American Vampire #6: The sixth issue of American Vampire is the first issue without the writing skills of Stephen King. King was only around for the opening run of five issues, and now it is up to Scott Snyder to merge the two story lines of Skinnner Sweet and Pearl Jones. This issue introduces a new character, Las Vegas chief of Police, Cash McCoogan. The whole issue essentially sets up this new character, and you get the sense that He'll be directly opposed to whatever kind of things the vampires have planned for Vegas.
Though the comic features some absolutely beautiful art drawn by Raphael Albuquerque, and some solid writing as well, I officially dropped this series following this issue. I think I am just sick of vampires, even ones that are bad-ass, and not sparkly. I never felt that feeling of being sucked in by this comic. A fair shot was given, but alas, no more for me.
Nemesis #3: Nemesis is another title I am sort of on the fence as to whether or not I'm in love with it. The difference though is this one is a 4 issue miniseries. Like most Mark Millar projects I've experienced, the focus seems to be more on style and glitz than form and substance. But damn does this book look good! McNiven is a great artist, and his work is greatly complimented by the great color work done by Dave McCaig. (It seems like whenever I notice how nice the colors are in a comic, they are done my McCaig.) Nemesis is truly a sight to behold. The prison fight in particular is fucking amazing.
Each one of these issues has left me excited for the next, and I'm particularly piqued for the final issue. I cant really predict where all the pieces will lie when it is all said and done, but chances are it will be a bloody, brutal gut wrenching finale.
The Unwritten #17: I'm not a regular reader of The Unwritten but there is no way in hell I can pass up the chance to read a Choose Your Own Adventure style comic! Without a doubt, this is the coolest single issue of a comic I've read so far this year. When I was a kid, I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure books. The concept is simple, yet pretty brilliant, and it is pulled of perfectly here.
On my initial read, I tried to make decisions that would lead the story in the most interesting direction, though not necessarily the decisions I would personally make given similar circumstances. By this decision making method, I felt like I read the story line that was meant to be delivered by the writers, Mike Carey and Peter Gross. I did finish up on the final page of comic after it was all said and done, which is a win in my book.
The great thing about this comic is that it could be read and re-read over and over, with different possible outcomes. Not a bad deal for $3.99. Worth checking out even if you don't read the comic regularly.
Skull Kickers #1: First off, great title for a comic! Not only that, but there is literally a Skull Kicking on the second page! The basis for this one is two mercenaries, their names haven't been mentioned yet, don't get paid for a job they did, and while attempting to make some money on a smash-and-grab job get tied up in something bigger than they expected.
The mercenary duo comprise of a hack first, ask questions later dwarf, and a tank-like human with a gun. Though it takes place in a medieval setting, no one seems to notice the oddness of that particular item. Skull Kickers is a fantasy-action comic through and through with a nice touch of spicy sassyness added to the mix. They managed to sneak in a penciler switcheroo mid-comic, but it is tough to notice as the art styles are quite similar. Solid debut overall, and one I'll likely continue to follow for a bit.
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