If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

Comics were easy when I was a kid.  I’d put my pencil to the paper and make it up as I went along.  No planning, they just happened.  After a few days of nonstop drawing, I’d entertain my family with stories of dinosaurs eating cavemen and pooping them back out.  I’d set out to do something and it’d be a success.

This method got me through high school, albeit with more mature story ideas...usually.

I was in college before I gained enough knowledge to entertain the idea of putting together a proper “professional style” comic book.  A good friend of mine, Eric Myers, was pretty well embedded in the early webcomic community and we teamed up to develop an idea that we had discussed about 10 years prior when we attended high school together.

We settled on a format that would be a quarterly comic book with a biweekly companion webcomic strip.  We’d split art duties and write together.  It wasn’t a terribly unrealistic goal and we got off to a good start.

In all of our excitement we announced our work to the world with some previews and synopses.  During production I got an itch to resurrect the comic I’d made famous at my high school as a kid, "Adhesive Man."  I decided Adhesive Man would also be quarterly and I announced the return of my hero.  Eric Myers also began working on a comic strip called "SMS" around the same time.

Not long after, I was talking to a friend of my sister’s at a party and some ideas started forming about another property.  We started plotting and scripting this idea and, predictably, we announced it to the world.  This one was coming soon with no frequency decided.

In no time I was drawing books, writing books, and even developing spinoff books for books I hadn’t even produced a single issue of.  Basically, it would be about 9 books a year.  I was living the dream of being a creator.

One day I made a post on LiveJournal that had updates on my various projects and announced another in the works.  That is where reality hit me like a freight train.  A regular commenter asked a simple question: “Will any of this actually be released?  You make more announcements than comics.”

He was right.  I hadn’t put out a single comic.  By that point I’d put out a handful of comic strips with my buddy and a handful of Adhesive Man comic strips.  But ultimately I’d failed them by moving on to new things.  It’s one of the curses of being a creative: Having more ideas than you have time for.

I ended up dropping everything and focusing on Adhesive Man, which ran for a few issues before I stopped to work on something new.  Despite ending sooner than I had hoped, 2009’s "Adhesive Man" was a success for me.  I had finally finished something and had something to show for the work I’d done.

I’d also learned my lesson when it came to announcing projects.  I would no longer announce projects going into development.  I’d announce projects as they came out of development.  It was a great time of growth for me.

Even though I recognize the importance of that failure, I still feel the pain of that LiveJournal comment to this day.  But as Lance Armstrong said, “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”  And I had no intention of quitting.

After eventually producing an Adhesive Man trade paperback, I turned my sights toward continuing the series in an anthology comic, this time with Myers joining me, and my oldest friend, Darren Fitzpatrick, on board.

Kickstarter was all the rage among creators and our product seemed viable, so we pitched it on that platform.  Our goal was modest.  Most of our cost was in printing and shipping, as we produced the book ourselves.  The campaign was a success!  It was followed up with another successful campaign.

In 2016 I wrote a novella called “Blister: A Punk Rock Memoir.”  It was well received and I was encouraged to bring Blister into the comic world.  I also thought it was time to up my Kickstarter game and I asked for double the goal of my previous campaigns.  It too was a success!

A year later I was riding high on some great successes.  I was playing things smart and getting things done.  I teamed up with a newer friend, Gene Hoyle, to write a story I’d had on the back burner (and knew not to announce).  We assembled one hell of a team of indie comic creators and we launched "Dulce: The New Guy" on Kickstarter.

Dulce Base is one of the crazier conspiracy stories I’d stumbled upon, thanks to some crazy television viewing habits. It revolves around a joint operation between humans and extraterrestrials in the New Mexico desert.   A million ideas ran through my head as I processed what life in this place might be like for a new recruit.  Hence, the character of Marcus came into existence.

The idea seemed sound and people seemed to like it.  The expanded art team required a considerably higher campaign goal, and it took every last minute to raise the funds, but we did it.  The Kickstarter was one more success under my belt.

