Kristine Chester (309)
Favorite Comic Book Series: Atomic Robo
Favorite D&D Class: Wizard
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Cookies N' Cream
CC2K co-founder and friend of FBC Robert J. Peterson recently released his new novel, The Odds, a post-apocalyptic action-comedy, and I was given a chance to read a copy of the book.
You know how some post-apocalyptic stories feature mutants, some tongue-in-cheek humor, and some wackiness while others focus on the harshness of day-to-day survival and the nitty-gritty serious drama? I'm not s---ting you, The Odds hits both of the extremes.
Harry is an alien who crash landed on Earth and several years later found himself the doctor of a small town. Harry has the ability to project a mental image so others see an ordinary-looking human, the one exception being a woman named Asta, who—naturally—works for him.
Peter Panzerfaust is a retelling of the story of Peter Pan set during World War 2, and it's about the coolest thing ever. After the rather explosive ending to Issue #12, things have seriously gone pear shaped for the Lost Boys as the Hunters prove to be more crafty than any of the Germans the Boys have had to face thus far.
“SAGA IS BACK, AND THERE'S A BABY ON THE COVER!” - Jason Enright, FBC Senior Contributor
Seriously, can we talk about how great this cover is with D. Oswald Heist and Hazel staring each other down? It's creepy, touching, and awesome-looking all at the same time. Oswald is studying her so intently, and Hazel is utterly mesmerized. Also, it's adorable as f---.
When the UNSC decides it needs a new batch of SPARTAN soldiers, it turns not to forging weapons from birth, but instead taking the best and the brightest of the military's current soldiers and then turning them into something more. One of these recruits is Lance Corporal Sarah Palmer, an ODST. This is her story.
I reviewed Volume 2 of Orchid some time ago and found it disturbing, heart wrenching, inspiring, enraging, depressing, funny, and shocking. This cocktail of emotions was enough that I knew I had to come back for a second helping and finish the series.
I don't want to say goodbye! You can't make me! Amala's Blade #4 is just the end of this arc, ignore that #4 (of 4) over there and all those words like “conclusion.”
Okay. Fine. Amala's Blade comes to a close as our heroine and expert assassin Amala winds up starting up a new war between the cybernetic Modifiers and the steampunk-tech Purifiers. Both the build up to the fight and the throwdown itself are engaging. Dialynas draws a damn good-looking battle, which is best described as beautifully horrific. Every panel and scene contains a ton of individual stories. Even the bland background of a battlefield in the middle of nowhere is given life through its characters. While there's a lot of a---kicking in this issue, Amala's Blade #4 retains its sense of humor with several hilarious and surprising moments that did more to keep me engaged in the story than any additional drama would have. Horton's clever dialogue deserves as much praise as Dialynas' art. Even in the face of their most dire situation, getting to laugh at the antics of these characters I've grown so attached to was a highlight of the issue.
SPOILERS BELOW (up to Amala's Blade #3)
It's all a matter of balance as Kani and the other red hunters would point out. Akaneiro is one part Japanese mythology, one part Little Red Riding Hood, with a large helping of American McGee and video game tropes thrown in for good measure. This charming series comes to a close with this third issue in a manner that made me both glad it's found a suitable stopping point and sad that this is it.
Ellie and Riley snuck outside of Boston's walls in an effort to locate and join the Fireflies, only when they found them, the group wasn't so thrilled to see them. The Fireflies knocked them out and took them into their custody.
Samurai vs. vampires. GO! That is Bushido in a nutshell. It's not a terribly deep comic but gives exactly what you'd expect and want from the concept and does it extremely well.
