UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON #2 IMAGE COMICS
Well, I’m glad to see that Dan Watters & Ram V’s story has ventured back into the world of the original 1954 film. As we get re-introduced to Doctor Edwin Thompson (who was played by actor Whit Bissell) who got his face managed in a Creature attack in the movie. We get more insight into the area of the Black Lagoon as Thompson along with Kate Marsden and his assistant Christiano venture to the actual lagoon only to find it it swarming with drug runners and her nemesis, Collier. But the Creature is there too! And for some reason, it appears that Collier is after the Creature as well. Starting to get into a groove after a rather average start. 8 out of 10 Grahams.
COUNT CROWLEY #4 DARK HORSE COMICS
Wow! This final issue is full of new plot points and cliffhangers as new alliances are formed, new characters are introduced, and one old friend may have cashed his last check! David Dastmalchian’s story finishes up only to prep everyone for a new series that hopefully Dark Horse will be working on soon. I haven’t been this annoyed with an ending since the season finale of Quatum Leap where Sam and Al changed places and I had to wait all summer to see how they’d get out of it. And that boys and girls, is the proof of good storytelling! 9 out of 10 Grahams.
BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #13 DC COMICS
This title is starting to get more of a grasp on it’s past versions as the stories are starting to turn into real team-ups. Which is, what the Brave and the Bold title was always meant to be. As Nightwing teams up with the 1989 version of Deadman (from the Deadman Love After Death mini-series) to look into a strange haunting. Tim Seeley’s story is well thoughtout and incorporates a few cameos that were just a joy to see. And ‘Love After Death’ artist Kelley Jones shows that he still knows what creepy looks like. And while, Booster Gold is back to being a goof, his teaming up with the Jurassic League does lead to some comedic moments and what I see as a huge moral dilema in the next episode or two. Batman having to team-up with Guy Gardner also provides some comedy as Joshua Hale Fialkov’s story seems to come straight out of the old Justice League International title. The short stories featuring Artemis and Batman Black and White are not bad but really don’t figure into the theme. Getting better at living up to legacy of the title. 7 out of 10 Grahams.
GODZILLA MECHAGODZILLA 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL ONE-SHOT IDW COMICS
It appears that the good folks at IDW have taken my advise and started making Godzilla special that are all new material. And this is total excellent news! Including the many versions of MechaGodzilla and Rodan, this one has a lot going for it and who better to help me review this than our old pal and Godzilla expert, Sly Hondo.
Sly Hondo here and I just love this book. Using all three Mechagodzillas from the Showa Era to the Millennium Era is awesome, leaving no version out. The other cool thing about this is the degisn of Godzilla. They basicllay use the 90’s look because it the best version thoughtout the many series in my opinion. I must also make note of the fact that the alien apes from the first Mechagodzilla story are in it. The only problem I have with this book is that while it was cool to see the fake Godzilla suit on MechaGodzilla, it is Mechagodzilla 2 that wears it and not the first MechaGodzilla. I remember the scenes from the first movie where the evil version of the Mechagodzilla wears it to trick the humans. And the cool reveal when MechaGodzilla’s metal body appears. Here the writer decided to give it to a later version which kind of irked me. But over all a very good way to celebrate 50 years of MechaGodzilla. I give it a 9 out of 10 Grahams.
