THE SHIELD #1 ARCHIE COMICS
Well, we seem to be starting off on the right foot with a new Mighty Crusaders title. And while I could do without so many 1 page pin up art pages (signed amazingly enough by Liefeld (Really Rob, in the center of the page?!) David Gallaher’s story keeps the ball rolling without to much exposition. We have a pan dimensional mystery going on here and we only get enough facts to wet our appetites for more. With brief explinations of previous incarnations of our heroes, it was a pleasant wander down memory lane for those of us who remember Pep Comics. Hopefully, this go around, the Mighty Crusaders can hold onto the title for more than a few issues. I give it a 7 out of 10 Grahams.
GODZILLA RIVALS VS HEDORAH #1 IDW PUBLISHING
Or as we knew him … The SMOG MONSTER! (Duh, duh, duh!) Yes, it lierally has been 50 years since Hedorah first appeared on screen in 1971’s Godzilla VS Hedorah and I cannot figure out where the time has gone. Hedorah has long been one of my favorite Toho kaiju and one that usually doesn’t get a lot of love. But this deadly shape changing blob of pollution, did almost take Godzilla down. And the presentation here shows off not only Paul Allor’s skill in writing but E.J. Su’s perfect take on both kaiju. I highly recommend this one! I give it 9 out of 10 Grahams.
CULT OF DRACULA #4 SOURCE POINT PRESS
A nice mixture of the past and the present as we flashback to Lilith’s origins and Lucy’s future. And what started out as an interesting concept with familiar characters in unfamiliar roles has now crossed into an epic. Rich Davis’s story has branched out into a full blown storyline with plenty more life in it than the deceptively quaint first issue. Plus we get a lot more blood, guts, and evil from all sides. The only drawback now is that the tale is so huge, you need to read the first three issues to keep tabs on everything. I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams.
GREEN ARROW 80TH ANNIVERSARY DC COMICS
OH … WOW! It doesn’t matter how many covers this book sports, this is a masterpiece. The creative teams really know their Green Arrow history. And with the likes of Mike Grell, Phil Hester, Andre Parks, Christopher Mitten, and Neal Adams (just to name a few!) this one shot proves that there are people out there who get it. From the pages of More Fun Comics to the most current incarnation of the charecter, this is an excellent example of why this hybrid Batman/Robin Hood character has stood the test of time! Some highlights here are Batman’s snippy comments, Ted Grant’s boxing lessons and a reference to Wildcat’s 9 lives concept from the old JSA series, and the long lived love affair between the grumpiest most opinionated archer and the hottest DC heroine in fishnets (Sorry Zatanna!) This one has it all and as I reached the end of the book, I was sure I would have 1 thing to complain about but then the creative team of Scott McCullar, Patrick Gleason, Michael Bair, and Tom McCraw granted me my wish. Oliver Queen’s infamous Chili recipe! And to top it all off, we are give a touching tribute to Denny O’Neil by his son Larry. This one truly is a masterpiece and I only wish our grading scale was larger than 10. This one goes beyond the scale of 10 I’ve got to work with! 10+ out of 10 Grahams! 