Tag: review

Red Sonja: Age of Chaos pits She-Devil vs vampires

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date July 16, 2020
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Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #5 Cover A by Lucio Parrillo. Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #5
Writer: Erik Burnham
Artist: Jonathan Lau
Cover: Lucio Parrillo
FC | 32 pages | Fantasy/Horror | $3.99 | Teen+

All hell breaks loose in Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #5 — and it’s just the penultimate chapter in this limited series. Will anyone still be around for the finale?

As previously reported, Red Sonja meets the Chaos! characters Chastity, Purgatori, Jade, and Evil Ernie for the first time ever in this limited series from Dynamite Entertainment.

And chaos is an understatement when all these characters throw down in this action-packed issue. Can Red Sonja and Chastity stop Jade and her thralls, and a newly powered Purgatori?

Spoilers ahead.

Geek Culture

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Ep 10 review

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date July 15, 2020
1 Comment on Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Ep 10 review

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire
Season 1 Episode 10: “Newton’s Third Law”
By Lauren Beukes, Vita Ayala, Sam Beckbessinger, Zoe Quinn, and Elsa Sjunneson
Narrated by Fryda Wolff

Stunned. That’s how I feel after finishing the latest installment of Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire. An incredible follow-up to last week’s wonderful episode, with one of the best reveals I’ve read in a book or a comic book.

Sam Beckbessinger once again handles the writing chores in Episode 10: “Newton’s Third Law”. This Serial Box exclusive is now firing on all cylinders as a stubborn Jessica Jones makes it her mission to find out the truth about Jamie’s death.

You would think a superhuman like Jessica, with her super strength and healing powers, would hardly be the underdog in this novel. But she definitely is, and as readers we are constantly worried that she has bitten off more than she can chew.

Spoilers ahead.

Tags book review, comic book superhero, comic book superheroes, Jessica Jones, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel’s Jessica Jones Playing with Fire, Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire, review, Serial Box, Serial Box exclusive, superhero, superheroes

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James Bond: Reimagining the man with the Midas touch

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date July 14, 2020
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James Bond 007 Vol. 2 HC
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Eric Gapstur and Robert Carey
Cover: Dave Johnson
FC | 152 pages | Action/Adventure | $24.99 | Teen+

Arguably the best James Bond villain, and certainly the one with most memorable quote (“No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!”), Goldfinger has been reimagined in Greg Pak’s incredible 007 series.

This is a much scarier Goldfinger, “the most ruthless sociopath in the world”, as the previews described him. And facing him is a deadlier, more desperate James Bond than the one we know from the film named after this villain.

Dynamite Entertainment‘s James Bond 007 Vol. 2 HC collects issues 7-12 of Pak’s series. And just as James Bond: Origin gave us a grittier teenage version of Bond, so too does this series show us a more grounded adult version of 007. With no Pussy Galore in sight.

Spoilers ahead.

Geek Culture

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Ep 9 review

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date July 8, 2020
1 Comment on Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Ep 9 review

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire
Season 1 Episode 9: “Bad Taxidermy”
By Lauren Beukes, Vita Ayala, Sam Beckbessinger, Zoe Quinn, and Elsa Sjunneson
Narrated by Fryda Wolff

I was grinning from ear to ear after reading the latest installment of Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire. Episode 9: “Bad Taxidermy” is now my new favorite episode in this Serial Box exclusive.

Of course, I may be biased because Jessica Jones interacts with my favorite character among those this series introduced, the young flare Sam. Whose pronouns are “they/them”, by the way.

Not only that, but this episode also further connects Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire to the larger Marvel Universe. Spoilers ahead.

Tags book review, comic book superhero, comic book superheroes, Jessica Jones, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel’s Jessica Jones Playing with Fire, Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire, review, Serial Box, Serial Box exclusive, superhero, superheroes

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Death of Nancy Drew: Can the Hardy Boys solve this?

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date July 7, 2020
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The Death of Nancy Drew #2
Writer: Anthony Del Col
Artist: Joe Eisma
Cover: Joe Eisma
FC | 32 pages | Mystery | $3.99 | Teen+

Has the death of Nancy Drew shocked you? Now her best friends Frank and Joe Hardy are investigating what exactly happened on the night of Nancy’s death.

Dynamite Entertainment‘s The Death of Nancy Drew #2 had me hooked from the start. And I’m not even really a fan of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. But I’m enjoying this noirish tale that Anthony Del Col (Kill Shakespeare, Luke Cage) has crafted, which Eisner Award winner Joe Eisma (Morning Glories, Riverdale) is bringing to gritty life.

And if you think Nancy, Frank, and Joe are the only Stratemeyer Syndicate characters in this fascinating series, think again. Spoilers ahead.

Geek Culture

James Bond: The adventures of 007 when he was a boy

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date July 7, 2020
2 Comments on James Bond: The adventures of 007 when he was a boy

James Bond: Origin Vol. 2 HC
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Ibrahim Moustafa
Cover: Dan Panosian
$24.99

No gadgets. No martinis. And no larger-than-life villains. Just the adventures of a teenage James Bond during World War II. And what a fascinating read it is.

Dynamite Entertainment‘s James Bond: Origin Vol. 2 hardcover collects James Bond: Origin #7–12. The James Bond: Origin series fleshes out Bond’s life before the first novel of Ian Fleming introduced him to the world.

It takes place during World War II, when he was just starting his career as a spy. I’m not really a Bond fan, but I really enjoyed this collection. Spoilers ahead.

Geek Culture

Red Sonja: Bless the beasts and the children

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date July 3, 2020
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Red Sonja (Vol. 5) #16
Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Bob Q
Cover: Jae Lee
FC | 32 pages | Sword and Sorcery | $3.99 | Teen+

She is Sonja the Red, the Master of War. But is anyone really its master? Or, as Dynamite Entertainment‘s Red Sonja (Vol. 5) #16 seems to tell us, is the truth that no one really wins in a war?

Least of all ordinary people. Particularly the children.

Writer Mark Russell continues chronicling Year Two, when the She-Devil we all know and love was still the young Sonja the Red. And as I mentioned in my review, the mini-series Killing Red Sonja spins out from the events in this title. This issue even briefly shows what’s happening to Emperor Cyril and tells readers to follow his adventures in the mini-series.

Spoilers ahead.

Geek Culture

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Ep 8 review

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date July 1, 2020
1 Comment on Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Ep 8 review

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire
Season 1 Episode 8: “My Door Is Always Open (Now)”
By Lauren Beukes, Vita Ayala, Sam Beckbessinger, Zoe Quinn, and Elsa Sjunneson
Narrated by Fryda Wolff

In last week’s review, I said I was still convinced that the action will pick up again in Episode 8. Boy, did it ever! This latest installment of Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire is the most action-packed episode so far in this Serial Box exclusive.

Zoe Quinn once again handled the writing chores for Season 1 Episode 8: “My Door Is Always Open (Now)”. It’s a fast-paced episode that starts with Jessica Jones checking one last ATM.

She has been to several bodegas already, trying to check her only lead. The crumpled ATM receipt Jamie had on him when he died. Spoilers ahead.

Tags book review, comic book superhero, comic book superheroes, Jessica Jones, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel’s Jessica Jones Playing with Fire, Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire, review, Serial Box, Serial Box exclusive, superhero, superheroes

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Killing Red Sonja: Boy emperor takes on Sonja the Red

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date June 30, 2020
2 Comments on Killing Red Sonja: Boy emperor takes on Sonja the Red

Image credit: Dynamite Entertainment

Killing Red Sonja #2
Writers: Mark Russell, Bryce Ingman
Artist: Craig Rousseau
Cover: Christian Ward
FC | 32 pages | Action/Adventure | $3.99 | Teen+

I’m getting used to Red Sonja comic books being funny. After enjoying the humor in Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #4, now Dynamite Entertainment‘s Killing Red Sonja #2 has wowed me with this lighthearted story about a boy emperor’s quest to kill Sonja the Red.

Of course, since this is a Red Sonja comic, lighthearted means witty dialogue and funny situations interspersed with maiming and killing. Mark Russell and Bryce Ingman have come up with a very enjoyable issue in this mini-series that spins out from the Red Sonja title written by Russell. With Craig Rousseau’s beautiful, fairy tale-like art perfectly complementing the writing.

It’s indirectly a tale about Sonja the Red — the young and untamed orphan who will one day be known as Red Sonja. But it’s really the story of the young Prince Cyril, now Emperor of Zamora, who is out to avenge his father Dragan the Magnificent, who was killed by Sonja the Red. Spoilers ahead.

Geek Culture

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Ep 7 review

Post author By Joey Alarilla
Post date June 23, 2020
1 Comment on Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Ep 7 review

Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire
Season 1 Episode 7: “It Was Always Burning”
By Lauren Beukes, Vita Ayala, Sam Beckbessinger, Zoe Quinn, and Elsa Sjunneson
Narrated by Fryda Wolff

This episode of Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire has a very promising start. But then it decides to hit the brakes.

Zoe Quinn takes over the writing chores for the first time in Season 1 Episode 7: “It Was Always Burning”. Her writing skills are fine, but this episode doesn’t move anything forward.

It’s a shame for this latest installment to stall like this after last week’s enjoyable ride. This episode has Jessica having a number of conversations — two over the phone — that don’t add anything new. And she’s still looking for Brendan. Spoilers ahead.

Tags book review, comic book superhero, comic book superheroes, Jessica Jones, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel’s Jessica Jones Playing with Fire, Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire, review, Serial Box, Serial Box exclusive, superhero, superheroes