve read previous chapters, go ahead and read this. There are actually decent fight scenes, a lot of tension, and a surprising amount of atmosphere oozing out of this series. I also have to appreciate the continuous flow that a lot of comics tend to forget to provide.

BloodRayne – 5 Years Later

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 01/19/2014
Posted in: Comics, Other. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

BloodRayne hasn’t received the attention or props it deserves. The video games were mediocre, but they contained great characters and a memorable story. Rayne is one of the most recognized and sexiest video game characters ever created. Why has there been no BloodRayne 3? Majesco has been having financial problems for as long as anyone can remember. A PSP game was canceled, and a 3DS game was as well. The last game, BloodRayne: Betrayal, was a 2D platformer but received low sales. To satisfy everyone’s bloodlust, Rayne Digital Webbing released 26 issues of BloodRayne, which ran for a good 3 years and ended in 2009. The series has a fantastic story and really shows Rayne’s weaknesses and strengths. However, the series falls flat in the art department.

With mostly one-shots, BloodRayne does surprisingly well for itself. Rayne is trying to uncover the truth behind the Brimstone Society, an ancient secret cult that set out to kill all vampires and mythical creatures that endangered mankind. There is deception, deceit, betrayal, and mistrust running through the whole series. Just when you think things are going one way, they greatly shift to another, and it keeps you reading and tearing through issues.

The three mini-series are great as well. Plague of Dreams is all about Rayne’s half-brother, who’s threatening the world. Red Blood Run is set in China, where a secret cult is harvesting young women and turning them into vampires. This is where the story makes the biggest twist and the climax starts. The final mini-series, Tokyo Rogue, has an interesting encore/sub-plot of the years after the events of the original Brimstone Society drama. It doesn’t directly tie into it, but there are elements that point to it. The writing is very good, despite Rayne’s battle taunts being a bit cheesy. I loved the characters and got attached to many of them.

The art was inconsistent throughout the entire series. Several issues looked downright ugly, including disproportionate anatomy, Rayne looking like a man in some issues, and her body shape constantly changing. Some issues looked brighter and more vivid, while others lacked any detail at all. This is a crying shame because Rayne is a gorgeous woman and deserves the best attention when drawing her. I liked the various outfits she was in, but the art just really threw the series off.

Other than the art issue, BloodRayne is a great series for fans and non-fans alike. If you have never played BloodRayne, I suggest you try it after reading these comics. I know I want to dive back in and sink my teeth into the first game.

30 Days of Night: Dark Days – 10 Years Later

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 12/09/2013
Posted in: Comics, IDW Publishing. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment
imQN7pJmi1UWfhOumCJ2BfXA__

30 Days of Night is a really interesting and unique take on vampires. Dark Days takes place shortly after the original series. Stella Olemaun heads to Los Angeles, where she is trying to expose the Barrow, Alaska, attack via a book. Certain vampires are after her, including the Queen, and the comic gets pretty intense.

I loved how things just happened unabashed, like the main characters dying off. It just happened out of nowhere and shocked me, and the comic just moved on. Ben Templesmith’s art continues to bring the series to life and gives it a very dark and gruesome atmosphere. Stella isn’t really on the run, which is a nice change. The vampires are afraid of her and respect her, but a change of events happens. She ends up trying to get her husband back, who died in Barrow, but I won’t say how. The whole series is so well-paced and keeps you turning pages.

I really can’t complain about this series except that it’s too short. I really wanted to see it go on, but it ended right when you were most curious. I love Stella’s attitude; she’s both brave and makes stupid choices at the same time. She’s a bit too bold and cocky, but she’s also sensitive in a way. Her undying love for her husband is really touching, and the other characters are great. I honestly recommend this series to anyone who has read the original series. Newcomers should stay away because you will have to have read the original series to understand what’s going on here.

