I was getting all packed up and ready to go, not even thinking about comics, when this dropped in my mailbox. I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to write about this series! Packing can wait!

GodHoodComics is in the middle of making a second volume release, and they got this done as part of the project. Us Kickstarters got it first, hence why you might not have heard about it. In this story, we get a prologue that shows how Calvin switched from hero to "villain". If you didn't understand his reasoning why he wanted to take over, you will after that scene. Later, we learn where Calvin and Tonya are captured. Naturally the heroes are bad at their job and Calvin has taken advantage.

The artwork is topnotch as always. The framing and lighting were better this issue than previous issues. Though I felt the lighting in some spots could have been better done to impress the mood. I really like the cover because it invokes Superman and Superboy. Though this is not a Homelander story, this is more of a Invincible story even though the action is not similarly paced. 

I recall hearing that this got a TV deal. I can see where they wanna take it but I feel like they should have shaped the past plotline a bit better. This issue helps with that, but they have a lot more work to go. Perhaps they'll get it done before production begins, if it ever does?

You can find The Antagonists at GodHoodComics.

I didn't like the cover since it was a 2-page splash so I chose this page instead. I think it conveys the action coming in this episode.

The crew that got introduced last episode gets a flashback issue. We learn about the Calvary, a little bit about their origins, and their fated mission that changed the fate of humanity and the war itself. Seems like some scientists were working on Eukarya DNA with the goal of producing hybrids. Morphio has been sent to stop them...and cover up the misdeeds of Libor. While at the enemy base he discovers a complete hybrid of a different sort, and decides not to give in to command. Could this explain something important about Fox's team the Angels?

The art is really good, but the introduction of so many characters puts a strain on the page. None of them died because they all need to be there for the current story arc, but giving everyone lines seemed to drag the story out. The ship artwork still feels polygonal like StarFox64 but I think that's the effect the art team's going for. 

The story is the biggest issue but I like the bonus character at the end. The story feels deep yet cliche. I'm hoping they make improvement and provide greater depth in future storylines. 

You can find this and other issues in the series at raecomics.com. 

It's time to talk about issue 2, but in a surprise, there isn't as much to talk about. 

2 months after the contest, Fox is still moping and Legz is still recovering from the loss of her legs. Hmm, you're probably thinking of something very popular and familiar. Anyway, the Eurkayan enemy has launched an attack against a vital fuel depot and the Angels are called in along with the rest of the fleet. Unfortunately they prove lacking and the Angels have to save the day. 

Have you ever played StarFox? It was a really polygon-style game on N64. I never had that system so I almost never played it. This story feels like I'm reading a Starfox comic and I don't know how I feel about that.

Art remains the same. I don't think the team changed much but they seem to have nailed the character art down pat. My only problem with the art remains the issue with flight action. I think there needs to be a slower, more defined pacing to it. It just looks like a buncha lines that don't quite match the character's descriptions. Anyway, the next issue will be mainly on the ground, so they'll have time to work on it.

You can find this and other issues in the series at raecomics.com. I will cover episode 3 next week.

One of my Kickstarters came through right as I was giving final exams. So I've been sitting on it for a few days. Kinda wish I got to it sooner.

In a dark distant future, humanity clings to survival far from Earth which was destroyed by a hostile alien race. Aspiring pilots like Angel Squadron team up to participate in the Libor Station's elite tournament, with the winners going on to the military. Think of it as Ender's Game Battle School and Elite Dangerous mashed together. During the competition, tragedy hits the team and the leader must decide what is the best way forward. Will he quit the squad or face his fears?

The artwork is amazingly detailed, yet somewhat problematic. I really enjoy the diverse character designs and the special effects, but the space fighter action is a bit trickier to determine what's going on. I think it'd look better in an animated form rather than the page, but we'll see if it goes in that direction. I really liked the paneling, especially during the spider mech challenge. 

The creators even threw in a custom soundtrack that seems interesting but a little bit tricky to access. I got it working on Tidal but you might have more luck elsewhere. The little I was able to hear got me interested. 

