Quick Reviews #30
Time to Get Back on Track
After a long sick weekend and the minimum effort to post reviews-
Quick Reviews #29
I only wish this was late because of time spent with friends. A little epidemic threw me off. I’m not even 100% after everything. So I’m gonna have to just do the boring numeral stuff. I can’t push myself anymore than the bare minimum.
-and working the nerve to write and rewrite a discussion topic-
I Finally Understand Absolute Power
Absolute Power was 2024’s BIG DC Event. It was a lot of pieces falling into place at just the right time. A lot of it came down to AI.
It’s time to give the people what they come here for!
Mad Cave
Phineas and Ferb’s A-Maze-Ing Creature Double Feature: First time Frank sent me something from Papercutz. But as long he is, I might as well talk. This really sets the mood for getting readers to interact like an episode of the show is happening. At least in the little ways that are fun without disrupting the story. Definitely in the second half. But even then not always successfully. For one the dialogue can run for longer than necessary. The creature feature wasn’t even that consistent either thanks to a usual multiverse problem, trying to fit an episode’s outline in a new setting’s coat of paint. 7.9/10
The Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #1: Yes, that is the title and if you’re expecting anything like those paracinemas, you’d be right! 70s acid trip visuals, commitment to VHS format styles, over-the-top satire of the cultural attitudes, all in apologetically cartoony spectacle you can’t look away from. 8.5/10
Tamia and the Memories of the Dragon: Back to Papercutz for a moment, we’ve got a fairy tale that might look a little basic, at first. But there are little layers that encourage some rereading. Like a new look on mementos as something other than nostalgia and looking beyond conventional fantasy to get creative. 8.5/10
Damsel from D.I.S.T.R.E.S.S.: ‘Course, there’s nothing wrong with deviating from typical TTRPG fantasies if you’re inspired. A fun tight-knit adventure might be all you need as long as you have a strong character dynamic going. 8.5/10
The College Try: You wanna know what the best parts of time travel stories are? Feeling like you’re living in the moment! How? By putting a character-focused, structured, perspective to this familiar story it becomes something even more. 9/10
Secret S.T.E.A.M. Society: Wow I am jumping back-and-forth everywhere! This feels more like an educational equine seminar through Magic School Bus lenses. But without some of the characteristics that made the cast of that show interesting. Plus the visuals are pretty basic in presentation. 6.5/10
Groupies: I’m starting to think Mad Cave and whoever runs the Comixology Originals are picking and choosing which gets a physical book. Cuz other than Breaklands, they’re all starting to feel similar. Atmospheric art and setting with supernatural overtones and basically doomed characters. It’s Spring Breakers meets Almost Famous; you can feel the music as another drug into a cut throat cult. 8.5/10
Yeah not as engrossing or perspective shifting as some others. Probably because it’s not a tragedy. That’s just me.
Liquidator #2: Pretty riveting act, didn’t know or even care this was continuing another one. The lead in charge of this just sucks you in with the way he emotes. He’s the guy you know, don’t understand, and tragically relate to when your escape fantasies aren’t enough anymore. 9/10
Terrorbytes #3: What happens when tech thrillers meet social anxiety horror? Readers engaging so much they can feel every reflection and foreshadowing on every level. Setting the stage for the shift in series direction. 9/10
Racer X #4: High speed, high stakes, high risk racing meets a full throttling character study which beg rereading to see every little nuance of who’s behind Racer X. 9.5/10
Dick Tracy #14: Finally getting into thick of things! So many questions answered after suspicions when they were so cleverly paced by red herrings. It’s like readers can be as smart, but also miss as many things as Tracy. 9/10
Infini-T Force Vol. 5: Won’t deny it’s approachable with its main concept. Plus no need for exposition on every Easter Egg. But the artwork and pace feels kind of stilted in places. 7/10
Miraculous Chibi Vol. 4: Better when the characters act more in silly situations than think out so much in more serious ones. 8/10
Dynamite
Space Ghost Vol. 2 #6: A nice little episodic distraction, especially with how it does use some real scares in presentation. A lot of anticipation comes when you see Space Ghost go out as a Space Vampire. 9/10
