Review - Puny Mortals - Issue # 0

Thou shalt not judge a book by its cover!

Not only is this the case with comic books, generally, but it applies with special force in the present instance. Issue zero of Puny Mortals is one of the shortest comic books that I have read, of late. This, I assure you, is regrettable.

Hailing from the press of In Comics, Puny Mortals is puny fare, indeed - if what you are after is a comic book title with no successive issues. It's harder to be more mortal, as a comic book, than when you've been relegated by your own creators to the ignominy of single issue status.

But, when you've got some decent material going on, on the interior pages, a mystery is conjured up. Namely, the kind of mystery that begs to know why, in God's name, that the powers that be behind this little venture of a comic book never followed up issue zero with the very same substance that this mini-issue of a comic book was packing?

But, it is not for me to decide the fate of all comic books. I'm a late comer, to this one, although I freely admit that I encountered it, previously - only, at that time, I wasn't risen from the swamps of primordial reviewer ooze that I have seemingly aspired to, since then.

Vaporizer kicking ass!

Maybe the creators of Puny Mortals didn't quite realize the little gem of a comic book that they had on their hands. Comic book publishers are, after all, a rather creative sort. Perhaps they fled the universe of Puny Mortals, in search of greener comic book pastures elsewhere. In any event, it's a true shame - for I really do like this snazzy little breeze of a read.

The entire issue, from front to back, is a mere eleven pages. For a comic book that aspires to tale its own version of superhero tales, that makes it a tight fit to try and cram a decent story into a the mere space of nine interior pages.

But, be that as it may, Puny Mortals issue zero manages to leave me wanting more. I'm just afraid that more isn't just around the proverbial corner. Indeed, Puny Mortals may have been more puny than any of us could ever even hope to realize, for it doesn't currently seem to be a priority for anybody to continue.

Are YOU a Snad??

Except, of course, for me!

With the bulk of independently published comic books that I encounter, more often than not, what potential readers are met with are decent looking front covers, while the interior pages are often little more than visually toxic artistic sludge. I hate to be the one to say it - but, I'm saying it!

Bloodsucker at your service.

Yet, Puny Mortals managed to evade that common fate, and in the process, it managed to turn that traditional comic book publishing equation squarely on its head.

If you can bring yourself to disregard the visually embalmed look of the credits page, and press on to the actual interior pages of this comic book, what you will find is some decent looking artwork, which in turn is bolstered by some passable coloring.

Just don't stare too closely, or for too long, at various characters' heads. Don't ask why - just don't do it!

For all of its talk about Snads, this is no Snad of a read. It's got some visual gonads growing on it.

Super villain, Road Kill, is just rolling right along.

Now, don't misunderstand. This micro-length comic book has little hope of pounding you into a perpetual state of visual oblivion bliss. But, all across its pages, the interior shines with the gossamer of substance.

Who has the power, now?!

In other words, this here is some solid stuff, folks. I mean, where else are you going to find super villains named Road Kill sporting over-sized tires as weapons?

Is it cheesy? Sure, it is! But, after all, superherodom of comic books is replete with countless instances of campiness or cheesiness. It is easily convertible into something that can be useful, both in a visual sense and in a literary sense.

All things considered, the art is superior to the coloring, in issue zero of Puny Mortals. But, I dare say that the colorist gets the laugh laugh - a booming, bellowing laugh, and without even laughing at all. Near the end of the book, the colorist explodes upon the page, and the reader is treated to a moment of vibrant color and visual impact that rises above the bar of the ordinary.

For the most part, though, the colorist took a subdued path on issue zero of Puny Mortals. While this is not an inherently bad thing, it does come at a visual price. While it does drain this issue of a noticeable amount of energy, nonetheless, it plays right into the hands of the mood that this comic book seeks to strike. A little gloom, anyone?

Stupid is as stupid does. Don't be stupid - Read Puny Mortals!

Puny Mortals tells us about how a Joe Blow might buy a "gadget" on the power market. Little does this comic book or its creators seem to realize that they have quite the gadget in their possession, all along. In the search for creating something bigger and better and more interesting, one would be well-served to more fully appreciate what they already have in the palm of their hand.

Just a nice little scene from the comic.

But, what do I know about any of it?

Not nearly enough, I'll tell you that.

Even still, I do know what I like when I see it, even if I can't always explain the "why" behind my particular likes, as they relate to comic books.

