Station456 Comic Reviews - July 18th, 2012

Introducing... "Station456 Comic Reviews"!

Every week, I will get together all of the new release comics I pick up and throw together a post giving my thoughts on each. There can only be one "STATION456 PICK OF THE WEEK"! This prestigious award is reserved for the most entertaining book of the week. The focus is on new releases, but I will sometimes discuss older comics and other comic-related goodness in the "Station456 BONUS ROUND." 

-- Without further adieu, let's get to this week's books! --

Justice League #11:

The New 52's Justice League was good-old-fashioned dumb comic book fun up until issue #9, in which the new villain "Graves" was introduced. Graves wrote a book evangelizing the Justice League, calling them modern day gods, but shifted to a new perspective once they failed to save his family from their devastating deaths. He's a cool villain with a badass design, and subsequently the new arc has been great. Justice League #11 seems to be firmly establishing the vision and scope of this new arc, and gives us some entertaining pages in doing so. 

Graves uses his powers to make each member of the Justice League see loved ones die in spirit-form in front of their eyes. We of course see the obligatory death of Bruce's parents, but what I thought was really interesting was Cyborg seeing himself, since he's half-dead. This is further explored when the Justice League reaches the source of all this madness and only Cyborg can see the entrance because he's walking the line between life and death. I loved all of that.

Wonder Woman's love interest Steve Trevor - along with his family - is being targeted by Graves as he has a link to the Justice League, which causes our heroine to attempt to go rogue saving him in a rather brutal, murderous fashion. This leads to some really fun tussles between Wonder Woman and members of the Justice League; particularly Green Lantern and Superman. This not only highlights the detail-rich and jaw-dropping artwork, but also the book's clever writing seen through jabs members of the Justice League throw at each other. I especially enjoyed Wonder Woman's quips at Green Lantern's sexual performance.

There's a pretty awesome last-page reveal, too, that really has me curious as to where the next issue is taking this story.

Oh, and there's also a continuation of the SHAZAM story that has been backing up Justice League for more than a few issues now, but I didn't read it and don't quite plan on doing so.

But.

Surprisingly, considering an issue of Saga came out this week, this is my...
STATION456 PICK OF THE WEEK

Nightwing #11:

The current run of Nightwing has been a little all over the place, really. It started with a slight crossover to Scott Snyder's Batman, then headed into a story about the new villain Saiko, then took a break from that to do a Batgirl crossover, then went back to the Saiko story and finished that up, and after that there were the two issues for the Night of the Owls crossover - ALL IN JUST 9 ISSUES. Issue #10 started a new arc that I can only hope it's going to stay focused on. Nightwing has been framed with the murder of two men, whom happen to be brothers in a group known as the Republic of Tomorrow.

This was a fun issue, and when I say fun I don't just mean entertaining. It's purely fun. It's not deep or thought-provoking and Dick Grayson isn't in deep shit, it's just fun. Dick is characterized a lot like Spider-Man in this issue, handling himself in a loose, comedic fashion.

Half of the issue is action-oriented, which is entirely fun. The other half is an assortment of short scenes giving more information about Dick's circus he's running, his relationship with Damian Wayne, the cops investigating the crime that he's framed of committing, and the group of villains that Dick is fighting against, which adds an appropriate amount of fun drama.

It's fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it, "We're both trying to solve who killed the your friends" and all.

Saga #5:

Saga is the brilliant story of star-crossed lovers in alien quarters of space. And when I say brilliant, I mean it: This book is funny, creative, gut-wrenching and gorgeous, making it an incredibly enthralling read. It's quite possibly the best book I follow month to month, at the moment. This week's chapter may be my least favorite so far, but that really isn't saying that much: Saga #5 is great.

Our two star-crossed lovers battle their way out of their predicament that we were left with at the end of the last issue, delivering the most action-oriented scene we've seen in Saga thus far. It looks impressive and shows us what our leading man can do when it comes to combat, and also, afterwards, gives us what's almost certainly the most heart-warming scene so far, through a cute family moment amongst the two and their baby Hazel.

We also see progression for two of the fellows that are out to get the small family. IV, a member of Saga's TV-headed species, is further characterized here as a common military general who doesn't quite understand - or perhaps just blocks out - the horrid implications of his work. The Will, a human who travels alongside his lie-detecting cat, is further characterized as a ruthless assassin that stands wholeheartedly against especially evil things, despite doing quite evil things himself for a living.

