Category: Independent Publishers (Comic Books & Graphic Novels)

Written by Darin Wagner & Clint Hilinski (Epilogue Only)

Art by Clint Hilinski; Andrew Dalhouse; & Bill Tortolini

Cover Art by Clint Hilinski [Cover B]

SUMMARY:

Published by Alias Enterprises LLC for December 2005, this sixteen-page preview (including bonus features) is entitled “Best Served Cold.”  Visually reminiscent of DC Comics’ Teen Titans, the self-enamored ‘Hyper-Actives’ are more fixated on their news media coverage than thwarting the fugitive Thrillchiller. 

In a high school cafeteria, the frequently-bullied Eddie Ellison (who suspiciously resembles Peter Parker) is chided by both the condescending principal and his blonde girlfriend, Torrie.  Eddie catches the Hyper-Actives on the noon time TV news report.  Elsewhere, a masked figure intends to radically shake up the Hyper-Actives’ world.  A single-page epilogue occurs at the ‘Hypershere’ (sic) team headquarters.   

Notes: Images of the other cover(s) aren’t provided.  Artist Clint Hilinski’s Cover B obviously homages Michael Turner’s Identity Crisis # 2 cover for DC Comics from 2004.

REVIEW:

Aside from its utterly derivative nature (i.e. a brief snippet even mimics Wally West’s Flash & Linda Park), one might conclude that the obnoxious Hyper-Actives squad is a Teen Titans parody.  Yet, this comic’s lackluster writing is hampered by Teen Titan/X-Men clichés, not to mention cheap efforts at teen humor, as readers are led down a path to nowhere. 

Aside from the adequate artwork, this obscure Hyper-Actives # 0 (or # 00, per the cover) teaser seems far more a rip-off than a failed spoof.  If one construes this issue as an ‘audition,’ then artist Clint Hilinski is capable of excellent work, as seen in his ‘homages’ to Michael Turner and Erik Larsen, as well as his own character sketches.  Yet, the issue’s pointless imitation does little justice in flattering prospective readers.   

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Five full pages of Clint Hilinski artwork consist of: a buffoonish ÜberForce black-and-white pin-up; character sketch designs of the Hyper-Actives; a Blood Force color pin-up in homage of artist Rob Liefeld’s X-Force work at Marvel; and a Hyper-Actives color pin-up in homage of Erik Larsen’s work.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    2½ Stars

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Joe Quesada

Art by Lee Moder; Chris Garcia; & Simon Bowland

Cover Art by Ron Adrian

SUMMARY:

Published by Dynamite Entertainment in 2007, it’s an eight-page teaser launching this franchise’s Volume 2.  Narrated by Jane, she has taken a surveillance job infiltrating a sleazy barbershop/tattoo parlor – the business is suspected of hustling guns for several recent homicides.  Going undercover, Jane gets a gothic tattoo on her rump.  A drug-addled customer’s hastiness leads the police to the parlor’s front door.  Turning on each other, two gun-runners unleash a bloodbath.

Note: The Cover B artist is Joe Prado, and the Sneak Peak artist is Georges Jeanty.

REVIEW:

Aside from artist Ron Adrian’s solid cover image, the edgy Painkiller Jane # 0 is just plain vile.  In fairness, this comic’s grungy art corresponds to its dark R-rated sense of humor, including realistic dialogue peppered with profanities.  Crudely violent, Painkiller Jane # 0 won’t likely attract casual readers.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The inside front cover depicts thumbnail images of the variant Cover B & the black-and-white Sneak Peak, as well as a synopsis explaining how undercover cop Jane Vasko becomes ‘Painkiller Jane.’ The single-page “Dynamite Dispatches” hypes the company’s current projects.  The back cover depicts four cover reveals for Painkiller Jane # 1.    

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   2 Stars

Written by & Art by The Luna Brothers

SUMMARY:

It was published by Image Comics for February 2010.  This standard-length issue’s main content is a bloody swordfight between two mystical female warriors, valiant Dara vs. cold-blooded Malia (dressed in modern-day civilian clothing), in a large city’s downtown area in broad daylight. 

REVIEW:

Up to a point, the unremarkable Sword # 22 delivers the female equivalent of Highlander-style dueling.  The Luna Brothers artwork is decent enough correlating this storyline’s action to unsurprisingly coarse dialogue.  Yet, during Dara and Malia’s ultra-violent showdown, one nasty visual depicts a reprehensible act of woman-on-woman cruelty that shouldn’t be condoned for any creative purpose of entertainment.  Specifically, a character’s reproductive organs are viciously ripped out.  Suffice to say, The Sword # 22 blatantly violates the parameters of good taste. 

This appalling sequence prompted this reviewer’s rare act of ripping up a comic book and chucking it into a trash can.  Had the scene in question been omitted (or at least modified to something remotely acceptable), this comic’s rating would have been likely 3 stars.  That’s all this reviewer thinks The Sword # 22 would otherwise merit for an adequate (at best) storyline and rudimentary artwork.  However, the final rating must speak for itself. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Not reviewed.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     0 Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Written by Jeph Loeb

Art by Ed McGuinness; Marlo Alquiza; Donald Skinner; Richard Starkings; Comicraft’s Albert Deschesne; & Comicraft’s John Marasigan

Cover Art by Ed McGuinness; Donald Skinner; & ‘NAM’

SUMMARY:

Awesome Comics published this standard-length issue for March 1998.  Per a brief intro, legendary John Flagg has abandoned his secluded retirement as the Fighting American.  The super-soldier relentlessly pursues whoever has set a ten million dollar bounty on his head.  Flagg and his youthful cybernetic sidekick, Spice, thwart the missile-blasting Buzz Bomber at the North Pole.  Another old foe emerges, Double Header, as Flagg faces the villainous Siamese twins’ submarine. 

