COMIC TITLE: Negan Lives #1 (2020)
Charlie Adlard– Artist
Robert Kirkman–Writer
July 1, 2020
Image Comics/Skybound
I have to admit to everyone before I move any further that I am not a huge fan of The Walking Dead. I watched the first two seasons of the show and never understood the phenomena with it so I stopped watching, but I have to admit that I never read the comics either. When I made it to my comic book store for the first time since March all in thanks to the corona virus, the only comic book that looked interesting that was available the title Negan Lives #1 which was written by Eisner Award winner Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and illustrated by Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead). For those of you that have been wondering what has happened to the polarizing Negan since issue #174 of The Walking Dead, Kirkman and co. provide you with that answer in this comic as we follow Negan in isolation. The only problem is that Negan truly isn’t alone as he meets a mysterious girl and he’s about to find that out the hard way that she isn’t what she seems or is she the one that’s about to find out what Negan is all about? For more information on the comic book, you can do so by clicking here to go to Image’s website.
One thing is definitely for sure and that this comic book is intended for mature audiences only so reader discretion be advised. From the writing in the comic book alone, Kirkman definitely has me interested in wanting to learn more about this Walking Dead universe as Negan seems to be a really kick ass character. I think reading the comic books will give me a better understanding and you never know I might actually check out the rest of the series while I am at it, but we are here to talk about this comic book. The comic book follows this idea that Negan is living during the new normal of society and that he is not as crazy as he used to be or at least it appears that way as he copes with how much things have changed and how alone he truly is. I definitely liked the writing a lot which is what I think attracted me the most to keep reading because Kirkman does such an amazing job of building up the suspense and you just need to know what happens on the next page. Now, I am not usually a fan of black and white artwork for a comic book, but for this one I’ll make the exception cause that is there style and I don’t knock them for that too much. The B&W actually kind of suits the style of the comic in some weird way, but for some of the scenes I would have loved to see it in color. After reading this issue, I am definitely going to continue because I need to know what happens next. Check out my grades below:
Grades:
Story/Plot: A
Artwork: A-
Character Representation: A+
Entertainment Value: A+
We are just into our second week of 2020 and it looks like everything is almost back to normal in the world of comics especially when it has to do with new comic book day. There were a lot of great debuts this week and some great continuations of stories that I am into at the moment, but there was one that I just had to check out. For those of you that do not know who Joe Hill his, he is the son of one Stephen King who has also decided to get into the world of Horror Comics with Hill House Comics as he teams up with DC Comics imprint DC Black Label to create a line of comics like The Low Low Woods and more. This week they came out with a new comic entitled Daphne Byrne #1 and it was written by Laura Marks (TV’s Ray Donovan) and illustrated by Kelley Jones (The Sandman, Batman: Red Rain) who is a legend in the horror art world. Daphne is your typical 19TH Century New York teen who is going through some personal turmoil since her father passed away. One thing is for certain and that is that her mother is being irresponsible and is being taken for a sucker by occultist wannabe’s, but these wannabe’s may have opened a door for Daphne as he is visited by an entity named Brother, but what does he want?
I have to say that I definitely enjoyed Daphne Byrne, but not as much as I did with The Low Low Woods. I definitely enjoyed the last part of the comic because that is when things really started to rock and roll and that is why I believe that I am going to enjoy future issues of the comic. What also has me excited about the future of it is that Joe Hill said on the Adventures In Poor Taste Podcast that the book is about, “a 19th-century feminist Omen. A ghost and gaslight take on the child born to end us all.” Now what is exciting about this comic is the artwork that was done by the legend Kelley Jones who brought out the creepiness of the darkness that surrounds the comic on every single panel. He has this way of making sure that you do not miss the macabre in every panel as he manages to infuse it and Michelle Madsen does an amazing job bringing all of that to light as the colorist of the comic and it’s beautiful. The other element that was smartly infused into the comic was the fact that we got the creepiness factor in well before the macabre show up in the example of this homeless old man who will make your spine tingle. All in all, I am actually excited to see what happens next in the comic especially with the artwork so stay tuned. Check out my grades below:
Last week, the list of comics were very bleak and I can’t blame comic book companies considering that it was Christmas week. Now as far as the brand new year is concerned, the list was considerably larger, but not by a lot. One title in particular peaked my interest as I was scouring the list looking for comics to pull and as a rabid Horror fan I couldn’t say no to this Source Point Press title. This week, Source Point Press went back in time to bring back some classic pulp styled horror comics in the form of J. Werner Presents Classic Pulp Horror #1 which features stories by Frank Belknap Long (Weird Tales) and it features artwork by Edvard Moritz (Adventures Into The Unknown), King Ward (Dead Man’s Doom), and Fred Guardineer (Action Comics). The comic features three tales with the first one entitled The Living Ghost, which is a story of a mysterious ghost terrorizing innocent people. The second story entitled The Werewolf Stalks which is about a werewolf that has been able to avoid detection while trying to feed on the innocent. The third and final story entitled Haunted House is about a woman who has had to wait ten years for a family inheritance only to find out that she has to spend one night in the house in order to get it.