All of the progression of these two folks is excellent character work, and the artwork throughout the whole book is colorful, stylized, expressive bliss. The last-page reveal is fittingly shocking, albeit a bit anti-climactic in its build-up. This last page could mean we have to say goodbye to one of the established characters - one of my favorites, actually.  

Saga #5 is great, with it's top-notch artwork and impressive characterization. I was never amazed like other issues have managed to do for me, but at the end of the day, it's Saga, which is a good thing more-or-less intrinsically.

***

STATION456 BONUS ROUND:

Retro Comic Review - Twisted Tales #9 (November, 1984):

My local comic shop had a special going on awhile ago, that allowed you to get a free mystery set of five or so Mature Readers comics hand-picked by the staff with select trades and graphic novels. I was glad to take advantage of this deal and was impressed by the seemingly high-quality of the freebies, but never actually read any of them. Until last week. Or so. I read one of these comics. Just one.

A flip through Twisted Tales #9 enticed my feeble teenage boy mind with glimpses of its violence and sex. An actual read left me quite satisfied. This comic is a compilation of four unrelated "twisted tales," and it's rather entertaining.

The first of which is a silly, wacky story following two comic creators are writing the very pages that they occupy, at one point shoving a finger at the audience. It's dumb cheese that I'm tempted to call an excuse to show naked breasts to its probable, secret target audience of adolescent boys. The second is a classic-style ghost-story about a set of car-less headlights that haunt a certain road, and it's really exactly what one would expect. Which isn't to say that it isn't enjoyable to read, because it is. The third is probably the most interesting, with its unreliable narrator telling a story about subject matter that he's prone to falsely see due to a mental illness of his. This adds a rather brilliant layer to what would have been a standard story about horrific happenings while off to the countryside during summer break. The fourth is by far my favorite, as it spearheads the "twisted" label more than any of the other issues. A man already going through the growing pains of his new lifestyle with the woman he just married is depressed by the unexpected death of his daughter. The end shows us that his new wife is far from who he thought she was, and is really satisfying. 

All of the stories are well-written and look great with their colorful, expressive artwork that is distinctively retro to my modern eyes. I enjoyed my read, and I'd say it's worth hunting down if it won't run you too much.

Showing Off - New Daredevil Poster:

Pretty nice, right? I complimented the poster when I saw it in one of the windows of my local comic shop and asked if I could buy it. They told me I could have it for free in a few weeks like the good chaps that they are, and here it is.

Ah. ^_^

***

Okay, that's it for this week! Overall I was quite impressed by each of the comics I picked up this week, and the things discussed in the STATION456 BONUS ROUND more than pleased me. My comic shop didn't get Daredevil #15 and Catwoman #11 in today, but they're holding them for me for next week, so expect them in the STATION456 BONUS ROUND then. But, until then, tell me what comics you picked up this week and anything else going on in your world of comics in the comments below!

-I'm out!-

Station456 Comic Reviews - July 11th, 2012

Introducing... "Station456 Comic Reviews"! 

Every week, I will get together all of the new release comics I pick up and throw together a post giving my thoughts on each. There can only be one "STATION456 PICK OF THE WEEK"! This prestigious award is reserved for the most entertaining book of the week. The focus is on new releases, but I will sometimes discuss older comics in the "Station456 BONUS ROUND." 

-- Without further adieu, let's get to this week's books! --

Avenging Spider-Man #9:

At the beginning of this issue, we see Peter hopping on a plane ride with Captain Marvel to Boston to go see his Aunt May. Things become complicated when they run into a masked vigilante having a run-in with robot cops after an accusation of bank robbery. I tend to prefer the care-free, fun style of Avenging Spider-Man over Amazing Spider-Man's focus on character drama, and this issue reminds me why. Avenging Spider-Man #9 is all comedy and action and pretty colors and it's awesome.

I love this masked vigilante character that I assume is entirely new. She claims that she stole from the bank in order to give money back to the people, as she believes that this federal bank is corrupt and needs to be fought against. She eventually calls herself Robyn Hood and is totally an Occupy protester to the extreme. She's great. 

The book is filled with laughs, and they don't just all come from Robyn Hood. Spider-Man is at his corny, joke-spitting best, and Captain Marvel is no stiff. The book is more than colorful and suitably expressive too, with good looking action. 

Loved this issue. It gets the...

