A Pleasant Review of Dragonstorm #1

Seriously! Check out this cover.

How can I resist a cover like this? The Dragon is off the chain! Not to mention Dragonstorm, which imo, is a really cool name for a hero. Then there's the girl.. Always a girl it seems but this one seems to be different.

The book starts off with some uncomfortable family moments triggered by the visit of a grandfather ( The Villain) who says he's taking his son's daughters. This man ( the son) has chose not to live the evil hero life. The visit in a split second turns violent and lives are changed forever.

Death and action collide almost instantly while the dialogue plucks at some internal fears that I believe all people have within their hearts. Nicely done. The turning point is when the kidnapped daughter is handed over to the hero Dragonstorm.

As I was reading  I noticed that while this comic is named Dragonstorm, it seems to  revolve not only around Dragonstorm, but his relationship with this young heroine. A heroine who is from the same sinister bloodline as the major villain in this issue. 

Lyllian is her name and I can tell by the way she looks that the street element of unstoppable comics is still very much alive in this comic. She's pretty, tough, sharp, and still very much a teenager. A teenager who's parents were just savagely murdered.. It's real and I love real. Real emotion is key. 

All those elements don't go away as the story progresses either.. In fact, I think it adds another dimension to not only Lyllian, but Dragonstorm himself as dynamics change. How is Dragonstorm going to react to basically being forced to raise his arch enemy's granddaughter and why the hell does this enemy want his granddaughter being raised by his enemy?!!

I can only imagine the twisting and turning this comic will take as the story progresses. I really have high hopes! Reason being: I still have so many questions I want answered, which is exactly what a first issue comic should do. Leave you wanting to know the answers and secrets before they can be revealed.

By the way... Dragonstorm is a pretty bad ass character on his own. His moral compass seems to be on point as he did have the option to leave the girl to die and yet he took her anyway, knowing damn well she would be his responsibility. And the guy displayed some awesome martial arts and an aura of supreme badass-ness. Dragonstorm would be great on his own and I think as the comic gets into more and more issues, Lyllian also become very dynamic on her own... So I hope...

Like I said before.. there is obviously something very special about her.

As far as the villain goes..He must know something we don't... I mean gene's that make purebred heroes must be able to pass from generation to generation and maybe Lyllian will have her own special ability that sets her apart. Why would he want her with Dragonstorm and not his own son?

To me it's crazy because I think they could make a great duo down the line... especially after she's been trained. But then again..something tells me this girl is not Dick Grayson. Will she even give Dragonstorm a chance? ... I don't know. Will Dragonstorm even train her? I don't know... I just know that she's his responsibility now. She's still a very young teenage girl.

These questions are the point of  number #1 comics! Especially a good ones... They started a story and  I WANT TO KNOW MORE. And the only way I find out is by getting #2. Which I will.

So keep an eye out for Unstoppable Comics in your LCS. The books I've read from them have all been really good and unique. Especially this one.

And you all know... I love unique.

So until next time... SMILE!

P.S. Unstoppable will be at this year's Boston Comic Con. I know I'm stopping by and saying Hi.

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A Pleasant Review! Stormchasers #4

Stormchasers #4 By Unstoppable Comics!

"Unstoppable Comics is providing a diversified cast in the comic books we publish to represent the various nationalities that make up the tapestry of the UnitedStates"  - Unstoppable Comics   
   

Its this sort of declaration that really makes me excited!
So without further delay here is my Pleasant Review of Unstoppable Comics Stormchasers #4!



I could tell with one look at the cover that I was in for a real treat. The Color, The Logo, The Action...It was all there.

As I started reading I was surprised and excited to see such a vast diversity of Superheroes, all with different attributes and ethnicity. Each character having their own unique reactions to situations and a prevailing sense that each character had to put a little something extra into the relationship to make it work. This was a real nice touch because of how authentic it is to real life. Some traits may rub others the wrong way and any real relationship takes work, even for superheroes.

I was also relieved that this wasn't just the cliche superhero team with the predictable "Hey, whatever you say, fearless leader!" response that - doesn't always happen- but does show up every once in awhile in other less thought out comics. This surely wasn't the case with Stormchasers. Each character in this comic is truly his/her own person and that itself can sometimes create conflicts within the ranks of this dynamic superhero team from all over the world.

Another super cool detail is that some characters have different lettering in their speech balloons. This was a great touch and and to me personally, it helped demonstrate exactly what Unstoppable is trying to do, which is create a true sense of diversity within the pages of their comic books. There is just about a character for everybody from every nationality under the sun. I was also grateful to see a more than usual amount of female characters in one comic book. On both sides! Villains and Superheroes! All in one comic! Just another way this comic stays true to what Unstoppable vows to do.

So now comes the question: With all these characters is this comic hard to follow? I can be completely honest when I say that after reading one issue that I did come into "class" a little late by not reading 1,2, and 3, first. But, that didn't make me feel left out of the story in anyway, and by the end of the issue I had a reasonable understanding of each character and their role. Not bad for having jumped in at issue 4!!!

The art was as professional as you'd expect from top publishers. The panels flowed nicely and you got the sense of urgency while going through the action scenes. All aspects of comic creating is important and it was all there. This comic had the sort of art that I love, and really vibrant coloring that is very appealing to the eye. What more could I ask for?!

The story itself, I felt, was very entertaining and with some pretty cool twists. The writer did a really good job. Everyone knows that I'm not about to reveal the plot of a comic but I can however tell you what I appreciated. The character's have a real and unique problem on their hands with a very nasty and quite despicable gang of villains to deal with. The action and beautiful colors in each panel only make the story better and better. So when you combine this stellar art with a well written plot, the dilemma is not only palpable but it leaves you with the sort of story that stays on your brain. The writer also did a great job of  leading the story into the next issue. Every comic attempts this, some hit and some miss... Unstoppable definitely hit! 