That success was nice, but the reality was that my personal life was not going very well.  After 12 years of marriage, my wife and I were filing for divorce and it was devastating.  Of any failure I have ever endured, this was the most important.  The repercussions of this failure will haunt me the rest of my existence.

Art has always been a positive emotional outlet for me.  As had happened many times in my life, art became my security blanket.  I worked through a script with Gene and we sent it off to our team.  While managing the production of "Dulce: Tour of Duty," I worked on a second Blister comic.  "Blister: Hot for Teacher" was the follow up to "Blister: Angela."

The Blister comic was released low key.  I sold it at shows and on the website, but the cost of producing it was not great enough that it warranted the torture of a Kickstarter campaign on top of everything else I was dealing with.

"Dulce: Tour of Duty" was different though.  So we funded the product out of pocket, with plans to recoup the cost with a Kickstarter.

The premise of the story was that Marcus has been working at the alien base for a short time now.  It picks up with an investigative reporter hunting him down and hijinx ensuing as we spend some time showing off the operations of the base and reveal a new “big bad.”  It was an insanely entertaining ride and we were proud to put it out on Kickstarter.  It would be an awesome return to comics and while it certainly wouldn’t do much to reconcile the greatest failure of my life, silently I envisioned a bit of a phoenix moment.  Rising from the ashes and all that dramatic nonsense.

Unfortunately, I was so eager to release the book that I didn’t consider promotion too much.  Despite the great success the year before, the second issue Kickstarter launched to the sound of crickets.

That failure hit me hard.  I’d only had successes on Kickstarter prior to that.  Four of them.  I hadn’t even considered failure as a possible outcome.  It was easy in the moments following the “Unfortunately, your project, New Dulce Base Comic Book! Dulce: Tour of Duty, was not successfully funded.” email to feel like a massive failure, and I did.

I put on a front, like since I knew why it failed, it didn’t matter and I’d just try again.  But that sucked.  I was beginning a  failure streak.  While it might not match my early failures in quantity, the quality of these failures dwarfed any others.

But, again, pain is temporary, but quitting lasts forever.  Quitting is just not an option.  In the time since the divorce I had pulled my personal life back together.  I was proud of what I had accomplished there.  I was not about to let Dulce die.  I don’t require a dramatic phoenix moment, but those characters deserve a second shot and my team worked too hard for Dulce to be a failure. 

The truth is that failing and being a failure are two different things.  I’ve demonstrated here several times I’ve failed.  But I am not a failure.  And I’m excited by the progress that Dulce has made in its current Kickstarter campaign.  It is tracking to be a success. 

I am certain that you have felt failure in your life.  Maybe a lot of it.  Maybe you’re lucky and have had very little failure.  Regardless of all that, you are not a failure if you don’t quit.  Take some time to learn the lessons of that moment and you can go on to that great success that you deserve.  I know I needed to hear that myself in recent history, and I hope that message catches somebody else at the right time.

-----------------------------------------------

Eric Cockrell is an Aster Award-winning video producer, comic book creator, author, and a co-host and producer of the web video series "Strange Tales Weekly." He is best known for the comic book adaptation of his book "Blister" which follows a group of punk rock kids in their formative years and is very loosely based on actual people and events.  His comic book “Dulce” has it’s second issue running on Kickstarter right now!

A graphic novel biography of the American legend who inspired the hit Broadway musical Hamilton.

Alexander Hamilton was one of the most influential figures in United States history--he fought in the Revolutionary War, helped develop the Constitution, and as the first Secretary of the Treasury established landmark economic policy that we still use today. Cut down by a bullet from political rival Aaron Burr, Hamilton has since been immortalized alongside other Founding Fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson--his likeness even appears on the ten-dollar bill. In this fully-illustrated and impeccably researched graphic novel-style history, author Jonathan Hennessey and comic book illustrator Justin Greenwood bring Alexander Hamilton's world to life, telling the story of this improbable hero who helped shape the United States of America.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As some of you might know, I used to do quite a few comic book reviews. Sadly, I don't have as much time these days so I leave most of that to my staff over on Geek-o-Rama. Still, when I get the chance, I still reach out and grab it!

