Woman Warrior Wednesdays #23 by Kate Krimson

Woman Warrior Wednesdays #23 by Kate Krimson


Review of Rain #1 from Bluewater Comics-$3.99

2.5 out of 5 stars


Summary: Rain takes out a guard in front of a large mansion located in Atlanta, Georgia. Then she shoots out the power box to the house. When she’s in the house, she is surprised how easy it was to get and two seconds after this thought a gun is to her head and his held by the home’s owner, William Davis. She manages to knock him out. She steals a ring with a pretty big rock on it and runs away from the home. She gets in her car and drives away. Soon after she leaves the police arrive at the Davis’s home just a little too late.


The next day Rain goes to George Baker’s place. She gives him the ring and he gives her money for stealing it for him. It turns out that Davis cost Baker a lot of money by backing out of a huge business deal and getting this ring stolen was an act of revenge. Rain and Baker share some awkward sexual tension and then Rain leaves.


Later, a man named Trevor calls her with a job offer. He promises to give her $200,000 if she steals a necklace for him that’s in a coffin in a museum.


Then something a little odd occurs. In a cabin, a man sees an article about the remains that lay within in this coffin and claims that this must be his mother. He sends two demon-like beings out to retrieve the coffin. He has the skeleton of his father lying on the bed beside him and says soon their family will be together again. Then he becomes some werewolf-like creature and starts ripping into some humans that he has been saving for supper.


Writer (Nick Lyons): The storyline is a little weak at first. She robs and gets paid for it. Got it. It doesn’t get interesting until the end, when we find out Rain may encounter some demons and a werewolf in her latest quest of thievery.


Illustrator (Sean Lee): The illustrations I would say are about the same. Not much really jumps at you until demons and a werewolf are in the picture.


Overall, I think this issue started off a bit rocky but the ending makes you want to find out what happens next. It is definitely far from fantastic but it does have an interesting hook to reel you into the next issue.

Woman Warrior Wednesdays #22 by Kate Krimson

Review of Hack/Slash Meets Zombies vs. Cheerleaders #1


From Moonstone Comics for $3.99


4 out of 5 stars.



 Summary:


Vlad and Cassie Hack are sitting in café in Seattle. Vlad is enjoying a mocha latte and Cassie is waiting for an email reply on her laptop from a man named Chris. Cassie calls Chris, who tells her to investigate a local high school where some students have recently gone missing.


Cassie and Vlad enroll themselves into the school. Cassie gets in trouble for calling her physics teacher a douche bag, because he said there are no other dimensions. Then she gets recruited to the cheerleading squad, because they need to diversify. Amber, the head cheerleader, isn’t happy about it, but is forced to put Cassie on the squad by Coach Moore. Cassie freaks out at the lunch lady, because of her past with her crazy mom, who was also a lunch lady. Because of this outburst, she is sent again to the principal’s office. After their first day of school, Vlad goes to football practice, while Cassie goes to cheerleading practice.


Later that night, while hanging out in their van, they see the football coach named Campbell dragging a football tackling dummy late at night and ask him what he’s doing. He tells them to go away. After they leave, it is seen that inside the dummy was a dead girl, who he cuts up into pieces and feeds to his zombie son.


The next day Vlad talks to Coach Campbell, who wants to know how Vlad is pulling off his somewhat normal look, considering his huge size, great strength, and greenish skin. Campbell thinks Vlad must have a connection to something that may help Jacob, who apparently took a human growth hormone, HGX, which turned him into his zombish self. Campbell shoots Vlad with a dart so he can get a sample of his blood. As Campbell reveals to Vlad his zombie family that he has locked up, Cassie comes to save the day. The zombies chase after them and the whole scene disrupts cheerleading practice. Cassie gets one with a hockey stick, while the cheerleaders kill the rest. Coach Campbell gets away, but they are sure they won’t have to worry about seeing him again. Now all Cassie wants is a good cup of coffee.


Writer (Steven L Frank): Frank gives us quite an interesting tale, filled with plenty of violence and zombies, while also providing us with an interesting take on the problem with performance-enhancing drugs in sports.


