Comic Review: The Me You Love in the Dark issues #2 and #3 (Image Comics)

 

Writer SKOTTIE YOUNG (I HATE FAIRYLAND, Deadpool, Strange Academy) and artist JORGE CORONA (NO. 1 WITH A BULLET, Super Sons, Feathers) follow up their critically acclaimed series MIDDLEWEST with a brand-new haunting tale. An artist named Ro retreats from the grind of the city to an old house in a small town to find solace and inspiration without realizing the muse within is not what she expected. Fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman will enjoy this beautiful, dark, and disturbing story of discovery, love, and terror.

The Me You Love in the Dark #2 (of 5)

Writer: Skottie Young 
Artist: Jorge Corona 
Published: September 8, 2021
Diamond ID: JUL210250

Image Comics
Age Rating: M
Artist Ro, hiding out in an old house, hoping for artistic lightning to strike, begins to feel even more strongly connected with the shadowy presence she’s been communicating with.

The Me You Love in the Dark #3 (of 5)
Writer: Skottie Young 
Artist: Jorge Corona 

Published: October 6, 2021
Diamond ID: AUG210251

Image Comics
Age Rating: M
Ro becomes even more intimate with whoever, or whatever, is haunting the old house as she finds the spark of inspiration for her most personal paintings yet.

Issue #2 is about Ro and her new friend finally starting to talk. Her ghostly housemate is accommodating and follows her lead...it seems worried about scaring her off. But she does get inspired to paint. We finally get to see what it looks like. YIKES!

Issue #3 their dynamic begins to shift. The "ghost" inserts itself into Ro's life and they spend the next few months together. Ro's agent calls and there is talk of her leaving the house and going home. You get the feeling that might not go over well with her "friend." It makes a big romantic gesture and Ro decides to take their relationship to the next level! 

I'm looking forward to the direction this story will take. There are only two more issues. Will she stay? Will she try to get away? Will we find out what Ro's spectral friend is?

Grab the first three issues online or at a local comic book store.

Issue #1 review

5 "red flags" Sheep

SharonS

Comic Review: Zodiac #3 (3 issue series) from Zenoscope

Zodiac (3 issue series)

Writer: Joe Brusha

Artwork: Daniel Mainé

Colors: Jorge Cortes

Letters: Taylor Esposito (of Ghost Glyph Studios)

April 24, 2019

As the War of the Grail wages, Merlin the Magician looks to give himself an advantage by using his deadliest assassin of all time to eliminate his biggest threats in the Order of Tarot. Logan Patrick O’Connell spent his adult life ridding the streets of drugs using his own deadly methods until a mistake drove him from his home in Belfast, Ireland. Once O’Connell met Merlin, his life was forever changed and he began on the path to vengeance. Thus, Zodiac was born.

Zodiac #3 (of 3)

Writer: Joe Brusha

Artwork: Daniel Mainé

Colors: Jorge Cortes

Letters: Taylor Esposito (of Ghost Glyph Studios)

Editor: Chion & Design: Christopher Cote

Zodiac has come to the Big Easy under orders from his master, Merlin the Magician, to eliminate targets from the Order of Tarot. But along the way he’s been haunted by memories of his past and the death of his sister at the hands of a drug addict. With Tarot using the drug trade to fuel their operations and corrupt humans at the same time the, mission has now become personal for Zodiac and he will stop at nothing to destroy Tarot’s operation, even if that means burning the entire city to the ground.

Zenoscope comics have some amazing artwork. It is bold, it is beautiful, it is full of boobs! Yes, you read that right. Zenoscope is famous for its kick-butt (emphasis on the butts) buxom females. That doesn't really appeal to me. So when I saw the covers for the 3 issue series Zodiac I did a double take. Is that a sexy kick-butt man on the cover? Yes, it is...and I was all over it.

I love the premise of the story. Merlin (yeah, that Merlin) turns vigilante Logan Patrick O’Connell (Yes, he is Irish) into his personal assassin against the Order of the Tarot. Unfortunately, I discovered the Zodiac series at issue #3, the last issue of this arc. But I wish I had started from issue #1 cause I really liked Zodiac. It is the comic version of my favorite movie genre. Blow'em up action. Zodiac would probably make a pretty good movie...as long as there's a cheese factor.

