MPT Podshort: Comic Book Corner

Handome J reviews comics by Marvel, DC, Image and Dynamite in this podshort.

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Comic Book Review: Red Sonja #1 - Dynamite (2016)

Written by Marguerite Bennett
Art by Aneke

The king is about to die and Red Sonja is faced with the choice of whether or not to take on the crown of Hyrkania.

Red Sonja is a barbarian who loves a good fight, good beer and a good f...well, I think you get the idea.  She knows she should not be queen but what she doesn't realize is a year later, the new king seems to have the land under control.  She's actually grown bored with her existence until she realizes all is not what it seems.

Truth be told, barbarian books usually are not my thing.  This book wasn't bad and it appears to have the makings for an interesting plot going forward.  I got this book from the Comic Block and you can read my review of the entire box here.  Comic Block has an exclusive cover for this book as you can see here in the blog.

If you are into the old time stories of sword battles with people wearing leather and chain mail, Red Sonja may be the book for you.

What are your thoughts on Red Sonja?  What other comic books would you like Maskerpiece Theatre to review?  Please leave your comments below or contact us on social media.

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Comic Book Review: The Shadow - Issue 4 - Dynamite

“The Shadow"  Issue #4

Written By: Cullen Bunn

Art By: Giovanni Timpano and Marco Lesko

The issue begins with the Shadow monologuing about a item he took from London in the last issue, and the author of that particular item, while making his way back to America. We then cut to Los Angeles, California, where the Shadow is attending a magicians show for high paying customers who enjoy grand spectacles. More dialogue confirms in the minds of the reader that the Shadow is a servant of justice and will stop at nothing to ensure that the guilty pay for their crimes. The Shadow makes his way back stage to discover who else is behind these recent criminal actions and he’s confronted by the Sandman once more. After a brief entanglement it’s revealed that they aren’t the only two there and it’s not looking good for the Shadow or the Sandman.

This issue was dialogue heavy which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You need some issues to explain more about what has and will be occurring in the series. This felt like that issue. While there is some enjoyable action towards the end the one aspect that I enjoyed the most was a two page spread showing the mind of a writer who composes stories from nightmares. The art work was unique and I was entranced. The panels used to tell the story were not typical squared off panels and it flowed so well across two pages. Excellent work on the art early in the issue.

The Sandman is becoming quite a complex villain as we move from issue to issue getting just a little bit more of his character with every encounter he has with the Shadow. I’m not fully convinced he’s as menacing as I feel we’re being led to believe. He feels like that one villain who talks too much, is a adequate fighter but escapes on some level of luck, similar to Bond villains. None the less, he’s proving to be a challenge to the Shadow and that keeps his character entertaining to read. 

Again, another $3.99 well spent. This series continues to build and build upon the detective type story with the golden age of Hollywood design. The Shadow and all characters present had some enjoyable dialogue this issue and I still look forward to reading the next issue. Who knows what evil lurks in the pages of the next issue? Only the Shadow knows… so stop by your local comic book shop and pick a copy up today. Oh, and tell them Maskerpiece Theatre sent you. 

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Comic Book Review: The Shadow - Issue 3 - Dynamite

“The Shadow"  Issue #3

Written By: Cullen Bunn

Art By: Giovanni Timpano and Marco Lesko

The issue begins with the Shadow battling wild and mysterious beasts who have been released from their cages. After defeating the animals the Shadow finds Sandman in a room full of mutilated human bodies, seemingly dead, and the dialogue between characters tells us there’s more to Sandman than just being a hired hand to kill the Shadow. Furthermore, it’s revealed that there’s another secret society of magicians and in order to find out more about this war that is building the Shadow must travel to London. There he meets one of Houdini’s competing magicians and friend but their time together is cut short when Shadow discovers that she has been poisoned. 

This issue starts off with action and ends with murder. What a ride this issue was! The art work done for the room full of mutilated bodies was enjoyable. It’s not every day I read a comic that has bodies lying dead on the floor from being strangled but somehow the strangling hand was cut off. Also, what type of murderer pops out someones eyes and then lays them next to the head of the now presumably dead body? This issue pulled out all the stops for murder and mayhem. 

The dialogue between Shadow and Sandman was entertaining as well. We learn that Sandman is more methodical than originally thought and he’s not just a hit man, but more a calculated assassin of sorts. The writing also informs us that Shadow realizes his powers are being tested and that he needs to increase his abilities to become more powerful in order to stop the secret societies of magicians that are waging war on each other. 

This series will be staying at $3.99 it appears but I’ve accepted that and I still feel it’s worth it. I also still feel that even a dollar less would attract more readers who might not know anything about The Shadow. It’s worth the read if you’re into the 1940’s era detective crime and murder saga’s. It’s worth the read if you’re into magic also. Stop on by your local comic book shop and pick a copy up today. Oh, and tell them Maskerpiece Theatre sent you. 

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Comic Book Review: The Shadow - Issue 2 - Dynamite

"The Shadow"  Issue #2

Written By: Cullen Bunn

Art By: Giovanni Timpano and Marco Lesko

The issue begins with the Shadow in a graveyard speaking to the grave of Houdini who has been dead for 10 years. We cut to a shipping yard where the Society of United Magicians is seeking the aid of “Sandman” who brings with him boxes full of mysterious and powerful creatures. From we cut to the Shadow interrogating a man who tells us the back story on Houdini’s last great spell and it’s origins., why the Magicians want it and what it’s potential power is. 

“The Shadow” continues to entertain in this second issue. We find out how desperate the Society of United Magicians is and to what lengths they’ll consider to achieve their goal. The Shadow continues to build on his knowledge using his detective skills and interrogation methods that only he has at his disposal. The final pages reveal that there’s more danger in store for our hero and I can’t wait to read how the Shadow handles this threat. 

This issue was $3.99 but could’ve been $2 and still been just as enjoyable. I don’t feel the $4 price tag was unreasonable but this series could be less expensive and would probably reach more readers. “The Shadow” is a fun read and it’s sometimes campy delivery works well. I’m excited for read more in this series and want to see how far the magicians will go to achieve the knowledge that they seek. 

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