Comic Reviews 1-13-12

REVIEWS

The comics reviewed are chosen by David not by That's Entertainment management
or staff. The opinions expressed are his alone. If you have an opposing view you
are welcome to respond to David directly by Email at the address above.


Title: FATALE
Issue Number: 1
Title Story: Death Chases Me
Publisher: Image
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Colors: Dave Stewart
Price (USD): $3.50
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Noir/Horror
Mature - Comics on the Edge


It begins with a funeral. Nicholas Lash is attending the funeral of Dominic
Raines. Nicholas' father, who has been institutionalized for years, was
Dominic's only true friend and so Nicholas was appointed executor of Dominic's
estate. Later going through Dominic's papers he found an unpublished manuscript.
This could have been his first written novel, which means the estate could be
worth more now. But his hopes turn to horror as men with guns show up at the
isolated house in the woods. Realizing he has to flea for his life he is
surprised when a girl he met at the funeral, the granddaughter of Dominic's
former lover, shows up at the back door, shoots one of the gunmen and then
hurries him to her car for a getaway. This is the start of a great mystery that
read like a typical story of the genre. Who is this woman and does she know more
than she is telling? Why are armed men now after him and what are they looking
for? Is it the manuscript? The main story flashes back to San Francisco in 1956.
Raines is a reporter who meets with Josephine while investigating corruption in
the police force. She is the kept woman of one of them, Walt Booker, and is
willing to talk to Raines. Where this will lead is perhaps the subject of the
old manuscript. We also get a hint of the horror part of the story first at a
bloody crime scene Booker and his partner are investigating. We also get a hint
from recurring nightmares Josephine is having of when she met Walter during the
war and a strange being in a dungeon in Romania. Walt knows more about the crime
scene connecting it to a cult and that no doubt will lead to more revelations in
the future. I knew Brubaker would script the story in his usual fine fashion.
The characters are being developed slowly with only clues to the mystery here
and there. This is mostly the story of Raines, Josephine and Booker - how their
lives become entwined. Sean Phillips gives it just the right feel with Stewart
finishing it with moody coloring. It is a taut mystery that promises to unfold
slowly and deliberately. I recommend this one for fans of Brubaker as well as
those of the genre.

Title: FERALS
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Avatar
Writer: David Lapham
Artist: Gabriel Andrade
Colors: Digikore Studios
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
MATURE - Sex/Nudity/Extreme Violence





Lapham has been doing a lot of work for Avatar on the CROSSED series of books
and now with his own creation. It has some of the same elements as those other
books - lots of gory violence, sex and terror. Unlike CROSSED this is a story of
werewolves. It begins as Dale, the small town deputy in Cypress, Minnesota, is
called to a murder scene of his best friend, a much loathed drunk named Mark. It
seems Mark's ex-wife stumbled onto the scene visiting to get overdue alimony and
child support. At first they only find Mark's arm on his kitchen table.
Following the blood trail they find his mutilated body. Clearly Dale is very
upset as later that day he proceeds to get loaded, all the time swearing to find
the person who did this. As he will see by the end of the issue it was no man
but a werewolf. There are some revealing relationships as we move along making
us wonder if the beast had a human motive for his actions. Dale runs into a
seductive stranger in his drunken state giving us more to ponder. By the end the
real perpetrator is revealed in another bloody attack leaving the humans
involved aghast at what they have seen. Like many Avatar comics this one is
particularly violent with plenty of sex and nudity so it is clearly not for
everyone. The art is first class making it all more realistic. If you don't mind
that stuff and are into horror stories with strong characters and some mystery
thrown in then this one is for you.

