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In 2021 I set a goal to post reviews here for 1,000 comics, and finished the year at 1,008 reviews. It was a stretch - - not to read that many comics, because I actually read quite a bit more. The challenge is to find and take the time to write a fair review of what I read - - but I made it. I’m up for a new year, and a new challenge. My goal for 2022 is to read and document 1,200 comics. That’s an average of 100 books per month, easy enough to check and update. Wish me luck!
# GOAL FOR FEBRUARY 28, 2022 . . . 200 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 203 comics documented
A tight, compact, atmospheric read that can be enjoyed in a single sitting.
At it's heart, this is a tale of survival with a father, a young daughter, and companion dog living alone in an isolated wood following some major catastrophe. They have to hunt for food, which is hard to come by as any kill has to checked with a geiger counter for acceptable amounts of radiation.
What complicates the story is an unexpected meeting with a wounded extra-terrestrial humanoid, and the consequences of what happens following the father's decision on how to cope with this new encounter.
The art is the best part about TRESPASSER. Simple, yet evocative and moving. Good use of shading and shadows. The story is lean, perhaps all for the better as some of the dialogue is a bit too typical in spots.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
You don’t have to be familiar with the two role-playing games that this is based on (Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf:The Apocalypse) or the VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE mini-series that preceded this, but it would certainly help. The characters are very interesting. It’s just that there is a bunch of them.
This three-issue mini-series takes place in the horror haven of the Twin Cities (St. Paul and Minneapolis) and revolves around a power struggle within the vampire clan, a new leader with voices in her head, and a clash between vampires and werewolves over a piece of hallowed ground (for the werewolves) currently occupied as a club for vampires.
A bloody battle for leadership ensues on both sides in addition to the conventional clash between the two sides. “The distinction between ally and enemy has become unclear, and the machinations of unseen evil lurk everywhere within the World of Darkness.”
A stellar cast of writer collaboration here (Jim Zub, Danny Lore, Tim Seeley, Tini & Blake Howard) with stellar art from Julius Ohta and Nathan Gooden. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
A good one for younger readers, with big panel animation style art and enough smiling faces to make them forget these are creatures of nightmare.
Jack Skellington of Halloween Town has a dream involving mirrors that gives him an inventive idea of how to prolong Halloween. He makes a public pronouncement, dedicates himself to his task, and assigns his usual Halloween preparation duties to Sally.
She is immediately overwhelmed with the large menu of to-do items. Suffering a lapse of self-confidence she retreats to the woods for reflection, and comes across a frozen pond that resembles a mirror. She takes this as an omen that something terrible is going to happen.
Nice set-up issue with engaging art. I believe I would enjoy this more if I was reading it aloud to my grandkids.
THREE STARS.
Yeah, it’s yet another vampire comic - - but this was very entertaining and street smart. Vampires versus punk rock culture. The art grabbed me from the get-go; and the story doesn’t let up.
“Tossed out by her foster family after one-too-many rides home in the back of a cop car, Hunter packs up and sets out on a mission to find out who she is. A mysterious book - her only link to her parents - leads her to discover a covert world of magic and danger running parallel to our own. One punk rock show, two whiskeys, and three vicious vampire assassins later, Hunter's on the run from the ancient, deadly Cult of Ikarus. Hunter came looking for answers. What will become of her once she gets them?”
FOUR STARS.
London, 1883. Wicked looking characters. Wicked situations. Several different practitioners of the arcane arts. Demons and possessions, a mystical talisman, secrets of the underground. There sure is a lot going on in this set-up introductory issue.
“For Vida Gedmintas and the Order of the Golden Lance, what begins as another magically fuelled murder investigation soon turns into a race against time to prevent a dark wizard from summoning Abaddon, the Angel of Death, to our realm.”
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#193 - #197 STRAY DOGS VOLUME ONE trade paperback (Image, September 2021)
A full review of this was posted to the blog for Saturday, February 26. FOUR STARS.
