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Graphic Breakdown!: STRAY BULLETS: SUNSHINE AND ROSES, KAIJUMAX, THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE, BROKEN FRONTIER ANTHOLOGY, HUCK & More!

Hello. My name is Lenny Schwartz.

I am a playwright and screenwriter from Rhode Island and New York.

Well, it’s been a month…and I’m still writing for Forces of Geek.

Now they are even having me conduct interviews, God help us all.

Anyway, I had some sugar and now I’m excited, so let’s start reviewing comics!

STRAY BULLETS: SUNSHINE AND ROSES #1-12 
Written and Illustrated by David Lapham 
Published by Image Comics

Oh man. This is a hard review to write.

I loved Stray Bullets in its initial run in the 1990s. It was a book I looked forward to, and David Lapham was one of my favorite creators. He wrote and drew incredible stories. They were inventive, lurid, and smart. It was like an heir to Pulp Fiction had hit the comic book world. And one day, after 39 issues…it stopped.

A few years ago, they decided to revive it. I was as excited as can be, so I eagerly awaited the new series. And then…we got this.

Lapham’s newest storyline “Sunshine and Roses” is anything but riveting. We see some familiar characters (Beth, Orson, Monster), and some new characters. None of it adds up to very much. Lapham’s art is as good as ever…his storytelling not so much.
 
Over the years, Lapham has strayed away from Stray Bullets so much that I think he actually might have forgotten what made it great. These new Image series feel like outtakes from something I once loved. And for that I give it:

RATING: C-

KAIJUMAX: SEASON ONE
Written and Illustrated by Zander Cannon 
Published by Oni Press

I just love Zander Cannon. A few years back, he did a series (and eventual book) Heck.

I loved Heck. I picked it up in San Diego and was amazed by it. That’s an A plus book. So, when I got the copy of Kaijumax…well, hell I was ready to give it a chance. It’s a little off my radar, but I’m glad I did.

So here’s the premise of Kaijumax: On a remote island in the South Pacific lies KAIJUMAX, a maximum-security prison for giant monsters. Follow doting father Electrogor as he stands up to the cruel space-superhero warden! See corrupt guard Gupta manage his illicit uranium-dealing empire and pay off his gambling debts to the Queen of the Moon! Watch Mecha-Zon battle his own programming when the monster he was created to destroy shows up on the pound! These stories and more will assault you from every angle in the cesspool of corruption that is KAIJUMAX.

Got all that? Yeah, I know. However, give this book a read. It’ll surprise you with originality and ingenuity. Cannon is one of the best we have, so his name on a book = Always worth a read.
The artwork may seem cartoony…yet the story is one with a lot of depth. It does go into some dark corners. Issues such as PSTD are explored in interesting yet sensitive ways. I applaud its bravery and intelligence.

Kaijumax may not be a comic for everyone. While I still love Heck a ton more, this was a blast, so give it a chance. You may surprise yourself. Season One is a treat. I’m already ready Season 2.

RATING: B+

THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #1-3 
Written by Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello and Illustrated by Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson
Published by DC Comics

And now comes the third part of the Dark Knight series, The Master Race. I wasn’t looking forward to this. I always enjoy Frank Miller but let’s face it: His offerings of late have been deranged. He’s always entertaining but let’s face it: The second Dark Knight book was just okay, and Holy Terror was kind of scattered. I always love his art, but his stories have lacked.

I confess I almost threw up in my mouth when I saw the announcement of this new series. Then I picked it up. And Lo and behold, it’s a pretty damn good comic book.

What’s great about this book is, well, everything. Azzarello and Miller present a unique story and they really “run with it”. I don’t want to ruin too much, but the first few issues focus on former Robin Carrie Kelley and, well, just read the book. It’s about Batman at the end of his career. It’s about a new look at an old favorite. And it’s about damn time.

The art by Kubert and Janson is spectacular. The story is fast paced. The mini comics drawn by Miller are a bonus treat to an already great book. I look forward to seeing how this turns out. I have never been so glad to be so wrong.