Title: NOWHERE MAN
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Creator: Marc Guggenheim
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Jeevan J. Kang
Letters: Nilesh S. Mahadik
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction
Mature - Comics on the Edge


This story takes place in the 26th century at a time when the entire population
has been purposely infected with a special virus. This allows their thoughts to
be monitored a centralized computer called the Omnimind. The result is that all
crime has been eliminated. The agents for the government have not had to respond
to major violence for years. That is all about to change as we learn about a
special child named Mason. Raised on an island removed from the rest of
civilization he is special - the product of genetic experimentation by his
parents that resulted in the death of his mother as she gave him birth. He has
been trained by his father his whole life that he is the hope of the world
because they believe he is free from the virus and therefore will not be able to
be scanned by the Omnimind when he goes out into the world. The final act that
proves he is off the grid is both logical and tragic - but necessary to know if
he has a chance. While one subplot deals with his upbringing to the point where
he leaves the island the other deals with his first confrontation with unsavory
elements who are seeking to get around the Omnimind to conduct criminal acts
using a certain drug. It seems part of the control mechanism is painful feedback
if anyone thinks or acts in a criminal or violent manner. The more violent you
get the more painful the feedback becomes until you are debilitated long before
serious crime can be committed. Mason approaches these people to obtain a bomb
for his plan and they suspecting he is a spy, not knowing he is off the grid
altogether. It is an interesting premise with some good plot twists in both
parts of the story. The realization by the end of this chapter by the
authorities that someone has eluded their control adds some tension to the main
agent investigating what just happened. The art is pretty good, carrying the
story forward. In all it is a solid science fiction story by the producer on "No
Ordinary Family" and "Flash Forward" as well as a screenwriter for the Green
Lantern movie.

Title: UNCANNY X-FORCE
Issue Number: 19.1
Title Story: Ghost Reunion
Title Arc: Age of Apocalypse
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Billy Tan
Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Letters: Cory Petit
Cover Artist: Mike Deodato & Dean White
Price (USD): $2.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Super Hero


This "point one" comic does not feature the title characters at all. Instead it
is the lead-in to the new comic AGE OF APOCALYPSE on sale March 7. Think of it
as a zero issue for that series. Mention is made of the Uncanny X-Force briefly
in passing but this is a story about the few people, humans and a few mutants,
who are fighting against the reign of Apocalypse where humans have been
systematically hunted down and destroyed. The main players are Trask, Jean Grey,
Sabertooth, Magneto, and Rogue his wife. Not all of them will survive this
issue. Against them are the mutants led by Logan with their human-hunting
sentinels. The main plot has Trask, known as Prophet, leading the small group
defending the last city of men against the forces of Akkaba. Rogue, Magneto and
Trask's daughter are about to visit the last chance weapon they plan to use
against the mutant horde. It is a mindless clone of Wanda Maximoff. The plan is
to use Jean's power to use the clones hex power to eradicate the mutants with
those familiar words, "no more mutants". The whole point of this chapter is to
see how that plan is set in motion, who among them are against it and how
effective Weapon X will be in stopping them. This is a particularly cruel world
evidenced by the brutal slayings of humans throughout the book. It is a set up
for the series leaving us with our first impression of the players in the
conflict - for those of us who have not followed the previous arc in this title
wherein the Uncanny X-Force visited this dimension. There is a lot of background
fulfilling that purpose showing the motivations of the major characters and
ending with the sacrifice of some of them along the way. I plan on reading the
new series and this comic is a must read, in my opinion, if you are also.

Title: ROBOCOP: ROAD TRIP
Issue Number: 1
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Unai DeZarate
Colors: Oscar Manuel Martin
Letters: Marshall Dillon
Cover Artist: Fabiano Neves
Price (USD): $3.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Science Fiction