This book was the perfect for that kind of thing. It has three of my favorite things: comics, history, and a great "story".  Let's break this one down in one of my favorite ways: The Good, The Bad, and The Summary.

The Good:
This book is full of information! It may be a biography of Hamilton, but it also covers a lot of what was happening during that time, not just here but in other countries that would get involved. The dialogue included quotes from actual letters and pamphlets of that time period. That's some serious dedication to the project and I love to see that kind of effort put into a project.

The Bad:
While I generally enjoyed the art, it was sometimes tough to keep track of who was who. After all, there were a lot of white men wearing white wigs! The only other thing is that the language in this books makes it more suitable to an upper level high school student versus anyone younger.

The Summary:
All in all, if you like history, have an interest in Hamilton (the musical), love graphic novels, or a combination of any of the above, go ahead and check out this book. I think it's going to be a really good addition to my books on history shelf.






I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.
If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

A step-by-step guide to all aspects of comic book creation--from conceptualization to early drafts to marketing and promotion--written by two of the industry's most seasoned and successful pros.
Every aspiring comic book creator wants to know: what separates the beloved comics of major publishers like Marvel, DC, Valiant, and Image from all the rest? Fan-favorite comic book writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente reveal the secrets of comics' top talents in "Make Comics Like the Pros." The authors take readers step by step through the comics creation process from idea to finished work, and along the way offer examples and insights from their own careers as well as their collaborators'. Not only that, but Pak and Van Lente also join forces with Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Colleen Coover to produce an original comic inside the book! With its unprecedented level of insider access, "Make Comics Like the Pros" gives comic book hopefuls the tools they need to reach the next level of sequential arts stardom.

==================
 Ever wondered just how many people it takes to make a comic book and what all of those fine folks do? This could just be the perfect book for you. It covers everything and does it in such a way that is easy to follow along and learn a lot along the way. Throughout each section, folks in the industry tell you how they do their job and do it well. As someone who has a minor role within this industry (both as an editor and reviewer), it was a delight to see the full behind the scenes make up for any comic.



If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

A comprehensive guide to creating and developing comic book and graphic novel art, from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the world's leaders in sequential arts instruction.

Artists seeking a way to break into the exciting world of sequential art first need to master the tools, techniques, and habits used by their favorite pencillers, inkers, and digital artists for creating dynamic, exciting comic artwork. In Foundations for Comic Book Art, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)—a leading force in art and design education—enlists one of its top instructors, John Paul Lowe, to provide aspiring comic book makers with a thorough primer for creative comics, featuring must-know concepts like contour drawing, mastering perspective, using photo-reference, and adding digital patterns. Examples from the works of SCAD faculty, alumni, and students are paired with Lowe’s easy-to-follow, step-by-step lessons and exercises for readers, demonstrating the vital processes all would-be sequential artists have to know before joining the ranks of the comic book–making elite.

================
As soon as this book came out of the envelope, there was a mad grab for it by my thirteen year old. He's really the only one of us who has any amount of artistic ability (at least when it comes to drawing) and as he flipped through the pages, I could tell that he would be coming back to this book many, many times. When I had a chance to read through it, I was especially taken with the fact that the author appreciates individuality and leads the reader through the book in a series of chapter leading from easiest to most difficult. So long as you don't skip ahead, anyone with artistic drawing ability should be able to follow along and certainly to learn. I know that I learned a lot and while I had a very solid appreciation for what my artist friends do when they work on comics, this just cemented just how awesome that they are. If you have any interest in comic book art, becoming a comic book artist, improving your own artwork or just want to flip through a book with some amazing work in it, written by someone who is down to earth, pick up this book. It's another that I'm suggesting for the holiday gift giving season.



I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts, comments and opinions are my own.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

Have you ever looked at the cover to something and thought, man, this just isn't for me without even picking it up and looking inside? Yeah, that was my reaction to this book, at first. Then, I picked it up and looked inside....

"A mysterious race known as The Koans have brought enlightenment, salvation and peace to weary humanity. But somewhere, hidden away beneath the surface of a perfect life, a paraplegic named Frank is being hunted for a secret he doesn't even know he holds by someone he once trusted the most. His journey will reveal courage he never thought he had and introduce him to allies that will become his truest friends."

