Story: Blair Shedd
Art: Blair Shedd
Publisher: oneGemini Studios

The cover for issue one of The Raptor is deceiving. It looks like just another entry into the cape-fiction genre. Sure enough, you’d be wrong. Oh so wrong.

The Raptor does feature a masked vigilante dishing out a sweet serving of justice in a crime riddled city, however, there is a big difference in the narrative of The Raptor when contrasted to standard superhero fare. The focal point isn’t based solely on the city’s heroic protector, but rather on the other characters that comprise the story. The problems they face, the challenges they need to overcome and their relationships with each other. There’s also a fun “found footage” aspect to the narrative that adds a neat perspective on the story, and thus alters the way it’s told.

So then, the (very basic version of the) plot: The NYPD Special Crimes Squad is sent in to investigate when an man and a woman are found murdered in an alley. Detectives Jason Hawkings and Willow Barnes assigned to the case, which happens to be quite personal for detective Barnes. There’s nothing quite like investigating the murder of one of you best and oldest friends, is there? Unfortunately, Barnes now needs to struggle with exactly that, while not allowing emotions to provoke decisions or interfere with her judgement.

While the good detectives are searching for leads, there’s another force of justice running his (or her) own agenda atop city buildings. It’s The Raptor, a sleek shadowy figure with sharp talons, and he’s not out to play games. The government organizations and civilians of New York know the Raptor is out there, but how do they really feel about the masked guardian of the city?

There’s also a rather intricate story involving a crime syndicate, and there are overtones of retribution, revenge, corruption and more. I highly recommend purchasing the first issue in this four issue mini series, which you can do at the official sie of The Raptor.

While the story holds it’s own, the artwork is also incredibly well done. Each page is a pleasure to look at, and the character design is unique. Shedd demonstrates a great knowledge of sequential art, and I look forward to seeing a few more action scenes in the remaining three issues.

Don’t let The Raptor slip past you – it’s a well written, beautifully illustrated example of comics done right.

Title: Red Team #1
Writer: Garth Ennis
Art: Craig Cermak, Adriano Lucas
Publisher: Dynamite

READ TEAM #1 has all of the makings of a classic Ennis story. Intriguing characters, a complexly woven plot and beautiful artwork tie this first issue into a neat package that all comic book readers should pick up.

As a fan of The Boys, the final page of RED TEAM had me wondering “could this be an unofficial retelling of The Boys rooted in the real world?”

Probably not, but it’s damn close. The team is strikingly similar to The Boys in it’s makeup, and the tone of the book naturally bleeds that classic Ennis style. It would appear that Garth Ennis and Dynamite are a match made in heaven for comic book fans.

RED TEAM is a police task force comprised of the best of the best. The four members (Duke, Eddie, George and Trudy) make up the team, and it’s clear by the end of the book just how meticulous, talented and dangerous they are. Each character brings something unique to the table, yet they all functioned as one well oiled machine.

The story kicks off with the team deciding to murder suspected crime lord Clinton Days. Charged with everything from human trafficking, drug dealing, and everything in between, Clinton has never actually been convicted or locked away. A ton of cash and a top notch lawyer can seem to get anyone out of a bad situation. For RED TEAM, this simply won’t do.

Knowing full well that they’d be breaking the law, they decided to act for the betterment of society and take care of Clinton once and for all. They plan out their actions, act, and in the blink of an eye it’s all over. The unofficial mission was a complete success in every aspect, but is that really a good thing? Is planning and flawlessly executing a murder, though potentially warranted (that’s a discussion for later) really a good thing? That’s one of the questions RED TEAM is going to be pondering, so it would seem. The team certainly isn’t done with this method of retribution just yet. In fact, they’re just getting warmed up.

RED TEAM issue 1 doesn’t give us all of the answers in one issue, and it doesn’t read in a linear fashion. This means that it’s going to be quite a bit of fun looking back at the earlier issues once the story bulks up. This also means that some sections could be harder than others to really grasp, as you might be asking yourself too many questions while you’re reading through a couple pages. If you can accept the fact that you won’t be presented with most of the knowledge you may want going into or coming out of the first issue, you’ll likely enjoy it.

The art by Craig Cermak and Adrianno Lucas is brilliant. Rooted closer to reality than most of Ennis’ other creator owned books, the artistic aesthetic is one of the defining factors in the style of RED TEAM.

Police drams like CSI and the likes aren’t on my list of enjoyed shows/books, but RED TEAM seems like much more than just a cop drama. The characters are conflicted with their actions, they’re regular people like you or I, they’re hard working individuals and they have families. Long story short, they’re easy to relate to. This, combined with a thus-far-solid story should provide another excellent comic book experience from the mind of Garth Ennis, creator of Preacher and The Boys.