Since it is Christmas week, there wasn’t a huge selection of comic books to go through and pick from. It’s slim pickings on what is a little weird for me because I am so used to New Comic Book Day being a Wednesday, but because of Christmas it’s on a Thursday this week. Marvel has all the hot new number ones for the week, but there was only one comic that I ended up really giving a chance and that is Dr. Strange: Surgeon Supreme #1 which was written by Mark Waid (Daredevil) and Kev Walker (Star Wars: Doctor Alpha) and it was illustrated by Java Tartaglia (Thor: The Worthy). Dr. Stephen Strange is no longer the sorcerer supreme because his hands were healed through a deal with a demon and now he is dedicating his precious time to two different worlds. One being as a surgeon in his old hospital and the other is to the mystic world. Unfortunately for him, he can definitely feel the strain of being tugged into two different directions constantly. One day while in the hospital, a strange occurrence is happening outside because people are being brought into the hospital by bus loads. When he goes to investigate it, he runs into an old foe with a new lease on magic that could prove to be challenging for the sorcerer supreme.
I tried reading Dr. Strange in the past and it wasn’t until I saw the film that I gave it a little bit of a chance, but this was actually a very interesting read. I loved everything about the comic because with this rediscovery of his abilities (as a surgeon) comes obvious cockiness on his part, but then you see the struggle and it makes him all too real. I also loved how no matter what, he can’t shut off the fact that he sees various types of demons in the hospital that obviously represent the various sicknesses the patients have, but he kept his word to not mix the two worlds. So, I definitely loved the writing in this comic and they leave you on one heck of a cliffhanger at the end when one member of the wrecking crew comes looking for Strange. It was enough to sell me into wanting to come back and buy the very next issue so kudos to the writing team. I definitely enjoyed the artwork in the comic because I felt that it fit the comic and it’s subject matter to a T and what more could you ask for. There is some great imagery in this issue and the comic is easy to follow along to because the panels are easy to follow along with. If you like Dr. Strange, then I suggest you give this one a shot. I know the constant number one’s can be annoying, but it’s the new thing at Marvel.
One of my favorite TV shows on Netflix and in the world in general is the fictionalized show GLOW which stands for Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling. The show may be fictionalized, but it’s based off of a real life TV program that ran in the 1980’s. Earlier in the year, IDW Publishing put out the GLOW comic book and it was pretty awesome and now they have put out a side project called GLOW Vs The Babyface which features former WWE Divas Champion AJ Mendez as one of the writers as she joins actress Aimee Garcia (RoboCop) with Hannah Templer (GLOW) doing the artwork. In the previous issue, the crew is frantic and nervous because a news crew who is looking for any reason to shut them down is coming for an interview. That is when they discover a stowaway by the name of Elizabeth who has been living under their ring. At first she seems innocent until she turns the tables on them and proves to be a pain in the ass for Sam. In issue #2, Sam is hellbent on getting rid of the child, but he lets his guard down when he meets her mom and she may prove to be a bigger problem for Sam and co. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew is trying to stall the news crew that is already there and waiting.
The comic book has so many layers to it and what I mean by that is that it has so much going on in just one issue. There are a couple of subplots that really help the story move forward and I enjoy that about the comic. There’s the main plot which deals with this news interview, but then there are the subplots with one being the girl, the other being the mother and her big mouth, the problems between Sam and his daughter Justine, and then everything happening with the other girls. So that means that there is plenty to keep you glued and you can tell that AJ and Aimee are fans of the show. I say that because they have truly nailed down the way all the characters act and they definitely nailed it with Sam. That was the test to me because Marc Maron brings a certain magic to the role when you see it on the show and they do a great job capturing it for print. One thing that I do want to comment on is that I do not hate the artwork, but it does it’s job. Hannah does a terrific job handling the vision and she does well with the actions, but it’s just not my favorite style. Don’t worry though because I am hooked and here for the ride all the way to the end because the story is amazing. Check out my grades below:
I am always looking for new comic books to check out every week and one caught my attention the other day that had me playing catch up to today’s issue. When I saw the title The Black Ghost, I was curious as to what company was putting it out and saw that it said New Wave Comics and instantly found out that the comic was a Comixology exclusive comic be putting out digitally every week under that imprint. The comic book is written by Monica Gallagher and Alex Segura and illustrated by George Kambadais. The first two issues follow a reporter named Lara who is sort of not on the up and up at her job because she works the detective stories and she is obsessed with a vigilante named The Black Ghost which no one has any idea who he is. After rescuing a student from some thugs, she finds that she is now knee deep in that world and she doesn’t know what to do now that she witnessed The Black Ghost get murdered. In The Black Ghost #3, Lara has to make a huge decision after it seems that even some that used to be close to her could be involved with some bad people. Does he become The Black Ghost and what is she going to do now that she has been fired from her job?