Even though the same creative team is here with the same wonderful Disney-like animation style art and creative and endearing animal characters, this one didn’t grab me like the original. DOG DAYS is a series of episodic never-told-before short stories from STRAY DOGS that serve as prequel, expanded storyline, and conclusion/aftermath. So far, nothing really leads to a new storyline to consider this a sequel.
Promising to deliver more characterization of the dogs featured in STRAY DOGS (and maybe a few new ones) and answer some questions and mysteries from the first series, this is quite episodic. Each dog is featured in short scenes, like little slices-of-life without any clear conflict/resolution. For me, this suffered from a lack of narrative flow. Very choppy. I did enjoy several of the spotlights.
If this doesn’t really add some significant elements to the original story, I believe some fans will be disappointed. These puppies will set you back $4.99 an issue, just so you know. THREE STARS.
This is not your standard superhero team book. I followed up my exploration of Issue #1 and decided to keep going until this stopped entertaining me. This is a superhero team book that I actually like!
The storyline is clever and full of mystery/surprises. Just when I think I know where this is going, Rosenberg reveals another layer of the onion. I’m not going to get into specifics, as part of the joy of this book is those quirky little twists. The humor is tempered down rather than silly, and that helps it work. The art team (pencils/inks/colors) is really good, and this book is exciting to look over.
Jason Todd/Red Hood can’t take a decontamination shower without eyes on him. Bloom is more an observer than a team participant, and doesn’t appear to be undead like the others.
A new team member is added, and I’m not spoiling it by mentioning Deadshot (featured on the cover of Issue #3). Sundowner is the most interesting character, although I suspect there is still more to be revealed.
Jason finally gets a face-to-face with the mysterious boss Crispin, a familiar character whose word can’t be trusted because he flip-flops on a regular basis. Turns out he’s not the only person/group utilizing the Lazarus Resin and trying to track down the diminishing supplies. There are more teams and more leaders before Issue #5 ends. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday, September 2011) Hardcover, 387 pages. ISBN # 0385534635 / 9780385534635
Awards: Locus Award for Best First Novel 2012, Orange Prize Nominee for Fiction Longlist 2012, Guardian First Book Award Nominee for Longlist 2011, Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Adult Literature 2012, ALA Alex Award 2012, Lincoln Award Nominee 2014, The Kitschies Nominee for Golden Tentacle (debut) 2011, Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Fantasy and for Favorite Book 2011, International Dublin Literary Award Nominee 2013.
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
This is a circus like no other. It suddenly appears at various sites around the world without fanfare, advertisement, or notice. Yet it always manages to draw a sizable audience, who often return. The main attraction is not exotic or foreign animals performing for their trainers and the amusement of the crowd. It is a circus of wonders, each separate tent featuring unusual sights, sounds, and exhibitions that appear to illuminate and create a feeling of true magic. For the final years of the 19th century and the early days of the 20th century there was no other entertainment quite like it.
This is a circus novel like no other. The circus is merely an intricate creation that serves as the backdrop for a contest of wills where the apprentice players are not given clear instructions on who, what, where, or when but simply persuaded to play the game.
This is a romance novel like no other, with almost a complete absence of romantic scenes. The lovers never realize their true feelings until too far into the story, when Celia and Marco finally understand that they are adversaries in a fateful competition that neither now wants to win. The true nature of this conflict is also concealed from readers until the late chapters of this novel.
Upon reflection, I have raised my rating from Four Stars to Five Stars. This is well above average and exceeded my expectations. But it's not perfect, and I would have rated THE NIGHT CIRCUS 4.25 OR 4.5 Stars if Goodreads accommodated fractional grading. I felt that the novel could easily have been 50-75 pages shorter with a little editing, and perhaps it wouldn't seem like I consumed too much caramel-coated apples and cotton candy if it had. However, this may also be the best debut novel that I will read this year, although it is too early in 2022 to determine that now.
This charming novel pulls you into its' highly imaginative world in the early pages and doesn't let go. The evocative descriptions and world-building are remarkable. Characters are well-defined, and there is a plethora of them, every single one likable despite their limitations. Like the best works of Neil Gaiman, THE NIGHT CIRCUS creates a feeling of true magic.
