Joyride Vol.1 (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from BOOM! Studios via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Joyride Vol.1
Author: Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly,
Illustrator: Marcus To 
Recent Release Date: September 27, 2016

Synopsis: Earth Sucks. Steal a Spaceship. 

Earth sucks. The stars have been blocked out for so long that people have forgotten there was anything else besides the World Government Alliance watching over them. Uma Akkolyte is a girl who shoots first, leaps before she looks, and is desperate for any means to leave her planet behind. And so she does. When Uma jacks an alien spaceship and punches through the stratosphere she sets forth on an adventure with an unlikely crew who are totally not ready for all the good, bad, and weird the universe will throw at them.

From writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (Batman and Robin Eternal, Grayson) and artist Marcus To (Nightwing, New Avengers), Joyride is a rebellious love letter to the sci-fi genre, exploring what happens when nothing stands between a group of teens and their freedom amongst the stars.

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Review: Rebel teens escape a fascist government and have crazy adventures in space. This comic is fun. There's comedy. There's space adventures. It is lighthearted and full of both friendship and familial relationships. 

I liked the art. There are some really interesting aliens in this book. And robots. The fashion is also pretty cool.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were developed and interacted well together. I give this volume a 3.5/5. 


--PAUL

Blue Hour (comic) by Dino Caruso - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Action Lab Entertainment via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Blue Hour
Author: Dino Caruso
Illustrator: Chad Cicconi
Recent Release Date: May 23, 2017

Synopsis: After the great resource wars on planet Earth a group of disillusioned colonists set out to establish a utopian colony on another planet, but can they overcome basic human nature, a treacherous environment, and a hostile indigenous race? This collection presents the entire five-issue series in one beautiful package.

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Review: This looked like it was going to be a fun sci-fi colonization comic, but it was not. This book barely kept my interest. The artwork was unimpressive. The storytelling also wasn't very modern. That was my biggest grievance with this book. It didn't seem like it was written in 2017. It was very old school in its characterizations. So many women are presented wearing almost nothing. There's a lot of meaningless bar fights. If you're an older straight white man, you may enjoy this book more than I did. 

I don't have anything good to say about this comic. I give it a 1/5. 

--PAUL

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 3 (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 3
Writer: Kyle Higgins
Illustrators: Hendry Prasetya and Jonathan Lam
Upcoming Release Date: November 4, 2016

Synopsis: The Green Ranger and Blue Ranger are lost in a mysterious world, as the rest of our heroes must try and track them down.

Tommy and Billy are lost in a mysterious land without their powers. With the world reeling after Rita’s attacks, Jason, Kimberly, Zack, Trini, and Alpha 5 must do all they can to save Zordon, and bring their missing friends home.

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Review: This ongoing series is so good! I love how Higgins has taken such a staple of my childhood and brought it to the present with more modern and mature storytelling while keeping the fun and ridiculousness that is Power Rangers. 

This is the third volume, so it picks up where the last one ended. Lord Drakkon is a main focus of this volume. I love the design of his costume. And I am totally here for his backstory. I'm a big fan of alternate timelines and time travel, so it's exactly my cup of tea. 

There's a whole chapter in this volume that puts the main story on the back burner and focuses on one character, Billy. A different artist draws this chapter so there's a more personal feel to it. I liked it, but having less of the main story in this volume made me hungry for more. 

I really like the references to other seasons of Power Rangers. I won't go into details, but the last panel has two people standing next to each other that made me very excited.

The Ongoing Adventures of Bulk & Skull has another story at the end of this volume. It's a fun, cute story but I'd prefer more of the character stories than another comical slap comedy with those lovable antagonists.

I give this volume a 5/5. Higgins knows what to do with Power Rangers. My favorite ongoing comic series currently out there.   


--PAUL

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2017 Annual (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2017 Annual
Contributors: Kyle Higgins, Goni Montes, Tom Taylor, Dan Mora, Jamal Campbell, Trey Moore, Frazer Irving
Recent Release Date: May 31, 2017

Synopsis: The future of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers starts here as Tommy makes a choice that will have huge consequences for the team; Black Power Rangers from across parallel dimensions meet to face off against a deadly foe; and all-new secret origins revealed!

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Review: Another year and another annual. This collection of short comics is just as wonderful as last year's. The first story ties a nice connection to the ongoing series with mention of someone by the name of Drakkon. There's also a backstory for Finster! He was also my favorite of Rita's crew. The most epic panels are definitely found in the "Forever Mighty Morphin Black" story. I loved seeing the pink-accented Black Ranger suit as well as others which I really want their stories. 

This collection has varying styles of both storytelling and artwork. I'm a huge fan of collections like these. I hope for more like this in the future! I give this annual a 5/5.  


--PAUL

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2016 Annual (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2016 Annual
Contributors: Kyle Higgins, Rod Reis, Trey Moore, Terry Moore, James Kochalka, Ross Thibodeaux, Rob Guillory, Marguerite Bennett, Huang Danlan, Jorge Corona

Synopsis: Comics creators come together to celebrate their mutual love of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! From short stories like “The Origin of Goldar” to “What Would Happen If Bulk and Skull Became Rangers?”, this oversized anthology collection features contributions from creators like Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Rob Guillory (Chew), James Kochalka (Monkey vs Robot), and more!

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Review: It took me a year to get my hands on this, but I finally did! This is a collection of comic stories that all take place in the Power Rangers universe. They range in style from cartoony and comical to realistic and emotional.

My favorite story gives a glimpse into Goldar's backstory and how he came to be a general of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa. There's also a beautifully drawn story about Trini and Kimberly hosting a charity tea party before the crowd gets turned into cute and fluffy animals. The most outrageous and fun story though involves Bulk and Skull getting temporary Power Rangers powers. 

I am absolutely loving what BOOM! Studios is doing with the Power Rangers comics. I want to see more stories that delve into backstories or breath new life into smaller aspects of the Power Rangers world. I give this annual a 5/5.  


--PAUL