Review - 3Corps - Issue # 2

With issue number two, the 3Corps series takes a strong leap up the comic book ladder, quality-wise. Both the art and the coloring are amped up, and 3Corps begins to look more like a professionally produced comic book, rather than a comic book published by a small, independent publisher.

Not that no other comic book published by independent publishers ever come out looking professionally done. Some do. Most, however, do not, if my own past experience with them is any kind of indicator, at all.

Publishing a comic book can be an arduous - and expensive - undertaking. Publishing a comic book that has a professional grade look to it can be even more difficult, and even more expensive. Yet, the extra effort and the added expense doesn't always translate into a comic book becoming popular.

After all, the public can be finicky. It doesn't always embrace things that have merit to them. Sometimes, even solid products fail, and for a variety of different reasons.

This is one of the better examples of special effects lettering from issue two.

That said, with issue two, 3Corps succeeds grabs me from where I left issue one off at, and visually beats interest into me. It commands my attention, and even more importantly, it leaves me wanting more, by the last page of the issue.

My man, the Colonel!

Issue two succeeded in convincing me that 3Corps is a comic book title worth following. I feel like this title is a series headed somewhere worth tagging along to. The improved art and coloring were instrumental in abducting both my eye and my interest, but it is the story which ties my hands and won't let me escape.

I am, in other words, a willing prisoner. I have now become more than just a reader. I am more than just some meager excuse for a comic book reviewer. I am, quite plain and simply, a fan.

Now, does that mean that there's nothing about issue two of 3Corps that I don't like? No, not at all. But, all things considered, issue two managed to bust out, and advance deep into the territory of my interest, as a reader.

Nice snow scene helps to set the mood.

If I told you everything about issue two of 3Corps that I like, the fact of the matter is that I would end up spoiling the book for you, especially where the story, itself, is concerned - and, generally speaking, that's something that I strive to avoid, when writing reviews of comic books.

In issue one, 3Corps - whether intentionally or unintentionally - left my mind wondering who the actual villain was. Gabriel came off as a bad guy, initially, but he did a decent enough job of making me attach some sympathy to him. I began to like him, as the story in issue number one progressed. Within the span of a few pages, Gabriel came across to me as better constructed, as a character, than the guy that he was fighting, a superhero by the name of Max.

Holy fuck! Now THIS is a villain! Meet Dr. Specter! Spectacular visual!!

By comparison, issue two yields up a villain that is visually worthy of being called that. He looks the part, this Dr. Specter.

You can tell, right off the bat, that Dr. Specter grasps the role the villain. There is no way that your mind won't make that connection. Plus, he's not just another bad guy. He doesn't just do bad things. He is violent. He is vicious. He doesn't suffer from compunction.

Devastator looking good.

Maybe he's a big reason that issue two of 3Corps really began to click with me in ways that issue one failed to. That really gorgeous panel of Dr. Specter didn't hurt any, I'm sure.

His fist is clenched. He has that really devious look on his face. That sinister grin. That exposed brain.

That what?!

Yeah, you heard me. I said that he has an exposed brain - as in, I can see it.

Superheros tend to be visually pleasing, in most instances. Not that all super villains look bad. Some come across as quite dashing or as absolutely beautiful, in fact.

She has a name - Krimson!

But, not Dr. Specter.

Nope, not this guy. Not this fellow.

Dr. Specter takes devious pleasure in offending your eye. He is quite at home with blood - and by extension, bloodshed.

Plus, he talks like a villain should talk. He's an unapologetically wicked fellow. He's evil. Depending upon his mood, he might have two legs, or he might have six.

Say what?!

The Colonel getting right into character for issue two of 3Corps.

I phrase it that way, for a reason. This is one of those characters that you come across in a comic book that you really need to see for yourself, to fully appreciate what he brings to the pages of a comic book title.

Interest-wise, Dr. Specter made a bold grab for my attention. He's not content with just killing people and doing bad things. Oh, no, not Dr. Specter. The "good" doctor intends, I believe, to hook me, and to make himself one of my personal favorite villains of all time.

A wicked man.

Unfortunately, issue two of 3Corps wasn't long enough to afford our esteemed villain ample opportunity to accomplish quite that much. In other words, Dr. Specter was robbed!

But, his loss is the reader's gain, as I now want to learn - above and beyond wherever it is that the 3Corps storyline ultimately leads - just exactly what this doctor is up to over in his neck of the comic book woods. Whatever it is, it can't be good - but, that helps to make a comic book into a juicy read.

Both issue one and issue two of 3Corps begin taking the reader elsewhere. In the case of issue one, it starts out talking about Daedalus and Icarus. Where issue two is concerned, the reader is treated to King Arthur and Merlin.

Both Arthur and Merlin, in fact, were part of a beautiful visual score within the pages of issue two. Now, the people over at Top Secret Press have my eye craving for more of those figures ripped from the pages of myth. It rose to the level of being a sub-production within a production. It was a fine start to issue two, and I hope that Top Secret Press will continue this trend of baiting readers of its 3Corps series with characters and elements of tales firmly rooted in mythology and lore.