STATION456 PICK OF THE WEEK

Batman #11:

Hot off the heals of Batman #10, Scott Snyder ends his beloved and quite massive Court of Owls arc this week with Batman #11. Bruce and Lincoln March duke it out for the majority of the issue, exchanging dialogue along with punches. It's a satisfying battle that sends the two all over Gotham City, delivering some pretty explosive action. It looks great thanks to Greg Capullo's solid artwork that doesn't call attention to itself, letting Snyder's artwork grab most of the attention. 

The issue ends with a smart conversation with Dick, bolstering the ambiguity of the conclusion to this arc. We don't know if Lincoln March is really Thomas Wayne or not, and we don't get a crystal-clear account of how the Court is recovering from the Bat-Family's triumph. Which is a good thing, because there's now two more massive things to float in the minds of Batman fans until future writers inevitably satiate our desires. 

The excellent final page and the conclusion of the "The Fall of the House of Wayne" back-up do a great job of saying goodbye to this superb Arc. I wasn't surprised or excited by this issue but it did a good job of ending what's going to be remembered as an important chapter in Bruce's life. 

Batman and Robin #11:

The new Batman and Robin arc that started last issue has been really cool so far, with two issues under its belt. Last issue we saw that a new team of crooks made up of henchmen that have been seriously injured by Batman are forming, and we also saw that Damian Wayne is at odds with Jason Todd. 

In this chapter, we see Damian fight Jason with memories of the Joker's violent assault on him with a crowbar,  and Jason fight Damian with comments about his upbringing and hostile disposition. It's an interesting idea to have two Robins fighting with each other like apes declaring their dominance, and it's fun to watch them pick at each other's dark pasts and character flaws. We also see the new group of villains wreaking havoc on Gotham City, branding their victims with Bat symbols to make them wear Batman on their persons just as they have to with their injuries. They're a fun set of characters with really neat designs. 

The artwork looks very nice, as always, with its dark color palette and overall edgy look. There's a particularly stunning display of artwork through a two-page spread towards the end of the book. 

Good stuff. Love the current Batman and Robin run.

Spider-Men #3:

In Spider-Men, 616 Peter Parker is plopped into the Ultimate Universe with Miles Morales. The first two issues were lots of fun, the first simply getting 616 Spidey into the Ultimate Universe and the second getting the characters to further understand what's happening. This issue is filled with a ton of action that honestly makes this issue feel like mostly filler. 

Mysterio throws an army of Spidey villains at the Spider-Men - Venom, Green Goblin, Doc Ock, etc. - through the power of illusion. None of the action is very clever, as it's really just a flood of classic villains flinging themselves at the duo. It all looks nice, because the artwork is very impressive, but it mostly fell a little flat for me.

The issue does end with a suitably dramatic conversation between Peter and a drug store clerk about the famed Ultimate Peter Parker, and a last page reveal that is going to lead to some serious tears next issue.

This chapter was okay. It will work better in the trade.

Swamp Thing #11:

I wasn't crazy about the first six issues of Swamp Thing but things got exciting for me at issue #7 when Alec became Swamp Thing again; this time for good.  Last issue left Swamp Thing resting in a swamp after the big battle in preceding issues and love-interest Abby getting attacked by Anton Arcane. In this issue, well, he wakes up. 

What we see is a brawl between Swamp Thing and Anton Arcane, and it's pretty great. The dialogue is satisfying and often very creepy, and the art looks great. I'm not sure if I prefer Marco Rudy's artwork over Paquette's, but it can certainly be said that it is more unique and eerie.

The issue ends with an incredibly exciting transition to the Animal Man/Swamp Thing crossover starting in issue #12 of each book.

I can't wait for Rot World.

***

And that's it for this week - no bonus round this time! A pretty good comics week for me, but nothing mind-blowing. What do you think of this new series on my blog? Leave your suggestions, comments and critiques below! Also, tell me what books you picked up this week and which comics you've been reading in general!


- I'm out! - 

The Amazing Spider-Man (Film) - Review

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy is fantastic - especially the stellar second film - but when I saw the trailers for The Amazing Spider-Man, I started to question why I even enjoyed Raimi's films. The trailers for the new film, from director Marc Webb, promised a sweet new suit, a potentially enthralling subplot about Peter's parents, a Spidey who's more spry and cheesy than Toby McGuire ever was, a villain who felt missing from Raimi's universe, and the beautiful Emma Stone as the love interest.

I had very high hopes going into The Amazing Spider-Man, and I wasn't disappointed. The latest obligatory superhero flick is tons of fun and serves as a better start for inevitable sequels than Spider-Man did back in 2002.

