Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom #1- If you haven’t checked out a single bit of Locke & key you should go and pick up the first three collections ASAP and catch yourself up to this volume because it is brilliant. I already thought Gabriel Rodriguez’s art was brilliant but after seeing him balancing his own style with a tribute to Bill Watterson? Yeah, this book deserves more attention. Hill keeps putting together great plots and amazing scripts and the unique blend off horror and fantasy makes this a treasure in the industry. A+
Welcome To Tranquility: One Foot in the Grave #2- I was ok with Horacio Domingues’ art in the first issue but it didn’t really stick with me like the art from the first series, but after this issue it really feels like it blends with the script and the style of the story Simone puts out. I was under the impression this was a mini-series, although now I can’t find anything saying that for sure online. I really really hope they let the series continue because it’s a unique story and Simone really shines with it. A-
X-Force: Sex & Violence #2- As much as I don’t really give a crap about X-Force, Wolverine, and the general X-books as a whole, I’m glad that Kyle and Yost just decided to have fun with a bloody violent story. Any book that sums up an adventure with “It’s all ninja, ninja, ninja....kill, kill, kill.”, knows what it is and just embraces the fact that this is just a mini-series with a lot of folks getting stabbed and shot and we should just enjoy the ride. Plus, the art is really pretty. B+
Transformers #10- I’m still amused that the Decepticons have teamed up with Kim Jong-il and North Korea. I really don’t need much in a Transformers book. I need giant robots (check), explosions (check), Optimus Prime being brave and self-sacrificing (check), and something just random and funny (check). B
Whispers In the Walls #1- It might have been the actual script or it might have been the translation, but the book was a bit clunky which sort of distracted from the entire story. The art was nice and the plot was interesting, following a little girl recovering from the death of her family at the hands of a virus unleashed by the Nazis. The virus drives it’s victims crazy and even mutates them into monsters, but that might not be as insidious as the secrets hidden by the hospital. The other problem that’s common with most European comics being translated to the US is the shrinking of the format. You can tell the book was supposed to be printed in a much large format and it suffers from the art and the lettering being squished. The content is interesting, but the overall package suffers a bit. B-
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