The Good: I know this might sound geeky, but I loved the layout of this book. It was so easy to read and your eye flowed (yeah, that doesn't sound gross at all!) from one panel to the next without any effort of trying to figure out what was next. The story held my attention and soon I was forgetting my pre-conceived notions in my desire to find out how Frank had gotten where he was and what was going to happen next.

The Bad : I know that usually I can find something but in this case, nothing jumped out at me. I know that shocks so many of you who consider me to be on the critical side of things at times, but trust me, I looked. Then, I looked again.

The Summary : Frank is one of those characters that you're not sure if you should love him or hate him. He gets the tar beat out of him and yet he never loses his attitude or spunk. His life is one thing after another and yet he still seems to come back for more. The artwork in this book is good and when I flipped through it, my first thought was finally, someone who knows how to do black and white. If you pick this one up, it might surprise you by becoming one you want to read more.

For more information, check out the Facebook page and blog.




I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts, opinions and commentary are 100% mine.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

I usually start out my reviews with the publisher's description of the book. However, I'll be honest and tell you that I had to turn to my good friend Google to find much of anything for this book. Sadly, I didn't find a synopsis so you're stuck with me telling you about the book in my very own words. Don't worry, I promise it shouldn't be too painful...fingers crossed...

The Good : This story intrigues me. Why, you ask? The lovely lady on the cover over there is the narrator and through out this first issue, she fills you in on the history of her race, the Pterren. She tells of how the current king came to power and hints that..no she states that she intends to go up against him.

The Bad : As with anything, there is a down side to this book. In this case, it's a two part issue. The first issue lends itself to the second issue. The lines on the artwork are especially thick and when you combine that with the fuzzing of those same lines..well, it took away from what might have been rather nice artwork. My other problem with the art work came in the faces. There seemed to be a lack of detail and definition in some of them.

The Summary : All in all, this is a good book. The history leads me to want to know the present and then the future. With any luck, future issues will have a better printer and we'll be able to find out what happens when our heroine confronts her king.

For more information on it, check out their Facebook page. For information on how you can purchase a copy for yourself, either leave them a message or drop the letterer, Andy Bohn a message. His was the only fan page that I could find.



Our thanks to Jesse James Comics for sharing this book with us. All thoughts, comments and opinions belong 100% to the reviewer.


If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

"A story told before the Salem Witch Trials that takes you deep into the truth of what really triggered the trials. Magic, Spells, Revenge, Death and Love. Don’t miss this nonstop thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat... wanting more."


I have to say that I just love when a friend of mine comes to me and says "Hey, we have a new book coming out, would you review it?" It's even better when he says to me that the release date is my birthday. (September 23rd for those unaware.) How can I say no to that? I couldn't and so I bring you...*drum roll*...Black Mass!

The Good: I have to say that I love historical fiction and this storyline, written by David Sandoval and Adriana Mendoza, caught my attention from the first panel and carried it all the way to the end. The pencils in this book (Stefano Cardoselli) captured the story and helped to convey the myriad of emotions that flowed throughout this part of the story.

The Bad: This is another of those books that really would be so much better done in color than black and white. Unfortunately, there are times when the inks on the pages are overwhelming and distract from what's happening on the page. I think this could be alleviated with the addition of some grey scale or the addition of a colorist.

The Summary: Black Mass is a book that I'm going to be adding to my list of books to follow. The story is intriguing and I'm very much looking forward to the next in this series. If you pick up this book, I do warn you that the topic may not be appropriate for children. In fact, I would rate this as a teen, leading into mature title.  I would also warn you that in the copy I received, page 14 is especially not child friendly. It's wonderfully drawn, but not something my boys need to be looking at.

Now, I have some good news for those of you who don't want to wait until September 23rd for the release! This book is actually now available in digital format! It can be purchased at DriveThruComics and Indy Planet. If you so desire, it is also available for pre-order from Comic Flea Market.