Illustrated (Benjamin Glendenning): Glendenning’s illustrations bring the true horror of the situation to life. The zombies are blood thirsty, red-eyed, and green-skinned monsters coming after their prey with jagged fingernails, which seem more like claws. Coach Campbell though is probably the bigger monster when it comes to depictions. Watching him saw through a dead girl, so his zombie family can eat, shows that this man has very little of humanity left in him. We also see the zombie within when he holds Vlad at gunpoint in order to find out his “secret”.

Woman Warrior Wednesdays #21 by Kate Krimson

Wonder Woman #610-DC Comics-$2.99
4.5 out of 5 stars
Summary:


In Manhattan, Giganta, a female warrior who can sometimes be as big as her name implies, is destroying much of the city in search of Diana/Wonder Woman. A woman appears and magically takes Giganta to another place, where the Morrigan, Cheetah, and Artemis are. These are Giganta’s teammates in trying to bring down Wonder Woman. Artemis is telling the others about how she was defeated by Doctor Psycho.


In the meantime, Wonder Woman wakes up in a hospital bed with a doctor and a nurse by her side. Her bed has blanket that is covered with stars. The doctor tells Diana that she was extremely close to dying. The doctor leaves and the nurse who is also named Diana hands Wonder Woman her clothes and kick-butt accessories. Nurse Diana tells Wonder Woman that the blanket came from an old lady, Myra Clotho, who just came out of a coma and made the blanket as soon as she heard that Wonder Woman was in the hospital. Wonder Woman puts the blanket on like a cape and pays a visit to Myra.


Myra, a fate, tells Wonder Woman that she is the only one who can stand up against an ultimate evil and that justice chose her when she saved a bird that Artemis had shot down. Myra gives Wonder Woman the strand of string that contains her fate. A Kere, a death-spirit, comes to take away Myra Wonder Woman defeats it by showing it compassion and by telling it to be free, but Myra still dies. Then all the Keres go free in Hades, which makes Charon, aka the man who takes the dead across the rivers of Acheron and Styx, cry because he knows it means someone has forgiven them.


Diana says farewell to Myra’s dead body and then is attacked by Giganta. Wonder Woman kicks her out of the building. Steve Trevor sees everything. Wonder Woman says hi to him, but she is not sure why she knows him. Artemis tries to shoot Wonder Woman, but the arrows are blocked by her wristbands. Wonder Woman captures Artemis with her lasso and reveals to her the truth that the Morrigan had hid from her. Artemis is ashamed of herself and asks Wonder Woman to kill her, but she says it would be better if Artemis helped her fight the Morrigan. Giganta tries to attack Wonder Woman, but she brings Giganta to the ground with a smash.


Wonder Woman, Giganta, Artemis, and Cheetah come upon the Oracle of Themyscira. Wonder Woman says she does not want to know the will of the gods, but plans on killing a few.


Writers (J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester): A story must have action for readers to want to continue on the journey that flows through the pages. If this comic does not have enough action for you, then you are hard to please. There are plenty of fight scenes to keep one entertained, but also there is the revealing of a hero’s fate and the releasing of the Keres from their curse.


Illustrator (Eduardo Pansica): Pansica’s depictions of fierce fighting females almost make the reader jump back from the page. Giganta standing on top of a statue she smashed with her hair being blown back as she lets out a roar with her battleaxe in her hand. The Kere with her blazing red eyes and giant bat-like wings climbing towards Myra. Giganta leaping towards Wonder Woman like a growling hungry tiger. Wonder Woman telling the gods that she coming for them.


Pansica also draws the characters with real emotions on their faces. Anger clearly comes through on the faces of Cheetah, Giganta, and Artemis as the march out to find Wonder Woman and attempt to destroy her. Happiness shines through the eyes of Myra as she looks upon the only one who can defeat the ultimate evil. Shame pours itself out of Artemis when she realizes the wrong that she has done.

