The Indiephile : Extermination # 1

WE LOST. THEY WON

Extermination #1 from Boom! Studios opens up on a post-apocalyptic world in the wake of an  alien invasion. The first issue centers on the unlikely pairing of Nox, a gadgeteer hero who’s gruff but lacks a killer instinct, and The Red Reaper, a mad scientist that was once Nox’s arch rival. The two are on a road movie quest to get to Nox’s old lair, hoping that they can salvage equipment to help them survive in the wasteland that the world has become. And along the way they have fight their wat through the alien menace that has ravaged the world.

Flashback scenes are interminged throughout the issue. The flashbacks show Nox and The Red Reaper fighting against each other, establishing them as enemies, which makes for an interesting contrast to the present where they are forced by circumstances to work together. This world’s greatest hero is forced into an alliance with the world’s deadliest super-villain to prevent their own extermination. But its an alliance which could explode at any time.

The story written by Simon Spurrier sets up a brutal world where enemies must make alliances with each other in order to survive. The post-apocalyptic world of Extermination where survivors struggle to not become alien food is a compelling setting for the comic book. The dynamic of Nox and The Red Reaper being forced to work, and what passes as a relationship that they forge together despite their history is an interesting aspect of the comic.

Another intriguing facet is the question of what are you willing to do to survive. Nox is called a boy scout by Red Reaper. Nox may look and act scary, but he says that he won’t kill. He has an aversion to even using fowl language, something that he harps on people about throughout the issue. But Red Reaper questions if his values should be structured on a sliding scale given the situation that they find themselves in. Its an interesting question. And how Nox will deal with it, and how it effects him adds texture to the story.

The comic book has solid art by Jeffrey Edwards, with colors by Blond, and lettering by Ed Dukeshire. With the art I was able to get into the story and follow the journey that the characters are embarking on.

Extermination #1 is a good comic thats worth checking out. The uneasy partnership of the characters and the predicaments that they find themselves in makes this an interesting read.

Geek Of The Week : Secret One: Teeth, With Which To Eat # 1

Now We Eat

Secret One: Teeth, With Which To Eat  #1 from Image  is a conspiracy tale dealing with the government, a corrupt private security firm, and corporate espionage.

The story opens with Mr. Dunn being visited at home late at night by a masked interrogator. Beaten and tied to a chair, Mr. Dunn is informed rather matter-of-factly by the intruder that before they can begin to communicate clearly that two things need to happen. The second thing is that the two of them in the room are not the only people who will be affected by this meeting. The masked then presents photos, names and addresses of Mr. Dunn’s family, a very effective tactic to break him down. The first thing was that the intruder needed to impress upon Mr. Dunn how serious he is. And he is rather persuasive with a pair of pliers to efficiently get his point across.

The following morning Mr. Dunn meets with his attorney to try and figure out what he should after his frightning encounter. Coincidently, the counselor’s firm is having a visit from their security company to go over some services that they have recently delivered. After which the security firm’s representatives impress upon the board members how important it is that they upgrade to their expanded swervices package. They make their point by telling the board how easy it was for them to access their offices, bypass their firewalls, and access their records. All of them.

The pitch seems to be rather effective demonstrating how important the security compnay’s enhanced security package can be. But it has the feeling that perhaps the security company in angling for more than just selling more services. They may also be trying to gain influence in Washington.

Later, the attorney arranges a meeting between Mr. Dunn and one of the security company’s representatives from the earlier meeting, Mr. Grant. Mr. Grant impresses upon Mr. Dunn that his late night visitor means that business. And that his firm can help Mr. Dunn with his problem, but they are very expensive. Grant is able to clinch the Deal with Mr. Dunn, however, Grant actually is playing against Dunn. Grant is working with Dunn’s visitor and is setting Dunn up.

Secret One: Teeth, With Which To Eat #1, written by Jonathan Hickman is an intriguing read. The story sets up the whos in the story, but is building up a mystery by leaving out the whats and whys to be discovered later. This is an interesting story that has me eager to read the next issue. The artwork on the issue is impressive. Ryan Bodenheim is the artist on the issue, with Michael Garland handling the colors, and Rus Wooton doing the lettering. The art team does an exceptional job of story telling and created a comic book that looks incredible. The coloring for the issue is quite interesting and unique in the way that it paints panels with an overall hue, but then at times it uses splashes of another color for a dynamic effect.

Secret One: Teeth, With Which To Eat #1 is a fantastic read. The art and story create an engrossing comic that keeps you moving through the pages. This comic book is a must read.

The Indiephile : Danger Club # 1

All It Took Was Three Months

“Three months ago. The universe was in deadly peril. The world’s greatest heroes were summoned into space to battle reality’s ultimate evil. our mentors. Our guardians. Our parents. Our teachers. They left. And they didn’t come back.”

That is the chilling set-up to Danger Club #1 from Image Comics. With the heroes gone the younger generation of heroes move in to fill the void. The initial results aren’t good as one character, Apollo, an extremely powerful deity forms a group that he calls the New Olympians. in order to gain membership to this group you are pitted in brutal combat against another member. if you survive then you are admitted into the ranks of Apollo’s army, which seems more intent on increasing his power then improving the situation in the world.

Apollo is opposed by a quartet of heroes, Kid Vigilante, Robot 9, Fearless, and The Magician. They see the harm that he is doing, and they won’t stand for it any longer. This leads to a battle with the New Olympians. Apollo and Kid Vigilante are locked in a savage battle thats a little reminicent of Superman and Batman in The Dark Knight Returns. Leaving Apollo broken, Kid Vigilante makes a stunning revelation. The heroes that left Earth lost to whatever it was they fought in space. And its still coming. Kid Vigilante leaves the gathering of young heroes with an ultimatum, help prepare to defend the world, get out of the way, or be taken down.