If you are a fan of the typical Zenoscope comics you are still in luck! There are BBBB (butts, boobs, beautiful, bold) variant covers with women on them. And Zodiac issue #3 has the sexy Tarot bad girl, The Devil. Complete with horns and a tail.

Here is a variant cover of issue #3...

4 "BBBB" Sheep!

SharonS

Comic Review: The Strain: Master Quinlan, Vampire Hunter #3 from Dark Horse Comics

The Strain: Master Quinlan, Vampire Hunter #3

Writer: David Lapham

Penciller: Edgar Salazar

Inker: Keith Champagne

Colorist: Dan Jackson

Genre: Action/Adventure, Horror

Dark Horse Comics

November 09, 2016

Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price: $3.99

UPC: 7 61568 00065 8 00311

While leading heat-stricken and water-deprived Roman soldiers through the scorching desert to fight back against the Berber hordes, Quinlan uncovers a grave scheme that has the potential to obliterate his troops entirely.

buy from amazon

In this issue, Master Quinlan has fought with the Roman army against Berbers for five years. His commander is Tacitus, and Quinlan is his most trusted centurion. He would gladly die for him…if he could die. And though he is in the Roman army, he not fighting for Rome, who has not always treated him well, but for himself, a free man. More so, six years ago he learned through the other ancient ones like the Master that they needed him to learn so they could determine if he would be their ally, or must be destroyed. Thinking the Master had more to worry about than searching for him, Quinlan is told to lead some men to a pass to cut off a Berber army, while his commander would lead the rest to surprise the enemy. Quinlan would find more than Berbers though.

This is well written, keeping to historical accuracy, while giving us more insight to Quinlan and his past.

Review: Issue #1, Issue #2

5 vampiric sheep

Pamela Kinney

Comic Review: Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi Cab Issue #3 from Action Lab Entertainment

CYRUS PERKINS AND THE HAUNTED TAXI CAB #3

Writer(s): Dave Dwonch
Artist Name(s): Anna Lencioni
Cover Artist(s): Anna Lencioni
32 pgs. / All ages / FC $3.99
Cyrus is on the fast track to solving Michael’s murder, but there’s an unexpected curve in the road ahead. The killer is hunting him, and Death is sure to follow.

The sheep just got real for Cyrus Perkins! He's starting to make some headway in solving Michael's murder. He knocked on a few doors doing a little amateur detective work and found some answers...unfortunately that answer came at him with a baseball bat! Michael is getting some memories of his pre-death life, but it might be too late to help save Cyrus. Then there is one line spoken by a friend of Cyrus that hints at something mysterious about Cyrus' girlfriend...

It is so easy to love Cyrus. He's just good people. Up to this point Michael has acted like a carefree kid, all excited about what he can do as a ghost, and brought a bit of comedy to the story. But that boy is slowly disappearing as memories of his previous life start coming back. There might be a reason for his "death-amnesia"...protecting him from the tragic circumstances of his death. The cover of Micheal and his friends, before his death, really drive this home. Hankie, please...

This a comic that gets better with each issue as you are pulled deeper into the mystery.

5 "baby talking" Sheep

SharonS

Comic Review: The Devil You Know #1-4 by Frank Mula with AA88Press

The Devil You Know #1
Written by Frank Mula
Pencils Kellik M Iskandar
Inks Nunun Nurjannah
Colored by Victoria Pittman
Lettered by Victoria Pittman
Edited by Sal Brucculeri

AA88Press

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Religious,

Supernatural/Occult
26 Pages
Digital Release Date
November 19 2014
Age Rating 17+ Only
Sold by comiXology $.99
One late night, Greydon Cross comes home to find his family slaughtered and Satan himself standing before him. Fueled with rage, he rushes towards Satan but is struck down before he could have his revenge. Upon his death, God appears before Greydon and gives him a choice. He could choose to go to heaven and enjoy eternity in Gods kingdom, or he could choose to go to Hell, where God would grant him powers to seek out Satan and destroy him. There was one catch however; once Satan was destroyed Greydon would have to become Satan himself.