Warrior Woman Wednesdays #20 by Kate Krimson

Power Girl #20 (“Beasts of Burden”)-DC Comics-$2.99

4 stars out of 5


Summary:


Lawyers are meeting with Simon Peters. He is representing Karen Starr (aka Power Girl) of Starrware, since she is unable to make it to the meeting. The lawyers are angry that Karen is missing another meeting, but Simon tells them that she couldn’t make it because “something of great importance needed attending to and it couldn’t be rescheduled.” The company is in trouble because it’s missing a lot of money, which Starr is claiming was embezzled by an employee, named Donna Anderson, who was found dead. The lawyers need Starr on record saying this or all of Starrware’s assets are going to be seized by the bank for their defaulted loans.


Karen’s more important engagement is fighting a giant white four-armed monkey-like monster named Caspian. After fighting Caspian, more monsters arrive to fight Karen. These monsters, including Caspian, are the G.E.L.F.s (Genetically Engineered Life Forms) of Professor Anthony Ivo of New Cadmus, a genetic research facility. Karen fights off the monsters and then flies into and through the wall of New Cadmus. New Cadmus is a thorn in Power Girl’s side. They have created her villain, C.R.A.S.H, and made a clone of her called Divine.


Inside New Cadmus, Karen gets her friend, Nicco, access to the company’s computer files. She also finds a kennel filled with New Cadmus’ monster creations. She comes upon a clone of Krypto, Superman’s dog, after he attacks her with heat vision. However, Clone-Krypto seems to recognize Power Girl and starts licking her face. Nicco has Batman store all the stolen intel in his files, while Clone-Krypto and Power Girl fight off more monsters. Max Lord shoots Clone-Krypto and paralyzes Power Girl using his mind. He “convinces” her to go after the Justice League International, who he says is harboring the man who killed one of her teammates.


Writer (Judd Winick): The key to a great storyline, especially in a comic book, is suspense. Winick has this key in the ignition and is driving on the highway of “What Happens Next.” The reader wants to know what is going to happen to Starrware. Is the company going to lose everything or somehow prevail? The reader also wants to know if Power Girl really is going to fight the JLI or if she will snap out of the spell that Max Lord put on her.


Illustrator (Sami Basri): Combat is typically where a comic book artist’s talent comes to light the most. Action is what people want to see in comics. Pow! Wham! Bam! Thank you Ma’am! Basri does deliver this with Power Girl’s battles with Ivo’s bizarre monsters. However, the battle scenes are not where Basri’s best work can be seen. Caspian is Basri’s best creation. His emotions appear the most real, mainly anger and pain. He is also a great depiction of what the human mind can imagine. As Nicco puts it, he is “an albino King Kong with four arms.” Now that’s an image that will stick your mind.

Warrior Woman Wednesdays #19 by Kate Krimson

Spider-Girl #1 (“Family Values”)-Marvel-$3.99

3.5 out 5 stars

Summary:

In New York City, Anya Corazon/Spider-Girl is chasing the thief known as Screwball, who likes to record her burglaries and post them online. Spider-Girl makes Twitter updates about her whereabouts. Spider-Girl punches Screwball out and gives her over to the cops.

Anya goes to school and texts Gil, her dad, during her time in the halls of learning. When she gets home, her dad is still arranging things in their new home. Susan Richards/Invisible Woman comes over to keep Anya company, while Gil goes out to find some information for an article he is writing. Anya tries to get some advice from Susan on how to make friends, while taking a stroll in the city. During their walk, they knock out two purse snatchers. Susan gets a call that the Fantastic Four are needed and the Thing picks her up.

Anya stops two men who are trying to carjack a woman out of her automobile. She also stops another car thief, a jewel thief, a cell phone thief, and a cat thief. She tries calling her dad a couple of times, but he doesn’t answer. Turns out the Red Hulk was the cause of the Fantastic Four and Gil’s problem. The Red Hulk knocked over a piece of the building, which landed on Gil. While Anya tries to save her father, the Fantastic Four try to control the Red Hulk.


Writer (Paul Tobin): The cover of this comic declares “Warning! The only things standing between you and the most synapse-shattering super hero debut of the decade are your hands and this cover!” It didn’t deliver. The storyline is interesting, but definitely not “synapse-shattering” especially since it left the most action packed conflict to a mere glimpse at the end.

Illustrator (Clayton Henry): Henry does a wonderful job of capturing Spider-Girl in flight and in combat. He also depicts the fury within the Red Hulk quite well.

Spider-Girl #1 - comiXology