If you would like to learn more about Black Mass, check out N.A.S. Studios on Facebook or on their website.



I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and drooling are 100% mine and had nothing to do with the fact this book is coming out on my birthday or that the author is pretty cool. 

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

"The adventure begins here!  This all-ages fantasy-adventure tells the story of Eloa, a Forester princess born with healing powers and how she becomes Knightingail – the leader of the seven tribes of Aeonius and controller of nature itself.  In this debut issue, Eloa confronts her father about the secrets he’s been keeping about both her mother’s death years earlier and his interactions with a Dracon spy!"

When I first saw this book, my inner girl squealed. I'm not ashamed to admit that. I saw the adorable redhead on the cover and went ooooh..this is a book I want to read. Of course, that same inner girl scoffed at the high heeled boots. She's still of the opinion that no self-respecting forest type heroine would wear boots like that. You just can't convince her that forest societies would have a good cobbler.

The Good: This book is a lot of back story which carries you right until the end of the book and leaves you wanting to know what happens not only next but in the past with Eloa's mom. The artwork is on the cartoony side but don't let that fool you into thinking that it's not fabulous. It is wonderfully executed and the easy style just pulls you further into the story.

The Bad: I had to look really hard to find a downside to this book. The only thing I could come up with is really kind of silly, but here it is. At the beginning of the book, Eloa (now in the form of Knightingail) is 31. Yet, when speaking to Kaeli, she speaks as if she's closer to the 16 that she is in the rest of the book. Yep, that's all I could come up with.

The Summary: This really and truly is a book for all ages. My inner girl loved the artwork and the fun. As an adult, I could relate to the frustrations that Eloa is dealing with at the age of 16. While I wasn't a princess dealing with counsels at 16, I had similar problems within my own family. This is another book that I can't wait to see the other 5 issues in this series.

If, like me, you want to read this whole series, you're in luck! This title was recently picked up by Big Dog Ink! Rumor has it that they will be releasing all 6 issues in one trade paperback. We only have to wait until December. This would make a fantastic present for anyone under the Christmas tree.

Don't want to wait until December to learn more? Check out their website or Facebook page.



My thanks go out to Jesse James of Jesse James Comics for this book. If you live in the Phoenix area, this is where you should be finding your comics. He's a major supporter of the Indie comic industry as well as the locals involved in the industry. Even though he gave me a copy of this book for the purpose of this review, all thoughts, comments and opinions belong solely to me.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

"There's a lot David Diangelo doesn't know about his latest Odd Job. He doesn't know how many people are trying to intercept him and the case he carries. He doesn't know the case he's been hired to deliver to a law firm in Las Vegas is an empty decoy. And he doesn't know that the road ahead holds only pain, heartache...and murder."

Everyone loves a noir style murder mystery type book, right? Maybe? Well, if not, you really don't know what you're missing. You ought to check out the genre and let me give you a good place to start.

The Good: The story. Honestly, I let this one sit in the magic review bag for a while since I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy it. That was my mistake. I picked up this book to waste some time while waiting for football practice to start. Don't tell my youngest, but I missed some of his practice because I didn't put it down until I was done.

The Bad: The first panels show our characters already in a situation. This could throw or put some people off.

The Summary: If you're looking for an old fashioned, black and white, what's going to happen next type story, this is one that you're going to want to look into getting your fingers on. It's gritty. It's paranoia blended with panic to take you on a trip that you hope you survive until the end.

To find out more about the author, you can check out his website. To purchase the book, head on over to Amazon where you can even score free shipping!


I honestly can't remember if I was convinced to purchase this book or if the author graciously gave me a copy for the purpose of this review. I will, however, state that the fact that a box of cheezy bread got left on this book, causing it to smell delicious, had nothing to do with anything positive in this review. All comments, thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

For more information about this book, check out its page on Dark Horse!

---Walter---
Life With Katie received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions belong to the author and not the site or publisher.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

 "Ten years ago, the town of Dinksville was horrified when Dylan Haddenfield walked into the local high school armed with a shotgun and a machete. In a bloody rampage, he shot and killed give students and decapitated a teacher. He was apprehended and sent to prison. Now he's escaped, but he's not the only threat to this once peaceful town...."