ACK!! This made me want more of Arthur and Merlin.

3Corps maintains a firm grip on solid lettering, in issue two. It opens well, in issue two, and it remains visually strong across the entire issue - with one notable exception.

I really do NOT care for the lettering scheme (and the speech bubbles, for that matter) that issue number two saddled the character, Devastator, with. Honest to God, Devastator deserved better.

This looks dreadful. Thumbs down!

The coloring is still not exactly where it needs to be, as some scenes visually underwhelmed me, due to the coloring, alone.

But, by and large, issue number two of 3Corps really gets this series moving in the right visual direction. Top Secret Press clearly made a conscious effort to up the visual ante, to bring its visual A-game to the fore.

And that, my fine comic book friend, is most commendable!

Special effects lettering remains a mixed bag. There's not a lot of it going on in issue two, but where it does exist, the special effects lettering has both some really good examples and some examples that are the visual equivalent of blah.

Divine speech bubble with solid lettering.

Issue two introduces the reader of this series to some new characters. They bring interest, both of the visual variety and of the literary variety, to this title.

Enter Krimson and Faceless.

It's good to have a woman in the superhero mix, now, and Krimson gets off to a strong start, by engaging the reader verbally through her opening scene with the Colonel.

Remember the Colonel? He was my favorite character out of the bunch from issue one of 3Corps.

The Colonel firing off a few choice words after his sanctuary is invaded.

Well, he's back - and he's looking good, in issue two. Plus, he's still sporting some choice dialogue. Even his opening thought bubble in issue two was right on the mark. Between his dialogue and his thoughts, the Colonel is, I believe, the best developed character in this comic book series, to date. Then again, 3Corps is still at an early stage in its life, as a comic book title, at only two issues in.

Krimson is supposed to be a speedy character, according to the Colonel's top secret files on her. Rumor has it that she is capable of speeds up to four hundred miles per hour.

Very nice!

But, that certainly didn't stop knocking the Hell out of her.

In fairness, he had her by the hand, just prior to knocking her up side the head. Even still, the fastest visual depiction of her, special effects-wise, was the scene where she is show impacting a tree, following Devastator laying the smackdown on her.

Thus far, I find myself being more of a fan of Krimson's talk than I do of her game. She's courageous, albeit it a little foolish, as she's quick to rush in where angels might be well-advised to fear.

OUCH!! That hurts!

Max performed a little better in issue two, than he did in issue one, but even still, I am still finding myself trying to like this Max fellow. He has potential, but for me, personally, Max is a superhero that has more power (in a superhero sense) than he has appeal (in a character sense).

The colorist doesn't help Max, in his bid to achieve my respect, as a reader. One of Max's moment's of intense anger in issue two was effectively killed, in a visual sense, by the resort by the colorist to color that particular panel with pale colors.

The result?

Max's intensity was sacrificed upon the alter of bad choices.

Beautiful scene. Nice coloring - only pale, which is counter to intense.

At least Gabriel, back in issue one, had the decency to beat the living Hell out of Max. That was a visual treat, even if the coloring in that issue was not up to issue two's visual standard, as a whole.

Faceless is a character that I find to be interesting, but at the same time, he's not played a very big role in the storyline, yet.

The character, Faceless.

Visually, Faceless has a strong entrance into issue two. In a nutshell, he has a solid look, visually speaking. Action-wise, he's visually downplayed in this issue.

Why??

Some mysteries in comic books take time to explain, though, but here's hoping that Top Secret Press increases Faceless' onscreen time on the panels that populate the inside of 3Corps' future issues.

Through dialogue, Faceless managed to accomplish more for issue two than he accomplished via visual imagery. His exclamations near the end of issue two were a solid way to introduce the reader to Max's fury - something that Max, himself, still struggles to visually bring to the table in this comic book series.


The thing that I don't understand about 3Corps, and by that I mean, the one thing that really continues to bother me about this comic book, is how the artist is bringing home the visual bacon one minute, but the visual impact upon the reader ends up getting muted, whether by the colorist or the artist a panel or two later.

You're damned right! Nice visual, nice special effects lettering. Solid visual punch!

That inconsistency is, I believe, robbing this comic book title of a lot of its potential impact upon readers. One minute, my eye is going, "Wow!" The next thing that I know, my eye is visually dozing off to sleep. Yet, let me tell you, and make no mistake about it - there's some really enticing scenes in issue two of 3Corps. There are some super examples of comic book art. There's even some excellent examples of coloring. But, some of the potentially best scenes do not seem to have the artist and the colorist on the same visual page. The end result is that my eye is left wanting - for something more, for something bigger, for something better.

A no-name character, but he looks good.

Namely, for that something that was in place and intact only a panel or two before. I stress this, because it is crucial - absolutely crucial, if what Top Secret Press is truly after is to deliver the best comic book experience possible.

Presently, 3Corps still isn't quite there - not in every way, anyway.

But, issue two did go a long way in moving the ball visually down the field, to get this comic book title within scoring distance for a future issue in the 3Corps series.

