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dozmuttz's reviews
200 reviews
Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a hilarious and creative story that from the sound of the synopsis, I thought I would dislike. However, creators John Layman and Rob Guillory pulled me in and made me have a fun time reading this first volume. Chew shows the story of Tony Chu, a Philadelphia police officer who has a very distinct ability. Chu can get a sense of anything he eats giving a feeling on the journey the food or thing has been on. He eats an apple, he sees it grow and get harvested. He eats a steak, he sees the cows' demise and transitions into the meat grinder. In the book they call it being Cibopathic. In the world of ‘Chew’ chicken has been outlawed after a bird flu kills millions of Americans and so in turn people go into the black market of buying chicken goods. Chu and his partner are assigned a huge chicken dealer for two murders he committed but right before they can book him, they get stopped by a Mason Savoy. A special agent of the F.D.A and their new branch of food related crimes. He asks them to help him infiltrate a chicken spot, and after Chu takes a sip of the chicken soup (the Chef had accidentally cut himself and got a couple drops of his blood in the soup) he gets flashes of the most horrific killings he’s ever seen. All victims that Philly PD had lost hope to ever find. He knows the chef is the serial killer and after confronting him, they come to a stand off and the killer slits his own throat without giving Chu any more info. Chu wants to know all the victims so he bites into the flesh of the killer as his throat gushes blood and he gets all the intel he needs. The Philly PD fires him for blowing cover and being found eating a lifeless body, but Mason Savoy hires Chu to join his special unit with the F.D.A.
Writer and co-creator John Layman does a really solid job of writing a hilarious and engaging story. The whole chicken prohibition idea is so ridiculous, that it takes a certain talent to execute well. Lucky for us, Layman is just that and his subplots of food related crime adventures are an absolute treat (see what I did there?). There’s an overall theme to this first volume too, as it seems that a lot of people don’t believe there was a bird flu and that the government is hiding something from the public. It builds up great suspense and in general there’s twists and turns that Layman sets up that made me want to read the next issue ASAP. His characters are also written well and it all feels like a cool T.V. comedy.
The main attraction to it all though is artist and co-creator, Rob Guillory. I found his artwork to be super enjoyable and it was a great fit to the comedic story. Guillory’s cartooning is something I’ve never quite seen before and it all feels unique. It’s an appealing style that can strive with anything from comedy all the way to some gruesome stuff. I loved his character designs and his panel layouts that seem simple at first but do an overall great job of moving the story along. There’s small detail that he puts into his work and it shines on how great of a cartoonist he is.
Overall; This comic duo comes up with a fun and fresh idea that sounds way too silly but once you get a TASTE it makes you come back for seconds c; (I could’ve done a ton more food puns so be happy I didn’t lol).
Batman: Blink by Dwayne McDuffie, Val Semeiks
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
One of my favorite writers writes one of my favorite characters, and I am very split on how I feel about it. Blink is a storyline running in the ‘Legends of The Dark Knight’ series, or what I like to call, ‘The Bat-novellas’. This 7 issue storyline is split into two sections featuring a character by the name of Lee Hyland. Lee is a blind man who has an amazing ability to see through the eyes of others after he’s touched them. He first uses this ability to scam people, and get quick money out of their accounts, but after looking through the eyes of a crazy psychopath, he tries to stop him from murdering an innocent woman, but instead stumbles over the body and is made a prime suspect. After Batman gets involved Lee convinces him that he is actually blind, has special abilities, and is not a murderer. They then team up together to stop a group of snuff film killers who Lee had tried to stop the first time. The second story shows Batman going back to Lee to see if he can help him with a child-trafficking case. However when he goes to Lee’s home he doesn't answer the door, it’s instead Lee’s girlfriend, Karen. She tells him Lee has been gone for a long time after he had been approached by some sort of government agents. They wanted to test Lee and find out more about his powers. Batman goes in for a rescue mission as he sees they’ve been using him to spy on terrorists, and not in the best conditions for Lee.
