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"These reviews are based on the Sneak Peek
titles sent out by Marvel & DC. It's not everything that's shipping for
the week, but it is a real good cross-section of this weeks releases. Check the
bottom of the page (after you read my reviews) for a link to some SNEAKY PEEKIES
of future titles" |
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 BOOK
OF THE WEEK:
SGT.ROCK the PROPHECY #1
Comic Review by:
Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Writer/Artist: Joe Kubert
Comic book legend Joe Kubert returns to comics after his
collaboration with Brian Azzarello with the first issue of
The Prophecy, a new Sgt. Rock tale. Beginning with a cover
that seems to have been done with one of his famous sons
(although it is impossible to determine who since the name
is obscured) this limited series involves Rock and Easy
Company in a 1943 Lithuanian village called Vilnus. Joe
starts us off by introducing, of all things, a dog. Easy
parachutes in and once all are accounted for the mission is
discussed. The village is in the middle of the
Russia/Germany conflict and they have been sent there to
retrieve something and get it out of harm’s way. There is a
dry almost world weary feeling around the company with men
there just to do a job with limited and terse conversation
between them. The company encounters their contact, gets
into a professionally fought battle and yes, encounters the
dog. Their contact and the people he works with are grim and
have been through a lot. They do things that Easy have a
slight problem with but it is always hammered in that this
is their country and only they know what they have been
thru. Kubert gives us another well done battle and then we
get to the place the Company needs to get to and see what
the ‘package’ is that they have to deliver. We don’t get a
front view but see that the ‘package’ is a woman who may or
may not be pregnant. The issue moves swiftly and is told
with great professionalism. Kubert’s art is much smoother
than it was when I was ignoring his work when I was younger
and he was in his prime, or maybe his prime is now. I do
question DC’s decision to make this a limited series since
his fan following consists of older readers more likely to
buy a hardcover or trade instead of a limited series. This
project, like it or not, has a very limited appeal. It isn’t
an X-book or involved in any way with Infinite Crisis but is
very well done.
MSRP: $2.99
Alternate Reality Price:
$2.54 (That's 15% OFF, All This Week!) |
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 KNIGHTS
4 #26
Comic Review by:
Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Writer:
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Artist:
Valentine DeLandro
This review will be a little weird because it is the second part of a story arc
but when the book was dropped in my lap someone didn’t realize that until it was
too late (Editor's note: That would be me) so go with me here and pretend you
have read the first issue. Valeria Richards isn’t feeling well and as we begin
this issue she is being examined by Doctor Strange (yes, he appears in something
else this week). It seems that she had been temporarily possessed but she is
fine now. There are some weird magical occurrences taking place here though and
one of them is the return of Salem’s Seven, last seen in New Salem around the
time that Agatha Harkness and Nicholas Scratch died. It seems that the Seven
want to bring someone back from the dead (again an amazing coincidence this
week, huh?) and to stop them the Four have to go to the mansion that Agatha
lived in. Since we are dealing with magic you would assume that Strange would go
and help but unfortunately he is trapped at home with a spell so the Four are on
their own. We learn something once they are out of the mansion that bears an
important part in the issue’s conclusion but before we get there we get a well
paced battle sequence as the Four get to the mansion before the ultimate plan is
revealed and the group finds itself in a pretty bad spot. Plot and dialogue are
Aguirre-Sacaca’s strong point so the issue is well laid out with little drops of
humor laced in with his tight story. The artwork is decent but not incredibly
spectacular. DeLandro has a good sense of placement but his art on occasion
looks slight and awkward. His cover, however, is damn good.
MSRP: $2.99
Alternate Reality Price:
$2.54 (That's 15% OFF, All This Week!) |
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 X-STATIC
PRESENTS: DEADGIRL #1
Comic Review by:
Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Writer:
Peter Milligan, Artist:
Nick Dragotta/Mike Allred
There is a warm feeling in the heart around the Marvel offices about X-Statix.
The book never sold in incredible numbers but they were steady and the
readership was pretty loyal. It also did well with the college market and in
mainstream bookstores so it isn’t much of a surprise that the team would be
brought back for this limited series. Well, actually the main character here is
Dead Girl and she is needed to save the world from zombie characters from the
Marvel universe. Our twisted tale begins years back with the discovery of what
is left of an obscure villain by a couple of kids during the Vietnam era. The
kids come across the body and have a damn interesting conversation about the
limitations of being a super villain. The next thing we know there is this guy
rummaging thru a massive trash pile where he finds what he needs to make a name
for himself. The book then goes to Dr.Strange’s mansion where we encounter a
much different version of the Strange we know. He is questioning himself and
seems to be suffering from a painful ailment that even his magic can’t cure.
Thru magic he sees that something isn’t right in Hell and then we see that this
guy we saw rummaging thru trash has found something that can revive dead
characters. With his band of revived ones (including an X-Statix member) the
villains head towards the UN where they have a grievance to file. Doc is brought
to them to talk and their demand is pretty simple-they want to return to life.
Needless to say things don’t go well and Doc needs to return to the mansion to
do some research. He realizes he will need some help and we finally see Dead
Girl on the last page along with some other long dead females. Once you read
this you understand why Marvel has an appreciation for the concept. It’s witty
and pokes fun at Marvel conventions as well as life itself. Stephen Strange here
is confident, confused, suave and somewhat snarky at the same time. The ‘dead’
villains are fully aware of Marvel history and won’t accept that some Marvel
characters can return from the dead and some can’t. This project will do well in
the trade market and entertain folks for years to come.
MSRP: $2.99
Alternate Reality Price:
$2.54 (That's 15% OFF, All This Week!) |
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"See, I told you I'd be
down here. We've got a bunch of SNEAKY PEEKIES of future
MARVEL, DC and IMAGE titles right
HERE" |
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All
Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2006
by their respective owners. No rights given or implied
by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.
Reviews © 2006 Alternate Reality, Inc. |
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