Unabashedly, I recommend issue two of 3Corps.

Nicely rendered, but that lettering.

Unapologetically, I continue to criticize certain things about this series.

But, all things considered, this is a comic book series that has progressed (and noticeably so) from issue one to issue two, and it is achieving the goal of being an interesting read.

Don't wait to get drafted! Grab yourself a copy, and join up as a 3Corps reader, today!

In the meantime, I'm going to soldier on as a fan of 3Corps.
 

3Corps - Issue # 2
Publisher: Top Secret Press
Writer: John Daniel Taylor IV
Artist: Ferran Sellares
Inker: Jordi Tarragona
Colorist: Jay Moyano
Lettering: Inklight Studios
Editing: John Daniel Taylor IV & Francesca Henle-Taylor

Regular Cover
Penciler: Ariel Medel
Inker: Juan Albarran
Colorist: Jay Moyano

Variant Cover
Penciler: Sergio F. Davila
Inker: Juan Albarran
Colorist: Ivan Nunes

Review - 3Corps - Issue # 1

3Corps is a comic book title that hails from an independent comic book publisher called Top Secret Press. That's an appropriate name for this publisher, since 3Corps is built atop a strong strain of secrecy.

I read issues one and two of 3Corps in a back-to-back, rapid succession manner. As soon as I finished issue one, I then immediately took up the reading of issue two. I say this for a reason - that to read issue number one as a standalone item will not give you the picture that you need of either the storyline or the characters, in order to fully appreciate the potential that this comic book series embodies.

As with many first issues put out by independent comic book companies, issue one of 3Corps suffers from its fair share of shortcomings. Namely, the supporting mechanisms find themselves challenged to deliver on the premise of what the underlying story advocates in favor of delivering.

In other words, the story, itself, is the strongest asset that issue number one contains within the expanse of its pages.

Often, when it comes to the creation of comic books, the art tends to command the greatest expenditure of dollars, followed by the coloring. Lettering is often the very first thing placed upon the sacrificial altar, in the name of getting the thing done and out the door.

It's an action packed comic.

And the writing?

Oh, well, for some inexplicable reason, writing is an undervalued commodity, in the overall scheme of manufacturing comic books.

Issue # 1 of 3Corps is quick to toss the reader directly into the thick of things. One thing is certain - 3Corps is an action-oriented series.

Having read it, having enjoyed it, and having digested it, as I sit here just flipping the pages of issue number one back and forth, in order to give it an additional once over, I find myself coming to the same conclusion already previously reached.

Namely, that the weakest link in this chain is the coloring.

Uh...What happened to the teeth?

Not because it is terrible, because it isn't. And not because it isn't goof, anywhere, because there are instances where the color is pretty doggone good, in my considered opinion.

But, that said and conceded, when considered in its sum totality, the coloring suffers from a thing that I call consistency. It is not all of the same quality, color-wise.

Nonetheless, it is a comic book that can be enjoyed, and the colorist clearly made an effort to stoke this issue with energy. But, the implementation did not live up to the concept, unfortunately.

A panel portion that visually undersells this comic book.

Visually, it is the lettering that saves this issue. It has competent lettering, all of the way through it. The special effects lettering, on the other hand, is a mixed bag.

Solid lettering example!

The primary point of special effects lettering is to inject visual impact into a scene. There's certainly a variety of different special effects lettering instances on display. Yet, the coloring of them is sub-part, in instances, and none of them really seem to get the job done. They are visual eyesores as often as they are anything else.

I want to like them. I really do. But, ultimately, they let me down. They deflate what I feel, as I make my way through the pages of this story. Rather than save the visual day, the special effects lettering betrayed me, time and time again. Where special effects lettering is concerned, issue one of 3Corps is the issue that could have been.

Straight as a line, yet visually bland and creatively unimaginative.

Overall, the issue implements speech bubbles well. Some feel a bit cramped, whereas some others feel underpowered by the lettering that they encase. But, even still, it's a commendable job of lettering this comic book.

Max is getting fed up.

The artwork, itself, ranks as imaginative, but it is hindered by the coloring. Overall, the artist makes good use of white space on the panels. On this level of consideration, 3Corps issue one is a credit to the independent comic book community.

But, such a pity, it is, that the artist and the colorist could not collectively get this issue to where it needed to be, visually, that justice to this title could be properly done.

So, when all of the visual eye candy is expended, where does the reader find himself or herself? Back at the story, itself. And there is a good place to be.

I love this - but, not the rest.

I liked the story. I enjoyed it. When I finished issue one, I wanted to read issue two. Regardless of how it happened or why it happened, it happened. That, to me, is success.

Now, I may not speak glowingly about it, but if I read your comic book, and after doing so, I still want to read what comes next, then you have clearly done something right. That's a far better situation to be in than if the reader puts your work down unfinished, or if the reader actively seeks to avoid reading your next offering.

The character Gabriel gets off to a strong start. You quickly get the sense that Gabriel is a villain - but, as the pages get turned, I found myself wondering.

More good lettering, nice speech bubbles.