His desire for revenge too strong to ignore, Greydon agrees to Gods terms and descends to hell on a mission to assassinate the devil and avenge his family. Upon finding himself in hell, Greydon must battle his way through an army of demons, all the while discovering the limitations of his new powers.

Issues #2-4

The Devil You Know is about the age old question: If given the power to do Good or Evil, what choices would you make. Many biblical stories and adventure fantasies play with this idea and Frank Mula combines the two, creating a fast moving action adventure. The main character, Greydon Cross, makes his first choice when God gives him a chance to live in peace in heaven or go to hell to for revenge. Issue #1 introduces us to Greydon Cross and the beginning of his journey into hell with the powers to destroy Satan and take his place. At the end of issue #1 is an interesting afterword by Mula. He explains where the idea for this story came from and some of the themes explored, like the need to become a monster to defeat one.

I love the premise, who doesn't love a good vs evil story? It moves at a quick pace with plenty of bloody battles, friendships forged and even an evil queen. The story is easy to follow and the digital artwork complements the dialogue. I I thought it was clever to make the cyclopes' speech bubbles shaped like their one eye. There is also plenty of sarcastic humor from our hero/anti-hero and a new twist on the heaven vs hell dynamic.

Overall this is an interesting comic and worth the great price of $.99 an issue. And I am curious to see what choice Greydon will make once he becomes the leader of hell.

3.5 "Destroyer" Sheep

SharonS

About the Author:

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I am a thirty-seven year old father of three, living in central New Jersey. I have been reading comics as long as I could read, mostly the Big two with Marvel being my favorite, but in recent years I have become a big fan of creator owned comics. Outside of comics I love almost everything geek culture. Huge Star Wars fan, love video games (PlayStation), sports (Mets and Jets), TV (BtVS, BGS, and The Wire are my favorites), and books (Song of Fire and Ice, Sirens of Titan, The Stand).

A graduate of the New York Film Academy, Frank is the creator and writer of the action/fantasy comic book, The Devil You Know. Taking techniques such as character dialogue and shot compositions learned in film school and blending them with a comic format and a solid knowledge of comic book history, Frank has put together The Devil You Know with his loyal comic team. Co-President along with Sal Brucculeri, Frank is one of the two faces of AA88 Press

Comic Review: This Damned Band issue #3 from Dark Horse Comics

THIS DAMNED BAND #3
Writer: Paul Cornell

Artist: Tony Parker

Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski

Cover Artist: Tony Parker
Genre: Humor, Horror
Dark Horse Comics

Publication Date: October 07, 2015

Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price: $3.99

UPC:7 61568 25799 1 00311

Preview

Relationships crumbling, groupies gone missing, owing money to drug dealers, meeting the devil himself—you might say the band Motherfather has problems. So what’s the perfect place to record their latest album? A haunted house, of course! More hellish high jinks from Paul Cornell (Wolverine, Action Comics) and Tony Parker (Mass Effect: Foundation)!

“A writer with a wicked sense of humor, a razor sharp ear for dialogue, and plenty of crazy ideas.”—IGN

Set three weeks after the events in issue two, we find Motherfather in the Chateau Recording Studio, in France. This is a great location choice, for me, because not only is the looming house reminiscent of haunted houses, but artists from Led Zeppelin to Bowie were recording in similar places throughout the seventies. Not only does it work from both those angles, but it forces the cast to ground themselves, unlike the back and forth of touring and location changes that took place in the last issue. There are once again tensions that come with recording a new album between legs of their tour, more posturing for the camera, though this issue is more reminiscent of the first where there’s a definite change in vibe when the characters are “on” vs. when they’re themselves, which is nice.