You can find this and other issues in the series at raecomics.com. I will cover episode 2 next week.

I return to this series to see if there are updates. Sure enough, there are! That's one thing that you can believe with Zebra Comics- they constantly output.

The story's 3 arcs continue with the first arc about Njonga being left at school while his father travels to the village. The second arc involves a quest for revenge against evil governor, this time with magic tech and a cool reveal sequence. The third arc feels a bit underdeveloped, but we find out more about the mecha golem that appeared in the first episode. 

Salt plays a big role in this series. In the old days, salt was scarcer and of great importance. Didn't know it could power magic lightning drones or empower people, but the more you know...

Click here to see their whole lineup including this good comic.

A new series from the YouNeek lineup is coming out soon and the company was so happy with it, they released a chapter for free! Who doesn't like free comics?! Well, maybe me, but...

A long time ago (Before the events of Windmaker and Malika) a great technologically advanced kingdom called Asiri was created with the help of celestial beings and some powered amulets. In the beginning of the book there's a battle between magical beings that's a bit confusing and the second half is a flashback before the events of the novel. It kinda reads as a Wakanda story, minus the panther god Bast's involvement.

The art is amazing as always with a YouNeek product. The color saturation makes almost every scene gorgeous. Their time spend working with Dark Horse has really improved their works but then again even E.X.O was really good. The only drawback I noticed was a little lack of shadowing. I think they forgot to draw them.

Anyway, it's a free comic that's really high quality and will make you want to read more in the series, especially if you're into sci-fi fantasy mashups. 5 out of 5 stars. You can read it for free for now on BookFunnel, at least until the whole thing comes out.

It's here, it's finally here! Unfortunately, it's only available on Kickstarter so I only can read it! HAHA!

We finish up the battle in the first part with the evil eagle, which proves too much for our hero E the chef and his team to fight. The goddess has to intervene, and E is wounded. Saved by the loving companionship of Mil-Chan. he realizes he's not strong enough. Like any good isekai protag-kun, he...goes on a training session and shopping! Can't stab the monster if you don't have a sword, amirite? Unfortunately, new monsters show up and he is out of their weight class. Will he survive to see episode 3?

The beast art was really dope and the nude scenes were a bit better and more frequent. There were some confusing scenes and panel work, which makes me think there was some artistic confusion.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The plot is picking up, though the sexy time hasn't. That'll change in later issues.

For now, it's not on sale. When I hear about it, I'll update this posting. #3 should be starting soon on Kickstarter so you'll be able to add this and other issues when placing your order.

I forgot I had this smorgasbord of comics from the Kickstarter last year. Griot Enterprises releases these every few years or so. I liked Vol 8 so I figured Vol 9 would be interesting as well. And yes, it is interesting but not in the way I feel the organization was going for.

It reads less like a mixtape and more like you're in the car with your friend and he keeps changing the station on the radio when you're settling into the song. Dude, can't you finish a song?! My guy!

About the only concurrent theme is history- there are little inserts about black people in comics and how it related to things going on in the rest world like the early civil rights movements, the assassinations of X & MLK, the rise of gangsta rap and the Wu-Tang Clan's interest in comics. I liked the historical snippets, since I only remember a few bits of it myself.

Deep inside the comic is a few pages from a failed Wu-Tang comic production in the aughts. I think they were planning a collab with JLA/Avengers but things didn't work out. Nonetheless, I think it would have been special on its own. There are a few pages and frames from artists across the Black comic collective, so there's something for everyone.

The greatest utility from this mixed up mixtape would be to learn about artists you hadn't heard of so you can look up their works online. I'll be doing that in subsequent posting as I saw a few I liked. You can find this comic on Amazon and DriveThruComics. It'll lead you to greatness.

The writer of this series talked about it in the BCC group and I'd seen it around for awhile, so he asked me to review. Heh, his funeral....

