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No Longer Taking the Backseat to Sherlock: A Review of Moriarty #1

Wed, 11 May 2011 13:10:57 -0400

Comic: Moriarty: The Dark Chamber #1

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: May 11, 2011

Price: $2.99

Rating: 3 out of 4 Garlics

I’ll admit it: I’m a Sherlock Holmes fan. I read the first editions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels on Holmes back in the day, so, when the chance presents itself to immerse myself into a world even remotely related to Holmes, I take it, which is why Moriarty: The Dark Chamber #1 waited for me today at my local comic book shop. Note, though, that this series is different from your run-of-the-mill Holmes crossover. Writer Daniel Corey wants to know what would happen to Professor James Moriarty if he no longer had Holmes to contend with.

In this debut issue, set twenty years after Holmes’s death, Moriarty has taken the name Trumbold and makes his living solving small-time mysteries, that is, until one Agent Smith offers him a handsome sum to find Holmes’s until now insignificant brother: Mycroft Holmes. When searching for Mycroft, Moriarty slips into a world of assassins and murder, a world that sends the blood pounding through his veins once again.

One rule many good writers follow is at work in Moriarty, which immediately drew me into the story. That rule is a villain isn’t a villain to himself. There’s reasoning behind the “madness,” and Moriarty is no exception. He lives by three rules, and these rules have managed to keep him alive in the shady underworld of England.

My only concern right now is the lettering of the inner dialogue boxes. Because of the splattering behind the letters, the words can be difficult to read. Anthony Diecidue, however, wields magic in every panel. The artwork is harsh, tough and completely fitting for a mystery that makes a literary villain the hero of his own story.

The first issue is usually reserved to establish characters, introduce the inciting incident that will carry the plot through the series and motivate the reader to buy issue two, an issue I’ve already requested.

For more info, visit www.professorjamesmoriarty.com or follow the writer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dangerkatt.

For all you Lara Croft fans, here’s a German music video...

Tue, 10 May 2011 13:34:30 -0400

For all you Lara Croft fans, here’s a German music video featuring your girl.

On a Vampire’s iPod: Linkin Park’s “Bleed It...

Tue, 10 May 2011 13:29:19 -0400

On a Vampire’s iPod: Linkin Park’s “Bleed It Out”

Six Degrees of Rachel Maddox: A Review of Blue Estate #2

Wed, 04 May 2011 23:56:05 -0400

Comic: Blue Estate #2—One Day At A Time

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: May 4, 2011

Price: $2.99

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Garlics

I must admit that the reason I was first drawn to Blue Estate was the cover of issue one—The Rachel Situation. What vampire wouldn’t be turned on by a hot girl, sitting all alone in a lowball glass, whiskey accenting her curves? The crime noir/Pulp Fiction-esque plot of issue one piqued my interest, so I had to pick up issue two.

This month, Rachel Maddox takes center stage. The troubled starlet escapes from her husband, thereby propelling the story forward, and backwards, as the issue opens with a bit of history on Rachel. Apparently, the girl’s acting skills go beyond the silver screen. As the panels progress, the story does veer from Rachel, but one feels a sense of six degrees of separation at play, as every character in this issue, from the A.A. sponsor to stripper Cherry Popz, is somehow “touched” by Rachel.

The mark of a great writer is her/his ability to never let the reader feel lost, no matter what meandering path the writer creates. The creative team of Blue Estate set the stakes high with issue one, and I have not been disappointed that I left my coffin, aka the apartment, to buy issue two. Further exploration into Rachel’s character and the introduction of her brother and his stripper girlfriend take the plot on many interesting turns.

There are ten issues left in Blue Estate. I hope I’m not staked before the end. I just may have to haunt my local comic book shop if that happens. Yes, this series is that fangtastic.

For more info, check out the website: www.blueestatecomic.com.

Green Lantern and Thor Go Jointed Head to Head

Wed, 04 May 2011 16:02:54 -0400

Saw this on dcwomenkickingass’s site, and I had to reblog for your viewing pleasure.

"But first, on earth as Vampire sent, Thy corpse shall from its tomb be rent: Then ghastly haunt..."

Tue, 03 May 2011 11:57:00 -0400

“But first, on earth as Vampire sent,
Thy corpse shall from its tomb be rent:
Then ghastly haunt thy native place,
And suck the blood of all thy race;”

- Lord Byron, “The Giaour”

http://www.simplysupernatural-vampire.com/vampire-poem-the-giaour-byron.html

Vampires Read Comics, Too

Tue, 03 May 2011 10:35:00 -0400

My name’s Temoc Delgado. I’m a vampire, and I read comic books. Why? Where else can one find a steady supply of virgins but in a comic book shop? My intentions are not entirely selfish, though. After living for almost 500 years, I’ve found comic book arcs do surprise me, and usually when least expected. Helps pass the time in the coffin, too.

With the age of blogging, I’ve decided to create my own little corner of the web for musings on Wednesday’s pull list treasures. I read mostly creator-owned series, but I do find Green Lantern and Green Arrow amusing.