A quick review of some of this week’s comics. It’s another broad and pretty high-quality selection, with some of the best new series and intriguing continuing series.
I wish I could still offer more DC and Marvel series reviews, but I may be able to in the near future. Watch this space.
Reviewed: The Cape 1969 #2, Deadworld – War of the Dead #1, Higher Earth #3, Hypernaturals #2, Infected #1, Love & Capes – What to Expect #1, Magic the Gathering: Spell Thief #2
A mixture of catch-up titles and also a handful of new releases. A nice selection, too, ticking off fantasy, sci-fi, military action, thrillers, and more – not only that, they were all pretty good issues as well.
Reviewed: After the Fire Special, Battle Beasts #1, The Cape 1969 #1, The Crow #1, G.I.Joe #15, Magic The Gathering: Spell Thief #1, Memorial #6, Smoke & Mirrors #4, Snake Eyes #14
A smaller selection of comics all ’round this week (in this and the upcoming second round-up), with just four that caught my attention. They are, however, from three series I am particularly fond of, so that’s a good thing. I’ve also started writing shorter reviews, now that the series are becoming more established and I don’t want to offer up too many spoilers.
Reviewed Herein: G.I.Joe: Cobra #11, Magic: The Gathering #3, The Portent #2-3
Before I get to the reviews, I wanted to write a quick comment about The Road Ahead in terms of comic reviews on Civilian Reader: The weekly round-ups are probably going to become shorter. There are fewer on-going series I want to read in short chunks, so I’m going to start focusing on just a handful of my favourites, but also some single first issues, maybe mini-series, and a few Three Issue Tests – this means I’m going to be a lot more discerning and brutal when it comes to deciding on whether or not to keep buying monthly issues.
[Titles I receive for review from the publishers will, of course, still feature, but will still be addressed and reviewed as if I’d bought them myself – same standards, same potential vis-a-vis Three Issue Tests, and so forth.]
This week, I bring you an unhinged, super-powered loser, a team of super-powered protectors, the hunt for a rogue paramilitary terrorist outfit, some transdimensional magic, and some KGB agents belatedly activated after the war is over.
Reviewed Herein: The Cape #4, The Defenders #2-3, G.I.Joe: Real American Hero Annual, Magic: The Gathering #2, Pigs Vol.01
A Shotguns & Sorcery short story
Ex-adventurer Max Gibson knows he’s found trouble when he stumbles out of his favourite tavern and into a murder scene, but when he realizes that both the victim and the blood-spattered orc kneeling over her are old friends of his, it gets far worse.
Arrested as an accomplice to the crime, Gibson must work fast to find out what really happened and clear his name before his still-living friend pays the ultimate price.
Set in one of Forbeck’s new fantasy settings, this is a short, sharp, fun blast of fantasy intrigue, and a drive-by introduction to Dragon City, its denizens and society.
The Shotguns & Sorcery setting is a melange of fantasy standards. Dragon City is a real melting pot of fantasy creatures – Elves seem to be the top of the food chain, then humans, then orcs. The city is surrounded by a curtain wall, built to keep out the horde of zombies that are attempting to get in and eat the population (one assumes).
The story has a bit of a sudden ending, but one that speaks volumes about Dragon City’s social and judicial reality. Life in this city is tough, dirty, and potentially deadly. And I really enjoyed reading about it. The story’s not long enough to properly flesh it out, but there are the beginnings of a playful, entertaining fantasy world here, and I would definitely be interested in reading more fiction – short stories or novel-length – set in and around Dragon City.
Max is a good character, morally ambiguous and rather cynical, and a potentially interesting past. The interactions between the characters feels natural and we get a good sense of the social strata of the population, as well as the tensions between the races. It’s a pity this wasn’t longer.
Goblintown Justice is good fun and well-written, and is available from Amazon UK & US.
The setting will be used in a trilogy of novels Forbeck’s writing as part of his ambitious “12 for ’12” project. You can learn more about his Shotguns & Sorcery Kickstarter, here.
The series’ rather cool logo
A slightly delayed round-up, but one featuring a nicely diverse selection of this week’s comics releases; including three of my favourite on-going series, the conclusion to one, and the start of something a favourite fiction author of mine.
Reviewed Herein: G.I.Joe #10, Irredeemable #34, Magic: The Gathering #1, Servant of the Bones #5 & 6, Valen the Outcast #3
The first half of this year alone sees a high number of highly anticipated titles coming out, and February is a particularly bumper month for the genre fan. So, here’s my top eight for this month. I doubt I’ll be able to read even half of them in February (the best laid plans, etc.), but I thought I’d offer at least a hat-tip for those I may not be able to get around to.
This week, I bring you a guest article by Matt Forbeck.
Matt is the author of countless games and many novels and stories. His Magic: The Gathering comic launches from IDW in December, and his 16th novel, Carpathia [a CR Most Anticipated of 2012], hits stores in March. He also has a mad plan called 12 for ’12, in which he plans to write a dozen novels in 2012. His first Kickstarter drive for his Brave New World Roleplaying Game novels hit its first funding level, so he starts writing the first book in January.
So, without further ado, What is Brave New World…?
“Harry Potter meets Ocean’s Eleven”
When two college freshmen decide to use Spring Break making magic on the gambling tables of Las Vegas, little do they imagine that Vegas harbours a dark magical secret of its own…
And as they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – alive or dead.
I am familiar with Matt Forbeck’s previous writing for Black Library (his amusing series of Blood Bowl novels), so I was eager to read his take on urban fantasy set in Las Vegas. Brisk and action-packed, Vegas Knights is an entertaining read.