American Wasteland – 6 Years Later

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 08/30/2013
Posted in: Comics, Other. Tagged: , . Leave a comment
2099732-american_wasteland__blood_and_diesel_v2007__1___issue_1__2007_3____seite_1

I always tend to be cautious when reading comics about rednecks and hillbillies. They tend to be predictable, full of unfunny potty humor, and lame jokes. American Wasteland took me by surprise; while it isn’t a fantastic or witty comic, it is much better than others set in the American Mid-West. We follow a truck driver who ends up being attacked by zombie vampires—that’s an interesting take, for sure—and quickly befriends locals. They fought off some zombies, but then he ends up with a mentally retarded boy who can only say “sumbitch.” That’s his only vocabulary; I’m not joking. This isn’t for comedic relief either; the comic is deadly serious. As you follow this driver’s escapades, he ends up having to fight off the leader of these zombies. You also run into a military encampment and a badass girl. The dialog itself isn’t anything amazing—just a bunch of rednecks talking smack to each other while they work out terms to exchange supplies. Everything ends up going wrong, but it is still entertaining.

There’s a lot of gore in this comic, and it’s pretty graphic. The art is fantastic, so it gets big props for that. The overall story feels very linear; the journey only goes so far, and then you end up back at the beginning. I also would have liked to have known where this zombie vampire thing came from and maybe even another character to follow. What’s here is entertaining but very forgettable in the end.

Candice Crow

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 08/30/2013
Posted in: Comics, Other. Tagged: , . Leave a comment
2127262-candicecrow

I love comics that deal with real-life problems because many people can relate to them. Candice Crow is a teenage girl growing up poverty-stricken and dealing with a drunken dad, a confused little sister, and the death of her mother, who committed suicide. She’s growing up in a bad neighborhood, trying to get through school with a part-time job, and trying to make her rock band become noticed by record labels. That’s a lot on a plate for a teenager, and Candice comes off as a very mature and responsible girl who any parent would be proud of. She also has a secret: a skin condition that requires her to step into a crazy suit for 15 minutes or she will start looking like the living dead. She also has supernatural powers that are unexplained (literally).

The comic itself flows very well, and I never put it down until the end. The writing is punchy and grabs your attention; it forgoes all the constant backtracking, flashbacks, and filler. What keeps you reading is what Candice goes through every day of her life while trying to battle this skin condition. While there aren’t too many huge twists, I finished this comic with more questions than when I began. What is this skin condition called? Was she born with it? Is it genetic? What are these supernatural powers? We know she can read people’s minds when she kisses them; where did it come from? I hate being left in the dark like that, but you end up forgiving it thanks to the entertainment value Crow brings.

There are a few fight scenes, and they are pretty tense. They are very realistic, feel pretty crunchy, and make you cringe. You end up feeling really sorry for Candice for dealing with the murder of her best friend, bailing her dad out of jail every week, and having to tell her little sister white lies to continue on with life. Even if there weren’t any superpowers, this comic would be very entertaining due to that. It feels like the writer went through similar experiences himself. I highly recommend this comic to anyone who likes very surreal reads with a touch of superhuman stuff.

The Last Zombie

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 08/20/2013
Posted in: Comics, Other. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Zombie entertainment is a dime a dozen and has been since the 1980s. The Last Zombie is an interesting inside story of the zombie apocalypse, with a small team of US soldiers and two scientists. They need to make it across the country to find one of the scientists’ wives and see what’s out there while they are at it. They have a tank and an APC and have to stand up to anything they come across. The problem is that the zombies have been dying off and are becoming more sporadic. This leads to the idea that the virus is gone and is no longer around. The problem is that this team needs to worry about living humans more than zombies.

There are some unique additions here, such as a surviving tribe of lepers and a bandit group that robs anyone they come across. The story takes quite a while to build up, and the first two issues aren’t all that interesting. I honestly couldn’t really connect to any of the characters, but you definitely feel the tension between them, which is what matters. The last comic is the best one, with everything going to complete crap and finding out the twist ending to this mini-series. At the end of each comic, there are little mini-stories ranging from a little zombie boy and how misunderstood he is to WWII Nazi zombie adventures. It’s fun to see a little mini-story at the end, but they could have filled it with more of the main story instead. The art is also in black and white, which I didn’t really like. I know it is trying to be atmospheric (or cheap?) but some color would have been nice. It’s really hard to distinguish one army soldier from the other because they all look the same, and half the time I didn’t know who was talking.