Title: Hoax Hunters #6
Writer: Michael Moreci
Art: Axel Medellin
Publisher: Image

Recently, I started watching the X-Files. It’s a phenomenal example of serial sci-fi drama, but it’s absolutely dated for a show in which characters rely somewhat on technology. What does this have to do with Hoax Hunters? Well…

The thing about Hoax Hunters it this: it is easily the comic book equivalent of all the best sci-fi investigative team serial dramas that television has given us over the last 50 years. Except Hoax Hunters is up to date. It’s a modern-day version of The X-Files with a bit of Fringe, a bit of the Twilight Zone, and a lot of originality. That last part is key.

For those of you who missed Hoax Hunters issues 0-5 (get them here), you don’t absolutely need to have read the first arc to be able to jump in head first. Highly recommended though, as it’s an outstanding read from start to finish.

Hoax Hunters issue 6 kicks off a brand new arc. The Hoax Hunters are challenged by the Hoax Hunters Hunters, a ragtag trio of really, really annoying jerks who run a site dedicated to debunking all Hoax Hunters episodes.

That’s right – The Hoax Hunter Hunters (HHH for the sake of typing) …(no not that one) have dedicated their time to proving that monsters, aliens and conspiracies are not fabrications or legends. They believe the Hoax Hunters are working for the government, cleaning up any hard evidence of otherworldly or really, really bizarre interworldly shenanigans. Suffice to say, this could cause trouble for the Hoax Hunters.

When a group of small-town teenagers are killed in a mysterious happening (possibly involving gnomes, which personally I find terrifying ever since this) the HHH issue a challenge to the Hoax Hunters – prove that the case is a fabrication before the HHH are able to prove that it’s not. How are the Hoax Hunters going to covertly cover this one up when they’re being watched?

Long story short – this is the beginning of what will be an entertaining second arc for Hoax Hunters.

Of course, you wouldn’t be able to care about a concept or an idea if the characters driving the story weren’t interesting. The Hoax Hunters are a well balanced group, each member contributing something unique and important to the team. It’s a nice balance of personalities. Some of the characters in Hoax Hunters will get on your nerves too, which is a good sign that they’re well written. You can’t ever really love a character if you can’t also hate them at some point in the story.

Moreci sowed the seeds with the first Hoax Hunters arc. Issue 6 continues to develop the overarching stories introduced earlier in the series while also adding new characters into the fray and mixing things up a little. We’ve all seen a series grow repetitive and predictable after only a few issues, but Moreci is keeping the fires burning with Hoax Hunters. I’ll highly recommend purchasing the first arc and continuing with issue 6. Hoax Hunters is a fun, refreshing, modern take on the sci-fi horror mysteries you grew up loving, and shouldn’t be missed by fans of the medium.

Follow Moreci on Twitter for constant Hoax Hunters update, and for some excellent comic book convo!

Title: Tomorrow Jones #1
Writers: Brian Daniel
Art: Johan Manandin

Written by Brian Daniel, with Johan Manandin on art duties, Tomorrow Jones is an excellent example of a strong female lead done right. Something this industry needs more of, and sadly something that isn’t attempted as much as it should be.

Tomorrow Jones is a 14 year old girl who has grown up in a household of super-powered family members. She’s just starting to come into her own, and like all of us, she still has a lot to figure out.

Tomorrow has a very familiar life. She’s bullied at school, and her parents aren’t exactly ready to let her become herself just yet. Her superhero parents almost live vicariously through her, and her superhero-in-training brother is riddled with attention. We’ve all been there (without superpowers for the most part), and that’s why it works. Fourteen-year-old Tomorrow is an incredibly relatable character, regardless of the age of the reader.

This seems very much like the beginnings of a great coming-of-age story. At the same time, it felt very much like the first hour of the first movie in a superhero trilogy. Less story, more character development. While this early development is extremely important (and particularily well done), it would have been nice to see a glimpse of the overarching story – how it’ll begin to develop, and where it’s heading. Of course, that’s just another reason to read the second issue, which is out December 19th. Get it here.

As mentioned before (and if you’re a regular comic book reader / industry follower, you already know this) the current market is comprised predominately of male characters, and most female characters are over-sexualized and grotesquely contorted to suit certain conventions. Daniel and Manandin don’t need to stress the fact that the book is a polar opposite of the standard T&A characters in most superhero books – the book does so itself, and without being preachy. It’s not only refreshing to see that they’ve written a truly strong female character, but it’s also exciting. The last thing the industry needs (not that I don’t have a soft spot for them) is more superhero books, but when one comes along that relieves the notion of superficial female characters in skirts and leather… well, welcome aboard. Raise the anchor and set sail, because it’s what we need.

