REVIEW: The Darkness #13

Story: Malachy Coney and Garth Ennis
Pencils:  Joe Benitez
Inks:  Joe Weems V
Colors:  Haberlin Studios, Richard Isanove, and Matt Nelson
Review:  Art Bee

During the 90s there were a lot of comics following me home, but there were only two that had won my heart over: Spawn and The Darkness. These stories featured a pair of the greatest antiheroes I have ever encountered. Over the last three years at HCB, I have avoided reviewing any of The Darkness (the review of the one shot about a year and a half ago doesn’t count), because it is a very special to me. This particular issue was the one that cemented me as a fan.

Thus far in this series, Jackie Estacado discovered he was the vessel for the Darkness, an ancient power passed down from father to first-conceived son. The Darkness is an entity overpowered with god-like abilities and can generate armies of creatures to fight, create slaves, grow tough armor and weapons, and many other incredible things with the only limit being Jackie’s imagination. The weakness is bright light. All of the Darkness’ power is completely negated by direct bright light. In addition to being this super-powered dark freak, Estacado is a mafia hit man for his uncle, Mr. Franchetti. As if it is not enough to be able to have over a hundred different ways to assassinate someone, he gets super powers.  

REVIEW: MICRA (Mind Controlled Remote Automaton) #3

Story: Lamar Waldron
Art: Ted Boonthanakit
Review: Will Dubbeld

Full disclosure: I bought this book at a flea market for twenty-five cents American based solely on the Dave Stevens ad art on the back cover . . .
In fact it was an obscure indie comic helped steer my decision, in part because I'm always looking to expand my base of comic knowhow, but also because I've a huge soft spot for these oddball books.

MICRA dropped in 1987, during a boom of indie publishers that were producing some great little books. The backdrop of the series takes place in a dystopian future and essentially is a story of the haves and have-nots. The fortunate live inside utopian some cities while the less so live in the nuclear wasteland outside. The main protagonist is a young quadriplegic lady named Angela, who is given the chance to experience life fully through a MICRA, an android body controlled autonomously through a computer while the user is in an induced trance.

REVIEW: Trekker #4

Created, written and illustrated by Ron Randall
Review: Will Dubbeld

Every Wednesday brings new comics to the shop and an old comic to the HCB's Dollar Box. This week's pick happens to be 1987's Trekker no.4.
I've a long history with Trekker and the books' contemporaries at Dark Horse, first discovering the comic during my introduction to the medium.
Trekker is the story of Mercy St. Clair, a young lady in a future not quite dystopian, just a bit unsettled. Mercy is a bounty hunter, or 'Trekker' per the parlance of the book, and the series largely focuses on stories that balance her professional and personal lives.
There are some larger overarching themes in Trekker, but the bits where the book shines deal with the interpersonal relationships with her uncle Alex and her boyfriend Paul, both police officers, and her roommate Molly.

Writer:  John Byrne
Penciler: Ron Wilson
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Review: Cody Miller

I'm a huge sucker for some Thing. If I spy an issue of The Thing or Marvel Two-in-One anywhere near the $1 mark, I snatch them up indiscriminately by the handful. I mean, who doesn’t like the big orange softy . . . Bueller . . . Bueller . . . anyone? That's right, everyone loves Mr. Ben Grimm.

This cover is pretty spectacular. We get the Thing hanging from chain as Black Bolt and his Inhumans are walking in the door in the background. Are the Inhumans here to save the day or is it clobbering time? The anticipation is killing me.

We don't have to wait long as we’re graced with the presence of Crystal, the element-manipulating Inhuman princess, and her teleporting canine companion, Lockjaw. Lockjaw! High five. The beginning of this story begins in General Hospital in NYC. No clue as to why the trenchcoat-clad orange boulder is in the gift shop buying flowers, but that’s where Crystal and Lockjaw find him. Crystal launches into a tale of woe and begs Mr. Grimm to help her protect her baby . . . apparently the baby’s father has issues.

REVIEW: Beowulf #1

Chronicled by Michael Uslan
Artistry by Ricardo Villamonte
Review by Will Dubbeld

Oh, 1970s DC Comics, you're the best. Gone were the sci-fi 50s and best left unremembered were the zany, goofball antics of the 60s. The 1970s ushered in a metaphorical Golden Age of superhero books, horror comics, and a healthy dose of fantasy.
Also Lady Cop.

Amongst these fantasy comics was a short-lived Beowulf comic that was hardly a direct adaptation of the epic poem. Moreso I believe it was an outlet for DC Comics to showcase a sweet barbarian warrior and, since Marvel held the Conan rights, they looked to the Public Domain and came up with Beowulf.
Apparently Gilgamesh didn't make the cut.

This book is a treat, cover to cover. Case in point, the inside cover features an ad pitting the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin against a 2000 year-old mummy, narrowly defeating him with the power of Hostess Twinkies.
I could've closed the book there and been satisfied, but swords and sorcery awaited!