Let me start out by saying that this book is adult only. If you can't read it, that's what the tiny white box on the picture says. These books are violent, sexual and have all sorts of language. Now, don't go saying you weren't warned.

The Good : I love the art in these books. It has a very round shape to it which I know sounds like a load of nonsense but somehow that's what I think when I look at it. I like that they're bold. The covers all read like social commentary with topics of a big bad corporation and school massacres, but that's really just the tip of the iceberg. You start reading and before you know it's you're on the last page going wow..what just happened there?

The Bad : These are adult so I have to hide these from the 11 year old who is going to see these covers and want to pick them up. In all seriousness, I don't really have any complaints when it comes to these books.

The Summary : If you're an adult, like zombies, whodunits, whatjusthappenedtheres or just a really cool comic book, I'm going to suggest you go track this series down. I've read the first 3 in what I believe will be a series of 12 books and with any luck, I'll be bringing you future updates. However, I will warn you that if sex, violence or profanity is not your thing, you're not going to like these books. They will probably be offensive and we don't want anyone offended. That's bad. These books are good. Books=Good, Offended=Bad. Got it? Good. ;)

If you'd like to get your own set of Death to Dinksville books, might I suggest that you check out the website. If you just want to get your fanboy/girl on, I suggest the Facebook page.


I received a copy of these books in exchange for this review. The fact that the artist/author is from Michigan had no bearing on how awesome I said these books were. However, being from Michigan is awesome in this reviewers opinion. As always, all thoughts, comments, typos and dramatic sayings are 100% mine.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

For more information regarding this or any other Zenescope titles, check out their website and Facebook pages.


** Note from Katie : I totally say grrr as a word!

Life With Katie received copies of these books for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and comments belong 100% to Walter who wrote this review, except for the commentary by Katrina at the end.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

It's been a while since I've brought you a Big Dog Ink title and I am super excited to finally share Ursa Minor #2 with all of you! Do y'all remember the premise in this series?

Werewolves kill the president. Vampires step forward to help. Ringing any bells? If not, well then you should have been paying better attention. Heck, y'all should own issue 1 by now. I'm going to leave that up to you though and tell you all about issue 2.

The Good : Tom Hutchinson doesn't disappoint in his storytelling. In this issue, he gives us hints as to Naomi's background and fills us in more on the relationships between the different characters. Tom has taken what has been done before (the battles between Supernatural creatures) and spins it in such a way that I'm almost thankful this was a digital copy or I'd have surely ripped it trying to turn the pages faster.

Not to be left out, Ian Snyder (pencils), Sony Merbitt (inks) and Luis Guerrero (colors) knock the art out of the park. Too often, supernatural beings have a tendency to look fake and flipping (ok, scrolling) through this book, I was very impressed with how natural they have made the supernatural look.

The Bad : This book has already been out for two weeks and from my understanding is selling better than cheese at a mouse convention. Why is this bad? Only because if you don't hurry up and snag it, you may be out of luck. Which reminds me to email my comic book guy tonight. I want this to go with my issue 1.

The Summary : If you're into the supernatural, kick ass girls with mysterious pasts, really good storytelling or fantastic art, really you don't need me to tell you to get thee to a comic book store. You've already gone and been reading and re-reading this book, wishing September were here so that you could have issue 3 in your hands.

Not sure where to pick up this book? Well, I'm sure that Tom and the crew over at Big Dog Ink would more than happily help you find a local comic book store or an online retailer to help you out. If Facebook is more your thing, go check out their page and give them a like.


I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts, comments and drool over this book are totally and 100% mine. Nobody else had better be drooling on my keyboard. ;)

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

I feel as if it's been forever since I've posted a comic book review and I am thrilled to say that I have a fantastic one to share with you today!

"A Tale of Epic Proportions launches this modern SCI-FI Adventure.
From the far reaches of space, a diverse group of warriors, headed by the Terran; Jenny Rocket, band together to stop an Armada of intergalactic, time traveling murderers, under the control of the Evil OverLord, who is determined on enslaving all life in the universe. "

Yep! Sci-Fi, not zombies or vampires or even super hot bikini clad girls! Not that I dislike any of those, but I was just super excited to read something different from everything else I've been seeing lately.

