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 June 30, 2022 . . . 600 comics documented
CURRENT COUNT . . . . . 560 comics documented
Dylan's vigilantism gets put on temporary hold as he tries to determine if an actual demon is forcing him to murder deserving persons of criminal intent every month, or is it nothing more than voices in the head of a mentally disturbed individual? After all, from previous volumes we learn that Dylan is often depressed, has plenty of self-doubt (especially regarding relationships) and has suicidal tendencies. Yet, the nausea and internal pain he used to experience when he defied or delayed the demon's wishes doesn't seem to bother him now, or affect him at all. Does the fact that he sometimes achieves multiple kills buy him a few months of freedom?
Or, is this all related to the bordering-on-pornographic art of his late father, which often featured sexuality and the image of the very same demon that haunted him? Is he unconsciously projecting that now- recovered memory of the demon art onto his vigilante mission from hell? Brubaker doesn't show his hand, and teases readers by laying out enough evidence to support either argument.
Dylan's psychological counselor is encouraged by his apparent progress. Dylan seems to be entering a period of recovery, abandoning his late-night ventures, and renewing his relationship with Kira. It all changes when he learns the Russian mob is determined to avenge the killing of a gang member and their investigation is getting closer and closer, despite Dylan's efforts to throw them off the trail.
The uncertainty and awkwardness that marked his earlier vigilantism has given way to cool, calculating professionalism. When the mob's henchman start asking local bartenders about Kira, Dylan decides to take the fight right to them. The hunted becomes the hunter, and Dylan maneuvers his way right to the source.
There's still one more wrinkle in the story as Dylan learns some suppressed secrets about his family that brings the uncertainty about an actual demon front and center as things end on an emotional cliffhanger. I can't wait to read how Brubaker wraps this up in the final volume. FIVE STARS.
There isn't a lot of character development here, only a modicum of detail about Captain Lance Howard, the only survivor of a WWII air battle over Midway where he and his freshly-killed squadron crashed onto an island where they were reanimated in "a freak occurrence" (according to the back cover blurb). That occurrence is never revealed or explained in the flashback scenes.
In 1950's Kansas, Captain Howard keeps his squad of zombies in a special basement under his barn where he feed them the occasional slaughtered hog. Why some of them speak and all remain loyal to the Captain is never explained.
They will follow him into battle once again, and when the Secret Service comes calling about the Paraguay mission they are off for several issues of jam-packed action.
German Ponce's art is very detailed and engaging. However, a lot of the action gets crammed into too-small panels which makes it hard to appreciate or clearly discern what is happening. TWO STARS.
The demon (real or imagined) that has plagued Dylan since Volume One returns, and makes his presence felt in every moment of Dylan's life. This results in an altercation with his roommate (in the presence of romantic interest Kira) that ends up with Dylan agreeing to be committed to a mental hospital, where of course he finds evil and corruption that must be punished.
Meanwhile, a copycat vigilante is on the loose committing murders attributed to Dylan. Just as it looks like that case is wrapping up, the smart and skeptical Detective Sharpe finds new evidence that leads her directly to Dylan. However, the Russian mob has also been following the scent and they arrive at the mental institution for a bloody showdown.
I won't reveal any more. This deserves to be read. Over the course of four graphic novels (20 issues, as originally published) Brubaker has created a compelling and captivating story that sheds light on our frustration with growing crime, dissatisfaction with the justice system, and a rise in vigilantism. KILL OR BE KILLED is by no means an endorsement. It's a psychological exploration of the motivations, methods and hazards that leaves a subtle comment on a mindset that might be shared with more of our fellow citizens than we can imagine. FIVE STARS.
Back in the detective saddle, the fabulous, rabbit-loving Minky Woodcock straps on her gumshoes and uncovers a disturbing case involving the mysterious inventor Nikola Tesla.
Hired by business tycoon J.P. Morgan Jr., Minky sets out to investigate the validity of claims that the eccentric Tesla has created a Death Ray machine. But things take a turn when Minky befriends the gentle recluse and uncovers a plot involving Nazis who are also interested in the fabled weapon.
As twists and turns abound, the sassy detective is once again on the hunt for the truth against a backdrop of a tense and exciting 1940s America.”
I say: This graphic novel caught my attention at just the right time. I was looking for some good historical fiction, and this juicy tale in 1940's New York City drips with atmosphere and oozes noir vibes. The fictional private investigator Minky Woodcock mixes with historical figures Nikola Tesla, Josephine Baker, J. P. Morgan and scientist and electrical engineer John Trump (an ancestor of science skeptic Donald Trump).
Writer/artist Cynthia von Buhler used actual models for her illustrations and based this story around some bizarre facts and questions surrounding the mysterious death of Nikola Tesla on January 7, 1943, mixing facts and inserting her original character Minky Woodcock into the proceedings.
Winky is an interesting character, the daughter of a private investigator famed for his Sherlock Holmesian deductive skills (when it is actually Winky who was his assistant with the smarts). She's clever, sassy, and fools around a lot, providing plenty of steamy sex scenes throughout the story.
I loved everything about this graphic novel, including the back content providing background on the story and creative efforts. Definitely an award contender. FIVE STARS.
Rich Davis provides a different take on the legend of Dracula and vampirism. The premise sounded interesting and I was excited to read this book. By the second chapter, I was anxious for it to end.
I can only make enough sense of it to share that there is a religious cult of sorts led by a facially-disfigured Renfield that seems to harbor a family of vampiric females and assorted snakelike demons/gods. Davis borrows other names from Stoker's Dracula novel and changes their roles.
Van Helsing is a priest of sorts and of indeterminate allegiance. There's a massacre at the cult compound and then a vampiric revival ceremony of sorts. The dialogue is erratic at best.
Yes, this is indeed a nightmare. The best thing about this series is the cover art for the six individual issues. TWO STARS.
Like a Michael Connelly police procedural Bosch novel, you just keep reading because you know the payoff will be worth it. This one really sticks the landing.
Brubaker focuses on some obsessive issues of the 1970's and 1980's, snuff films and satanic cults, and weaves them into his story of a determined Reckless trying to find the whereabouts or status (living or dead) of his new girlfriend's older foster sister, who went to Hollywood for stardom and disappeared eight years prior.
Like Connelly's Bosch, Brubaker's Ethan Reckless is a character that fascinates me. I relate to much of his attitude (except his take on dispensing justice) and appreciate the quirkiness of the character (living in an abandoned movie house and watching reels of '60's sitcoms and b-movies).
It's easy to overlook the contributions of artist Sean Phillips - - so I won't. He's worked together with Brubaker on so many creative crime fiction comics that he's like a shadow or an overcoat. He knows exactly how to illustrate the cinematic scenes that Brubaker details, and his mastery of expressions and body language is so important to conveying the feeling and mood of the story as it plays out.
Reckless thoughts after completing the case: "when you do what I do, a lot of the job is just about staying on the path as it starts to get twisted . . . Or knowing which way to go when it splits in two. I've always been lucky that way. Sometimes it feels like the path is finding me . . . And I'm never afraid to follow it, no matter where it goes . . . Even when I know it's only going to leave me alone with nothing but memories." Brilliant. FIVE STARS.
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