The artwork by Johan Manandin is well done, and certainly adds to the quality of the book. We sometimes judge books by covers and comics by artwork, but there’s nothing to suggest that Tomorrow Jones is the work of an amateur. Characters are consistent, settings are important, and paneling is decent. The position of dialogue in some panels had me re-reading a couple lines – though that’s nothing if not constructive criticism.

I highly recommend Tomorrow Jones #1, and I look forward to checking out #2. There is also a ton of additional content over at the Tomorrow Jones website, including some awesome layout pages from Manandin and some sample artwork.

Tomorrow Jones is just what this industry needs – an ass kicking female lead who is as smart as she is strong.

Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16
Writers: Kevin Eastman / Tom Waltz
Art: Andy Kuhn / Ronda Pattison
Publisher: IDW

Thank you, IDW, for bringing such an awesome franchise back to life with each issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

I don’t mean “back to life” as if the franchise was raised from the dead per say, but long time fans of the early comics, movies, toys and cartoon would tell you that there hasn’t been any adult-oriented Ninja Turtle content to be enjoyed in a long time. Well, this book isn’t necessarily adult-oriented, but it is certainly the best thing to happen to the TMNT since Secret of the Ooze.

And that’s saying a lot, because there’s around 20 years of content in that timeframe.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16 picks up on the heels of last issues encounter with Slash, the rugged super-turtle out to remove Don, Raph, Leo and Mikey from the world. Trapped and cornered, the foursome fight to defend their lives from the rabid renegade turtle.

However hard they try, no apparent victory is in sight. That is until Donnie rationalizes that the only way out of this scuffle would be to extinguish Slash once and for all. That’s right, Donnie realizes that killing might be the only way to survive this – a sacrifice of character that the turtles are now faced with considering. Leo disagrees and proceeds to ensnare Slash in a modified sleeper-hold, but it’s to no avail.

But still, Leo won’t secede from the dire situation. How can this possibly end well? Pick up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue 16 to find out.

Month after month, this book proceeds to blow my mind with the subtleties in artwork and the great foreshadowing for those who pay attention. Andy Kuhn and Ronda Pattison are an art team to be reckoned with. The life they give to the turtles, as well as Splinter, Casey Jones, April O’Neil and the roster of villains, is second to none. The heavy use of shadow and broken lines give a rugged tension to the book, and the freehand panel borders and general page layout are welcome additions to the feel.

Eastman and Waltz know the turtles inside and out like few others do, so naturally the characterization is bang on – the turtles display themselves through body language, dialogue and choices just as you would expect them to. And if you’re new to the world of Ninja Turtles, you don’t need to look further than the IDW run if comics to be able to appreciate each unique character. Though the original comics, movies and cartoon are still recommended!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is easily one of the best reads you’ll find on shelves every month, both for
fans of the series and newcomers alike. What’s not to love?

Title: Masks #1
Written by: Chris Roberson
Artwork: Alex Ross
Publisher: Dynamite

Masks is Dynamite’s gritty response to The Avengers and The Justice League, but with a considerably darker cast and an enjoyable twist regarding the concept of ‘justice’.

New York, New York. The year is 1938, and a rather new political party has tightened its grip on the city and subsequently risen to power. The Justice Party is their name, and oddly enough, it’s much less of a party than the name would have you believe. The faction is run by mob bosses, criminals, corrupt businessmen, and probably puppy killers. What the Justice Party promised in return for votes from the city folk is unknown, but it must have been damn good to secure their rise to power.

New York is in shambles and the idea of ‘justice’ has taken on a new meaning. Justice is provoking riots in order to put innocent people behind bars and fuel the prison economy. It’s imposing a new tax at the snap of a finger and sending corrupt officers into the streets to collect cash on the spot. Justice is simply renegade acts of inhumanity for the sake of power and money.

Thankfully, a number of vigilante heroes have taken notice, and it’s now up to them to put a stop to the the corruption, abuse and particular brand of justice provided by the Justice Party. Joined by The Green Hornet and Kato are The Shadow and The Spider. We also briefly meet Rafael Vega, better known as Zorro, as he is made an example of by the Justice Party and thrown in jail for questionable reasons.

What makes these characters astronomically different from the Marvel and DC universe rosters is the lack of super powers. This is not a superhero book, this is a vigilante book. It’s hard to discern that fact with a title like Masks, but it’s certainly a welcome addition to shelves topped to the brim with superhero titles each month.