Puny Mortals showcases power, and it does so under the guise of impotence. It is a tale of wannabees, of ordinary people who dream of the chance to strike a super-powered blow of their own.

What this aspect of the concept is, is a way to connect with you or I - the humble readers that do more than just read comic books. We think about them. We wonder about them. Sometimes, we even live vicariously through them.

How else do you explain all of these super-powered thoughts that run through our minds, at any given hour of the day?

Which is why it is an especially sharp loss to see this little title not continued on.

This is exactly how I feel, knowing that the next issue is nowhere to be found.

So much promise (and decently executed, at that), but a legacy of merely a single one. One issue. That's it.

The comic book world is all the poorer for it, too!

This little comic book has decent lettering, too. Did I mention that?

The tale, itself, is told through a combination of narrative boxes and dialogue, with the narrative boxes taking the dominant form on the pages that unfold before you.

So much potential!

Yet, a great bulk of it remains unrealized, to this very day.

Pity such puny mortals!

The lettering is good, and helps make Puny Mortals an enjoyable read.

Could've been.

Wow! The creators of Puny Mortals certainly coined the right phrase with that one, for this tiny giant is a sterling example of what could have been.

Is Puny Mortals' future obliterated?

Of what could still be.

But, this review comes late in the day, proverbially speaking. One might as well wish and hope for super-powered gadgets from the power market, for one's very own - for that is probably as likely to succeed as wishing into the Internet aether for this mini-me of potential to come roaring back from where it has lain collecting dust, in the time between when it was first released and now.

So, while I won't be holding my breath for Puny Mortals to make a come back, I will make the effort to memorialize this exercise in comic-book-could've-been in review form, that its creation not have been entirely in vain.

Sometimes, you see, the little guy is worth remembering, worth reflecting upon, worth seeing in action.

Even if he doesn't make it.

Even if she doesn't succeed.

Even if his or her best laid plans go astray, in doomed bids to influence the demons and demi-gods of a super powered universe that the big guys of comic bookdom can't be bothered to give us.

When Zoomba is not enough, call Ball Lightning!

We might never be so fortunate as to learn the fate of Ball Lightning, but at least she made a valiant attempt to end an episode of chaos that the super villain of the hour had thrust upon the world.

But, maybe she had simply had enough, and walked away into the sunset where all comic book go to never be read, again.

Or, like me, perhaps she is still out there, lurking in the shadows of the Internet, just waiting for one more chance to unleash her power upon the unsuspecting comic book ilk of this universe.

When all is said and done, I like it - this Puny Mortals, as they call it.

That's why I'm giving it this not-so-puny recommendation to others, to those of you others out there who are looking for some good comic books to read.

Puny Mortals issue number two comes at a very puny - albeit affordable - price. That's right, it's free for the downloading.

Be bold! Grab your copy of it, today!

Puny Mortals - Issue # 0
Publisher: In Comics
Writer: Christopher Howard Wolf
Artist: David Newbold
Colors: Keith Garletts

Click HERE to download a free copy of

Puny Mortals - Issue # 0 in PDF format!

Review - Unstoppable Origins # 4: The Origin of Dr. Zero

From that bastion of comic book superherodom, Unstoppable Comics, comes a comic book titled Unstoppable Origins # 4. I first caught wind of it when it was a crowdfunding project on Kickstarter.

I backed it. The project ended - it's funding goal met and exceeded! Shortly thereafter, a digital copy of the comic book in PDF format made its way into my e-mail in-box.

I consumed it, in short order. Now, after all, not only was this a new title, it was also my first comic book encounter with this company, Unstoppable Comics.

If I may be so bold, if I may be so blunt, the bottom line is that I enjoyed it.

A lot.

For starters, it's got a great front cover. The cover art depicts a guy with energy emanating from behind him, and his clothing is in tatters. He's wearing a metal helmet and gloves. His helmet reminds me of a what you might get if you cross a Cylon with both Rom: Spaceknight and Doctor Doom. That's what it made me think of, anyway. His facial expression, what we see of it, drives home the point that what he is experiencing, from the impact of this energy upon him, is pain.

Having never encountered either the company or the character, before, I really didn't know what to expect - or to think. My impression of what I had encountered, when my impression was formed in its totality based solely and only upon what was being presented on the Kickstarter project page, can be found over on another blog that I wrote by clicking on the following link:

http://squatchkick.blogspot.com/2014/08/kickstarter-project-unstoppable-origins.html

But, that was a review of the Kickstarter project, and what was being presented therein. It was not a review of the comic book, as far as from the perspective of someone who had actually read the finished product. Hence, why I am reviewing the comic book here. Now, I have the advantage of the full experience.