RATING: A-

BROKEN FRONTIER ANTHOLOGY 
Written and Illustrated by so many goddamn talented people I don’t have the space to list them. 
Published by A Wave Blue World

Well, my editor sometimes asks me if I’d like to review a certain book.

I always say, “Yes”… because A. I love comics and B. I LOVE FREE COMICS.

So he popped this along. And then I open it up. And it’s 304 pages. As luck would have it though, it’s off the charts good. So here goes my review.

This book is part of a really ambitious Kickstarter campaign by Tyler and Wendy Chin-Tanner and curated by Tyler Chin-Tanner and Fredrik Hautain.

It paired seasoned vets with up and comers from around the globe. And it’s good. This anthology is what the comic book industry needs. The tagline reads as a creator-owned anthology about breaking boundaries and exploring the great unknown by the most inventive talents in comics.

There are so many standouts here. My favorite has to be the underrated Noah Van Sciver who contributes a tale called “Down In a Hole,” which was basically…just a guy falling down a hole. But it’s so inventive you can’t stop reading. Another favorite was “Dark Dark World” by Cullen Bunn And Nathan Fox. Chin-Tanner even has a few stories in there and he is as deft a writer as he is a curator.

This is the stuff of good comic books.

A lot of times I see these Kickstarter Books and they seem like vanity projects to me. This book is anything but. My only hope is that this anthology continues. We need something like this in the market. They struck gold with this. Now keep it going. I’d read 1000 pages if they were all this good.

RATING: A

HUCK #1-4 
Written by Mark Millar and Illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque. 
Published by Image Comics

“What if Forrest Gump had superpowers?” seems to be the premise behind the latest entry from Mark Millar’s mind.

Millar has made quite a name for himself with the Kick-Ass comics and movies and Kingsman: The Secret Service and Wanted. Now he is trying his hand at something new: optimistic heroes with a twist.

And it’s decent. Not my favorite, but decent enough. It seems, however, like Millar is using comic books to sell formulaic movie pitches these days. And why not? It seems to be working. Are the comic books enjoyable however? Yes, they are.

The only problem I’m having is that I’m really starting to see the formula now Millar sticks to and I feel he was someone who used to take chances. Now? He’s a guy who wants to makes movies. Hey I can’t blame him.

Strike while you are hot. It’s just not as interesting for me as before. Doesn’t make it bad. Huck is a fine book. It has some great scenes. There’s humor, action, emotion…it just feels a little more manufactured than before.

The art by Albuquerque is good. He’s not my favorite artist but I like him enough. They work well enough together.  

Huck is a decent enough book. If I seem reticent to throw it accolades (So many are) it just hasn’t earned that yet from me. 4 issues in I just find it okay. Maybe it’s me getting old. Or maybe I want some more excitement brought to a comic beyond just being there to make movies.

It’s a decent book. Read it. I was a little underwhelmed. It’s lukewarm, but it may still have some promise in it.

RATING: B-

BURIED TREASURE PICK

ME AND JOE PRIEST 
Written by Greg Potter and Illustrated by Ron Randall
Published by DC Comics

Well, here is a book I had never heard of until recently. A friend of mine (Robert Yeremian of Time Capsule Comics here in RI…Visit there it’s awesome!) told me about it. And so I bought it off Amazon for a buck. I’m glad I did too. This book, somehow released in the mid-80s, is a great read for a cheap price.

Here is the premise: The human race is dying out. People have given up trying. The wasteland of this once-great civilization are now terrorized by gangs of “Bully Boys” and strange religious cults. Against this bleak backdrop one flickering hope begins to burn. It is a man. One man. He has somehow been spared the fate of his brethren. He does have the power to sire children-to keep the human race from becoming extinct. One fertile man and he just happens to be a priest!

This is a well-written book that never fails to surprise. Good writing, great art by Randall…it is a true buried treasure of a book. I don’t know how the hell this got released and I don’t know how the hell I missed it. But I’m glad I caught up with it. I can’t imagine being without it in my collection now.

RATING:A-

And that’s it for this week! Thank you all for reading!

Until next time, I remain…

Lenny Schwartz

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