Roberson takes the helm and provides a well written first issue. No time is wasted meeting the eclectic cast of vigilant crime fighters. Some we follow more than others, but for a 22-page book, we certainly do meet a satisfactory number of characters. Despite that pleasant fact, not one scene appeared rushed. You’ll not need any previous exposure to these characters to be able to comprehend the story either. This is first issue in all respects.

The artwork is as good as to be expected from Alex Ross. The thin panel borders and lack of gutters has always tricked my eyes a couple of times with Ross’ artwork, but that’s pretty subjective. If you’re a fan of Ross’ incredible painted panels, you’ll have an eyegasm on every page. I’ve always wished Ross would hand paint any sound effects in his books though – digital lettering for such stylized text sticks out on panels and is almost a distraction.

Dynamite has a fantastic family of books under their belt, and Masks is another phenomenal addition to that family. It’s sure to bring a number of readers to the individual characters’ books and really create a sense of unity. Maybe we’ll even get to see other fan favourites, such as The Bionic Man, step up to bat in Masks.

I highly recommend purchasing Masks #1 if you’re looking for a well written and beautifully illustrated addition to your reading list.

Title: Soulfire Vol.4 #3
Writer: J.T. Krul
Art: Michael DeBalfo, Nei Ruffino
Publisher: Aspen
Release Date: December 12th, 2012

Check out the preview of SOULFIRE Vol.4 issue 3 from our friends at Aspen Comics:

“Michael Turner’s epic fantasy adventure surges forward into a new era!

Infected by the poisonous sickness plaguing her body, Grace’s dragon manifestation of fire and chaos devastates the city of Rome, while Malikai and friends come to grips with the harsh reality that something unthinkable must be done in order to stop her. Meanwhile, Sarin’s rule begins to strain under the weight of his own agenda—as his decisions lead to deadly results for those closest to him!

From veteran SOULFIRE scribe J.T. Krul, and featuring the amazing art of Michael DeBalfo along with fan favorite colorist Nei Ruffino, this is the SOULFIRE tale three volumes in the making! New and returning fans will NOT want to miss out as the biggest SOULFIRE story ever told continues right here!”

Title: Indestructible Hulk #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Art: Lenil Yu, Sunny Gho
Publisher: Marvel

So it looks like we can discard the previous HULK run from Jason Aaron – Waid and Yu’s Indestructible Hulk seems to have retconned that last arc and is replacing it with something much, much bigger.

After spending a bit of time flipping through Aaron’s issues though, I will concede that it really was a decent run. Not great, but it was fun in a Jason Aaron-y sorta way.

But Indestructible Hulk … different beast all together.

Bruce Banner has contacted S.H.I.E.L.D with a proposition. Sick and tired of the infamousness associated with the HULK, Bruce fears that the man, the scientist – Bruce Banner – isn’t living up the the standards expected of one of the top minds in the world. Bruce vows to develop and invent life-saving technology for S.H.I.E.L.D in return for a fully funded lab, and help controlling the Hulk.

Waid is treating the Hulk like a disease. A rather logical step in the character. Bruce knows that he can’t ‘cure’ the Hulk, but instead, he can only learn to live with it and manage it. By working for S.H.I.E.L.D, Bruce believes that he has a better chance of Hulk being in the right place at the right time when it comes to smashing things.

This same mechanic of a “government managed” hero was recently, and properly, executed with Venom. Is this a new trend we’ll be seeing for rogue/ex-villain characters? It worked for Venom, and it looks like its going to work well for Indestructible Hulk.

Waid is showing us a side of Bruce that we haven’t seen in a long time. The scientist. The inventor. The critical thinker and the strategist. This needed to happen, and with Waid at the helm, I think it’s safe to say that this new iteration of the Hulk is as promising as is possible.

The artwork is nothing short of breathtaking. Such is to be expected by one of the best in the business. When I referenced more detailed “superhero art” in the Capitain America review, this is what I was talking about. Gritty realism, but not hyper realism. Artwork that you can lose yourself in, but still maintains immersion in the story. But again, all subjective!

The Hulk has never looked this good. Absolutely breathtaking in too many ways to count. The Indestructible Hulk is one of the must-read Marvel NOW! titles of the year.

Title: Captain America #1
Writer: Rick Remender
Art: John Romita Jr, Klaus Jansen, Dean White
Publisher: Marvel

Out of all the Marvel NOW! titles out in November, it seems as though Remender and Romita’s Captain America ranked lower than most in the popularity vote. The first issue of the new run certainly showcases a magnitude of talent, there’s no doubt about that, but… is it for everyone?