Flagg’s gauntlet of chasing prime suspects sends him into corpulent billionaire Round Robin’s Bel Air estate for a long-overdue showdown.  The bounty’s true mastermind is revealed.  At the Pentagon, General Cole tests redhead Kelly Grant, a young woman whose super-reflexes suggests a secret link to Fighting American’s past.    

Note: The original version of Fighting American was a subsequent creation of Captain America’s co-creators: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.  At the time of this comic’s publication, Fighting American had been licensed by Awesome Comics.

REVIEW:

Artist Ed McGuinness’ distinctive style is enjoyable, but Jeph Loeb’s scripting seriously needs an originality pill.  Whether it’s a rip-off or a homage, it’s surprising how his derivative plot so clearly lifts from both Marvel and DC.  Though Spice and Kelly Grant imply something new, the ridiculous villains gallery (Buzz Bomber, Double Header, & Round Robin), however, are cheap knock-offs of the Crimson Dynamo, Two-Face, and the Kingpin. Frankly, this rogues’ gallery has more in common with Dick Tracy’s old-school crime cartel than any major-league baddies Captain America or Batman ever face. 

Putting aside redundant comparisons to Captain America, the belligerent Fighting American (clear down to his indestructible shield) comes off as a near-replica of Marvel’s U.S. Agent – that is, mixed with the 1950’s hard-nosed, Communist-hating Captain America impostor.  Like Steve Rogers, this Fighting American is meant as a deliberate anachronism … without the real Cap’s wholesome charm.  Ironically, this Rules of the Game finale, despite an amusing stew of action movie clichés, is a fairly good read … for a routine Captain America storyline.  Still, this comic’s classiness stems mostly from the visuals by McGuinness.    

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Loeb and Editor Eric Stephenson hype Fighting American’s one-shot entitled Cold War, which heralds Awesome publisher-artist Rob Liefeld’s participation.  Three fan-submitted pieces of artwork ‘team’ Fighting American with Captain America.  Stephenson includes a letter to Awesome’s fan base on the inside back cover.  A two-page spread hypes Fighting American: Cold War # 1, including the offer of an action figure incentive.  There’s also a full-page cover reveal of actress Jada Pinkett Smith’s Menace # 2.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    4½ Stars

Written by Jim Starlin

Art by Stephen Platt; Jimmy Yu; ‘Tanya & Rich;’ Elizabeth Lewis; & Brett Evans

Cover Art by Stephen Platt & ‘BOOCH’

SUMMARY:

Published by Awesome Comics for May 1999, this untitled issue has Fighting American tag-teaming with the nihilistic mercenary, No-Name.  In an underground chamber of Colonel Zarkov’s Albanian castle, the two patriotic operatives pilfer vital computer data before escaping an explosive booby trap.  At the Pentagon hours later, “Project: Zero Tolerance” is revealed as Zarkov’s terrorist bio-weapon capable of terminating racial groups through their skin color.  While Fighting American withholds a secret zip-drive disk, he ponders ex-teen sidekick Speedboy’s evolution into the chauvinist No-Name.

Fighting American & No-Name invade Zarkov’s secluded Peruvian villa where he is hosting Texan white supremacist mastermind Cody Buffit.  Joined by China’s Scarlet Dragon, the three heroes engage Zarkov’s flying robotic sentinels.  With one ally seriously injured, Fighting American is forced to make a tentative alliance. 

Note: At the time, Awesome Comics had licensed Joe Simon & Jack Kirby’s post-Captain America creation: the ‘Fighting American.’

REVIEW:

Despite the offensive dialogue attributed to the bigoted Buffit and No-Name, this issue is intriguing at times.  Backing reliable Marvel veteran Jim Starlin’s scripting are decent visuals by the art team.  Yet, there’s no mistaking that the ridiculously steroid-laden physiques are out of Awesome publisher Rob Liefeld’s playbook.  The more significant detriment, of course, is the derivative nature of Fighting American as merely Captain America (or even the U.S. Agent) under a different alias. 

Curiously, the obnoxious No-Name foreshadows how Marvel Comics and DC Comics later transformed Jason Todd and Bucky Barnes into the Red Hood and the Winter Soldier, respectively.  The intriguing Scarlet Dragon also delivers a fairly original hero to this surprisingly coherent storyline.  Though the clichéd characters aren’t endearing, this comic’s plotting still merits at least a single read. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

With a flip back cover, it’s a seven-page, black-and-white Kaboom sketch preview by Rob Liefeld & Keron Grant.  A two-page spread hypes Awesome’s imminent answer to Marvel’s Avengers: The Allies.       

BRIAN’S 10-STAR RATING:                          5 Stars