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Want your comic book reviewed on Project Fanboy? Email a PDF file of your comic book to reviews@projectfanboy.com or alternatively you can snail mail it to us at:
Project Fanboy Reviews Dept.
1192 Everwood Dr.
Ashland City, TN 37015
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Frankenstein, The Prodigal Son (Vol. 2) #1
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Sep 02, 2010 - 4:22 AM - by MichaelRoberts
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Title: Frankenstein, The Prodigal Son (Vol. 2) #1
Rating: 
Publisher Website: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Dean Koontz, Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Tim Seeley
Inks:
Colors: Ale Starling
Number of pages: 32
Price: $3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY - 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.
Publishers Blurb:
Dean Koontz's hit series returns!
Detectives O'Conner and Maddison delve deeper into the mysterious life of Victor Helios, trying to uncover his ultimate goal, while members of Victor's "New Race" begin to show they are not as perfect as he assumed. Randall Six continues his quest to escape from Hands of Mercy, as Officer Harker descends further into madness. And Erika Helios discovers some of her husbands' unfinished creations?
From the masterly pen of New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz-and featuring an adaptation by legendary comic book writer Chuck Dixon and gorgeous illustrations by artist Tim Seely, creator of Hack/Slash -Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son is a story filled with fast-paced action, gripping horror, and thrilling adventure.
Reviewer Comments:
I enjoy Dean Koontz novels, and I’m thrilled to see how many of his books are crossing into the comics medium from novel form. (Books without pictures… *shudder*) As with any adaptation, the final product is something new and must survive on its own merit. Thankfully, Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein is easily able to shift between media, and the dialogue and narration feel entirely natural. Editor Josh Rybandt, writer/adapter Chuck Dixon and the rest of the crew have opted to stay close to the source material, and I was immediately able to engage the story and remember from the novels all that had happened before.
This issue is the start of a new chapter, but I would recommend anyone interested in this title to go back and pick up previous issues. Even though they’ve included a quick summary of the plot so far, there are numerous threads to this tale. It’s easy to get confused with all that is happening.
Another confusing point in this book and my only real complaint about the issue is the similarity between some of the character designs. Artist Tim Seeley is certainly no slouch, but I confused the lead character Carson with other women on a few separate occasions. Nearly every female in the book is supermodel beautiful, and their clothing and hair color seem to serve as their only points of distinction.
Beyond that nitpick, the rest of this book is gorgeous. There are a few odd moments when a bio-engineered hand leads a character through the hall like Thing from the Addams family, but Koontz placed that in the original novel. Seeley’s art really shines when the horror elements of the book crank up. Reading Koontz’s description of these encounters can be unsettling, and artwork of those same moments brings back those same emotions in an entirely different way.
Personally, I would like to see a darker, rougher style on this book to emphasize more of the scary tones of this story. Seeley is definitely capable of a darker tone (Hack/Slash anyone?), but I’m sure that Dynamite wants to make this book as accessible as possible to Koontz’s fans. And if adaptation books can help bring new readers into comics, then I won’t be the one to complain over something so minor.
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0 Comments | 45 Views
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The Last Days of American Crime # 3 (of 3)
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Aug 31, 2010 - 4:44 AM - by SebastianPiccione
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Title: The Last Days of American Crime # 3 (of 3)
Rating: 
Publisher Website: Radical Comics
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: Greg Toochini
Number of pages: 56
Price: 4.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY - 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.
Publishers Blurb:
Cover A- Alex Maleev
Cover B- Greg Tocchini
The heist of the century is finally here. With his team together, his scheme in place and the score set, Graham, at long last, is ready to pull off the last and greatest crime in the history of the United States. But even if the plan goes off without a single hitch, what can he do when the American Government decides to activate their anti-crime broadcast during the job. Will the last day of American crime end with Graham and his team as millionaires, or will they spend the rest of eternity wondering where they went wrong?
The stunning conclusion to the critically acclaimed miniseries written by Rick Remender (Punisher, Fear Agent) with art by Greg Tocchini.
Reviewer Comments:
The only thing better than a mini-series that lives up to its potential in the last issue is a mini-series that blows well past that potential and into something truly great. The Last Days of American Crime is one of those mini-series.
With this final installment, Rick Remender leads us through a labyrinth of plot twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover. No small feat in a modern comic. Characters in this book change allegiances faster than the Italians in a World War. (It's Ok, my name is Sebastiano Francesco Piccione, I can make that joke).
Greg Tocchini's art is simply stunning. Fluid, energized, and filled with powerful yet subtle looks and glances. Yeah, Tocchini can successfully draw a dramatic pause. How great is that?
As the clock counts down to a mind-controlled crime free America, our "heroes" have to fight off gangs, the cops, and each other to pull off the ultimate heist. And while I won't tell you who's left with the bag, I will tell you that the big pay-off belongs to the readers.
So good, that I just checked off the trade in my Previews order book. This goes on the shelf!
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5 Comments | 145 Views
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BULLET TO THE HEAD # 3
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Aug 29, 2010 - 4:54 PM - by SebastianPiccione
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Title: BULLET TO THE HEAD # 3
Rating:
Publisher Website: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Matz
Pencils: Colin Wilson
Colors: Chris Blythe
Number of pages: 32
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: MAX: EXPLICIT CONTENT - 18 years old.