Spoiler Alert: Do not read on if you do not want to know what happens in the issue otherwise proceed with caution. I definitely enjoyed reading the comic book otherwise I would have never continued, but the third issue I found a little trouble with. I like the idea that she finally takes up the mantle of The black Ghost because it was in her all along, but it was her actions after that I sort of have trouble with. She took it upon herself to take up the mantle of someone who stood obviously for good and she continues in her ways. It has me asking myself what direction are they taking this and should I continue reading on. So I think it’s safe to say that I am a little hung up on the story, but the next issue could make or break whether I continue on. One thing is for sure and that is that I love the artwork because it sort of has a Batman; The Animated series look to it without being that completely. It also shares a little resemblance to Ghost-Spider and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comics which I dig for sure. I definitely think that you should check out this series if you are looking for some fresh blood and something a little different. George Kambadais will actually keep me glued as long as he continues to knock it out of the park. Check out my grades below:
This week in my opinion was not a very interesting week for comic books so it wasn’t very hard for me to come up with a decision as to who was going to be this week’s Comic Book of the Week. Back in the late 80’s into the early 90’s there was no other iconic kids TV series than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles who swept the nation with their cartoon and merchandise. Then in the early to mid 90’s, their replacement showed up in the form of Saban’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers which had not only a catchy title like the other mentioned, but they had five humans (later joined by a sixth) who were given powers. Now what happens when you bring both powerful franchises together? You get Power Rangers Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 which was written by Ryan Parrott (Batman: Gates Of Gotham) and illustrated by Simone Di Meo (Venom Annual). In this issue, Tommy has gone missing and everyone is worried as to what has happened to him in Smith’s Grove. Meanwhile in New York City, it looks as if the turtles have met their match in a foot clan member who is not afraid one bit of them. It turns out that Tommy is working for Karai, but why and what has happened to him? What will happen when the Turtles are confronted by the Power Rangers? Check out the comic to find out?
One of the things that has not been explained that I do love and hope is true is that I believe they are handling this one like they are in the same universe. They haven’t explained anything in the first issue, but for them to get Tommy’s scan when he morphs into the Green Ranger must mean they are in the same dimension unlike what happened with the Batman crossover. Although, Alpha did say that he could scan across dimensions so maybe they’ll explain that in future issues. One thing that I will say about the comic is that while I love the artwork as far as the Rangers are concerned, I was not overly impressed with the way the Turtles were drawn. I am not saying that it’s bad per say, but I always dislike the various things they do with the headband/eyewear. It looks a little too goofy to me, but other than minor detail, Simone does a great job with the comic book. As far as the writing is concerned, they don’t get a heck of a long time to full explain the five W’s besides the who and the where, but I am sure that will come with future issues. What they did do with this issue is that they gave you an action packed first issue with some comedy thrown in there along with some troubles in paradise in the Power Rangers end. A little comedy and drama to go with my action? Sounds like a great comic to me and they leave you on a cliffhanger to hook you right in and they did just that with me. Check out my grades below:
You will soon begin to find out when you see my choices for Comic Book Of The Week what exactly I am a fan of. Back in the early to mid 90’s when comic book movies were still not cool, one studio took a chance on a James Barr comic called The Crow and turned it into one of the most iconic films of the 90’s that starred the late Brandon Lee. Since then, there have been many incarnations and new stories involving The Crow for almost 30 plus years and I have enjoyed many of them. Well for this week’s new comic book day, IDW Publishing put out a new title called The Crow: Hark The Herald which was written by Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) and illustrated by Meredith Laxton in her comic book debut. The story follows Cecilia Rite, a young girl with a promising future and one heck of a hunter who along with her father one Christmas run into a group of killers who go to a cabin during Christmas to feel normal. After a misunderstanding that turns deadly, their lives are taken away from them, but Cecilia returns one year later to make the wrong things right. For more information on the comic book, you can click 
I really enjoyed this comic book and I am kind of crestfallen that it’s only a one shot because it’s a solid story and different than what we have had before. The comic gets to the point because it’s a one shot so you didn’t have to worry about being left with any cliffhangers, but their were a couple of things that I wished they had covered. They don’t really explain what kind of killers this group is and I suppose it doesn’t matter, but are they thugs like the original story? Are they all contract killers? They must be the latter considering that they don’t kill each other every Christmas that they get together. The other thing they don’t get into is why one of the characters went nuts, but they only had one issue to do it where as in more issues they could have explored it more. Other than that it was a great story and I really enjoyed the moments with Cecilia especially as she is describing her arrow and her kills of course are pretty good too. Meredith does an amazing job with the artwork and I loved some of the detail that she put into the comic especially with some of the kill scenes. If you liked reading The Crow and you like Tim Seeley and the work he has done then definitely give this one a shot. Check out my grades below:
There were so many good issues being released this week including some interesting new series from companies like Marvel and DC Comics. So, it definitely made it a hard choice for me to make when I picked up my load of comics to decide which one was going to be my Comic Book Of The Week? I ultimately decided to check out and review a comic book from Boom! Studios which was a company I primarily checked out in the past for their WWE titles. This week, they decided to get in the horror game with their brand new title Heartbeat #1 which was written and illustrated by Maria Llovet (There’s Nothing There) who takes full responsibility on her shoulders with this one, but she gets high praise from Brian Azzarello. The comic book follows high school outcast Eva as she navigates life through a school she feels she does belong in and through a life that is less than desirable to most. She doesn’t know who her true friends are, but she certainly knows her enemies, but that won’t matter soon enough. You see one night while strolling through the school, she discovers that the high school heartthrob has a deep and dark secret that could put her in danger. To get more information on the comic, you can do so by visiting Boom!’s website 
What Brian Azzarello says about Maria is, “Maria Llovet is one of the most important cartoonists today. Her work is bursting with joy, sensuality, and passion.” I will agree with Brian on a lot of what he said because you can definitely tell she put a lot of passion into the story and artwork. The story is your prototypical one about someone who is an outcast who obviously doesn’t fit in the school not only for personality reasons, but for financial ones as well. We can only assume moving forward after discovering his deep and dark secret that he is going to make an offer that she probably won’t refuse just due to the fact that she has low self esteem. That is usually how these vampire stories go and I would be very shocked if it didn’t especially after what the website has described the story to us. The artwork is phenomenal in the fact that it’s not your prototypical comic book like artwork, but very visceral and passionate which you can tell from page one all the way to the good stuff which leaves us at a cliffhanger right at the end. It sort of has a Studio Ghibli Japanese Animation look to it if you get what I am saying which i definitely liked. The panels are easy to follow along with and the comic is sort of a slow burn, but that is because we need to get to know Eva before we get to the good stuff. Check it out and check out my grades below:
There were not a lot of comics that were coming out this week that I was interested in unless you were already following some storylines. Out of all the various companies, Marvel Comics was the big winner this week and that is why I chose Black Cat Annual #1 as this week’s Comic Book Of The Week. For those that do not know what an annual is in the comic book world, it is a chance for publications to release an issue once a year that has a longer story or sometimes multiple stories that may not fit in the scheme of things with the regular monthly release. Black Cat’s series happens to be one that I have been enjoying and this one gets interesting because Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) are getting married. Well, you see they are sort of getting married even though they broke up, but Peter is doing it because Felicia has asked for his help in the case of a Maggia crime family wedding. Meanwhile, Christopher Coffin is doing his best to break into some kind of vault while Bruno Grainger breaks into an old S.H.I.E.L.D. facility to prove that no one pays attention to big dumb looking guys. The issue was written by Jed MacKay (Spider-Geddon) and illustrated by Joey Vazquez (Magnificent Ms. Marvel).
I have to be honest in saying that I like annuals because you get stories sometimes that don’t exactly fit in the scheme of the series and sometimes it’s the crew just having fun with their specific title. I definitely felt that way about this specific issue and that it was Jed MacKay having fun with the title while keeping it as close to the series as he possibly can. Who would of thought the idea of a crime family that when both families are in a disagreement that two potential newlyweds have to fight each other to the death. If it’s someone that you truly love then how do you just kill them for the sake of two families? Nevertheless, it’s a wild and zany adventure like only Spider-Man would have in his comics and he goes on the adventure with the the beautiful Felicia Hardy which is a conflict of interest, but they used to date. At first, it has it’s moments where you are asking what is the point of these side stories, but it will all make sense when you keep reading on and it’s kind of cool because it’s like Ocean’s 11 where you see the main characters doing their thing before it goes to the side characters and what they are doing. The comic has plenty of action and the action is good and it’s funny when it needs to be. I love the artwork in the main story more than I do in some of the side stories. I felt in Bruno’s story that some of the artwork just got a little lazy, but that is OK. It’s easy to follow along with and the colors are vibrant as they bring it to life on your page. Check it out and check out the grades below:
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