30 Days of Night - Red Snow #1: The latest in the continuing 30 Days of Night series, this mini has nothing to do with the one it follows (30 DoN: Eben & Stella). In fact, it is not even set in the same time period but rather more than half a century in the past, in 1941, putting it slam bang in the middle of the Second World War. The main protagonists (or in other words, the lambs to the slaughter) are two opposing army conveys, one of the German sides and the other the Russian. The first issues sets up the attacking Germans (all in part of Germany’s losing campaign against Russia), the Russian forces (with an Englishman accompanying them) and the civilian villagers who are caught in the crossfire. There are some rather witty and interesting moments especially in the way the two sides’ view of themselves and the enemy. Heck, even the title ‘Red Snow’ is rather appropriate, in more ways than one. Lastly, as for the thing that really defines this as a 30 DoN series, the vampires, they don’t appear until the last few pages but even then their presence is a silent one, (which IMO is a really ‘five star level’ creepy one).

Conclusion: Is this yet another excellent 30 DoN mini-series? Well, if this issue is anything to go by then ‘Definitely!’

RATING: 4.5/5

Action Comics #855: Better than just about anything to come out so far from the Johns-Donner partnership (esp. the craptastic twisting of the comic Super-mythos into its movie counterpart), this issue of Action Comics has the added advantage of having on it the brilliance of Eric “The Goon” Powell. About Powell, having seen the first issue of this ‘Escape From Bizarro World’ arc, I will say this, there could not have been a better choice for bringing this story into the printed visuals realm. As for the story itself, it’s mostly setup for both Superman and Bizarro counterpart, including a Bizarro Earth complete with a Bizarro Lois. In that it borrows heavily from the Silver Age. (Yeah, another current DC story ‘borrowing’ from the Silver Age. Who woulda thought?!) Nevertheless, even with all the Silver Age and Movie stuff it still works out in the end, all thanks to the artwork.

Conclusion: I hope to see a Powell drawn Batman (Batman or ‘Tec, heck even BMC) story arc too…and soon.

RATING: 3.5/5

Bump #4: As the final installment of this four part mini-series (soon to be a motion picture), this issue of Bump had three main points to accomplish, one, a resolution about the good-guys i.e. the Sheriff and the remaining survivors, two, ditto (i.e. a resolution) for the bag guy, the returned from dead, Eddie Dill and lastly, the obligatory ‘chilling’ ending. Well, as far as I am concerned Bump #4 more than accomplished all three requirements. Also, as expected there is a whole lotta action - of the gory variety - and killing - also of the gory variety. The artwork, as with the previous issue, is consistently good.

Conclusion: Coming up next, the Bump-Hack/Slash crossover. ‘m looking forward to it.

RATING (issue): 4.5/5
RATING (mini): 4/5

Birds of Prey #109: It's been a while since I read (let alone reviewed) an issue of this series. The reason for my return is a simple one, there has been a writer change, (even if this one is a temporary one until the 'permanent' one takes over. So, how was my return experience with the Budds of Prey?! Well, although I am still not quite sold (again) to add the BoP to my permanent pull-list I am ‘intrigued’, even with the double negatives it has against it – the Wedding of Green Arrow and Black Canary tie-in and the Countdown crap-on. Not caring for either ‘event’ I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn’t all that confused/left adrift by the happenings of this issue. As for the story, Black Canary and Oracle spend the better part of the issue bickering over Ollie Queen and why Canary should or should not marry him. Elsewhere Big Barda and Misfit (a character I know nothing about, except for she was impersonating Batgirl) are busy with Sin, Canary’s adopted daughter. The Barda-Sin dynamic was my favorite part of the issue. Lastly, the Countdown crisscross had yet another New God die. This time is was Knockout and even though Barda had nothing to do with her demise the way the whole thing played out has Scandal Savage, Knockout’s lover thinking/blaming Mrs. Scott Free for. At least that’s the way it looked to me.

Conclusion: Will I return next month? Can’t say for sure. Will give it a look in the LCS. Still, the chances are more towards the ‘Aye’ side than the ‘Nay’. Nicola Scott’s artwork a definite plus in that regard.

RATING: 3.5/5 (Almost 4)

The Fourth Horseman #1: Don’t know quite what to make of this. On one side it seems like a solid start for what seems like an interesting series. Yet, there are so many confusing elements (within this issue itself) that I can’t help but second guess anything and everything I read here. Given that there are four issues this one deals with the first one, Bear. Not a ‘real’ bear per say, Bear is a Native American Indian who from the looks of it is the leader of his tribe (and could have possibly disposed of all the males in the tribe). He is supposed to be a force for evil, which is supported/proven in part by the death that seems to follow his steps. Still, it doesn’t quite hit the mark, at least not with me. Same holds true for the artwork too, which although more than adequately descriptive is a bit too raw (sometimes).

Conclusion: Hope that the second issue (and other subsequent ones) help make the picture clearer.

RATING: 2.5/5

Ninja Scroll #12: Ninja Scroll is one of those series which falls in a ‘shadow’ area as far as comic readers are concerned. Its setting and (to a certain extent) the artwork make it seem like it’s a manga series, a ‘mature’ one but a manga nevertheless, thus alienating it to the traditional ‘superhero’ comic reading crowd. At the same time it is not manga enough to get the core manga readership. This is a pity for between writers J. Torres and Kelly Puckett this is one consistently strong series. This issue (by Torres) is no different. (Seemingly) giving a twist to the usual ‘reception’ that out hero receives wherever he goes, the story throws out interesting twists along the way. There is the usual (obligatory?) monster, a female shape-shifting vampire. Thanks to Michael Chang Ting Yu’s artwork the visuals are par excellence, be it the character interactions or the action scenes.

Conclusion: If only more people would give series’ like this a try.

RATING: 4/5

Star Trek - Year Four #1: A nice, ol’fashioned Kirk-Spock-McCoy story. That, in as short a description as possible is how I would recount the first issue of this series. I have been reading quite a few Star Trek stories in the recent months; right from the TNG ones too the ones involving Klingons and still this one excited me. Maybe it was because the original Star Trek series is still my all-time favorite of all Trek series, (followed by Voyager), or maybe, well, who cares. All that matters is that this away-mission style story really hit home. The Enterprise comes across DNA-style collective of planets and soon enough an away-team (led by Kirk) lands on the one with life-signs. There they find what at first glance seemed (to me) as a future day version of Dr. Moreau’s island. It turned out to be something quite different. I did find the last half rushed a bit but given the page constraint it was expected. Hope to see future stories done in better detail, maybe with 2 issue arcs, maybe even 3.

Conclusion: Looking forward to the next issue.

RATING: 3.5/5