STRAY DOGS by Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner (Image Comics, September 2021) Trade paperback, 144 pages. ISBN # 1534319832 / 9781534319837
Summary on the Goodreads website. . . . .
In this suspenseful new series, readers meet Sophie, a dog who can't remember what happened. She doesn't know how she ended up in this house. She doesn't recognize any of these other dogs. She knows something terrible happened but she just... can't... recall... Wait! Where's her lady? It's all coming back to her now, and it's enough to raise Sophie's hackles. Now Sophie has to figure out where she is, what's happening and how she's going to survive this.
They say there's no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners.
STRAY DOGS is a heartbreakingly adorable suspense thriller by My Little Pony comic artists TONY FLEECS and TRISH FORSTNER. It's Lady and the Tramp meets Silence of the Lambs.
Collects STRAY DOGS #1-5
My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
This was different and fresh when it was originally released, and became a sleeper hit. The summary comparison of LADY AND THE TRAMP meets THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is appropriate.
This is an odd blend of creepy and cute that manages to work in spite of itself. A serial killer who preys on single women and then steals their pet dogs and keeps them around his home like souvenirs or trophies is disturbing. The Don Bluth influence in the art and colors is adorable. The interaction between the assortment of dogs, who speak to each other and share their likes and concerns, is endearing. Issues quickly sold out, driving up the values in the resale market.
I almost did not pick up on this, scanning the main cover for Issue #1 and assuming it was for younger readers. My local comic shop owner recommended it to me, so strongly that he backed it up with a guaranteed return if I didn't like it. I enjoyed it, and bought the remaining issues especially the cool variant covers with the homage to classic horror films. (All featured in the bonus content of the trade paperback). I made a nice profit on those in the resale market.
When my other local comic shop made the Trade Paperback of STRAY DOGS their book club selection, I broke down and bought it again so the story would be fresh in my mind for discussion. I did not enjoy it quite as much the second time around, perhaps because I knew where the story was heading but also because I disagree with a major premise of the plot.
The plot depends on this premise, and would collapse without it: dogs have short-term memories, therefore they don't recall that their former owners were murdered by their new master. As a long-time dog owner, I am very skeptical of that premise. Similar to when reading science-fiction or fantasy, readers need to suspend their disbelief and just go with the flow in order to enjoy this.
I was able to do that the first time I read the story, but not so much the second time around. Writer Tony Fleecs even has a human character who is a vet explain the premise/rules in the very first issue. Unfortunately, the story is not consistent and Fleecs has his dog characters break those rules quite often.
Ah, screw it. Just read this and have fun. I wanted to give this 3.5 stars, but I'm okay with 4 stars since it's so different and fresh. A sequel has just been released, STRAY DOGS: DOG DAYS (two issues so far) that I'll probably stay away from unless it receives glowing reviews.
In 2021 I set a goal to post reviews here for 1,000 comics, and finished the year at 1,008 reviews. It was a stretch - - not to read that many comics, because I actually read quite a bit more. The challenge is to find and take the time to write a fair review of what I read - - but I made it. I’m up for a new year, and a new challenge. My goal for 2022 is to read and document 1,200 comics. That’s an average of 100 books per month, easy enough to check and update. Wish me luck!
# GOAL FOR FEBRUARY 19, 2022 . . . 167 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 182 comics documented
Captain America/Steve Rogers as envisioned by Jason Aaron is much less empathetic and actually exhibits some disdain for others not sharing his beliefs, like the British commandos with him on his mission to Korea. Cap was actually insulting and condescending to them, not his usual behavior over in the Marvel U. He also utilizes guns and doesn't hesitate to kill.
What the Ultimate Cap and the Standard Cap share is common is their love for the United States of America and their profound faith in the righteousness of government. Contrast that with Frank Simpson/Captain America of the Vietnam War, whose mission to kill 1,000s of innocent civilians hardened his heart and disillusioned his belief in the United States.
So they meet in Korea where Simpson is attempting to sell a new super-soldier serum to North Korean forces. Simpson proves too strong for Cap and escapes, although the serum is kept out of the wrong hands. The trail leads Rogers to Vietnam, where he is promptly beaten down a second time and imprisoned, where Simpson attempts to worm his way into Cap's brain and teach him the TRUTH about America.
