REVIEW: The New Deadwardians

PLOT: In post-Victorian England, nearly everyone of the upper classes has voluntarily become a vampire in order to escape the lower classes who are all zombies. Into this simmering cauldron is thrust Chief Inspector George Suttle, a lonely detective who's got the slowest beat in London: investigating murders in a world where everyone is already dead! When the body of a young aristocrat washes up on the banks of the Thames, Suttle's quest for the truth will take him from the darkest sewers to the gleaming halls of power, and reveal the rotten heart at the center of this strange world.

REVIEW: Anything British is usually not my cup of tea, but I wanted to read this because of the involvement of zombies, obviously. I wasn't expecting to love the story, but I figured that I would at least enjoy the undead aspects of the story. What I got was a very well-rounded tale of Chief Inspector George Suttle, who is one of the young, which most of us would call a vampire. He sets upon a case to solve the murder of a well off man in the new Deadwardian Age, and in doing so begins the investigation into his own life after spending countless years losing any desire to do so. What this graphic novel does really well is support its protagonist Suttle, as his story is told through narration of his own and then the events that take place in his surroundings. Funny enough that it was the love story aspect of this book that I took a liking to, as usually that's something that when included in a story of horror or undeath, I do not find suiting. But for this story, it was perfectly aligned with Suttle's investigation into a murder, as well as his own existence. The art is not exactly phenomenal in this book, as I've seen some others point out in their own reviews, but it does a good enough job to help the story along. It's not the most detailed work, but it is all there, and the zombies and vampires all have their particular looks. I would most definitely say that if you are a fan of British mystery, the undead, and adult graphic novels, you should pick up this book. Even if British oriented stories aren't your thing, this may be worth checking out, as I found it entirely enjoyable and I'm hoping that Dan Abnett has an opportunity to continue the splendid story of George Suttle, the Young who renews his desire for life and happiness in solving Scotland Yard's new kind of crime.

WRITING : ( 8 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 5 / 10 )

STORY : ( 9 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 8 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 7 / 10 )

FINAL RATING : ( 7 / 10 )

REVIEW: Joe the Barbarian

PLOT: Collecting the acclaimed 8-issue miniseries! Joe is an imaginative eleven-year-old boy. He can't fit in at school. He's the victim of bullies. His dad died overseas in the Iraq war. He also suffers from Type 1 diabetes. One fateful day, his condition causes him to believe he has entered a vivid fantasy world in which he is the lost savior—a fantastic land based on the layout and contents of his home. His desperate attempts to make it out of his bedroom transform into an incredible, epic adventure through a bizarre landscape of submarine pirate dwarves, evil Hell Hounds, Lightning Lords and besieged castles. But is his quest really just an insulin deprived delirium—from which he can die if he doesn't take his meds—or something much bigger?

REVIEW: I'm half tempted to just write "wow" and leave the review at that, because that is how stunned I am by Joe the Barbarian. I picked this up not really knowing what to expect, but figure that if Grant Morrison had written it, that it was at least worth a shot. I have a love/hate relationship with Morrison as he's been hit or miss with me in the past. I love his work on Batman for the most part, but All-Star Superman never hooked me (not that any Superman comic really has yet). This is the best comic I've read this year in 2013, I have been blown away with everything about this graphic novel. I don't want to go too much into how the side-by-side stories relate to one another, because it's so wonderful to read on the page as we follow our hero Joe through the book. I do love the little cameos by familiar characters throughout the book as well, which gives the story it's very hyper-fantasy feel.

Grant Morrison writes a story that serves as two stories in one, and reminds me of other fiction I've read before but he gives it his own cool spin. It's truly just great writing, as Morrison proves once again that there's a reason behind his name being towards the top of the list when it comes to original comic writers today. I really like Joe as the main character, even though he's a young boy and is obviously struggling throughout the book, he's never completely down or out. His love for life and his pet Jack are brought to life through Morrison's writing, but also the artwork of Sean Murphy who does an outstanding and remarkable job here. This is an A+ comic all the way around, and after reading this entire brilliant volume, one can only hope that Grant Morrison either has more Joe the Barbarian or similar quality stuff still in him. It's not really a super complex story, which can sometimes be expected from Morrison, and that's what amazes me so much is the simplicity of the story yet the gigantic emotional and visual punch it packs is out of this world.

This book is a must-read for all fans of comics and/or fantasy. You will not be disappointed. A beautiful book, truly amazing.

WRITING : ( 9 / 10 )
ARTWORK : ( 9 / 10 )
STORY : ( 10 / 10 )
COVERS : ( 8 / 10 )
AWESOME : ( 10 / 10 )
FINAL RATING : ( 10 / 10 )

REVIEW: Hellblazer, Volume One: Original Sins

PLOT: The very first Hellblazer collection ORIGINAL SINS is available in a new edition that includes John Constantine’s appearances in SWAMP THING. This is the first of a series of new HELLBLAZER editions starring Vertigo’s longest running antihero, John Constantine, England’s chain-smoking, low-rent magus.This first collection is a loosely connected series of tales of John’s early years where Constantine was at his best and at his worst, all at the same time.

REVIEW: Having only seen the movie previously, I wasn't really sure what to expect from Hellblazer. At times I felt like that writing was a bit outdated. It was that kind of comics writing that I don't particularly like these days, because it's too wordy and over thought. A lot of what is written in these pages are the same thoughts I'd have on my own while reading, just using bigger words and taking longer to reach a conclusion. That said, my first Hellblazer experience was great. I really enjoy the character of John Constantine because while he's hard ass on the outside, there's a soft core to him. The issue where he saved the girl from being married was good evidence of that. His ghosts haunting him, also show that once he loses someone that's not it, he actually cares for the person he loses and it's not something that goes to the back of his mind, it stays in the front and relevant to anything he experiences. I would definitely keep reading the Hellblazer series, and I really enjoyed seeing the Swamp Thing tie-in issues. I had read one of those before in a Swamp Thing volume but I didn't quite understand what was going on, and now I do! There was one thing missing from these issues of Hellblazer, and while I can't tell you what it is, I know that that one thing would make this series rival something like Sandman. All the pieces are there, but there's one string that would tie it all together very well, maybe like an overall arc that would strengthen the story of Mr. John Constantine.

WRITING : ( 6 / 10 )

ARTWORK : ( 9 / 10 )

STORY : ( 5 / 10 )

COVERS : ( 8 / 10 )

AWESOME : ( 8 / 10 )
FINAL RATING : ( 7 / 10 )