Vandora Zandra is a half-human/alien living a standard teenage live, but her powers awakened young and has begun training. Her story begins with her boyfriend Keith suspicious of his stepfather Mort's pharmacy. Using her powers, she discovers the truth, but so does his stepfather. Mort's drugstore is funny. He sells kimchi, durian, escargot, AND basashi! On the next page there's hakarl, lutefisk and balut! Some of these are the smelliest foods on Earth. The DEA, FDA & the Health dept gonna shut him down!

In the second issue, some time has passed and she's decided to be a hero of the power. Her first fight; a purse snatcher who gets arrested by a racists ass police department! Are they in Shreveport?! Anyway, we learn a bit more about her alien father and her teacher/handler.

Power Broker is a Marvel character, so watch out for character infringement! Also watch out for typos. Sooo many typos.

Notice I haven't spoken much about the art. It's pedestrian at best but mostly subpar. The covers and character designs were good, but I've seen much better (for much cheaper). If they wanna get to the next tier of quality comics, BB Comics needs to up their game. Because just above them are Aceblade, Black Cobra, and Scorpio. And above them are Nightfall, Dayblack, and Horsemen. It'll be a while (and a lot of work) before Zandra can get anywhere near the titans of Black comics. But let's hope they try.

You can find Vandora Zandra on Amazon. So far 6 episodes are available with more on the way.

While I never have any regrets about a Kickstarter (except Japan Needs Heroes) this is one I could've avoided. I encountered the writer on the BCC group as he was asking why Black folks aren't pitching in. So I jumped in because I like it when creators ask folks to check out their products. Don't mind if I do...

I was suspicious that it was a religiously focused comic because of some text I saw in the Kickstarter. And yup, correct! It is heavy-handed in its religiousity and I do not like that one bit. Is it better than Left Behind? To be honest, everything is better than that steaming turd. The bar for religious fiction is soooo low that anything slightly better is automatically good. 

The art was quite good in many aspects. Framing was on point, character art was very consistent, info page reminded me of 90s Marvel Comics' style, the letter looked good as well. Art-wise, it's better than Scorpio. I also liked the covers (there are 2) and the pinups. Lighting/tone needs work.

Plot-wise, it's a bit weak. I liked the mini-stories a bit more than the main story but the forgiveness and come-to-Jesus angle kinda clashed with the first arc. They were chasing after the Cheetor wannabe for a reason. Later on, he becomes a good guy? What about his crimes? I don't get it, but it is a Christian focused comic, so I'll never get it. At least we got a good intro to Black Cobra the main character out of it, and we got a hint that #2 is on the way. 3.0 out of 5 stars, but 4 out of 5 in religious stars. Nightfall was better but that's a hard bar to climb over. 

You can find Black Cobra and other comics in the series at Remnant and Grok Comics.

Zebra Comics has been appeared/spamming a lot in the Black Comics groups I frequent. Now they have our undivided attention. As I constantly remind creators, you might not want my attention. Today we find out if they're worth your attention with Wrong Dial, their AfroFuturist comic.

This is a webtoon hosted on Zebra Comic's website. The first 2 episodes are free, but if you want to read more, you should buy coins or subscribe. I bought coins because I wasn't feelin' episode 1. 

Episode 1 introduces the main character Wahab who watches his village and brother get killed in a counter-terrorism raid by Cameroonian special forces. We then meet Tattah, a prince with a magic bracelet. As we learn in episode 2 and 3, the bracelet has powerful magic and there is a secret council of tribal leaders who are trying to track down the thieves who killed Tattah, and then Wahab wakes up some mechs hidden behind some hills. A good parking place, to be honest. In general, I found episode 2 and 3 to be pretty well-written as the story has depth to it and the characters (that survive) seem worth following.

The artwork is fairly standard for color webtoons. The art teams are going more for speed than beauty for the medium. Nowadays you can make improvements using special tools, but I don't know if they had them in this early episode. The artwork in episode 3 definitely looks more polished when compared to episode 1, as evident by the hologram/ghost effects one of the characters has.

Worth your time? At 3.5 stars, it's a maybe. If not, Zebra Comics has lots of choices that I will explore later this year, now that I've got coins. Click here to see their whole lineup including this good comic.

