Sleepless #7

Bought at Double Midnight in Manchester NH over Christmas break.

Title: Sleepless
Issue: 7
Date: September 2018
Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Sarah Vaughn
Artist: Leila Del Duca
Colorist: Alissa Sallah, Gabe Fischer
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Editor: Alissa Sallah

I loved the beautiful cover on this issue, and bought it knowing nothing about the series. Good choice.Lady Pyppenia, illegitimate daughter of the dead King must keep a delicate balance of obligations and intrigues in a court where many would have preferred to see her ascend to the throne, and just as many would see her dead.

This had a lot going on, and there were some really interesting character interactions. The story has a big cast, and jumping is at the seventh issue doesn't give a full grasp of the story, but the pieces in play here were all excellent. There was really great attention to detail in the political intrigue.

The artwork is lovely, and there is plenty of space given to tell the story visually in between the scenes that are more heavy on dialogue.

This is definitely a story I am eager to read more of.

Rating: 8/10

Cars: The Rookie #1 Free Comic Book Day Edition

A Free Comic Book Day item from the stack of random unread comics.

Title: Cars: The Rookie
Issue: 1 (Free Comic Book Day Edition)
Date: March 2009
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Writer: Alan J. Porter, Mark Waid
Artist: Albert Carreres, Michael Avon Oeming
Colorist: Emily Kanalz
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Cover:  Allen Gladfelter
Editor: Paul Morrissey

This Disney/Pixar tie-in follows the trend of many recent movie-related comics by functioning as a prequel, covering a time period not seen in the films. In this case, the focus is on Lightning McQueen's racing career before the events of the first Cars film. And in this case, it works pretty well.

Using an interview as a framing device, and with Lightning McQueen going full-on unreliable narrator, the reader hears the story of McQueen's qualifying races in McQueen's own words, while the artwork tells the actual story.

This was fun, and kept nicely to the flavor of the movies. McQueen's voice was spot-on as the boastful rookie racing sensation, and the action was amusing.

Writer Alan J. Porter's short editorial expounding on his love of motorsports and its influence on the comic was a nice touch.

Backup story featuring The Incredibles by Mark Waid and Michael Avon Oeming was a fun glimpse, but cut off before things really got interesting.

Rating: 7/10

Batman: Rebirth #1

Look! An actual NEW comic! That's the result of being back in the USA with east access to comic stores for the next few weeks.

Since returning, I have...

1) Picked up a small haul of items purchased via crowdfunding sites in the past year (and shipped to a US address), A couple of graphic novels are among those items, and I'll be taking those back with me to Vietnam to read and review over the next year.

2) Visited Newbury Comics in Hyannis. Newbury Comics has a 50%-off sale on all standard-format DC comics right now, so I bought a few of the new Rebirth books to see what all the hype was about. Included in the purchase was the Rebirth special itself, but I ended up starting with the Batman tie-in (see below).

3) Retrieved a big stack of random unread comics from my storage unit. Lots of indie and minicomic titles in this batch. These will also be heading back to Vietnam with me to provide some reading/reviewing fodder. I also managed to get the whole batch bagged and boarded for travel.

I still have two conventions and lots of comic shop visits coming up on this trip, so I'm looking to add some more good reading material to the stack I take back to Vietnam with me. In the meantime, here's my review of an actual recent release!

Title: Batman: Rebirth
Issue: 1
Date: August, 2016
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder, Tom King
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: June Chung
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Editor: Mark Doyle, Rebecca Taylor
Cover: Mikel Janin

So... Calendar Man.

Not exactly the most exciting villain to start off my Rebirth reading. That being said, the interpretation of Calendar Man here is what I would consider a valiant attempt at making the character interesting. He's found a way to accelerate the changing of the seasons in Gotham, and is attempting to unleash deadly spores on the city as soon as Spring rolls around. In four days.

There's also a fun scene with Lucius Fox including some insight into Thomas Wayne, plus the beginning of the career of the Batman's latest partner. Not a new Robin, but a new costumed identity entirely. I wasn't familiar with the character who will be under the mask, but he seemed interesting enough that I'd like to see more.

Not a bad start for Rebirth. But really, guys... Calendar Man?

Rating: 6/10

Voltron Force: Shelter From The Storm: Free Comic Book Day 2012

Continuing with the Free Comic Book Day 2012 haul.

Title: Voltron Force: Shelter From The Storm: Free Comic Book Day 2012
Date: 2012
Publisher: Viz
Writer: Brian Smith
Artist: Jacob Chabot
Letterer: Deron Bennett
Editor:Traci N. Todd

Opens with a fairly goofy scene involving the villains in which a new monster is unleashed and multiple laws of physics are ignored.

Once we get to the Voltron Force it gets a little bit better. The three Voltron trainees are introduced in a training sequence with their personality flaws on full display, but we get enough insights to see how these three teenagers really do have the potential to be heroic and function as a team.

Not much more happens, plot wise, and we go directly to cliffhanger once characters have been established.

The artwork was a bit cluttered, probably an unavoidable side effect of the ashcan format of this book. The size of the lions and the spaceships don't really come across, and the battle scenes tend to be a bit too busy.

Still considering the number of characters involved, there was a pretty decent variety of interactions here.

Rating: 6/10