Danger Club has an interesting premise and the short introduction had me hooked instantly. I want to see where Landry Q. Walker will take this story, and I’m anxious to see what happens when the threat arrives on Earth. The art by Eric Jones and Coloring by Michael “Rusty” Drake,with lettering by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt,  is engrossing with it’s display of action and blood, and with capturing emotions in the characters. And while I enjoyed this first issue, I felt like I like was missing something. 

I like that there is some mystery behind what happened to the heroes, and I don’t need that part explained to me. Sometimes it can be good to leave people wondering and using a little of their imagination. And I like that there is some history between the characters, even if its not explained.  However, I feel like I’m missing part of the story. With the book opening with Apollo already in power and many characters cowering under his power, and kid Vigilante’s group is already formed and having a plan that they’ve been waiting to spring, I feel like I missed an issue. And while there is plenty of action, I wish that there was a little more background. I want to see what the world is like right now. Is it just business as usual even though the heroes are gone, or is this supposed to be something of an apocalyptic setting? And what of the villains on this world? I hope that future issues will reveal more of the world to us.

Overall I enjoyed this comic and I recommend buying it. This is a comic book that is worth following to see what else will unfold.

Geek Of The Week : Transformers : Robots In Disguise # 2 – 3

Robots In Disguise

The Transformers: Robots In Disguise from IDW begins another chapter for the form changing robots from another planet. When this series opens the war between the Autobots and Decepticons has ended. The Autobots return to their home world of Cybertron where they place themselves as the governing force over the Decepticons and other non-affiliated Transformers that have come back to Cybertron.

Bumblebee, who claims the top spot in the new government, takes a page from the Suicide Squad and fits the Decepticons with inhibitor devices that keep them from transforming, and also carry explosives that Bee can detonate if they fall out of line. Naturally this causes a great deal of tension between the Autobots and Decepticons, and in defiance some of the Decepticons have been able to deactivate the devices and are planning counter manuevers against the Autobots in secret. However, this isn’t the only problem brewing on Cybertron. The non-affiliated Transformers are looked down on. They are labeled with the derogatory label of Nails, Non-Affiliated Indigenous Life-Forms, and are seen to be below the Autobots and Decepticons.

While the Autobots are trying to force order on the world, the Decepticons make plans to eliminate Bumblebee. This presents an opportunity for Starscream. While he has no love for Bumblebee or the Auotbots, he is very displeased with his low rank in the Decepticons. Starscream is scheming and manipulating to rise in the ranks of the new Cybertron government, even if it means taking out a Decepticon leader. On the surface he seems to be operating for the betterment of all, but their is still something untrustworthy and suspicious about his motivations. His true intentions aren’t totally known. And his actions add to the distrust that the decepticons and non-affiliates have for the new Autobot order. There is even dissension in the Autobot ranks as many question Bumblebee and lack confidence in what he is doing is the right thing.

In addition to the class battles amongst the Transformers, there are problems arising with the structure of the planet. Jump starting the planet on the Autobots return has caused destructive reactions on the planet. This along with other problems with the infrastructure of keeping the planet running has lead to poor living conditions for the Transformers. And the planet’s reactions have become volatile enough to claims lives.

The Transformers: Robots In Disguise is off to a great start. The story by John Barber adds political intrigue, class issues, and inter group unrest to a series that hadn’t touched on these subjects in the past. Issues #2-3 add new wrinkles to the long running Transformers story that keeps things interesting and brings something new to the mythos. The series features exceptional artwork from Andrew Griffith, with Josh Perez coloring the issues, and Shawn Lee handling the letters. The comic looks great and the art team brings life to the many different characters that inhabit Cybertron.

Scheming, backstabbing, positioning, and action are mixed with great art to make this one of the most entertaining comic books being published.

Geek Of The Week : Lady Mechanika # 3

Blimey . . . Tha’ Is One Very Big Arse

In Lady Mechanika # 3 from Aspen, the title character continues on her quest to learn the secrets of her past. A mission that had brought a dead mechanical girl across her path. When the mechanical girl’s body is stolen, Lady Mechanika sets off to track her down.

The trail takes Mechanika to the Cirque du Romani. Once there she is confronted by several of the circus performers. Her questions to find the mechanical girl aren’t met well, and this leads to Mechanical scuffling wit ht he circus’s knife thrower and his big cat.

The owner of the circus, Madame Divinite, breaks up the fight and things calm down. With cooler heads thinking, it is discovered that the mechanical girl is Seraphina, the daughter of the knife thrower, and she isn’t dead. It is revealed that the promise of fame and fortune lured Seraphina and her boyfriend away to join another circus. Although the it is deduced that the two lost performers weren’t lured away by another circus, but rather they were tricked to follow a mercenary working for the Blackpool Armaments Company.

After learning the new information Lady Mechanika and her associate travel to Mechanicon, the Annual Mechanika City Convention of All Things Innovative, Scientific, and Industrial. It is here that they find Nathaniel Blackpool, the person that Lady Mechanika believes is holding Seraphina. At the opening ceremony for Mechanicon, Blackpool introduces his Helio Arx, a giant airship and fortress that Mechanika believes she will need to infiltrate if she is to find the mechanical girl.

Lady Mechanika is an interesting and enjoyable comic book set in a steampunk world. The characters, costumes, and environment are all amazing. There is a great style and flare to this comic. The comic is written and drawn by Joe Benitez, with Peter Steigerwald providing colors, and Josh Reed on lettering. The story and characters are engaging, and the artwork is beautiful. This is a comic book that you should be buying.