Hey everyone, welcome to the latest addition of Unleash the Fanboy’s Weekly Image Comics Reviews, I’m your host, Daniel Alvarez. We have a few diverse titles this time around, including a new #1. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get started.

Bloodstrike #28

Image is full of thought provoking titles. Mind the Gap, Near Death, among others. However, the company doesn’t shy away from giving the more ‘fun’ superhero action types, such as Supreme. Then there’s Bloodstrike, which is a good combination of the two. This series is Image’s equivalent of Marvel’s Secret Avengers, or Wolverine. But really, it’s a throwback to the 90’s. Issue #28 continues the trend, featuring a hard-nosed wise cracking main character, limbs going away, and dialogue straight of an 90’s X-Factor comic. Basically, this is an issue that compliments the 90’s, in a good way.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

Magdalena #12

The script flows quickly as Ron Marz refuses to bog down the story in unneeded exposition.  The history between the two characters is apparent and the conclusion of the story feels imminent, but not rushed.  He let’s Sara Pezzini and Patience do what they do best, work together and fight the monster. The story succeeded in yielding a strong script that contained a successful narrative, with polished and passable art.  Ultimately this issue is a more than worthwhile purchase and comes recommended to any long time readers.

For the full review, click here.

4/5

Peter Panzerfaust #4

This was by far the most powerful issue in this series, as Kurtis Wiebe weaves a tale that shows children at play, children preparing for war and children surviving together in some of the darkest times in our world’s history.  What makes this issue truly powerful though is the extended downtime that comes with a feeling of dread. Peter Panzerfaust is not going to be for every comic book reader out there, but it should be.  It offers a strong compelling narrative that takes an old story and recreates it in a way that makes it feel fresh again.  With a strong script and very solid art, this comic comes highly recommended.

For the full review, click here.

4.5/5

Lil’ Depressed Boy #11

The plot is rather bland, as if there’s an underlying statement that’s never quite made. I understand the mood the titles going for, the limited color and simple layouts drive this point home effectively; life is dull. Unfortunately, that makes for dull reading. There’s little to no dialogue or action, but neither is there any tension or suspense to make this worth while.  There are plenty of titles that deal with depressed or alone characters; the lone hero is a strong archetype and an example of effective story telling. Li’L Depressed Boy #11, however, is not.

For the full review, click here.

1.5/5

America’s Got Powers #2

AGP isn’t bad; Ross’s dialogue is believable and the story is reasonably paced. The problem is that it pulls from too many other sources, without really saying anything new.  With four issues remaining in this series, I’m confident Jonathan Ross is going somewhere, but right now he’s not saying anything new, and that has to change if he wants to hold on to his readers.

For the full review, click here.

2.5/5

Grim Leaper #1

Leaper’s biggest failure is it’s lack of readability. The first three pages are hard to follow, even on the second read-through, and most of what comes after only makes sense in retrospect. Wiebe uses the violence and gore effectively, juxtaposing it with the romantic and comedic elements, but it’s also obvious that Wiebe and artist Aluisio Santos revel in the gore for its own sake. As a whole, Grim Leaper will require a very specific type of reader, one who can appreciate the vintage/shock mash-up.

For the full review, click here.

3.5/5