As I said, the first 3 issues are kind of boring, and the last 2 are great. The encounter with the leper colony and the fight out with the highwaymen are great, and the little twists that pop up are entertaining. The Last Zombie has a lot of potential, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store. It really does take a different approach to the zombie apocalypse in a unique way.

Syndrome

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 08/17/2013
Posted in: Comics, Other. Tagged: , . Leave a comment
1333268-syndrome_hc_cover

I love psychological thrillers, and this one is fantastic. It really grabs your attention early on. If that crazy cover hasn’t gotten your attention already, then nothing will. The story is about a psychologist who uses an infamous serial killer for a brand new experiment to find out how to cure murderers by making them feel empathy. His theory is that all these criminals are lacking something in the brain that makes them feel empathy, and he swears he can find a cure. This is a fantastic concept, and throughout the story, he explains it in more detail, and I almost couldn’t help but nearly believe it.

The funny thing is that the main protagonist is a female actress who gets tricked into partaking in this experiment. The psychologist and a producer from Hollywood have set up a believable world out in the middle of the Nevada desert. He doesn’t know any of this is fake, and when he starts to attack people, he is tranquilized on the spot. She’s not a very interesting character because she’s not seen much, and she’s always in character. We don’t get to see her much when she’s herself, but the villain, Alexei (the producer), and the psychologist are really the main characters. It’s just great to see everything come together in the end and see how this sicko’s mind works behind the scenes.

There aren’t many comics out there that delve into the human psyche, and I find these more interesting than superhero comics. Everyone knows what a superhero is, and they aren’t real. The human mind is very real, and this sick, crazy stuff is possible for any human. Syndrome reminds us of this and how some people just can’t be cured. I can’t reveal too much because there are a few twist surprises thrown in, but I didn’t put the comic down once. I was very engrossed. The art style is very detailed, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Syndrome is a great comic, and any horror fan should pick it up.

The Lexian Chronicles: Full Circle – 6 Years Later

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 08/16/2013
Posted in: Comics, Markosia Publishing. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment
1554542-01

I honestly have to say that Lexian Chronicles is on Game of Thrones status. Maybe Game of Thrones Lite. I haven’t been this engrossed in a comic for a long time. The story was perfectly paced and had enough twists that it threw you for a loop. That is so satisfying about comics. The mystery between all the excellent characters just built up into one big crescendo, and then a finale of fireworks erupted towards the end. I was satisfied at the end of the comic, despite a small cliffhanger. The story leaves you completely clueless about the big picture until the very end. I was shocked.

This story is about a girl named Reena, who is the daughter of the Phoenix Tribe. It starts out with her as a young girl, and the first six issues build up the plot to the meat of the story. The Phoenix Tribe has had a long-time enemy, the Leopards, for generations. Everything seems fine and dandy up to this point until the leader shows up at their front door. He asks for help and support to help rebuild his tribe in a passively threatening way that leaves Reena’s father no choice but to follow. She is to marry the son of this barbarian, or he will raze the entire village to the ground. Her father is able to stall by saying she isn’t of age yet. The dialog going on here is fantastic. I was sucked in and never set the book down. It is so cleverly written and teases constant uneasiness that you get through the whole comic. This Phoenix leader seems like he’s legit; he really does want to mend the broken ties between them. But he says things that just hint at betrayal, but you aren’t quite sure.

That is beautiful writing, and I loved every bit of it. The characters are really likeable and very memorable as well. The tension between the tribes picks up in the back half of the series, and everything is really shaky. You can feel it through each panel as things just start going wrong. I can’t reveal too much without spoiling, but let’s say things go terribly for poor Reena. Because of this, you grow extremely attached to her towards the end of the series. This cave that she has found with ancient runes also leads to this tension. Throughout the whole series, she keeps going back to reveal more, and then the ending just brings all the loose strings together and ties them up for you. It’s very satisfying, and I couldn’t have been happier with it.

The art takes some getting used to. The opaque and saturated art style is a bit weird, and the characters are drawn oddly, but the quality is there. The art may not be for everyone, but the story is just amazing, and I hope everyone goes out to buy this masterpiece of a comic.