Dynamite has been putting out Robocop comics lately and I decided to sample the
first issue of a new story in their efforts. The events in this one take place
following the events of the first Robocop movie. However it also has a bit of a
flashback to Alex Murphy, aka Robocop, to his days as a child. The set up tells
us there is revolution and chaos in America as OCP has taken over Old Detroit in
a political coup. Murphy and what is left of the Old Detroit Police Department
are going to try to make it out of Michigan to get help from the military. All
communication lines have been cut or blocked so they will have to travel to
Ohio, if they can make it out. ED-309s patrol the streets and as the story opens
a new deadly robot prototype has been sent out to stop them. All the while we
learn that Murphy is slowly losing his mind. We see as we go along that he is
seeing visions of his dead partner for one thing. The new Robocop style robot is
stronger and deadlier and is mind controlled by an old dying man, referred to
those really in control as "the Old Man". He is obsessed with destroying Murphy
and the real person in charge is using that rage to suit her own ends. The basic
premise is good enough. We get a lot of robot on robot action with even more
promised for the next issue as we see the latest weapon OCP has up their sleeve.
The drama going on in Murphy's head adds to the tension with his sergeant not
being aware of the problem. Will Murphy breakdown altogether and can the good
guys prevail over the next wave thrown at them?  Dynamite has put together a
pretty decent comic with some twists and for fans of Robocop it is a worthwhile
read.

Title: CURSE OF THE WENDIGO
Issue Number: Graphic Novel/Prestige Format
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Mathieu Missoffe
Artist: Charlie Adlard
Colors: Mambba
Letters: Jason Ullmeyer
Price (USD): $7.99
Release Date: NOW ON SALE
Genre: Horror
Mature - Comics on the Edge

If you read THE WALKING DEAD you will recognize the artwork of Charlie Adlard on
this comic with decent coloring by Mambba. Missoffe is a French writer and this
work was previously published in Europe in 2009 by Soleil. It is set during the
First World War in 1917 but the tale has roots much earlier in colonial America
with the Cree Indians. A French trader married into the tribe and learned of a
ritual to never know fear or death again. He was changed into a supernatural
being, the Wendigo, absorbing the strengths of his enemies as long as he feeds
on their flesh. He fled the tribe leaving death and grief behind. Now a hundred
years later Wohati, one of the descendants of the tribe, has been called by the
Great Spirit to avenge his tribe. His journey has brought him with the American
forces fighting in the Great War. As the story opens we learn that sentries have
been gone missing night after night. After one particular firefight from the
trenches the Germans raise a white flag. It seems they too have been missing
their sentries and the two forces form a temporary alliance. Each agree to send
three soldiers to find out what happened to their men - they agree to hunt down
the enemy of their enemy. Wohati volunteers to go along as well, knowing what it
is they are really hunting. Soon he is leading the path the group follows and
they eventually come upon a gruesome scene as depicted on the back cover. It is
after that discovery that Wohati tells the rest of the curse of the Wendigo. It
is a thrilling story that follows the group to a village that gets them closer
to their prey but at the same time leads them into a trap. The tension never
lets up until the very end as a major surprise promises to end the conflict once
and for all. The back of the book contains some interesting interviews with both
Missoffe and Adlard as a bonus. This is a fascinating story that is well
scripted and executed. It is worth the price.

                                    *****
TRIVIA CONTEST!!!!     WIN REAL PRIZES!!!!!

If you think you know the answer to the trivia question send your guess via
Email to me at ComicBkNet@aol.com and you could win the prize. The first six
correct answers will be assigned a number and a roll of the dice will determine
the winner. You should put your real name in your message so we know who you
are. Prizes must be claimed at our store within 30 days of winning. The prize
will be a $10 credit slip, which will be redeemable for merchandise at regular
retail or in-store ongoing specials only.  Only one prize per person will be
allowed per every 4 weeks. I will be the sole judge of the correct answer even
if more than one answer could be correct. Submit only one answer per Email
please but guess as often as you like.

Last week's trivia question:
Who (by name) gave Ayden's bow to Arwyn?
The mysterious Neven was the one in this great tale in the now dwfunct SOJOURN
series by CrossGen. The winner by the dice is - me because no one had the
correct answer.

Here was your no prize question:
In a modern deck of cards which king does not have a mustache?
The King of Hearts is the only king without a mustache.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION:
What three comic book titles were the first to have Full Holographic covers?

Here is your no prize question:
Which planet in our solar system rotates clockwise?

Folks, you never know who among the readers is knowledgeable about the question
so don't hesitate to send in an answer - even days after it appears.