A very entertaining read, with plenty of graphic fights and engaging dialogue between the two moralizing Captain Americas. FOUR STARS.
The Teen Abomination is an interesting character, although the dialogue on the front cover is a bit misleading. The Teen Abomination was the result of a lab explosion gone wrong, while Jamie was a wee lad and his mom was employed by Stark Industries. However, he does have another connection indirectly to the Stark family which is revealed in the story. Tony agrees to try and help Jamie reverse the process and return to normal, although he’s got his own selfish reasons for helping him.
I never warmed up to the version of Tony Stark in Superior Iron Man. He just comes across a little too much snarky and self-centered, much more so than the regular more tolerable version.
THREE STARS.
There are long passages of exposition, especially the telling of The Leader's origins and office politics/power grabs and head-scratching exchanges between Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Bruce Banner (Hulk). But the action scenes are good, especially when Hulk does what Hulk does best - - - smash.
In the Ultimate Universe (as opposed to the regular Marvel Universe) Bruce Banner became the Hulk not through exposure to gamma bomb radiation but by experimenting with the Super-Solider serum and Captain America/Steve Roger's blood. Bruce comes to Tony for help and he seals Bruce in a special room meant to trigger the emergence of - - and eventual subjugation of - - the Hulk. But the Hulk adapts to the cell's technology and violently escapes.
No sooner does Stark get things back under control than the mysterious Leader dispatches his army to subdue Stark and Banner. The Leader obtained his frightening mental powers and psionic abilities by self-experimentation with remnant DNA from Stark and Hulk. Now he wants to bleed them dry of their DNA so he can finish the transformation into the Ultimate Human. Best scenes are when Hulk confronts the Leader and refers to him as "big head man". Not for long. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
You need a scorecard for all the characters running around and fighting in this issue. The various heroes of Batman, Incorporated versus thirty members of the League of Assassins, in these episodic issues that were are linked together by the usual mad Morrison plot by Leviathan and Talia al Ghul. Plus, half the heroes are other characters in disguise (Wingman, Redbird, and many others).
Somehow Chris Burnham manages to keep it straight and draws some wicked fight scenes. The art elevated this to a higher rating. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
Also, why does Red Hood always gets picked out to be the reluctant leader of these groups? First, the Black Label Suicide Squad and now this. Poor guy, I’m feeling sorry for him. Especially since too much contact with the Lazarus Resin can be hazardous to living tissue. Jason Todd has to take a decontamination shower after each mission.
Observer Dr. Shelly (very pale-faced, is she dead too?) explains this much: “The resin is injected into homicidal meta humans, brought back from the dead against their will to be used as undead weapons. Weapons with diminished cognitive ability and minor cannibalistic tendencies.” Who is Crispin, the off-panel director we never see? What does Ms. Hobart do?
Man-Bat. Bane. Arkham Knight. Bloom. A chilling ending to Issue #1.
“You want my advice, Jason? The sooner you stop thinking of yourself as the brave hero in some fairy tale, surrounded by evil monsters, the sooner you’ll realize this isn’t that kind of story at all.” THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
The Elseworlds logo on the cover lets us know this story occurs outside of Superman/Batman continuity, although the characters behave much as they did in the eras these two stories are set in: 1939 and 949. I don’t know why someone thought it necessary to also place the disclaimer “An Imaginary Tale” on the cover. Kind of redundant.
This is the first of four books, each covering two decades in the life of these heroes and bringing us up to the present. Byrne is at his best here, with two entertaining stories and engaging art. The villain in 1939 is the Ultra-Humanite, a predecessor to Lex Luthor. Luthor and Joker team up in the 1949 story but are foiled by Superman, Batman and Robin playing tricks on them by impersonating each other. Wouldn’t the trick be recognized once they spoke? Ah, don’t think about it too much.
Byrne goes out of his way in the text essay at the back of the book, “The C word and the H word”, explaining his take on both Continuity and History as if he was worried that fans might chastise him for some violation. Not to worry. Fun stuff. FOUR STARS.