Dwayne McDuffie is the writer for this story, and I’ve heard mostly good things so my expectations were a little high. NowI found the premise of the 2 stories interesting. I liked the character of Lee Hyland and thought his ability was cool. I also liked McDuffie’s writing in the narration and dialogue, especially with Batman. However what brought it down a bit for me was the pacing of the book and the overall execution on how this 2 part storyline ended. The story never reeled me in as much as I wanted, and if not for McDuffie’s great work on writing, the plot of the story wouldn’t have been enough to get me to give it more than 2 stars. It wasn’t terrible, but in the middle it felt like it dragged, and there were some decisions made that felt silly for a Batman story. The 2nd part of the story was a little more well-paced, however there are a lot of unanswered questions from me, and as mentioned previously, I found myself thinking “why is this happening..why not just do this...how is this possible?” There were just some story plots that obviously needed to be a bit more thought out. Not bad, but not the best for such a well thought out writer.
The artwork was by Val Semeiks with Dan Green on inks and I found the work to be very enjoyable. Semeiks has a really great look for Batman and I particularly loved his choice for costume design. Semeiks’s style feels animated and gives the vibe that it could be a great style for a Batman cartoon.
Overall; I very much feel split on this story and although I think McDuffie’s writing was great, the plot and pacing weren’t as good of a match. The art was great though and in general the story wasn’t terrible but I was expecting more. So maybe it’s on me, but I still love McDuffie as a writer and wish he was still with us. FOREVER RESTING IN POWER.
Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers by Reginald Hudlin
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
REGGIE HUDLIN ONCE AGAIN COMES UP WITH A CINEMATIC LIKE STORY FOR THE KING OF WAKANDA AND I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT!
This 4 issue mini-series takes us back to the 40s during WW2 and shows Captain America and the Howling Commandos taking a trip to the mysterious city of Wakanda. They’re on their way there on a mission to see what the Nazi’s were doing in Africa in that area. The Nazi soldiers are inquiring about Wakanda for its valuable metal vibranium, in order to get the edge over the Allies since they have their super soldier, Captain America. Red Skull and Strucker are the two vile men in charge and come up with a plan to invade Wakanda’s borders. Meanwhile Cap and the Commandos have their tiny duel with Black Panther and his Wakandans, but after clearing up the misunderstanding, they team up together to keep the Nazi’s away from the vibranium. It will be a challenge though because Red-Skull has recruited some nasty Nazi supervillains and even one of Black Panther’s biggest rivals, White Gorilla, for some closer intel.
Reggie Hudlin just knows how to write a good story, and in particular his writing of Black Panther is done with great detail and feels very prolific. I love the overall idea for this one and showing the relationship of Black Panther and Captain America. In this story the current Black Panther is Azzuri, the grandfather of T’Challa and it is Captain America’s first time ever meeting one of the Black Panthers. Reggie hinted this interaction in the start of his Black Panther run so it’s really cool to see his idea expanded and the similarities it holds to that first 6 issue arc from 2005. Another thing I liked about this mini-series was the darker turn it took. Taking place back in the 40s, and involving characters like Red-Skull, you know you’re in for a violent read and it sure was that. There were a lot of shocking scenes but the no hold back attitude was not just on the villains side, but from the Black Panther himself. He did everything in his ability to make sure his people were safe but also grew to like his American intruders and valued their efforts in the battlefield. He was especially fond of Captain America and realized that the two made a very formidable duo. It was very subtle character growth but nonetheless you could see what Hudlin was doing.
Denys Cowan was the man on art duties and I loved his work for this one. His style is the perfect fit for the gritty and brutal story that is being told. His villains in particular were terrifying and the raw action looked awesome, taking it back to his work on ‘Hardware’ I loved so much. It was a great tone that showed the seriousness of the event occurring in this mini-series and everytime he did a splash or spread page I was enthralled by the action. Plus he had two inking legends in Klaus Janson and Tom Palmer joining him, so you know the polished details were there from start to finish.
Overall; another knock out of the park by Mr. Hudlin in a story he had kinda set up 5 years prior. I love his ability to write the character of Black Panther so well and you can tell it’s a character he holds very near and dear to his heart. The pacing and time he takes with these stories are wonderful, and it makes me want to read more of his work in hopes that it’ll even be half as good as what he did with this.