Then, there's Max. I'm still trying to decide what I think about Max. He's powerful, but he also comes across as weak. That's a consideration of his super powers. As a character, he's under-developed, but at only one issue in, it's forgivable.

My personal favorite character that lurks within the pages of issue number one is the colonel. While he wears more stars on his uniform than most generals, even still, he is a colonel.

But, that's a small nit to pick with a character that I quickly found a literary attachment to.

Very nice image of the Colonel.

The attachment came about, because I found the colonel to be interesting. He's well drawn. He's well presented. He's is blessed with interesting dialogue. In a nutshell, he has his ways.

Now, how a comic book with super powered individuals in it manages to present the least physically gifted character as its most interesting is side issue unto itself. But, to me, that's exactly what happened.

Gabriel and Max engage in epic battle. It's a shame that it couldn't have better captured through art and coloring, but that's what happens, sometimes. Not every comic book is an opus of note.

I will say this about Gabriel - He's committed. He knows how to kick ass, and he's not one to be played for a fool. He's more sufferable than certain plot lines. Yet, how much ground can one issue cover, particularly if that one issue is issue one?

A commanding presence.

Sometimes, though, a comic book is best judged upon how it feels, rather than upon how it looks. I think that that is the case, here.

Stepping from issue number one of 3Corps to issue number two yields a major upgrade in both the art and the coloring. But, my comments about issue two are best reserved for another day.

For the moment, the spotlight remains squarely upon issue number one of 3Corps.

It's a story that I feel is worth taking the time to read, but more importantly, it is a work that sets the stage for greater things to follow.

Visually stiff. Blah!

I'm not going to say that I am a fan of the bright yellow narrative boxes, because I'm not. There's just so much bright color on display throughout the pages of issue one that it amounts to an exercise in visual overkill.

But, it's the kind of overkill that kills my visual interest, because it draws the eye away from the art. It feels less like narration than boxes striving to compete with objects of far greater visual interesting, and having no chance. The reader can find them, without them being presented, thus.

It is not contrast that these bright yellow creatures fail, but rather, they fail on the ground of aesthetics. Granted, sometimes, it's just a hard call. At some point, you have to make a call, as far as what to go with, and then you implement it. But, if you're going to go that route, then at least make the lettering large enough to enable the reader to avert squinting. Yes, comic books in digital format are easily zoomed in upon, but if the reader feels compelled to do that, then you've already made two mistakes - one in production and one in marketing.

This page looks like crap!

Here, it was the wrong visual call. It's not the worst thing about the comic book, but likewise, it's certainly not one of the best things about it, either. Then again, as with many things in life, reasonable people can come to different conclusions, where such is concerned.

One lesson about the creation of a comic book, and about the crafting of the pages that collectively comprise the entire work, that Top Secret Press can learn from its production that is Issue # 1 of 3Corps is that even the credits page matters.

To their good credit, they actually have already learned this lesson, it seems, if Issue # 2 of 3Corps is any indicator. I know, because I have already seen issue two, and I have already compared the credits page in it with the credits page that issue one was saddled with.

Granted, the credits page doesn't really impact the story, itself. What it does do, though, is to directly impact the perception of quality that the reader will associate with the end product. If I noticed it, odds are, others will, also.

Who needs a head when you've got special effects lettering? Off-center in more than one way.

And, if they are merely flipping through issue one, and they cast their eyes upon the credits page, then the temptation to judge the comic book before reading it rears its ugly head, to the detriment of both 3Corps and Top Secret Press.

There's a reason he's my favorite character.

I like visual engagement. I enjoy comic book entertainment. As comic books go, this one makes missteps along the way, but somehow manages to get me - the reader - to where it needed me to go.

Accordingly, I'm recommending it, even as I chew its ass for its shortcomings. I do so, with a clear conscience, and with the knowledge that issue two of 3Corps has already made progress in moving this comic book series forward, by getting it on more solid ground along a number of different fronts - including both the coloring and the art.

The Colonel is listening, but is Top Secret Press?

Ironically enough, 3Corps wasn't the comic book title that tempted me to make the plunge, and give Top Secret Press' comic book products a try. That honor belongs to another comic book, one titled, "The Strange."

My God, man! Read 3Corps!

But, sometimes, it's strange, indeed, how things turn out. For right now, though, I'm going on record as waiting for issue number three of 3Corps. I encourage you to give the series, 3Corps, a try.

Trust me - There's a LOT worse comic books out there than 3Corps.

Maybe that's just another reason why 3Corps was brought into existence in the first place. It's a comic book with a mission - a mission with a few casualties along the way to be expected.


3Corps - Issue # 1
Publisher: Top Secret Press
Writer: John Daniel Taylor IV
Artist & Inker: Samir Samao
Colorist: Jay Moyano
Lettering: Inklight Studios
Editing: John Daniel Taylor IV & Francesca Henle-Taylor

A fleeting glimpse into a decision to buy some digital comic books

So, have you ever wondered what kind of things get taken into consideration, when somebody such as myself ponders whether to make an online purchase of a comic book or not?