Beyond recording session tensions, Alice and Summerflower are dealing with the loss of Gold, a loss that Alex noticeably blows off (though he’s still dealing with those who want money from him). Alice and Kev are also suffering from distance in their relationship, and those scenes gave a nice human insight to the characters and a nice counterpoint to the rock shenanigans. There’s a creepy scene with one of Alice’s kids, and I was happy to see more hints at the paranormal angle in the middle of the issue instead of waiting for the end for another tease or cliffhanger. The on-camera posturing of the rockers and the cleaning staff’s reactions are pretty hilarious, and provide levity to all of the developing issues and resentments, plus a possible explanation for other mysterious happenings. There’s a great sequence of Bob in the wine cellar, which leads to he and Justin reminding each other that they just pretended to see things the night of their memorable mushroom trip, which provides some needed contrast as to who they are vs. who they are for the cameras and fans.

Alex and Clive remain characters I’m the least drawn to because of their single-mindedness (and they’ve yet to step out of their rocker clichés for me), but they serve their roles well in the context of the story.

Once again there are moments that happen that could be due to something unnatural…or maybe not. The line is played a little better this issue now that everyone’s in one main location and there are more physical happenings that keep the reader guessing. The overall environment of a big house helps with this, too, and gives some weight. Overall, things seem less cartoony to me this issue, and the rocker clichés are less over the top and provide plot momentum. The ending is a double-whammy of tense events, but it’s a much more satisfying ending that comes off of things building instead of waiting for something to happen. Overall, I found myself really liking this title again, and the is it/isn’t it line wasn’t annoying me this time, but has drawn me back into the story.

Four sheep

Guest Reviewer: Selah Janel

Comic Review: Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out #3

Grindhouse: Drive In, Bleed Out #3

Writer: Alex de Campi

Artist: Chris Peterson

Colorist: Nolan Woodard

Cover Artist: Francesco Francavilla
Genre: Action/Adventure
Publication Date: March 25, 2015

Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price: $3.99

UPC:7 61568 26746 4 00511
Dark Horse Comics

PREVIEW

Deputy Garcia is back, and this time the shotgun-toting Latina is sporting the latest in badass cybernetic enhancements! But can her new augmentations prepare her for the giant, man-eating ticks that now rise from a small southern town’s mysterious blood lagoon?

* Look for Alex de Campi on Archie vs. Predator in 2015!

If you love pulpy horror and you're somehow not reading this series, you're missing out. This time around, we actually are treated to a sequel of sorts for the first time with a return of Deputy Garcia from Grindhouse's inaugural tale, “Bee Vixens from Mars.”

Garcia and her friend, Wayne, are on a road trip to visit Wayne's crotchety old homophobe father to let him know he's fixing to get married … to the man he loves, Sergei, who happens to be a whiz at fixing Garcia up with some bionic gizmos to get her back up and running after getting shellacked by those honey-dipped demons. She's still got just the one eye though, but the eye-patch suits her.

And while Wayne's dad might be as fun to be around as an ornery alley cat, it's a far cry from the stressful ordeal Garcia had to contend with back home. At least the neighbors are nice. And there's a fishin' hole down the road—oops, that's a literal blood bath now on account of the slaughterhouse. Oh, and those giant ticks creeping up out of the blood might be an issue too.

“Blood Lagoon” takes a little while to kick into high gear, but we do need a few pages after all to get a feel for the relationship between Wayne and his dad and how that'll play out when all hell breaks loose. And it does hurt that Chris Peterson and Nolan Woodard do one heckuva job rendering the illustrations with this electric vibe of blues and purples, until the bugs show up and then it's a whole lotta red. And I want that monster truck!

There's a part in the book that feels a bit too cartoonish, even for a grindhouse-themed comic book, but still it was enough for me to shake my head. But not nearly enough to kill the story's momentum and dampen the overall enjoyment. If you are curious about the series, trust me when I say you need to find “Bee Vixens” and then come back to this right quick, because part two is gonna be a barnburner.

I hope.