Spidey's new suit looks sweet.

The Amazing Spider-Man takes basic Spider-Man plot threads and makes them much more contemporary, delivering a relatable Spidey for the current generation of kids and an interesting take for those already familiar with one version of Spider-Man or another. The lives of his parents before they passed away, the rise of this film's villain, and how Peter gets the powers of a spider all cleverly intertwine, forming a strong basis for this new universe. The brilliantly written and impressively acted characters takes that basis and runs with it.

Peter Parker - played by Andrew Garfield - is still a science wiz and a photographer but he's really more of a hipster than a nerd, considering his skateboard, arrestive glasses, tight jeans, stupid haircut and youthful good looks. He's a great character but he simply oozes with charm during the romantic scenes with his love interest Gwen Stacy, played by the aforementioned Emma Stone. The progression from awkward spurts of conversation to holding each other in their arms is gold.

The romance is very strong in this film.

Peter's lovable Uncle Ben sets the thematic framework of the film. The classic "With great power comes great responsibility" line is further explained in this movie, when Ben says that Peter's father lived by the notion that anyone with the potential to do great for the world has a moral obligation to do so. It's no wonder that just about every take on Spider-Man uses this motto: It's an excellent angle for a superhero movie to take.

This motto is of course what compels Peter to make use of his new-found superpowers when he eventually is bit by the spider and becomes a masked vigilante. We see Peter defend what he has become with his Spider-Man persona through arguments with Gwen's dad, who also happens to be the Chief of Police. This leads to a compelling relationship between a man who believes in order versus Peter who merely values good. Garfield under the cowl as this film's Spider-Man is more-or-less flawless: He's sarcastic, funny, heroic and looks great in his yellow-eyed, spandex costume. There's a hilarious scene in which he mocks a crook he finds on the street and completely dominates him, showing off how fun he is, and a touching scene in which he removes his mask for a scared little boy in danger before saving him, which shows off the more nuanced emotional angle of the character.

This is all great, and I think they nailed Spider-Man as a character, but my biggest issue with this movie can be seen through two scenes pertaining to his origin. These two scenes show Peter using his new found abilities in public, unmasked, turning what could have been clever ways to introduce his powers into frustrating scenes that had me scratching my head wandering how these didn't lead to him being discovered. One of these was so bad that I was practically praying in the theater for it to be a dream.

The villain in The Amazing Spider-Man is Dr. Curt Connors, played by Rhys Ifans. He begins as a scientist who follows more-or-less the same motto as Peter, attempting to use cross-species genetics to the medical benefit of the world. Connors crosses himself with the genetics of a Lizard, seeking regenerative powers to fix his crippled arm. The side effects are too strong and he soon becomes corrupted by his new reptilian influence and attempts to evolve the city past humanity into the monster that he has become. It's a typical mad scientist character, but it still manages to be absolutely entertaining due to Ifan's endearing performance as the human that turns into the hulking, creepy monster.

Curt Connors before his transformation into Lizard.

The action is never as thrilling as the final act of The Avengers or the train sequence in Spider-Man 2, but it's still very impressive. Spider-Man flinging himself about, fwipping webs at his foes, as well as Lizard throwing himself around, smashing walls like they're made of paper never disappoints. The set pieces displaying Spider-Man and Lizard duking it out are all entertaining, but none particularly blew me away mostly due to their lack of creativity. What did blow me away, however, was the very striking stereoscopic 3D, which looks especially good when Spider-Man is swinging around the city.

The Amazing Spider-Man nails pacing. I don't remember a single part of the movie that isn't important, and never did I feel like they dragged anything out. The movie masterfully balances drama, comedy, and action, make me choke up, laugh, and smile respectively. 


The movie ends with a series of well-done dramatic scenes followed up with a clever last-line that introduces a dilemma that will no doubt be tackled in future films. I would prefer a more positive spin than what was provided, as this was, throughout, more of an exciting film than a serious one, but it does a great job of opening up for a new film on a very dramatic note. 


The Amazing Spider-Man succeeds as a fun superhero flick that's more than dramatic enough to keep viewers invested in what's going on. Spider-Man's secret identity isn't protected as much as it should be, and the ending is a little harsh for what is mostly a vivacious ride, but the movie remains successful. The characters are excellent, the action is entertaining, the drama is moving and the romance is lovable. What's almost certainly going to be a series of films is off to a solid start.