In 2021 I set a goal to post reviews here for 1,000 comics, and finished the year at 1,008 reviews. It was a stretch - - not to read that many comics, because I actually read quite a bit more. The challenge is to find and take the time to write a fair review of what I read - - but I made it. I’m up for a new year, and a new challenge. My goal for 2022 is to read and document 1,200 comics. That’s an average of 100 books per month, easy enough to check and update. Wish me luck!
# GOAL FOR FEBRUARY 19, 2022 . . . 167 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 169 comics documented
#141 LAND OF THE LIVING GODS #1 (AfterShock, February 9 release date)
I’m not going to spoil much here except to say this: if you haven’t been feeling the proper vibe with your monthly comics reading choices - - this may just be the shot of something different, something that feels fresh to get you trembling again (in the right way, the way that feels good).
The short pitch: learn about South African culture, beliefs, and traditions in a land reminiscent of the Mad Max films.
Written by Isaac Mogajane, a writer/producer/director from Johannesburg and incorporating Zulu, Sotho and Xhosa expressions into the story (with translations). The illustrations by Brazilian artist/colorist Santtos are imaginative and influenced by classic European stylists.
The world building in LAND OF THE LIVING GODS is inventive, and this is only the beginning - - a tale of survival, hope and faith in a desolate future.
FOUR STARS.
#142 - #145 MR. PUNCH, DELUXE HARDCOVER ANNIVERSARY EDITION I posted a detailed review of this on the blog for February 10. FOUR STARS.
He doesn’t identify himself, but the populace (especially law enforcement) refer to him as The Sentinel or The Guardian. Criminals call him the Reaper, as he prefer to crash into a bank robbery or crime scene with his black-mobile or drop out of a skylight with two guns blazing and kill the criminals with deadly accurate head-shots. He has a young side-kick who’s used more as a tool and is definitely not mentored in the way that Robin was. Just as soon as the city gets used to the presence of the mysterious vigilante, The Guardian disappears.
Twenty-five years later, a local billionaire with a somewhat familiar name (Bruce Wayne, meet Byron West) hires a low-rent private detective, Jake Stevens, to find out what happened to Sentinel/Guardian. Every eyewitness or contact that Stevens interviews winds up dead, and he becomes suspect number one.
Written by Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson, there is a cool noir vibe to the proceedings, helped by the art that reminds me a little bit of Mike Deodato Jr., although Jordi Armengol is not quite on the same level. He seems to favor just a few select poses for the vigilante, and all of his characters have swollen facial features that looks like they are all recovering from a beat-down.
Thanks to Joe Murray for accidentally introducing me to this title, which missed my attention otherwise. Issue #3 comes out this Wednesday. FOUR STARS.
Back in the black and white magazine glory days, HEAVY METAL and EPIC ILLUSTRATED ruled. Eclipse Comics entered the arena with ECLIPSE, notable for a wider variety of genres beyond science fiction and fantasy the other two seemed to specialize in.
Like the other two, ECLIPSE carried several continuing series: Steve Englehart’s edgy psychedelic Coyote is here, illustrated by Marshall Rogers; the first chapter of Demon Chronicles introducing a team of psychic investigators; Dope, an adaptation of Sax Rohmer’s novel about drug addiction in the early days of Hollywood written and illustrated by trina Robbins; Kontiki, a 1960’s underground comics-flavored humor piece by Hunt Emerson; and Ms. Tree, Max Allan Collin’s and Terry Beatty’s nourish detective.
The stand-alone story by Don McGregor and Billy Graham, A Fistful of Graveyard Dirt, is my favorite piece of the issue. A Victorian Murder by Rick Geary is neat nine-panels-per-page period drama.
FOUR STARS.
You can usually count on an issue to contain a Judge Dredd story, my favorite original U.K. character. Dredd’s the top motorcycle cop in Mega-City One, 2132 A.D. (East Coast, U.S.A.) Over-crowded with 400 million citizens, it’s an urban nightmare. In Part Five/Conclusion of The Skinning Room, Dredd finally tracks down The Grinder and his creepy black-market body organ operation. There’s a funny aside to the Dredd film when the investigation finds a movie poster for The Burning Man starring Urb Karlan.