And that, I want to convey, is a good thing.

It really is. I feel that what I ended up receiving was a solid product.

I enjoyed it. It was reading that was both enjoyable and interesting. All things considered, both good and bad, taken together still left me feeling as though I was glad that I had backed the Kickstarter project for this comic book, in the first place, and equally glad (if not more so) that I had took the time and made the effort to read this comic book from cover to cover, all of the way through.

Here, we have a story that makes sense. It gets me interested on page number one, and it retains my interest across the whole issue. When I reached the last page, it left me wanting more.

Ack! It ended here. Why did it have to end so soon.

Great front covers for comic books are OK. They're a good thing. There's a great thing, actually. They grab the eye. They tempt you. But, they don't always relate to what's on the inside.

Unstoppable Origins # 4 doesn't have that problem. The front cover is a perfect choice to tout what lies within, just beyond that initial visual horizon.

The origin at issue in this particular issue is that of one of the super villains from the Unstoppable Comics universe - Dr. Zero.

The issue does a good job, I feel, of not just telling the origin of Dr. Zero, but also, of giving the reader a glimpse of a greater array of characters that populate this universe.

The art and the coloring are what attracted me to this project in the first place - but, it is the storyline of the writer that closes the deal and makes it all work.

In the overall scheme of things, this comic book has more good points than bad points. Actually, it has very few weaknesses, and an abundance of strengths. It is an issue that has substance to it, and on more than one level.

In my considered opinion, the issue's greatest weakness, if it has one, lies in its lettering. Overall, the lettering is OK. In any event, the lettering is legible. I had no problem reading the comic. There are a few minor quibbles with select instances of punctuation and grammar, but I don't want to leave anyone with the wrong impression that it approaches rampant sloppiness - for it doesn't. But, it could have benefited from an even more thorough proof-reading than what it was subjected to.

I don't give the lettering an A+, but neither do I give it a failing grade, all things considered. It would probably get a B rating from me, on the lettering. It is far better than the average independent comic book, as far as those considerations go. These particular criticisms are more a criticism of the editing, than with the lettering, per se, as that is one of the core functions that naturally lie within the editing domain. Yet, it is through the lettering that such shortcomings become noticeable, as these problems are text-based in nature. The bulk of the editing is fine, though.

This issue has some decent special effects artwork encompassed within its pages. This really imbues the comic with a very energetic feeling. The special effects lettering, however, I have mixed feelings about. The strength of the issue does not lie there.

The cast of characters is visually diverse, and visually interesting. The art, itself, is one of the great strengths of this issue. Dynamic poses and good facial expressions make the art more than just pretty pictures to look at. They are integral to making a superhero type comic book to come alive. This issue gets that part of the equation right.

The coloring is solid, but it is not quite as consistently strong across all pages of the issue, as the art that underlies it is. But, it really does contain some very nice instances of color with vibrancy. It caught my eye, during the Kickstarter, and it continued to catch my eye, after I received the final product via e-mail.

Unstoppable Origins # 4, the Origin of Dr. Zero, is flush with color. The quality of the color on display in this issue is head and shoulders above most independent comic books that I encounter. Some of it, though, is solid gold - really great, as far as coloring goes. None of it is terrible.

The writer succeeds in giving us a villain that clicks, one who it is easy to have some sympathy with, as to how he became who he was - and even with why he became a villain.

But, because this is only an origin issue, Dr. Zero begs to be fleshed out, in future stories.

Another of this issue's top strengths lies in its use of panels. There's lots of variety to the panels on display, and even instances of characters breaking out of panels. With a lot of independent comic books, panels seem to be something given little, if any, thought. Here, though, they help to transform the overall work into a true visual treat.

When all is said and done, this issue of this comic book, which served as the gateway for my entry into this particular comic book universe, made a very positive impact upon me. It hooked my interest - not just for this one issue, but for a whole universe that it posits before me.

It left me wanting more - and that, in a nutshell, persuades me that it does an awful lot of things right.

If this is the kind of comic book products that Unstoppable Comics intends to publish, then I think that comic book readers have something worth looking forward to.

Publisher: Unstoppable Comics
Writer: Jaydee Rosario
Illustrator: Russ Leach
Colorist: Michael Summers
Letterer: Jaydee Rosario
Editor: Richard Rodriguez