I really had not planned to post any of this, here on this blog, but it dawned on me that somebody out there might find it to be of some use, in the refinement of their own independent comic book publishing processes.

What follows is a copy and paste extract from a Facebook message that I sent to John Taylor IV of the comic book publisher known as Top Secret Press.


The comic books purchased were:

Enjoy, and happy reading!

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Beginning of Message

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Separate from any of this, if you're interested in how I got from being off work, today, to making the decision to place an order for the comic books in question, even though I am familiar with some of your company's comic book works from Kickstarter browsing, previously, it was a Facebook posting, today, that caught my eye. I've been on your website more than once, today, in fact.

I want to say that I saw a posting in a Facebook comic book group, but honestly, I don't recall which one, off the top of my head.

The Issuu preview thing that you use on your site isn't my personal favorite way to view comic book sample pages online, but it did suffice to give me an idea of the quality of some of your comic book products. I checked the sample thing out, more than once, before deciding to make the purchase.

The Strange is initially what caught my eye, but I remember seeing the Kickstarter for Wicked Betty. Looking at that Kickstarter page, right now, it reminded me that I backed that project for a buck. The Kickstarter didn't really factor into this particular purchase, though - not notably, anyway, even though I did recall seeing the project on Kickstarter, prior to making the decision to purchase comic books from you, today.

The Special Holiday Offer is ultimately what made the difference in me opting to make the actual purchase. I prefer PDF format comic books to print format comic books, so there was zero chance that I would have purchased higher priced print option of the same products.

Going from memory off the top of my head, I actually took notice of the Special Holiday Offer from the image on your company's Facebook Cover Photo, before every paying it any real attention on your company's actual website.

If the Special Holiday Offer wasn't an option, then I probably would not have ended up buying anything from your company, at all, today. I didn't really want to spend the five bucks.

But, ultimately, I concluded that the quality of the products that I had already seen from the samples posted on your website and via the Issuu viewer thing, would likely be worth the five bucks.

One hesitation that I did have, one that almost made me go the other way on my purchase decision, was the yellow narrative boxes in the 3Corps preview. I really debated with myself about that, and I have a gut feeling that I won't care for that particular thing, once I receive the comic book in question and actually sit down to read it.

If the art and coloring were of lower quality in the previews that I looked at, then the yellow narrative boxes would have killed the sale. The lettering samples looked OK, although the preview quality via Issuu is probably less than what the end comic book will be in PDF format. That was speculation on my part that I was willing to gamble on, where the lettering was concerned.

All things considered, it was a combination of different things that, collectively, got my attention, kept my attention, and persuaded me to buy comic book products from you on this particular day.

Sorry for the length of this, but I thought that you might be interested in learning and knowing what of your overall process actually worked to snag you the sale in question.

- Charles -

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End of Message

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Click HERE to go to the Top Secret Press website!

Review - Unstoppable Origins # 1

Next up on the chopping block is Unstoppable Origins # 1, from Unstoppable Comics.

For me, this is like taking a ride back through time, because I already know that this comic book was created before the comic book that introduced me to the Unstoppable Comics universe - Unstoppable Origins # 4: The Origin of Dr. Zero.

So, as I explore and review the art, coloring, and various other aspects of this comic book, I remain cognizant of the fact that much progress has been made with titles published subsequent to this one.

That said, let's proceed by digging into Unstoppable Origins # 1.

Had this particular comic book been my initiation into the Unstoppable Comics universe, my impression of the company as a comic book publisher would likely be substantially more subdued than is actually the case.

I firmly believe that all is fair in love and war and comic book reviews. Why? Because, ultimately, reviews of comic books tend to be an exercise in subjectivity writ large.

This is a nice scene setter. Great visuals, great moment!

A lot about comic books is neither right nor wrong, but rather, simply a matter of choices considered and exercised. There are plenty of comic books that other people love, which I am not enamored with, and likewise, there are comic books that I consider to be marvelous bits of literary scrumptiousness that others would no doubt view with disdain.

Starstriker or Starneck?

Unstoppable Origins # 1 features a front cover that has striking poses and decent coloring, but for some reason, Starstriker's neck looks a bit too long. It is an anatomical quirk that my eye keeps gravitating to it, as I sit and visually soak in this cover.

Of the two characters displayed on the front cover, Interceptor is, by far and away, the more visually engaging - and visually exciting - of the two.

Two flags also adorn the front cover, the Union Jack of British fame and the flag of Puerto Rico. They inject large doses of color, and act as visual stimuli, and while they help to inform the reader of the characters' respective origins, they don't really drive the imagination and get the juices flowing.

Judging solely by the front cover art, Interceptor clearly means business, and Starstriker is more in pose mode, than a man of action.

Visual blandness.

This is where we begin to flip the page, to see what lies on yonder interior pages of this comic book.

A quick flip past a boring credits page leads the reader to Puerto Rico, and to the first real page of the first of two separate stories.

The interior art is of a middling quality. It's not bad, but neither is it particularly imaginative.

As you begin flipping pages and reading the story, certainly, some of the creatures that you encounter are imaginatively drawn. But, for my personal taste, it is too little to entertain my eye for very long. My reaction to it is subdued.