So I will be following Unstoppable and supporting them in anyway I can. Not just because I enjoyed this issue but because of what they are trying to do. Imagine a world where a person can find a hero or villain that not only resembles them, but a hero who shares the same blood and holds dear the same culture that they do. It really makes me smile just thinking about it. Equality and unity are important ideals , but they are useless unless diversity is embraced.

Bravo, Unstoppable! And Godspeed!

Check out the Unstoppable Comics website and keep an eye out at your local comic con to see if they'll be there. If you're lucky enough to attend the same Con as them then definitely stop by and say hello.

Until next time my dear friends, stay positive!!

-I was not paid in anyway for this review. Just sharing my opinion with my good friends!-

Pill's Aren't NORML.

"Big Pharma Cares! Talk to ur Dr. 2Day!"

A Pleasant Review! The Savage Sword of Conan The Barbarian

 Stan Lee presents : The Savage Sword of Conan The Barbarian   December, 1985 No.119 - By Marvel Group. EIC- Jim Shooter, Editor- Larry Hama, Managing Editor-Pat Redding, Ernie Chan - Cover, Danny Crespi- Art Production Coordinator, Barry Shapiro- Design, Soul & Inspiration - Robert E. Howard * 66 total pages B/W *

I'm a big fan of the old comics. I like to collect them and read them while  acknowledging the time in which the comic was born. This one was done in 1985, a year after Conan The Destroyer hit the theaters. This was definitely a massively published and extremely popular magazine at the time. At $1.50 cover price it's important to point out this was just about twice as much as a single comic in those days. But make no mistake, the fact that they don't call this a comic doesn't mean that's it's not a comic. I would describe it as a super comic with a unique format. If you ever come across one, the first thing you'll notice is that it's certainly bigger than a standard sized comic book, but still very much a comic book.

So how about a brief glance into the world of 1985!The historical significance is important to me because I want to know a little about the world people were escaping while reading these books and because it's just plain interesting. To put it the time period into perspective, and with some digging around, I found these really cool facts about 1985. A gallon of gasoline would run you $ 1.09, the average monthly rent was $375.00, and it would cost you $2.75 to see a new movie in the theatres. Sure, it all sounds incredibly easy and cheap now but please keep in mind the median income was around $27,000 a year. Still better than today's economy but still quite challenging. A search of the world news in 85' turned up some interesting stories as well. President Reagan was selling the rights to his autobiography, Aids was scaring the shit out of just about everybody, and the television was being used for one of the first times to bring awareness to the great poverty in the world, particularly in Ethiopia. Now.. here is one last fact to help put the time into perspective, in 1985 windows version 1.0 was released. Yep! The history buff inside of me gets excited just thinking about it! That technology changed the world in a way that is immeasurable to any other invention by man, in my own humble opinion. I can only marvel how far we've come and the amount of growth in the comic world since then.

Trust me, when I seen a couple of these lying around the local comic shop I felt I had discovered a great find and just had to pick them up. I started to think about how some of my favorite writers and artists may have read this series when they were a kid and how maybe it helped make their destiny a bit clearer to them. Not only that, but I was sure ads and other types of fan feedback were to be found within its pages. That to me is a true glimpse back in time! 

 I only payed a couple bucks per issue, maybe a dollar or so above the cover price, and have since looked online to purchase more. Surprisingly ( to me anyway), I have not only found them readily available but fairly inexpensive! I've seen Lots for sale containing four issues being sold for $12, and some individual issues running for around $5. I personally wouldn't pay over $5 for a single issue unless there was something really special about that particular book. I've contemplated the idea of collecting the entire series from start to finish ( over 250 books ) a couple of times but have never committed completely to the idea. So for now, if I see one I'll buy it and just check it off my list. Don't worry so much about getting an issue and feeling a bit left out. This was never really meant to be an ongoing series as it was to telling stories about that famous Cimmerian we call Conan.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the magazine was of course the art. As I did a quick flip through I quickly discovered that just about every single black and white page was extraordinary. The amount of detail that went into every single inch of each panel really made me feel like I bought not only a cool piece of comic history, but a book filled with magnificent art. I cant vouch for every issue as the production teams likely changed throughout the course of its publication, but I can say with a certainty that the team that put my issue together were the purest definition of the word professional.

Now if you haven't had the chance to read Robert E. Howard's The Complete Chronicles of Conan,  then that's ok. The issues I've read tell the stories really well. Bringing to life all the brutality and gore that only Conan can bring. Of course, the novels go into depth and history way more than the comics do, but we're not reading a novel, we are reading comics! The story is just as engaging and intense but without the lulls that some novels, especially the seriously long ones, tend to have between the lines. Another thing that I really enjoyed about the writing is that I felt it stayed true to The Conan that Howard created in his novel. From reactions to certain situations, to the brutality that one would acquire living in a land ravaged by death and war. Another great attribute is that throughout the story, you have a sense that each character is aware of the mighty Crom, this was a really fantastic touch. The other characters in the story, while not carrying the same weight,  are also scarred by the lands. It's this sort of attention to detail that makes finding these issues worth it!

Another cool, and really unexpected surprise, was that I found a short story of Kull The Conqueror at the end! Yes! After 56 pages of pure Conan awesomeness they still fed me dessert. This was really like a comic that just kept on giving and by the time I was done I was truly satisfied with both my purchase and the time I spent reading it. If I could go back in time I'd definitely be a lifetime subscriber!

So if you get a chance, or find a couple of these lying around your local comic shop, they are worth picking up and as long as they are under $5 dollars an issue, I'd consider it a real steal.

So until next time take care and smile!

- Of course I wasn't paid for this review!!! I will never be paid off to praise anything! -