The author made some changes to their webtoon site when I went back to see if it was still active. The readability improved a bit so I decided to take a look at issue #2. At the end of #1, nobody in the school had died. Now, as you can see on the cover, someone died. Let's find out whom...

We continue with the storyline of Letitia leading the kindergarteners around the city. The kids are not quite an effective fighting force but Letitia does her best. Since they are little kids they are easily distracted by things, like puppies. The zombies are never distracted, only their hunger moves them. An evac order gives the kids a destination and they make a move to the island. Unfortunately, the zombies got there first and now they're trapped in the trainyard, where 2 of the kids pay the price. Can Letitia keep the rest of her young charges alive? Issue 3 is already in progress.

The artwork's improved from the start of the story. I think a new artist is at the helm and it shows. They still use the real-life photos in backgrounds to give the reader a sense of being in New York City, and the lack of people in the shots is something you never see in the real NYC (except at night). While less wavy, the art still lacked body and dept in some ways. The paneling improved but still lacked some creativity.

As usual, you can PS43 returns here. And my first review here. 

I'm trying to remember whom I promised a review to in mid-December. I think it was this one, so I went online and bought it. Never wait too long to make a purchase. 

The first issue is a long flashback that sets the tone of the story. Joan is a little girl who loves her parents, but they are taken from her in tragedies. The first tragic death is her father who dies of drowning or beating. This death effects her mother, as if she's haunted by it and she kills herself after a long bout of depression and drug use. Or were they, as the last frame hints as something else. The second episode has a much older Joan about to speak to the boss, but the boss has been sexually harassing his employees, and now it's her turn. But, she trades 'places' and her father is now in the room. What's gonna happen to the pervy boss? Despite the good start, I am a bit confused by the plot. Perhaps the next issues will explain the details further?

The artwork for both issues was interesting, to say the least. I liked the framing and the focal points but I don't like how much paper was left blank. There's way too much blank space per page that could have been used, or switched with a smaller paper size. Issue 2 wasn't much better, though it was improved in some ways. There was a marked improvement in the motion scenes as well as the framing. I'm always happy when I see improvement.

4 out of 5 stars. You can find issues 1-4 at WildeMan Entertainment.

Another series of Kickstarters cleared and I'm happy again to be talking about them. This is second half of the same Kickstarter that Ballad came in, though it has a different producer.

We jump right into the action when Harlem (woman on the cover) wakes up and sees charred corpses around her. She checks the room next to her and finds her parents shot dead on the floor. And of course the police are on the way. Someone wants her dead as is using the police to get it done. Harlem gets to her grandma's house and the truth of power's origin and its activation comes out. Can she handle the threats arrayed against her alone? Apparently she isn't as a fan favorite shows up to help. Here's a hint; he wields an axe. No, not the body spray. 

The cover artwork's better than Black Rose but not exceptionally impressive. I liked the flame effect as it's a good representation of her powers and style. I wasn't a big fan of the overall art and the consistency of the characters. On page 9, there is a police photo of the main character that the news is broadcasting but it doesn' t look like the character so IDK what they were thinking. People would be calling the cops on the wrong person all night long. The action and power effects were consistently good and I'm hoping that the series continues with the same styling for those scenes. 

I'm giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars. You can find Harlem at 4thWallPros along with Aceblade and other works there. 

Another series of Kickstarters cleared and I'm happy again to be talking about them. Today we get a Western comic. Don't usually get those, padner! Let's ride!

Mr. and Mrs. Rose are homesteaders with an interesting past. They have a daughter called Prim who is the cutest around. But one day trouble finds them in town and they have to take action to protect their home. That trouble comes in the form of surprise taxes on their house. When they can't afford to pay, a shootout happens and little Prim becomes an avatar of the...not sure what's that supposed to be? The Teddy Bear of Destruction? There weren't Teddy Bears in the wild west days so I'm not quite sure if that's what the comic is trying to invoke. You'll need to read and see.