Marocael

The Story of Starstriker tells the origin of how the character got his name, which is a bit cheesy. But, in fairness, comic books and cheesiness have a long history of going hand in hand. Such humble tabloid beginnings!

The origin of Starstriker's powers is more interesting than the origin of his name, but even there, one can only work so much depth into a dozen or so pages.

And that's one of the core problems with Unstoppable Origins # 1. It is said that haste makes waste, and I find myself wondering why I wasted my time trying to learn about not just one - but two - character(s), each allocated only a dozen pages to flesh them out from the point of the reader knowing nothing about them, whatsoever, to bringing them up to snuff on who these super powered individuals are.

This is the visual real deal.

Unstoppable Origins # 1 teaches us about Starstriker's link to another individual, one named Marocael, a character that I first encountered in a brief mention in Unstoppable Origins # 4: The Origin of Dr. Zero.

Starstriker's origin has a certain generic feel to it. The cave that Marocael guarded - was it the only such cave in existence? From whence does he gain his powers? From an entity called Mother Earth. Neither the cave nor Mother Earth do much to imbue Starstriker with an origin that tempts you, as a reader, to get lost in thought about such things.

Mother Earth

In Unstoppable Origins # 4: The Origin of Dr. Zero, we were given a genuine, honest-to-God villain that has an authentic air of individuality about him. In Starstriker's origin, however, who were the demons and monsters that escaped? Who knows?! Various things collectively contribute to watering down Starstriker's significance within the Unstoppable Comics universe.

The single best thing about Unstoppable Origins # 1 is to be found in Starstriker's origin, and not in Interceptor's origin. Namely, it's that splash page/dual page panel work that is bright and colorful and full of the imagination playing out directly before the reader in visual form. Such a pity that the rest of Unstoppable Origins # 1 did not take its cue from that splash-fest of visual goodness!

Visual energy grabs the eye!

Interceptor's origin is a tad more interesting than Starstriker's origin, and better equipped for human drama. Plus, it ties the character directly to the mythos of the Lady of the Lake of Excalibur fame.

But, visually, the story pales next to what it strives for, in a literary sense. JayDee Rosario's imagination was much bigger than the artists came prepared for.

Ironically, Interceptor commanded more interest from me, when he was just a soccer player, than after he became adorned with super powers, courtesy of the shield that he carries.

A lively expression.

And that shield? What's up with that? As a geometric shape, it's fine. Yet, for detail and ornamentation, it is bland and visually boring. What a wasted opportunity that the shield turned out to be - unless there's something in store for it in a future issue. Let's hope so!

I am not a fan of how the Lady in the Lake sought Marcus Penn out. That strikes me as being out of synch with the Lady of the Lake's preexisting mystique.

Plus, the time away that Marcus took, what kind of ship was he on? A cruise ship? On a lake in England? The largest lake in England is less than six square miles in surface area. So, has the Lady of the Lake now become the Lady of the Sea?

Cruise ship or ferry?

It just struck me as odd. Something just didn't quite seem to fit. This oddity left me stuck at a chasm, one that my mind doesn't want to suspend disbelief for, that I might buy in to Interceptor's origin.

Unstoppable Origins # 1 did give me one thing that was worth mentioning - and that was a nice visual introduction for the Gravewalker. Unfortunately, JayDee Rosario's lettering for that moment did not rise to the visual grandeur of the occasion.

Now, THIS is the Gravewalker that I've been waiting to see!

But, sadly to say, Gravewalker went visually downhill from there, in Unstoppable Origins # 1. His battle with Interceptor was a rushed affair. As abruptly as he appeared, Gravewalker departed. What the Hell?!

Gravewalker doing a poor imitation of Thor.

Overall, neither the art nor the coloring chart memorable ground. This is definitely middle ground stuff, where such considerations are concerned.

Very nice special effects lettering!

The special effects lettering proved to be a mixed bag, with some of it being pretty good (notably in the Origin of Interceptor), and some of it being of the so-so variety.

The lettering of the speech bubbles was solid, and the lettering of the narrative boxes was acceptable. The lettering is actually the most consistently decent selling point of this particular comic book from the Unstoppable Comics universe.

As to the visual special effects, this issue proved to be a very underwhelming experience - one that I hope not to repeat anytime soon.

The two stories contained in this issue were drawn by two different pencilers. I think that the penciled art in the Origin of Starstriker was the more imaginative and anatomically interesting of the two, but I also feel that the penciled work in the Origin of Interceptor yielded better facial expressions and achieved a greater emotional attachment on this reader's part to the character at the center of the story's attention.

More nice lettering!

All things considered, this is not a comic book that I would encourage people to go out and buy, and particularly if you are not already familiar with the Unstoppable Comics universe, already. There's just not enough meat on the bones, to warrant anything resembling a ringing endorsement.

But, I will quantify that comment by saying that I already know, for a first-hand fact, that the level of quality increases noticeably for other Unstoppable Comics material that can readily be found in other issues from this publisher.