4 Sheep

Gef Fox

Comic Review: Sally of the Wasteland #1-#5 Titan Comics

Sally of the Wasteland #1-#5

written by Victor Gischler
Genres: Horror, Science Fiction
32pp
Format: Softcover
Frequency: Monthly
Age:15+
Titan Comics
Southern Louisiana, 82 years after the Fall. The apocalypse has come and gone, leaving behind a withered, ravaged landscape of wreckage and mutant crawfish. Still, you gotta laugh, and Sally does, often using her beloved shotgun, Bertha, as the punchline!

Inspired more by lust than common sense, and by a teenage desire to protect Tommy, the object of her desires, Sally leaves her bar job and joins the deranged crew of the Mississippi Duchess on a mission into the remains of New Orleans.

Saving the remains of civilisation plays second best to keeping her sweetheart safe as our smart and sexy princess of the wild frontier runs a gauntlet of gigantic genetic freaks and roving gangs of blood-hungry barbarians!

The ever-so-cute but ever-so-slightly-insane Sally is the wayward daughter of writer Victor Gischler (X-Men, Angel & Faith, Noir) and artistic up-and-comer Tazio Bettin. This first issue in a fantastic new series proves Armageddon can be fun!

WITH A VARIANT COVER FROM REVIVAL AND HACK/SLASH’S TIM SEELEY!

I love me some post-apocalyptic pulp and, boy howdy, did this series deliver. The fever dream Victor Gischler must have had to come up with this one, I don't even know how much mescaline it'd take, because I thought Beasts of the Southern Wild was gonna be the craziest post-apocalyptic tale set in a ravaged Louisiana. Oh, how I was wrong.

The world is a wasteland, quite literally and in keeping with the series title, with mutated monstrosities taking up the space left in the wake of humanity’s downfall. Oh, sure, there are the pockets of survivors spread here and there, but society is a distant memory and for one brassy young vixen, namely Sally, all the world amounts to is a lot of hard work and one dreamy hunk named Tommy. So when Tommy raises his hand to help a stranger with a weird piece of technology head out to New Orleans for answers and maybe one last chance at restoring civilization.

With all the unapologetic panache of a couple true pulp hounds, Victor Gischler and Tazio Betton offer up one of the wildest dystopian thrill rides I've seen in a good long while. Sally, at first glance, might seem like pure cheesecake, but her personality is as charming as it is borderline psychotic. She is no damsel, and she's no hero either, but she is all bad-ass with her shotgun Bertha and whatever other weapons she has at arm's reach. The rag-tag bunch she boats down the Mississippi with are all afforded moments for their own foibles to shine, whenever the ceaseless pitfalls and perils don't have them fighting for their lives.

The series might just be the kind of ultra-B movie fare you didn't know you were waiting for. If there is something to complain about, it is one particular swerve in the storyline that feels like a jumping of the tracks onto a completely different storyline, but even then the zany and the heart of the issue, Sally protecting Tommy, are never lost.

If this series was a movie, it would find itself in good company with the likes of Escape from New York and Army of Darkness. If you like the sounds of that, find these comics. If it doesn't, run and hide before the Bamazons get cha.

4 1/2 stars

Gef Fox

Comic Review: CRIMINAL MACABRE: THE THIRD CHILD #3

CRIMINAL MACABRE: THE THIRD CHILD #3
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Christopher Mitten
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist: Justin Erickson
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crime, Horror
Publication Date: November 19, 2014

Dark Horse Comics
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $3.99
UPC: 7 61568 24672 8 00311
Mayhem in the streets!

The world is rioting and everyone has turned to their darker sides. In all this mayhem, Cal seeks help from those long gone, but can he and the few outcasts still on his side save a world that has always shunned them?

* From the writer of Breath of Bones and 30 Days of Night!

The love between a father and son…nothing like it. Cal gets good advice from his dad after digging him up. He also makes a confession to longtime friend Mo and new friend Frank about his purpose. There is an imbalance between light and darkness and it is spilling into their world. They are going to need an army to help and the ghouls have switched sides. But luckily Frank has some monster friends in the backyard so things might be looking up.