Publishers Blurb:
UPC: 725130151131
Bullet to the Head, the crime noir masterpiece continues, written by Matz and drawn by Colin Wilson (Ed Brubaker's Point Blank)! The book centers on a pair of assassin buddies and a pair of cop buddies, with a body count that grows as the story progresses and each pair trying to figure out what is happening! In this third issue of the award-winning crime saga, the pair of assassins strike
Reviewer Comments:
I simply LOVE this book.
BULLET TO THE HEAD is a wonderful read, that screams movie treatment. Even the covers look like they should be movie posters or DVD cases. Matz does a bang-up job of creating chaos in that way that makes you know that while the misadventures of cops and assassins appears to be a total mess, you KNOW it takes meticulous planning to pull off! This is one well thought out –and well realized—story.
Artist/Letter Colin Wilson pulls off the impossible, by consistently turning out top-notch, highly detailed pages, of 8-15 panels each, that are not only gorgeous, but don't end up hidden behind the ample dialogue. The advantage of lettering your own pages.
And speaking of dialogue, this issue out Tarantino's Tarantino for indie assassin-a-assassin banter.
So, if you're not reading this yet...trust me when I tell you, You truly need a BULLET TO THE HEAD.
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0 Comments | 113 Views
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Dracula: The Company of Monsters 1
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Aug 26, 2010 - 5:56 AM - by MichaelRoberts
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Title: Dracula: The Company of Monsters 1
Rating:
Publisher Website: Boom Studios
Writer: Daryl Gregory, Kurt Busiek
Pencils: Scott Godlewski
Inks:
Colors: Stephen Downer
Number of pages: 24
Price: $3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY - 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.
Publishers Blurb:
He’s back from the dead and starring in a new ongoing horror series from the mind of Kurt Busiek. A powerful, predatory corporation acquires a valuable asset – Dracula! They think they own him, but no one can own the Son of the Dragon. There’s a monster in their midst that puts Hannibal Lecter to shame – and he plans to gain his freedom in blood. It’s bloodsuckers vs. bloodsucker, as Busiek brings an incredibly modern spin to the Dracula mythos. Joining Busiek is award-winning author Daryl Gregrory (Pandemonium) and rising star artist Scott Godlewski (Codebreakers). The epic journey starts here, so don’t miss the debut issue of Dracula: The Company Of Monsters, the next breakout ongoing series from BOOM! Studios! Featuring covers by Ron Salas and fan-favorite The Nocturnals artist Dan Brereton.
Reviewer Comments:
I’ve reviewed a number of Dracula stories here on Project Fanboy. We’ve seen everything from the strict adherence to the literary tradition in Dynamite’s book to the hyper-style of Top Cow’s series. My reviews don’t even cover all of the Blade comics from Marvel plus all of the X-Men stuff and Millar stuff that’s coming out right now. Oh yeah, and Vertigo has American Vampire that’s apparently been doing pretty well.
There is a lot of Dracula on the comic book page, and Boom’s new series “Dracula: The Company of Monsters” fails to distinguish itself from everything else that is out there in this first issue. This is a solid book with some interesting moments, but nothing breaks out to hook the reader’s attention.
Artist Scott Godlewski is mainly responsible for those interesting moments that come along. One thing I noticed in particular about the art of this issue was the face acting of the main character, a young businessman who’s been translating all of the history of Dracula from Romanian. There are several times when the man is surprised or confused by the events unfolding before him, but there is a subtlety to his expressions that keep this part of the story grounded and more realistic. It’s even more interesting because artist Scott Godlewski doesn’t use a ton of detail in his work. The exact placement of a line on the character’s furrowed forehead conveys both surprise and mistrust in the same moment.
I will say that the idea of a corporation trying to control Dracula is interesting, and I’ll be checking back in with this new ongoing series from time to time to see how the corporation’s efforts are going. Because you know it’s not going to go well.
Dracula: The Company of Monsters didn’t grab me with this issue, but we’ll see how it goes in the future.
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0 Comments | 182 Views
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Z-Blade XX # 2
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Aug 26, 2010 - 3:01 AM - by SebastianPiccione
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Title: Z-Blade XX # 2
Rating:
Publisher Website: Atomic Basement
Writer: Steve J. Palmer
Pencils: Guy LeMay
Inks:
Colors: Guy LeMay
Number of pages: 32
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY - 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.
Publishers Blurb:
Before Z-Blade XX can finish what he started with The Insomniac, you're not going to BELIEVE the new menace he's gotta deal with first! YIKES.
Reviewer Comments:
Z-Blade XX is an odd little indie that is quickly growing on me. This second issue offers a lot of character development, one of THE most over-the-top villains I've ever seen, and some very stylized art that makes me think "what if Mike Mignola had drawn for School House Rock. Yeah, I can't explain it any better than that, but I like it.
There is a Bendis-ian amount of dialogue in this issue, but it flows nicely, and moves you along. It's got that indie two-friends-talking, soap-opera feel, but it doesn't flinch away from the super-hero action moments, either.
Z-Blade-xx is worth looking into, and DEFINITELY worth the 3.99 for 32 color pages!
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0 Comments | 248 Views
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