--edited on July 9th, 2012--

Old Games on the eShop: Some Ideas

With original software like Mutant Mudds and Mighty Switch Force, emulations of old handheld games, game demos and more, the eShop is a pretty good service thus far. I do think, however, that Nintendo has a lot of untapped potential for old games that should be ported, remade, and followed up with sequels on the downloadable service for the Nintendo 3DS. Some of its back-catalog is a perfect fit.

Bird and Beans was released for the DSiware service in 2009

The big N had the right idea with Bird and Beans and Paper Plane on DSiWare. These were both originally minigames included on the Gameboy Advance game Warioware Inc, and were both plopped on DSiWare separately for $2 a pop. This is smart. Perhaps a $1 price point for each makes more sense, but they at least have the right idea. These were fun, simple little games that make perfect sense as digital offerings for a handheld device.

One of the best minigames included in Super Mario 64 DS

So, I say, why not take the same idea and do it for the mingames included in Super Mario 64 DS and New Super Mario Bros.? Although these more almost certainly thrown into these games to show off the potential of the Nintendo DS's unique features, a lot of them were really quite brilliant. I remember one tasked you with the duty of protecting a single bob-omb from touching any other bob-omb by moving it around with your stylus, avoiding the little guy's flammable brethren to avoid a massive explosion. Another had you flicking little Mario's with your stylus to bounce them off of shy guys and keep them airborne. Many of these also had fun multiplayer options that added to the usual arcade-style lasting appeal. Bring them to the eShop, Nintendo!  

Nostalgic for you DS early-adopters?

Yoshi Touch and Go was the game that made me write this article. This game was tons of fun when it released with the original DS back in 2004, tasking you to get baby Mario as far as possible with the help of cute little Yoshi's that swapped out as different colors as you got further and further into the game. The game made clever usage of the touch screen, dual screens, and microphone of the DS; features still on the 3DS. So why not throw it on the eShop for $10 or so?  It almost seems like this game was meant for a platform like the eShop, with its compelling gameplay but steep price point of $30 when it originally released. I'd rebuy this game in a heartbeat if Nintendo threw it on the eShop - especially if they spruce it up with stereo-3D and wide-screen. 

It's time to remake it, Nintendo.

How about some truly great remakes of arcade classics Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. for the eShop? Donkey Kong has a port to the NES, and that port was ported to the Wii's Virtual Console, but how about a full-on remake for the 3DS that boasts a dual-screen, stereoscopic-3D display with Mutant Mudds-quality graphics? As for Mario Bros., Nintendo was smart to remake it and throw it on the remakes of various Mario games on the GBA: I wouldn't mind just a straight port of that great remake, although even better graphics, usage of the dual-screen display, and stereo-3D would make it even better.

Remember this game? Let's get another one. 

And lastly, I would love to see follow-ups to the Pokemon Trozei and Pokemon Pinball brands for the 3DS's eShop. It's been a very long time since I've played either of these spin-offs (I've never actually played the original Pokemon Pinball, only the GBA one), but I think they're the types of games I'd love to have always on my 3DS to play on-the-go. Pokemon Trozei, for those who have forgotten it or never heard of it, is a tile-based puzzler originally released on the Nintendo DS in 2005. It was a fun game, and I think a continuation of this IP on the eShop would be sweet. And my desire for a new Pokemon Pinball game on the eShop should be something I don't need to explain much. Nintendo could copy the Pinball FX formula by putting out a cheap download with a few boards - or even a free download with no boards initially - and offering more boards as paid DLC. Let's not forget that Nintendo is attempting to champion paid DLC now, which can be seen with its DLC strategy for New Super Mario Bros. 2. 

These are my ideas for old Nintendo games that should live on in the eShop. What do you think? Have any suggestions of your own? Hit up the comments below! 

Grim Leaper #2 - Review

Grim Leaper #2 is a hard book to review. A book this good makes me want to tell you all about what happened and why it's so awesome, but I can't do that because I'd be spoiling it all for you. So I'm going to give this a shot, but just know that it's going to be difficult for me.

Okay, well, holy crap.

Grim Leaper, an Image comic from Kurtis J. Wiebe and Aluísio C. Santos, follows two lovers - Lou and Ella - with a curse: They die very frequently, and when they do, they reincarnate as someone else in the same town. The first issue was excellent, fully exceeding my expectations, delivering a read that was so near-perfect that I was apprehensive about whether or not the next issue would keep up the high quality. This issue starts out with a curve ball that entirely extinguished such fears.