This is issue #3 of a 4 part story. Criminal Macabre is one of the best horror/humor urban fantasy comics out there. The Third Child is no exception. The artwork is on point for the series with graphic horror scenes and minimal detail drawing that still manages to express the proverbial thousand words. And I’ve always loved the “f*** you” Cal McDonald dry wit.

I absolutely love this series and The Third Child storyline. Looking forward to how this plays out.

5 “I wanna shoot you so bad right now” Sheep

SharonS

Comic Review: Star Wars: Rebel Heist issues #1-3

Star Wars: Rebel Heist #1 (Adam Hughes cover)
Writer: Matt Kindt
Penciller: Marco Castiello
Inker: Dan Parsons
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Cover Artist: Adam Hughes
Genre: Star Wars, Science-Fiction, Action/Adventure
Publication Date: April 30, 2014
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $3.50
UPC:7 61568 25058 9 00121
Preview

A young Rebel meets one of the Alliance’s best for his first mission. But the young man’s hero worship is crushed by the reality of Han Solo. A botched escape, a ship that doesn’t work—could it be that Solo is just a lucky bumbler whose luck has run out?

Star Wars: Rebel Heist #2 (Adam Hughes cover)
Writer: Matt Kindt
Penciller: Marco Castiello
Inker: Dan Parsons
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Cover Artist: Adam Hughes
Genre: Star Wars, Science-Fiction, Action/Adventure
Publication Date:May 28, 2014
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $3.50
UPC:7 61568 25058 9 00211
On a planet outside the Empire’s jurisdiction, Princess Leia goes undercover to obtain a vital code from an Imperial source. She’ll have to use disguises, gadgets, and her feminine wiles to succeed—and her only ally is another spy who is convinced the Princess is a liability in the field!

Star Wars: Rebel Heist #3 (Adam Hughes cover)
Writer: Matt Kindt
Penciller: Marco Castiello
Inker: Dan Parsons
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Cover Artist: Adam Hughes
Genre: Star Wars, Science-Fiction, Action/Adventure
Publication Date:June 25, 2014
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $3.50
UPC:7 61568 25058 9 00311
Han Solo is in an Imperial jail, and a crime boss has the information that will free him. Enter Chewbacca, who pounds and pummels his way through the mission, accompanied by an untrusting ex-Imperial who can’t understand a word Chewie says. Not that words matter much to a Wookiee on a rampage!

Woo hoo! A Han Solo adventure! At least that's what went through my head when I saw the iconic anti-hero looking all roguish on the cover of the first issue. Turns out I was setting myself up for a little disappointment.

Taking place sometime between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, this four-part series starts off with a young rebel recruited by the Alliance and winds up hurled into the thick of things. During a botched meet up in a seedy tavern--sound familiar--he is rescued and whisked away by none other than Han Solo. No Chewie, Leia, or even Luke though, as everyone seems to be off leading their own little missions across the galaxy.

Anyway, it feels like the story is geared up to be a mentor/pupil kind of story until...well...the recruit flakes out and betrays Han, landing the smart-mouthed bad boy in a holding cell. Hunh. Didn't see that coming. I guess with the first issue ending like that, the second is bound to be about his breaking out or the rest of the Star Wars get-along gang coming to the rescue.

Nope.

As it turns out, the second issue focusing on another young member of the Alliance mixed up with a mission involving Princess Leia. That in turn leads into a story of another minor character playing tag-along with Chewbacca. I can only assume that the fourth and final issue with all some brand new nobody yipping at the heels of Luke Skywalker.

The story feels disjointed and aside from Leia going all Mission Impossible at one point during the second issue, there really isn't a whole lot of captivating action or anything. Actually the second issue is the strongest, with the most time afforded to getting to know Leia's impromptu underling. By the time the third issue ends, whatever suspense and intrigue that has been built is really insufficient for me to care what happens in the fourth.

The artwork is pretty darned good, with the depictions of Han and Leia being pretty spot on. And the random bit of scenery that harken to the original trilogy are there in full splendor. It just doesn't feel like a gripping story that I had hoped for when I first caught wind of it.