Sorry for the rhetorical question – no one thing can ever “be for everyone” – but Romita Jr is one of those artists that requires a certain taste to be craved in order to be enjoyed. For me, at least. It’s important for an artist to develop a unique style, as its important for a musician to develop a unique sound or a chef to develop a unique menu, but just because it’s unique doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy it.

And that’s why I didn’t really enjoy Captain America. The artwork.

Shoot me or stab me, but I can’t get behind Romita’s artwork on a book of this caliber. Kick-Ass worked well because it was a unique IP, and it hadn’t been defined on a visual level before. We’ve never associated Kick-Ass with any way other than the Romita way, and for that reason, it worked well. Really, really well. In fact, the artwork was one of the reasons I relished those books.

Its absolutely subjective, but I feel that superhero titles require a certain look. Some characters need that chiseled jaw, overwrought physique, or protruding nose bridge. Like I said, subjective. I don’t see those traits with Romita’s artwork, and I think a book like Captain America NEEDS those things. Or, it needs Scottie Young.

But only once in a while.

The story thus far is a decent story, but again, it fails to meet the standards set by the few recent Marvel NOW! titles. Until the last page, that is. Quite a bit of the story is expository text, though the first handful of pages are entertaining and well done. Overall, the story seems to be heading in a neat direction. But the #1 is less captivating than one might want.

How accessible is it? Well you’ll need a little bit of knowledge about Cap before diving in. Nothing the movies or a quick browse through a wiki can’t teach you. Or better yet, go read the Byrne run. Yeah, I think that’ll be the official recommendation. If you don’t have time for that, then ask the Internet for a quick refresher on the character and you’ll not have a problem keeping up with this latest installment. It’s pretty accessible to new readers.

We even get to see the Green Skull, essentially a hippie stoner version of the somewhat more intimidating Red Skull. Remender doesn’t explicitly mention any substance “abuse” related traits, but I dunno man, I just have this feeling. You know? You know.

This is one of those titles that is more notably subjective, though its not a bad read by any means. I recommend you at least give it a shot. Its worth the four bucks.

Title: No Place Like Home #5
Writer: Angelo Tirotto
Art: Richard Jordan, Paul Little
Publisher: Image

No Place Like Home is a punk rock murder mystery rooted in a frighteningly familiar land – a take on Oz that fans of the mythology need to check out.

For many reasons, this was the best installment of this book that any budding fan of a new independent comic book series could hope for.

For those of you who aren’t caught up with this series, it’s about a punk rock protagonist named Dee who hails from small-town USA. She, along with her dog and couple of chums, have been dragged into a series of mysterious events including the death of Dee’s parents.

The culprit? Evidently, a group of winged maniacal monkeys that may or may not be decked out in vests and hats, and these monkeys aren’t done with the killings by a long shot.

Now, it’s up to Lizzie and her group of misfits to uncover a secret her whole town has been keeping for years. And it looks like it’s got something to do with a little place called Oz.

No Place Like Home issue 5 is superior in all aspects to the series’ previous installments. The artwork is better, the action is more intense, and it seems much more adult oriented – something this book needs to keep it differentiated from other tales of the land of Oz.

There were some setbacks with the book schedule, but these are independent creators we’re talking about. We all have day jobs, and sometimes shit gets hard to manage or life gets in the way. Regardless, I’m happy that issue 5 made it to the presses. If you we’re a reader of No Place Like Home but issue 5 happened to slip your mind, you should make it a priority to pick it up and finish the first arc.

The last page of the book has something we’ve been wanting to see for a long time too. You’ll have to read it to find out what – it’s too much fun to spoil. The writing and dialogue is solid and characters can be easily differentiated based on that alone. That’s hard to do and this team does it well.

This issue of No Place Like Home cranked up the burner on the stove of violence too. What a stove-of-violence is, I can’t tell you – but NPLH really showcased the fact that it was for mature audiences. And it did it tastefully. It didn’t seem like a Mark Millar or Garth Ennis display of over the top, unnecessary violence. Not that I don’t enjoy that once in a while – actually The Boys is one of my favorite ongoings of all time, so I probably love unnecessary violent capades. I just won’t admit it… unless I just did. Well fuck.

Anyways, speaking of ongoings, No Place Like Home is officially on my pull list as it’s been excelled to an ongoing series and not a mini-series. Good choice Image. Good choice.

Make sure you pick up the trade when it comes out – or just try to find the first 5 issues. It’s worth your time. Visit the creators’ site, or do some following on Twitter.