In Come Die With Me, Part Two of Two, Dredd breaks up the illegal webs Gastrodome Xtreme (you can just imagine).
The other series in these issues that intrigued me were Defoe/A Murder of Angels featuring an elite squad of zombie hunters in 1669 London; Sinister Dexter/Are You Being Severed? featuring two hitmen in a futuristic Euro-city; Slaine, the barbarian fighting demons from Celtic legends; and Dandrige/Return of The Chap, a Victorian ghost finder at the turn of the century. FOUR STARS.
Bar Sinister is a team book spun out of Grell’s other creation, SHAMAN’S TEARS. Grell is just the writer here, turning over the art chores to similar stylist Rick Hoberg. Bar Sinister, billed as”The World’s Ugliest Super-Heroes” are a group of genetically engineered human/animal half breeds (sort of a spin on The Island Of Doctor Moreau) that are constantly pursued by law enforcement (a total misunderstanding) and seeks sanctuary in the burned out ruins of a cathedral. The characters are more human than animal, and act accordingly.
There are eight members of the team, the most interesting being: Sigil, an albino female/vampire bat with echolocation and aerial maneuverability; Signet, a female/ermine “progenitor capable of dispassionate killing”; and Animus Prime, a male/African lion with “supra-genius IQ combined with extreme violent tendencies.Special handling required.” THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
I would easily dismiss this if not for all the extras that writer Donny Cates includes. At it's heart this is a family saga with a good back-story and lots of conflict/drama. The cattle beef/partnership with a BBQ restaurant (run by "familiars") is clever. Grandpa represents the older, more bloodthirsty side of the family and this creates clashes with family leaders JV and Bartlett.
The art is interesting, which may remind some of the styles employed on CHEW and THE WALKING DEAD, with one big exception. While the action scenes and big panels are expressive, artist Lisandro Estherren doesn't do enough to distinguish between JV and Bartlett and other characters. They all have big droopy mustaches and you need to have them addressed by name in the dialogue to tell which person is in the panel. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
The second story arc was even better than the first. If you're a fan of the TRUE BLOOD series or SOUTHERN BASTARDS comics by Jason Aaron you'll like this as well.
It's the vivid characterization by Donny Cates that makes this all work. These are fascinating people and the back-stories just get better and better. Just don't get attached to any particular characters, as Cates throws a number of twists and surprises into the mix.
I'm getting more accustomed to the art, which I felt was distracting in Volume One. There are plenty of bloody, violent scenes here. REDNECK is like a classic Appalachian battle between the Hatfields and the McCoys except it takes place in Texas and the Bowmans and Landrys are vampires (well, most of them). I've become a fan of this series.
FOUR STARS.
The young survivor of the subway massacre in Volume One, who may have uncovered the one vulnerability in Harry, manages to miss the bus in time to get her to the school and help out the detectives.
Harry manages to get away, despite the additional of more New York City police and a S.W.A.T. team into the bloody school hallways, but is pursued by the detectives. Looks like he’s ready to make the move up to the major leagues. Oh oh.
Eight issues in so far in the saga of Harry and we still don’t know his background/origins. Does it matter? Nah, not as long as the script is this crisp and the amazing Andrea Mutti is on board to illustrate and color the proceedings. FOUR STARS.
In the past, The Guardian is recognized for foiling an assassination attempt. In the present, detective Jake Stevens is called into the police department for questioning related to the deaths of two persons he interviewed while researching the history/disappearance of The Guardian for an ultra-wealthy client.
Steven’s next lead takes him to the Merriman Sanitarium to interview Geoffry Walton, the Joker-like criminal who was the Guardian’s frequent foe. Oh oh, looks like Stevens is headed back to the police department for more questioning.
It’s hard not to consider Stevens as the main character in this intriguing mystery as he gets more panel time than the vigilante hero. I’m expecting some kind of twist in the final issue.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