If you're a Star Wars fanatic, give the series and chance and you'll probably find more than enough to enjoy, so long as you don't have your hopes up for the spotlight shining on the legendary foursome. For casual fans like me or those uninitiated to the franchise, you can probably give this one a pass.

3 Sheep

Gef Fox

Comic Review: Black Science (Issues 1-3)

Black Science (Issues 1-3)
Story By: Rick Remender
Art By: Matteo Scalera
Art By: Dean White
Cover By: Andrew Robinson
Image Comics

Join writer RICK REMENDER and the superstar art team of MATTEO SCALERA & DEAN WHITE for this face-melting science fiction epic spanning the lifetimes of a cast of dimensional castaways lead by the man who caused it all.

Issue #1

Published: November 27, 2013
Grant McKay, former member of The Anarchistic Order of Scientists, has finally done the impossible: He has deciphered Black Science and punched through the barriers of reality. But what lies beyond the veil is not epiphany, but chaos. Now Grant and his team are lost, living ghosts shipwrecked on an infinite ocean of alien worlds, barreling through the long-forgotten, ancient, and unimaginable dark realms. The only way is forward. The only question is how far are they willing to go, and how much can they endure, to get home again?

Issue #2
Published: December 18, 2013
Run-amok reality! Grant and his crew escape the madness of the lightning sea-swamp only to be flung into a futurepast trenchworld, where the Sons of the Wakan Tech-Tanka wage never-ending war on the savages of Europe! How did the Anarchist League of Scientists end up this deep in the onion? Who among them sabotaged the Pillar?

Issue #3
Published: January 29, 2014
Shell-shocked and battered, Grant McKay and his team are stranded on the front lines of the European savages' final standoff against the Sons of the Wakan Tech-Tanka. Will this inverse manifest destiny claim the life of a member of the Anarchist League of Scientists? Or will they be betrayed by one of their own?








One of the treasures of my childhood was Star Trek, the classic reruns airing on Saturday afternoons. I couldn't tell you when I first saw the adventures of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, but I can say that I was captivated from the get-go. Swashbuckling in space became one of my earliest genre loves. Black Science, the brainchild of Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera, taps into that childhood wonder and then some.
The series begins with a cannon-blast of action, immediately immersing me in an alien world, in mid-chase no less as a pair of scientists are pursued by sabre-toothed amphibians with spears and riding giant salamanders. It sets the stakes very early and basically tells readers that if this is not the kind of stuff that interests them, they need to go find another comic book. Me, I was hooked.

Grant McKay, a philandering husband and brilliant scientist, has led a small team of scientists into creating the Pillar, a machine that can transport them into alternate dimensions. Backed financially by an avarice corporation headed by Kadir, a man eager to exploit the spoils of what these new worlds have to offer, there's a lot at stake, but the initial test run goes awry. Grant, Kadir, the team, and even Grant's kids who were only at the lab to see their dad, are all whisked away to a terrifying and inhospitable world. Their escape, sadly, sends them via the Pillar into an even more dangerous and war-torn world.

The rising tensions among Grant and his team amplify what is otherwise an already captivating journey. Remender deftly portrays Grant simultaneously as a caring man and one ruled by his selfishness, both professionally and personally. Scalera meanwhile renders the characters and especially the landscapes with awe-inspiring fidelity. Each page feels electric, constantly pushing the story forward with taut action and gorgeously rendered visuals.

Imagine a TV show like Lost in Space or Quantum Leap, presented as a thriller on HBO or AMC and you might have an idea of what this comic book series is like.

After three issues, things have ramped up to the point where Grant's wife is killed, Grant is wounded, the team's captive threatens to lure his fellow soldiers to their location before they can make their escape, and even if they do manage to use the Pillar to escape, the machine is busted to the point they have no idea which universe they'll cross into next.

Gah, this series is like a hug drug for your inner child!

Remender and Scalera have me and many more roped in with this new offering through Image, and I see boundless opportunities to lure even more unsuspecting readers into their clutches as the series continues. Please. Let it continue.

4 1/2 stars

Gef Fox

Wag The Fox: a den for dark fiction