The artwork is slightly above average, even though I found the cover art to be below average. The paneling really frames the shootouts and tension well. Mr. Quick is not the artist, so while I can't say whether or not he planned the paneling, I can say that Silva's style is a little weak in some aspects with the background and head shapes. I know the trend is to draw everyone pretty, but this is an ugly story and it needed to be drawn ugly to reflect that. I think in that regard, it came out pretty well. I also liked how they drew Prim, and the menace of the finale.

I'm not a super fan of western stories but I see some potential here. You can find Ballad of the Black Rose at 4thWallPros along with Aceblade and other works there. 

I've had this on the back burner for a month and now it's time to take it off the stove! Etan Comics is the publisher of Hawi and Zufan series, and while they work on those, they gathered some African artists together to bring this anthology to print. The stories are not linked and they in general have a similar theme- African perspectives. 

The two best stories were the front and back ones. Yes, they were the war stories, and they weren't particularly sci-fy like the cover art, but they were quite stylish. The first story is about the Italian invasion of Ethiopia and how the pilot John Robinson flew the Emperor to the battlefield despite long odds and resistance. John would later become the father of the Tuskegee Airmen. The second story is about a squad of Ethiopian soldiers fighting in the Korean war, against the NK Army and the US racists. I've been to their memorial in Chuncheon and the coffee shop (because Ethiopia means coffee, right?). It's nice to see them also get some love in the comic book format too. 

That's not to say the other stories didn't move me. If you are interested in a story that moves you more, you'll find them in these 80 or so pages of art. I didn't find the other artists stories and art as great as Niobe or clean like YouNeek, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying them. 4 out 5 stars.

You can pre-order the hardcover as of 12/23/23 but I haven't seen the digital version yet. So you should go to https://etancomics.com/ to get your own copy once it becomes available.

The Black Comics Creators Facebook group has a lot of comic book makers looking to make their big break into the industry. So today I heard from the proprietor of Trippy Bull Comics with a review request. Let's see if it lives up to the hype!

The slightly typical origin story follows Sam (the boy in the school jacket) a typical struggling high schooler. He and his friend get jumped/set up by a gang and Sam runs inside (where else but) a poorly guarded nuclear fusion facility. A stray bullet triggers an explosion and Sam gains superpowers. But street violence is not something easily solved by powers. See how long Batman's been fighting crime in Gotham?

As far as the art goes, I'd say it's better than many #1 issues. The art team has a good grasp of paneling and shading. My only complaint is they draw the heads a bit too large. That'll probably work its way out in future issues.  4 out of 5 stars.

You can find Kid Solar at TrippyBullComics for free or $8 for a hard copy.

I was going to say it's been a long time since I read a Silver Surfer series. But I just remembered I read the Power Greater Than Cosmic which got good reviews, mostly for its humor. This story is not so humorous. 

The Silver Surfer was stuck on Earth for decades since he fought his master Galactus in FF #52. While stuck on Earth, he met a black scientist named Al Harper, who worked with him to find a way to get past Galactus' barrier. However he died at the hands of the sinister Stranger (a demi-god with a 70s mustache) and Surfer buried his body. Decades later, Toni and John's family move into his house, find his lab, and somehow bring him back to 'life'. This cosmic energy event attracts the Surfer, starting a wild adventure in the small town of Sweetwater, I wish the art was as good as the story.

While I was a fan of the cover art, the interior art felt a bit lacking. Some scenes were too shaded, some were too bright. The characters were not drawn consistently. Maybe I've been spoiled from too many Ron Marz and Ron Lim comics, but I expect top tier artwork when the Surfer's involved. I also felt like Al's nanosuit was a bit too much like the Green Lantern. I give Ghost Light a shiny 4 out of 5 stars.

You can find Ghost Light at Amazon and Marvel's website. 

Have you read this story before? Because that's the feeling I had when I read the first 5 pages. 

Former astronaut Jonathan DeVane struggles with life after leaving NASA in the wake of the mission to destroy a comet. Turns out, it wasn't a comet at all but an alien spaceship and debris from the crash killed hundreds across the world. But our hero doesn't know that, until his colleague Tommy asks him to help transport a Russian hacktivist to a swap meet. But it turns out the convoy was also carrying a secret. A secret named Lila. DeVane, the hacktivist, and the alien hybrid Lila must fight the US government to figure out her origin and what the evil general is up to, all before the invasion fleet shows up. 