The book starts with this great reveal, leaving me shocked and disturbed, smiling and shaking my comic book in excitement, and ended leaving a similar impression on me.

Once this intro is over, we get into the main plot of this issue, which centers around Lou, for the first time, being dropped into the body of a man with a partner. This makes Lou contemplate the ugliness of his curse; a curse that he had seen as a bit of a blessing beforehand. It bothers Lou that he's probably going to die very soon as this man, without having said goodbye to the wife. This provides interesting and dramatic commentary to coincide with Grim Leaper's normal approach of comedic ridiculousness that is seen in the beginning of this issue.

Which returns at the end of the book, when Lou meets back up with Ella for familiar laughs and familiar displays of the strange cuteness of their relationship. The ultra-gory and violent ending leading into #3 is a good display of the stellar art Santos is doing. The strange color palletes, quirky character designs, and blood that practically falls off the page continues to impress.

I have a few complaints, though they may simply be holes that Kurtis intends to patch up in later issues. I don't understand how Lou manages to find the home of the person he reincarnates as, and similarly, I don't understand how Ella found Lou's current body. Blatant missteps in such a good series makes me think that I'll get answers later on, but at the moment, it's still jarring.

Grim Leaper is the real deal. It's a comic book that isn't from the two big publishers, isn't even about capes and cowls, and it's very enjoyable.

***

At the end of the book is a back-up from writer Ryan K Lindsay and artist Daniel J Logan titled "Love Sick." Like the actual story I purchased these pieces of paper for, it's hard to review this without spoiling things. This five-page story tells the tale of a man cheated on by a love that was meant to last forever, but instead left him very fat by the woman's cooking - a skill of her's that she took great pride in. It ends with a bizarre and morbid ending that initially caused me to be confused as to how I should feel, but I indulged in laughter and it felt right.

Door to Creativity - Coming 2013

Josh Door is your typical atypical person. He's certainly not a part of the majority, but he's not wildly different from people you already know. He lives by himself in a little apartment, entertains himself with video games and comic books, and most importantly, lives off of his writing career. He's a loser in the best way possible. 

Words From Josh Door, his first book, a collection of comedic short stories, was a success. Now, it's time to write book number two. 

Josh's life is a funny, emotional, and weird roller coaster ride of novel-worthy proportions. Hop on and watch Josh clinch success in a way better than I did with this preview, as he harnesses his door to creativity. 

Door to Creativity is a novel by Matt Petras, scheduled to release in 2013. 

***


(Interlocked has unfortunately been indefinitely delayed)

Grim Leaper #1 - Review

Every now and then, I read a comic book that absolutely nails it. Every aspect of the book just works perfectly, forming a stack of stapled-together pages of pure nirvana. Grim Leaper #1, the first issue in a new ongoing Image series from writer Kurtis J. Wiebe and artist Aluisio C. Santos, is one of those books.

Grim Leaper follows a crude man named Lou with a sizable desire to get laid, who obtains a curse that makes him reincarnate as someone else every time he dies. Humorously, and interestingly, he dies quite a bit, which makes him a deadly person to be around. But that's not even fully setting up the direction this book seems to be going. This is a love story, as the cover of the comic advertises - He meets a lovely lady named Ella, a girl with the same curse as him, but for what seems to be a shorter amount of time.

It's fantastic, because it reeks of style and personality, and nails pacing with fluid story-telling. The narration from Lou's perspective is entirely informal and very fun. The dialogue is equally good, spitting immature-yet-mature humor every chance it gets. I absolutely love Ella's line after she learns that Lou has the same curse as her: "Fuck me."

The imagery is equally stylized and entertaining. Santos nails coloring and gives the characters a unique, quirky look, delivering pictures that pop off of the pages. A particular full-page, satisfying scribble of a tire smashing a man's head clear off of his body is an accurate representation of the creative visuals of this comic.

I have no complaints. This book is perfect. It oozes with personality and doesn't waste a second on you, with jokes that work every time, drawings that never fail to please, and a distinct style and personality that is going to force my hand into my wallet every time this book comes out. Grim Leaper #1 absolutely nails it.

***

There is also a cute, enjoyable back-up from Joey Esposito of IGN included here, entitled "Drive Time Commute." It's nothing to write home about, but it's a sweet tale of a man and a woman enamored by the glimpses they catch of each other in their day-to-day, boring schedules. The fitting artwork is easy on the eyes, and the script is well-written.