Visual scenes like this help to make a positive visual impact on the reader!

Find Unstoppable Origins # 1 on DriveThruComics

The Origin of Starstriker
Publisher: Unstoppable Comics
Writer: Jaydee Rosario
Penciler: Craig Shepard
Inker: Alex Rivera
Colorist: Michael Summers
Letterer: Jaydee Rosario

The Origin of Interceptor
Publisher: Unstoppable Comics
Writer: Jaydee Rosario
Penciler: Rushsaun Wilkerson
Inker: Alex Rivera
Colorist: Michael Summers
Letterer: Jaydee Rosario

Review - Theodicy: Book Two

Recently, I reviewed Book One of the Theodicy series of comic books. That review can be found here. For all of my complaints about that issue, the fact remains undisturbed that I ended up liking Book One.

Theodicy: Book Two takes up where Theodicy: Book One left off. Unfortunately for this series, Book Two offers no salvation for comic book fans who gravitate toward either art or coloring, to sate their thirst for comic book greatness.

The very same individuals who contributed in various ways to the creation of Book One are also responsible for the creation of Book Two. How very unfortunate then, for both this series and its readership, that the visual imagery offered up in Theodicy: Book Two remains mired where it shouldn't be.

Lest anyone misconstrue where my criticism falls the hardest, make no mistake - the coloring remains the biggest disappointment in my exploration of this particular comic book series.

I will even go so far as to say that the art and the coloring for Book Two are worse than they were for Book One.

Nice speech bubbles. Good lettering. Deficient anatomy. So-so coloring.

Why?

Well, at least in Theodicy: Book One, there was an entire page of art - namely, the one that features what I shall dub "the water scene" that converted me to a fan of Book One. Nothing, whatsoever, in Theodicy: Book Two even remotely approaches the visual impact that the page in question from Book One managed to achieve. In a word, that page left its mark. In contrast, Book Two foundered.

Good visual energy is generated here.

The problem with Theodicy: Book Two is not the story. The underlying storyline remains viable. The writing continues to engage me. The dialogue between characters is strong, and the work as a whole benefits substantially by presenting the reader with intelligently conceived characters.

That is not to say that all characters are equally strong, but this comic book series has a cast of characters that includes several different ones that are worth reading about and following. Notably, Book Two introduces a character who is a miracle investigator that expands upon an already solid cast.

Special effects lettering in Book Two is slightly improved upon from what we were treated to in Book One of the Theodicy series. Even still, it remains a largely unimaginative visual footnote. There remains enormous room for utilization of special effects lettering to drive the visual interest element of this series. Basically, it's largely a missed opportunity, one that the series' creators seem content to do little with.

How boring an example of special effects letting is this?

On the lettering as a whole, it remains pretty solid. Indeed, the lettering is one of the saving graces of this comic book title. Some of the speech bubbles try to cram a bit too much text into them, resulting in smaller text than I would prefer. But, none of it rose to the level of being a critical flaw.

On a positive note, there are numerous examples of lettering in Theodicy: Book Two that are right on the money. In comic books, even though it often seems to be lost on the bulk of the independent comic book industry, lettering is a big deal.

Good lettering making a solid and positive visual impact.

A really big deal, in fact!

Lettering is arguably the most under-appreciated facet of comic book creation. Good lettering is worth its weight in visual gold to a comic book. Letterer Kel Nuttall is pulling his fair share of weight - and then some, where this comic book series is concerned. I single Kel out for special recognition, by virtue of the fact that the lettering on display warrants it.

Verily, in my review of comic books, I have no vested interest in crucifying the creators of the very things that I undertake to review. Whether I gape in awe and admiration, or whether I reel, aghast at what I find, nonetheless, I enjoy comic books as a medium of entertainment. I also thoroughly enjoy encountering comic book creators foisting new comic book creations into the public psyche.

That said, as I explore the pages of Theodicy: Book Two, as I flip them back and forth, going over them time and time, again, I invariably keep coming back to what I feel are the biggest shortcomings with the Theodicy series, to date.

This is NOT professional grade coloring!

One, the coloring. Two, the art.

The art is a combination of two things - pencils and inking. Because the colorist keeps on saturating the panels with his coloring theology of choice, the end result of the penciling and the inking is continually corrupted, visually speaking.

The colorist isn't without talent, to be certain. Actually, there is a lot of coloring talent on display across the pages of Books One and Two in the Theodicy series.

That said, the coloring of human skin and the propensity for glaring, plain backgrounds are primary contributors to the visual famine that plagues the imagery of this comic book series. The attempt to utilizing lighting and shadows on faces, in particular, leaves me shaking my head in dismay.

My colorist, my colorist, why hath thou forsaken me?

White splotches populate people and walls.

The inherent nature of comic books as an art form typically means that pencils, inking, and coloring all intermingle to such a degree that, absent seeing each contribution standing alone, it can be a constant challenge to give proper and full credit where it is due.

I believe that the underlying pencils are more at fault than the inking, where Theodicy: Book Two is concerned.

Why?