The Good:
The story line. This first book in the trilogy covers quite a bit of back story and once I started reading it, I honestly found it hard to put down. Learning what really happened to the dinosaurs and how humans came to exist from this writer's point of view caught my attention in the first part and kept me going right up until Jenny...well, I'm not going to spoil it for you.

The Bad :
Ok, I don't know if this is bad or just different, but the publisher on this book chose to quite literally take the first four issues and put them into a new cover. I know what you're thinking. This is a trade. Trades do that. You're right, except the interior covers don't usually still have their bar codes and individual issue pricing on them. I'll be honest and say it seemed a bit lazy to me. It wouldn't have taken much effort to remove those. My only other complaint is that the front cover of the trade is exactly the same as issue 1's cover which you immediately notice because opening the front cover, you're faced with issue 1's cover. I would have liked to have seen an original cover done for the trade.

The Summary :
If you're into Sci-Fi and the age old story of good vs evil, an evil bad guy against a band of misfits or a brand new story of creation, this book is one you're going to want to add to your collection. It's one that when I first picked it up, I wasn't sure and then I started turning pages and it just pulled me in. From the story to the art, there wasn't anything to disrupt the flow and before I knew it, I had found the end and possibly whimpered out loud that I don't have volumes 2 or 3 so I can find out what happens next. Maybe if I'm a very lucky girl, I'll have a chance to review those for you as well. Keep your fingers crossed!

For more information regarding this book, check out the website or the Facebook page.



If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is Walter's first review for the site! Let's welcome him! Starting this month, you can expect to see  a new review from him once a week.



Walter received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and fanboyness are 100% his.
If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

It's the start of another insane week and I wanted to be sure to get y'all this review before it gets started! This is another book that I picked up in Chicago and I have to say that the lovely lady who handed it to me was indeed lovely. She was someone who you could just tell was totally passionate about what she did. Those are the people who I love working with.



"Abandoned by her mother and aunt to live alone with her twin sister Lily, Cara Wynter is eighteen and has been suffering from these horrific, painful nightmares of her own death for the last thirteen days. Born of a peculiar family boasting of dark witches and strangepowers, her already shaky sanity is trembling at a breaking point when a mysterious stranger named Drake rescues her and whisks her away on a trip across Europe to his home. There, Cara finds a book written by Drake’s sister that will guide her search for answers to the deadly nightmares that plague her.


As she explores the book’s pages, she finds herself transported to the blood-drenched sands of ancient Sparta, where she finds her eternal soul trapped in the form of another woman named Arias. She quickly understands that to preserve her life and love in the present she must merge with her eternal soul in the past. To do that, she has only thirteen days to remember, understand, and break a deadly curse that threatens both Arias’ life and her own. Now more determined than ever to end the fear and horror of her dreams and preserve a centuries-old love, she charges forward, facing her deepest fears to save a god she has treasured for longer than memory and a love that she cannot live without."

The Good : The artwork in this book is absolutely gorgeous. From the pencils (Mike Krome/Dawn McTeigue) to inks (Dawn McTeigue) to colors (Sabine Rich), it just comes together in such a way to powerfully back the fantastic story that JP Roth has put together.


The Bad : My copy of issue #0 got kind of beat up while waiting in the "Magic Review Bag." This is 99% my fault but I'm going to say the other 1% is due to the lack of a 3rd staple in the middle of the spine. Yep, that's the worst thing I can come up with.

The Summary :  Seriously, this book is totally worth looking into picking up. The story is one that draws you in and you want to know what happens next. The artwork is gorgeous. Run, spring, sign up for a marathon and go find this book. With any luck, I'll be back later to tell all of you about upcoming issues because this is one I'm putting on my follow this book list.

For more information on this book, check out its website or on Facebook.