Black Panther: Who Is the Black Panther? by Reginald Hudlin
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ONE OF IF NOT THE BEST CHARACTER REINTRODUCTION/ORIGIN RE-TELLING’S I’VE EVER READ! THE PERFECT WAY TO GET INTO THE CHARACTER OF THE BLACK PANTHER!!!
2005 saw a new series and #1 issue for the famous king of Wakanda. Reggie Hudlin was the new writer and partnered with him was John Romita Jr, and Klaus Janson on pencil and inks, with Dean White doing the colors. This new series’s first arc served as a sort of reintroduction into the world of Black Panther. The story starts back in time showing the early years of Wakanda and the failed attempts of other people trying to invade their borders. The other tribes were defeated with ease and even when the American colonists came with their heavy artillery, they were no match for the people of Wakanda and their protector, The Black Panther. The story then shows how T’Challa took the title of Black Panther from his uncle and the start of his turn being the protector of Wakanda. After catching us up on some history the simultaneous plot during present time is the U.S. discussing how they can get into Wakanda as they worry about the mysterious nation being so powerful. And although they’ve never been an offensive threat to anyone they’re scared that it could all change as the years go by. They aren’t the only ones trying to get in however, as Ulysses Klaw is recruited by a group of mercenaries to invade Wakanda, and seek revenge for what they did to their colonial ancestors. Now Wakanda faces its toughest challenge because the group of mercenaries consists of Klaw, The Rhino, The Radioactive Man, Batroc the leaper, and The Cannibal. All powerful villains with an unstoppable plan.
This was my introduction to Reggie Hudlin and I gotta say he writes a hell of a story. This first arc has gone down as probably the best character defining story for The Black Panther. These first 6 issues were just the start to the new run he was put on, but it became something so big on its own that it’s mostly marketed as a sort of original graphic novel. Hudlin gives such great detail to all the characters he writes and it all feels cinematic (probably cause he’s an actual hollywood writer). His dialogue is super engaging and his storytelling between different time periods is flawless. Hudlin is telling you who Black Panther is without it feeling so gimmicky or boring. He takes his time but still manages to fill so much context and content in only 6 issues. There’s great action, awesome character interactions, a captivating premise, and a satisfying ending. All thanks to what I would call the perfect work of Reggie Hudlin.
The art team are also no scrubs, as the team of John Romita Jr and Klaus Janson are always a delight to see. Partnered with them in the colors department is Dean White, and he too does a really solid job to make this not only a well written book but a good looking one too. JRJR excels for the action packed scenes and even though people are very back and forth with his 2000s work, I’ve always found JRJR to be a consistent blast with the pencils. All that with the polished inks of the legendary Klaus Janson and it’s a perfect pairing for such an awesome story.
Overall; This was an absolute classic and a story I can see myself visiting over and over. I honestly want to read it again right now ! It makes me excited to see what else Hudlin has in store as he goes on to write Black Panther for another 30+ issues. If you haven’t before, please read this and treat yourself!
Public Domain, Volume 1 by Chip Zdarsky
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
A FUN AND WELL WRITTEN COMEDY/DRAMA, GIVING THE COMIC BIZ A NICE BREAK FROM THE USUAL THEMES/GENRES.
I was lucky enough to catch this series as a tik-tok recommendation, and I can’t believe more people aren't talking about this. The series shows Miles Dallas, who is a 30 year old journalist, being assigned with the job to interview Blake Powers, a movie star who is starring in the latest superhero blockbuster, The Domain. Miles doesn’t want to do the job, and feels like the only reason he was assigned it was because his father, Syd Dallas, is the co-creator of the original comics the billion dollar movies are based off. Miles is pretty ticked off as he knows his dad doesn’t own the rights to any of what he’s created, and doesn't get a penny from the movies or merchandise. After getting really riled up at his interview he ends up punching the movie star, Blake Powers. He gets arrested, and is bailed out by his brother Dave. The two reminisce and go to the airport to pick up their father from a red carpet event (in which he is never acknowledged), and after all three are together, Syd gets a text message with a picture of an old document and on that document it shows that Syd Dallas owns The Domain.
Chip Zdarsky is both writer and artist on this series and to start with his writing, I think it was brilliant. The whole story is an obvious meta take on the underappreciated creators in the comic industry. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster being ripped off by DC for the creation of Superman, Stan Lee taking more credit than he deserved compared to Jack Kirby at Marvel, Bob Kane being credited for the creation of Batman, leaving Bill Finger unnoticed for almost 80 years and so many more. It’s a story we’ve all witnessed before only in real life, and in the exact medium this story is being produced. I think that sense of familiarity is what makes this story so enjoyable to me, and the added comedic themes only make it more of a blast to read. The comedy isn’t anything over the top and is written really well. It’s not just dumb nonsense, it’s small details that some of the best comedy show writers implement. The characters are also really well done, and in cases like Syd and Dave, super likable and easy to root for. That’s not to say that Miles isn’t a good character but he is written to be a bit more difficult and has room to grow within himself. From reviews I’ve seen on this series this meta comic industry type story has been done before and a lot of people then take credit away from Zdarsky, and although I can’t speak on how true it is since I’ve not read those other series’s, I think Zdarsky still writes a great book. It goes in a direction that I didn’t expect, and also from the same reviews I was just mentioning, they too said that was the unique aspect of Zdarsky’s storytelling.
This was my first time seeing Zdarsky’s artwork (outside his covers for ‘Spider-Man: Life Story’) and I found it to be alright. It wasn’t anything crazy. but for the story it didn’t need to be.
Overall; This was a very pleasant change of pace for my reading and I love how Zdarsky writes this series. This first volume ends on a really high note and leaves me excited for the future issues/volumes.
Batman: The Caped Crusader, Vol. 2: The Origin of Robin by George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, Christopher J. Priest, Kevin Dooley, John Byrne
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
These Batman collections continue to hold great stories moving the overall world of Batman forward. This particular volume follows the events of ‘A Death In The Family’ (so maybe read that first for certain plot points to make sense). We see the change in Batman after losing Jason in the horrific event and his reaction is not healthy. He’s angry and has taken down all reminders that Jason was his partner, Robin. He’s become more violent and reckless, forgetting his own lessons of keeping a clear head and thinking before doing. The main story in this volume is the storyline ‘Year 3’, which revolves around Gotham going through an intense gang war and Tony Zucco possibly being released from prison. It also shows a bit of Dick Grayson’s (Nightwing/the first Robin) origin and flashbacks displaying how he became Bruce Wayne’s ward and eventual crime fighting partner. Dick is worried about how Bruce is handling the war going on and his rejection to properly grieve the death of Jason. Along with that, Dick is unaware that the man who killed his parents is days away from being a free man and he has no intentions of being a better person.
Main writer is Marv Wolfman and once again he can do no wrong with writing the caped crusader. His focus on Batman’s reaction to the death of Jason was sort of the main focal point which I found to be very interesting and done well. His ‘Year 3’ storyline was also super entertaining and he gives great character depth on Dick Grayson. I love how he shines on the relationship between Dick and Alfred, showing that they have their own unique bond/care for one another. Aside from that it’s some great detective stories and Batman working solo again. Another aspect I love about this era of Batman is how Wolfman writes the city of Gotham. It feels as important to the series as the characters and it overall just feels real. It’s similar to how Frank Miller wrote it in ‘Year one’ and it shows the great detail the team put into this comic back in the day.
Jim Aparo continues to be the artist superstar with Mike DeCarlo providing some great ink work. A quick shout out to Pat Broderick though as he was the main artist for the ‘Year 3’ storyline. Once again Aparo captures the perfect look for Batman, and it’s overall a classic/familiar look. Similar to how I said Wolfman writes a great Gotham City, Aparo obviously is the one displaying it with his art and he does it masterfully. It’s done in a way that feels like a place you might’ve been in before (New York, Chicago, etc.) but still has the out of world element that makes it such an iconic location in fiction. It’s dirty, gritty, and is just the place that would need a character like Batman.
Overall this was another great volume of a great era in the history of Batman. Great writing, plotting, pacing, and artwork. What’s not to like?
Superman: Funeral for a Friend by Dan Jurgens
1.0
This was utter garbage. If anybody actually has ANY of these single issues still, I’m sorry you wasted your old $2.50. If you like this Vol, I mean I guess my guy. Imma say one last thing to end this...there is a character in here named the “GANGBUSTER.” nuff said.