For the very simple reason that it falls to the pencils to establish the various visual zones or segments of white space. Inking is often referred to as the embellishment of pencils, although personally speaking, I think that such a characterization substantially understates inking as its own medium of expression.

In Theodicy: Book Two, the inker is working with backgrounds that, in numerous instances, are lacking in any actual details to ink. The end result is a diminishment of the comic book's overall visual impact. While some instances of this technique are useful for focusing the reader upon a particular character, other instances of it leave me wondering why a given panel bothers to make so little impact upon me. That is a good way to generate disinterest on the part of the reader, which is something that a comic book should strive to avoid.

Boring road. Boring sidewalk. Boring car. Boring victim.

This latest installment in the Theodicy series does not mean that the inker gets off scot-free, by any means. Close ups of stained glass windows, walls made of bricks or blocks, and even doors are missed opportunities for the inker to increase the visual heft of this book.

But, I don't read through or visually explore Theodicy: Book Two, and say to myself, "Hey, the inking of this comic book is really screwing this one over!" That's simply not the case. The greatest visual sins of Theodicy: Book Two lie not with the inker.

One of what I feel to be amongst the greatest mistakes of aspiring comic book creators is what I shall characterize as the static visual treatment of the background environment in which comic book characters are visually posited before the reader.

Theodicy: Book Two is guilty of this. Take, for instance, a wall or a road. In one panel, a very light visual treatment of such innocuous, ordinary things might be beneficial to a comic book. Other panels featuring such things might benefit greatly from greater attention to detail or emphasis of the same. Book Two of the Theodicy series deserves to be taken to task for failing to visually demonstrate a keen appreciation for this basic fact.

Infrared vision or visual eyesore?

This comic book did make some attempts at being imaginative with coloring, notably where the Sanction Collection Agency is attempting to collect a "debt." I am talking about a scene where one of that entity's personnel utilizes infrared vision to see inside of a house. But, imaginative though it may be in concept, nevertheless, it ends up coming across as some of the worst coloring in the issue, in practice.

Here is a better example of a concept effectively implemented, visually.

Overall, the problem with the coloring lies less in the palette of colors chosen by the colorist than with their penchant for manipulating their colors with filter effects. That's how I will characterize it, anyway.

Some of the speech bubbles with yellow border that appeared at the beginning of Book Two, I felt that they worked fairly well, in the instances in which they were resorted to. I did not really care for the speech bubbles that appeared further back in the issue, which featured yellow coloring on the interior of the speech bubbles. This particular item wasn't visually critical, but I'm not really sure what the rationalization was for it being resorted to, in the first place.

Quality speech bubbles and nice lettering.

Overall, the presentation of speech bubbles in Theodicy: Book Two was visually strong. Both the speech bubbles and the narrative boxes are visual positives for this issue.

There are some decent facial expressions in Book Two, but overall, I don't think that the penciler utilization of facial expressions was as strong, as it was in Book One which preceded it. For the very reason that the Theodicy series is, at its core, a tale of human drama playing itself out against a backdrop of theological trappings, to not capitalize upon the use of facial expressions (and the attendant art form of exaggeration that they naturally embody), is to do a great disservice to this comic book series. It falls to the penciler to dominate this particular aspect of the panel work. More attention to detail is needed in this area.

This lettering, while mild, is more visually interesting than the anatomy.

As a whole, Theodicy: Book Two succeeds at the individual panel level more than it does as a collective whole. Certainly, it succeeds at advancing the storyline, but what it does not do is to maintain the same degree of momentum achieved at the end of Theodicy: Book One.

On the story end of things, Theodicy: Book Two leaves the reader hanging in suspense. Book Two succeeds on this level, but I don't believe that it pulled it off quite as successfully as was achieved with the ending of Book One in the series.

Lots of visual eye candy in play. This panel clicks.

Because the series encompasses a setting where violence is readily resorted to by certain elements, it leaves the reader wondering which of the characters will actually make it and which ones won't. One level which I feel Theodicy, as a series, succeeds at is on the level of persuading me, as a reader, to begin to grow attachment to certain of the characters. This is important, as an ingredient of success for the human drama element of the tale.

Yellow border on speech bubble succeeds in spite of yellow sky glare.

Theodicy: Book Two shows progress, I think, in the area of human hair. It's a small item, to be certain, but I do feel that hair is one of the better depicted aspects of human anatomy to be found in this series, so far.

Some of the characters in this series utilize emotion, well, and this is showcased in some of the dialogue that takes place between characters. This is one of the core reasons that the human drama of the story actually enjoys some tangible drama in its telling.

Good injection of emotion.

In summation, after having read through Theodicy: Book Two from cover to cover, I find myself still interested in learning what is yet to come. The ending of Book One left me in a more elevated state of interest, compared to Book Two, but when all is said and done, and you get right down to it, I still find myself along for the ride, as this series heads into Theodicy: Book Three.

Find Theodicy: Book Two on IndyPlanet

Writer: Chad Handley
Penciler: Fernando Brazuna
Inker: Ryan Boltz
Colorist: Minan Ghibliest
Letterer: Kel Nuttall