If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

I know you're going to fall over in shock, but I have discovered the secret to being productive...are you ready for this? You have to do things! Woah, I know..freakishly frightening, right? I discovered that if you do things, things get done and that leaves you time to do other things..like read comic books!

This pretty awesome looking book is another that some brave soul trusted me with after meeting me in Chicago at C2E2.  I say brave because let's face it, these books are someone's baby. Handing them to me must be like sending your kid off to school and waiting for that first conference where you pray you hear that your child is a genius.

So, let me fill you in on the latest book in my kindergarten class:

Star Crossed is an ongoing science fiction space adventure. The series takes place 500 years after a massive interstellar plague outbreak that nearly wiped out the galactic population and revolves around Captain Joseph Cull, an independent mercenary working for a galaxy spanning government known as the ARC. His mission is to hunt down and destroy the many pirate clans throughout the galaxy. Joined by a crew of outcasts and rogues, Cull travels the galaxy finding pirate strongholds and new worlds to explore.

Now, for my take on things:

The Good : It's not about zombies. Ok, I'm kidding. Well, yes and no. It's not about zombies but really that's not what makes it an interesting read. What makes this book different is that it's not another zombie or superhero book. It's a book set in outer space with a hard brash captain leading a group of misfits. The cover drew me in from the first time I saw it. I love the layout and the way the colors make the image pop from the page.

The Bad : Sadly, I think this is a book that could have used some color. The interior pages are done in black and white and there are times when I struggled to figure out just what was happening. Most of the time this wasn't an issue, but through out the whole book, I was wishing for a bit of color.

The Summary : If you're looking for something different, something that isn't about zombies, werewolves or vampires, this very well could be the book for you. It has an ongoing story line that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what adventures/mis-adventures the captain will lead his crew into next. All in all, a pretty good book that works well for that teen/adult set.

Want to know more about this book or its' creators? They're all over the internet! To purchase the book in digital format, head on over to Amazon or DriveThru Comics. Want to check out the author's blog? You can find it at Epic World Publishing. Really just want to say hi and see what they might have upcoming? Guess what..they have a Facebook page as well!

Until next time...this is your reviewer, signing out...



I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. Mission accomplished. ;) All thoughts, comments and incoherent ramblings always belong totally to me. Unless they belong to Walter but he's busy studying so this one was allllll me. ;)


If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

Can anyone tell me who the man to the left is? Anyone? I know some of you can because some of you know him! That, my friends, is my best friend in the whole wide universe (cuz the world isn't big enough for how awesome he is), Walter. I don't believe that I've spent a lot of time writing here about him, but if you head over to Welcoming Weight Loss, I know he's been mentioned there. In fact, there's an entire post just about him. Yep, that's just how important he is.

Now, I bet you're wondering..What does this Walter fellow have to do with Katrina or this website? I mean, yeah, he's really cute and those are some dang cute kids he has there, but it's not (Almost) Wordless Wednesday. Could it be that Katrina has finally found the man of her dreams? Wait. No, that can't be it. She titled this reviews. Is she going to review him? Based on that picture alone, we could say:

A+ cuteness
A+ smile
A+ dad material

But now, that's not the kind of thing she writes here. What could it be? Katrina, please won't you tell us?

Ok, ok...first, let me say that you are right on all of those grades. Walter, well..if I start talking about him, I tend to gush. He's smart and funny and sweet and good looking and...and...see? I warned you. The truth is, any woman who manages to land this guy is going to be the luckiest woman in the world and she'd better treat him right. I might not be the right woman for him, but whoever she is..well, she'll have to be downright amazing to deserve him.

Now, for the real news...Walter has agreed to sign on here at the site! He's going to start handling some of the digital copies for review that have become more and more backlogged. Now, we're not 100% sure when he'll be starting because he's busy studying for a teaching certification. Did I mention that the man works with special needs kids? Yeah, you know how I feel about that..but as soon as he's done with the test, he's going to be bringing you reviews! Y'all know how hard it is for me to give up any amount of control so the fact that I'm excited about this means y'all ought to be bouncing up and down..in anticipation!

So, keep your eyes open for not just reviews by me, but reviews by him as well!


If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons: