Contract FCBD 2009 Issue ~ If you read the Heroine Report Free Comic Book Day 09 article, you'd know that my two picks were Atomic Robo and Contract, and that on the latter count I was denied by Kinokuniya bookshop not having ordered the Contract FCBD issue. Boo them. But Garan Madeiros (Contract's writer/creator) read the aforementioned FCBD article, and sent me a signed copy of the FCBD issue, so yay! Three copies, in fact (maybe I'll run a Heroine Addict reader contest for the spares, or something - I'll think about it). Three copies, and every other Contract issue as well, including both variant covers of issue #1. Have I mentioned how I love running this website? Anyway, the FCBD issue is mainly a reprint of the Jessie 'Solo Missions' issue (reviewed here - but there is new material too, in the form of three short comics (seven pages total), one for each of the Stellar Rangers characters (my favourite is 'I'm Just A Girl', since it's cute, and features Jessie in all manner of ass-kicking action, and coming out of the shower wearing just a towel. Yowza).
Artesia Besieged #3 ~ Artesia's back! I reviewed the second and third hardcovers, Artesia Afield and Artesia Afire, back here (and I bought the roleplaying game hardcover, even though I have no intention of using it, just because I love the world of the story so much) - but it's been three years since any new issues turned up, with the first two of Artesia Besieged having come out that long ago. Accordingly, the inside cover of this issue presents a summary of event to date, to get everyone back into the story, and a note from Mark Smylie (the creator, writer, artist, everything pretty much) explaining the delay. But now, at last, Artesia's back in business - after a fashion, since the cliffhanger conclusion of issue #2 saw her stabbed by a traitor in her own ranks. Now she's unconscious and dreaming, clinging to life while the siege goes chaotic around her - everything that's great about Artesia is back, the grand ebb and flow of military schemes and chance, the machinations of politics, the personalities of the officers, and Artesia's connection to the supernatural, with its own powers and perils. Smylie's writing picks up right where it left off - in the art, there were a couple of panels where I think I felt a tiny bit of rustiness, but it's very slight, and the man's talent for fantastic visuals is still there, and no doubt will only get better as he gets back into the swing of drawing regularly. If you like 300, or Xena, or Lord of the Rings, or Warhammer, or... anything to do with medieval armies and magic and nations at war, you need to get this - it's the best there is. Check out Artesia Online for more.
The Voyages of SheBuccaneer #6 ~ I love finding a new issue of SheBuccaneer in my weekly pile of issues - it means I'm guaranteed a good read, a comic that really packs in a lot of storytelling, as well as exciting action and a sexy heroine. In this third and final part of the 'Eye of the Jade Dragon' story we find SheBuccaneer in a sorry state - in chains, captured by the sadistic governor who killed her lover Jack Rackham, and with her crew scattered and her ship last seen two issues ago ablaze, little apparent hope of rescue. Even so, she keeps her fiery temper intact, and when (of course) the tide turns, she's ready to break free and kick arse. The big battle is a rousing affair, ships of the line blazing away all over the place, many factions all at each other's throats, and heroism and sacrifice from the main characters, with the Captain herself forced to dig deep in order to prevail - all this wrapped up in the evocative narration of Mr. Featherbone as he entertains the tavern crowd with his tale. The next story to come, 'Origins', goes (as you'd expect) back to the beginning to show us how the SheBuccaneer came to be the woman she is, with promised appearances by many of the most famous piratical figures of the day (including, according to Featherstone, Anne, who can only be Anne Bonney - there goes my theory that the Captain is a fictionalised Anne Bonney, oh well) - there's some preview sketches of the art of 'young SheBuccaneer' which look great, along with other fan art and the regular pin-up in the middle of the issue. Also, remember the first SheBuccaneer trade paperback is on the way (solicited in Previews #250, covered here), so get your orders in with your local comic shop. Meanwhile, have a look at the SheBuccaneer website.
Beautiful Creatures #1 ~ This turned up in my inbox just this morning from Red 5 Comics (typically, this happened in the only week when I'd actually gotten the photo of the week's issues done early, rather than at the last minute, which is why the cover's down here - I didn't know to leave a space for it to be edited in when I spread all the comics over the pretty Anatolian carpet to photograph) - and y'know what, I think tomorrow my comic shop will be getting an email from me letting them know to add this to my standing order. (The Previews code is MAY091014, if that's any help - I just order with my shop by telling them the title, so these codes are still a mystery to me.) This 48-page issue presents us with four friends living the happy carefree life of college students who look great in a jacuzzi (yum), until one night they're attached by carnivorous garden gnomes, and things start getting strange. It transpires that each of the four have, hidden within them, the essence of age-old fairy tale creatures - and like the gnomes ('redcaps', technically) they're not the modern day fairy tales that've been carefully sanitised by Disney, they're the old fairy tales, full of blood and death and terror, and as if that weren't bad enough, the redcap attack isn't just random - something evil is on the way, and things are only going to get nastier. The writing is full of humour, but not so much that it can't be dramatic when it needs to be, and the art - coloured straight over the pencils, I believe - has a touch of storybook illustration to it, which suits the subject matter well. Beautiful Creatures ships in September, and is worth a look if Buffy-style modern fantasy with sassiness is your thing.
Domino Lady #1 ~ This was one of my spur-of-the-moment picks from Previews back when it was solicited, and I'm glad I took a chance on it. Domino Lady is classic retro superhero noir, back when they were 'mystery men', solving crimes with a mask and a willingness to do what the cops couldn't - it's where characters like Batman got their start, in fact, not to mention my personal favourite, the Shadow. Domino Lady doesn't have any powers - she gets by through a combination of brains, determination, and stunning looks that she knows just how to use - her favourite trick (used in both of the two stories this issue) is to seduce her target and, once they're naked and he's not paying attention to anything besides groping, jab him with a vial of knock-out drugs to put him down for the count while she snoops around. It's interesting, in these days of superpowered heroes, to see someone who's just a normal person - and actually normal, not the 'normal with amazing martial arts skills' that Marvel and DC usually present - and also a capable, confident heroine who's both proficient at using her body and her sexuality as a weapon, yet isn't presented as being pitiable or psychologically scarred for doing so. The two tales (27 pages total) also pack in a double-dose of decently involving mystery, but also have room for a good amount of backstory, a few supporting cast members, and even a special appearance by Sherlock Holmes - Nancy Holder writes both, but the artists are different for the two stories, though with similar styles, and both producing good results (and having fun with Domino Lady's apparent trademark 'getting into costume' sequence, which since her costume is the slinkiest of slinky dresses involves getting out of almost everything else first. It's a good comic - sexy, confident, mischievous, and lots of fun.
Farscape: D'Argo's Lament #4 ~ I've felt throughout this flashback miniseries that it hasn't been quite as good as the regular Farscape comics - it's not bad, but the storyline lacks punch and isn't that well-paced, and while the art is fine on the main characters the backgrounds have been noticeably bland. This issue wraps the story up in much the same way - good, but not great. General Sterikk, an important figure from D'Argo's past, adds a level of interest, but he showed up too late in the miniseries to really develop as a character, so in the end he feels unimportant. The low-key relationship between Jool and D'Argo is much more interesting, but it doesn't really get much of a chance to shine, only coming through properly in a couple of scenes. There's another between-the-episodes miniseries coming up, D'Argo's Trial, and in the interests of fairness I should say that I'm still looking forward to that - this mini may not have turned out to be all it could've been, but I still really like the idea of exploring D'Argo (and Jool, hopefully) more in comic form, and hopefully the next series won't repeat the mistakes this one made.
Batman: Streets of Gotham #2 ~ I'm still leaving the Batman side of this until it's got a complete storyline to read at once, so for now it's just the nine-page Manhunter story I'm reading. Kate's on the trail of Jane Doe, a skinless Gotham psycho who it seems was responsible for offing the previous District Attourney - her search takes her from beating up thugs as Manhunter to digging through records and checking out Arkham Asylum in her DA day job guise. The storytelling is decent - though I still worry, with Andreyko at the helm, that the courtroom will be ignored as it was in the latter stages of the Manhunter ongoing title, to its detriment - but I'm not a fan of the art this issue, with more panels than I'd like displaying awkward, poorly proportioned figures, and the colours (which are interesting on their own) often not meshing well with the lines. I'll keep getting this, but I'm keeping an eye on it.
JSA vs Kobra: Engines of Faith #2 ~ The first issue impressed me, and this one builds on that success. Kobra - not an organisation I've read much about before - is presented in a compelling manner, as a dangerously daring and ingenious organisation with a scary psychological core, while on the side of the angels the story is split between Mr. Terrific (who shares narrating duties with Kobra's boss, giving interesting mirror perspectives on the action) and Power Girl, which brings with it a conflict between Checkmate and the JSA's way of doing things. That's presented very well - although the heroes have their disagreements, they're mature and continue to work together rather than having tantrums, which paints both Mr. Terrific and Peegee in a very positive light; I love seeing Kara shown as a good leader, so this is great for me.
Agents of Atlas #8 ~ This issue is a bit of an ensemble piece - the main story is really just a throwaway adventure (guest starring the Hulk, like the cover suggests) that isn't, so far as I can tell, tightly wound up in any ongoing plotline, but gives most of the Atlas characters a chance to have a rumble with a big guest star and show off their moves. It's entertaining, but not especially memorable. Meanwhile Woo is heading east, in a subplot to this issue which culminates in a big cliffhanger - that helps restore a bit of a sense of weight to the issue overall. Also there's a scene with everyone in the hot tub, which isn't something to turn your nose up at. It's a good issue, but not a standout.