This is a graphic novel of 120 some pages so I wasn't counting on the air being great throughout. I was a bit surprised to see that it was quite consistent in quality. The paneling and interspaced amount of full page spreads were good as well. The dialog bubbies are spaced quite well and I didn't have problems knowing who's talking and when.

But the main problem with the story is that I've read too many versions of it. The grizzled vet main character and Lila the alien hottie reminds me of Fifth Element, the Russian hacktivist reminds me of a dumber Edward Snowden, and the evil general reminds me of every B-movie Scify channel's produced. Hell even the alien invaders felt "stock" to me. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

You can get Astral Genesis from Pet Piranha Entertaiment on Indiegogo.

Another one of my Kickstarters came through, right at the start of my overseas trip. So now I gotta sit down and write this review. Oh, my life, it's so hard. #sarcasm

Stella Rae Simone is a spy and bodyguard for A.F.R.O the All-Female Revolutionary Organization. She gets an easy assignment in this issue- Protect Keith Washington, a George Washington Carver type with a cure for carbon emissions. unfortunately, some international terrorist group has other ideas. Can Stella rescue him in time for the speech?

The art seems pretty mundane for a first issue. I didn't see any particularly glaring mistakes. The framing and panel work looked pretty professional as well. I feel like the art team spent more time making Stella look hot and curvaceous rather than on the overall art. Me personally, since the character is a combat-type, I would have drawn the afro smaller to minimize the grab potential. But that's just me.

You can find it at the FroLife website here.

Here's a hilarious one that'll never make it to your local comic book stores. Might make it to your local adult toy store, however. Or comedy shop due to its humorous ideas.

Eric AKA E is a chef at a busy kitchen and a big time anime fan. His coworkers respect him for his work ethic and skills though they rib him for liking anime in his 30s. One day, he falls asleep in his car and gets Isakaied (not by Truck-Kun) by a goddess but the demon lord Layla intercepted the summon and claimed him instead. After some fooling around, the goddess gets the hero back but is embarrased and has to cover up her mistake. Now, E must defend Axis against the evils and fight the demon lord, using video game mechanics similar to the Land series. It's every weeb's dream...until it becomes a nightmare.

The art isn't nightmarish, though the framing and position make it hard to follow at some points. For an adult oriented comic, it lacks a lot of nudity and seems excessive in other ways. Did the giant bird really tear the priestess' clothes off? Seems kinda off to me. Going forward I think the artist will change up the framing and improve the readability. Will the team add more nudity? In some ways, it might be less if they added more.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars. A good hilarious start to a series I certainly will be following. 

For now, it's not on sale. When I hear about it, I'll update this posting.

Another one fresh off the Kickstarter press!

We follow Akolyte after the climatic events in issue 4, in space and heading to fight the Children of Chaos. Why he didn't check the nearest kindergaten is beyond me since there are many children of chaos in there. Anyway, he is attacked by Therans and before he can sort out the matter, a cybernetic enemy called The Zenith. The Zenith are hunting the Therans for some reason, and Akolyte must come to the rescue. Who are these enemies and what role will they play in the universe? I suppose this will come to a head in future chapters.

The art show some improvement over the first issue. The character's powers and the panel placement definitely showed improvement. You get as great a cosmic vibe with this issue as you did with the first issues. 

The story wasn't as interesting or as dynamic as it could have been. The plotline did not seem too boilerplate, but the idea of a weak race needing to be saved by a galactic hero has been done a lot, especially in the Silver Surfer comics. Now some of this is to be expected, since this character is somewhat patterned off the space traveler genre. Another mistake was at the end, in which both groups are shown to not be what they appear to be. Which is fine, but Akolyte should have sensed that right away. Perhaps this storyline will continue with the next issues, since this one did well on Kickstarter?

It'll be a while before this comic comes to the stores but you should keep an eye out for it at the Konkret Comics website.