Image Round-Up - October 30th 2013

The Image Round Up column aims to get some words down on Image Comics book published for the week. This weeks reviews are handled by Ricardo Guajardo and Hansel Moreno. They'll be dropping non-spoilery reviews the day before the books are available so you can best make up your mind on what to buy tomorrow. We offer this service because Image has been putting out some amazing content lately and it will be nice to shine a light on every single title they produce. This week our intrepid team looks at Prophet #40 Sex #8, Saga #15 and the collected editions of Dia De Los Muertos and Planetoid.

This week the team decided Saga #14 is the Book and Cover of the week! Read Ricardo's preview for more info!


The reviews are graded according to the following scale:

Must Read. -- Do not miss this hot piece of comic action!
Buy It. -- For memories sake.
Check It. -- This is a toss up. Up to you really.
Byrne It. (skim it on the rack). -- Look at it but don't leave with it.
Avoid It. -- Steer clear.

Prophet #40

Writer Brandon Graham and Simon Roy
Artist Giannis Milonogiannis, Simon Roy, Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward
Colors Joseph Bergen III
Letters Ed Brisson
Cover Farel Dalrymple
Back Up Comic Nero O'Riley

Hansel Moreno: Brandon Graham, Simon Roy and the entire Prophet crew have done amazing world and character building in this Image's EXTREME Relaunch comic.

In this all out space war factions have been setting up their last ditch efforts for survival. The Earth Mothers (enslavers of huge portions of the universe), Old Man Prophet (former mercenary/conquerer for the Earth Mothers) and New Father Prophet's (Young Prophet breaking away for the Earth Mother's) forces are quickly headed for war. 

As the end of Prophet looms it does not seem peace is in the cards for any of the Johns or their friends. This issue pulls more innocents into the line of fire. How much more bloodshed is left before the end. Incidentally, for reasons I cannot explain, the John Prophets I fall in love with seem to meet the most gruesome deaths.

Giannis Milonogiannis, Simon Roy, Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward share art duties flipping between different Johns' points of view. The vastness of space, the cram corridors of an alien space ship and dozens of alien beings. Gorgeous work from the entire team. 

Verdict: Must Read

Sex #8

Writer Joe Casey
Artist Piotr Kowalski
Colorist Brad Simpson
Letters Rus Wooton

Ricardo Guajardo: As the series started for Sex, it raised a lot of it only hype for its edgy title and content but questions as well to what the series will bring. After releasing the new issue today, those questions still are buzzing in my mind as of what have I just read despite few progress made to the story. The characters still haven't changed all that much & the plot feels like it's at a standstill. 

Writer Joe Casey is certainly talented in keeping some of the characters and dialogue fresh at times during the story but it can only go for so far when the majority of the development are graphic sex scenes that take up the majority of the pages. I hate to say it but Joe Casey has managed to make sex a little less interesting...

The art in Sex is detailed abd fine but it feels a little bland and safe. For some strange reason I feel there is a joke lost somewhere that there is too much detail in this issue. The colors are are pretty good and can bring a lot of personality to a somehow dull issue. I feel bad for the creative team as I have given the book praise in the past but it seems that this issue missed some potential in terms of where it can be taken. Combine that with a feeling of confusion after finish reading this issue left a bad impression afterwards. I suppose you can say this series to starting to feel like the main character where nothing seems interesting despite the crazy cast and surroundings of the book. 


Verdict: Avoid It!

Saga #15

Writer Brian K. Vaughan

Art by Fiona Staples

Letters and Designs by Fonografiks 

Ricardo Guajardo: Just when I feel the Saga comic can't get anymore impressive, it always manages to find those moments to make me gasp by it's surprises, excellent writing & fantastic art. The characters written by BKV always jump out as more human in comics than others have and that adds to the level of creative quality it brings out to the reader. Fiona Staples also continues to impress me with her art style & I commend her making readers fall in love with the cast. 

For this issue, I hate spoiling things in reviews as that ruins the surprise and brings down the expectations as well. I will say that if the reader has been loving the series so far, there is more to enjoy here. Nothing negative to say or anything that makes me gives it a thumbs in the middle either, this book is top notch not by the action scenes (which there are very few) but by the characters & their interactions. Folks, if you been on the fence for this long, you are missing out.

Verdict: Must Read

Planetoid

Created by Ken Garing

Silas, an ex-soldier turned space pirate, finds himself stranded on a mysterious planet in alien territory. As he explores the long-abandoned industrial ruins of the planet's surface, he will have to fend off roving cyborg militias and a hostile alien military with a bounty on his head. Ultimately, Silas will have to build a coalition amongst the planetoid's nomadic tribes in order to make a final stand against the larger tyrannical forces that rule over them.

Hansel Moreno: In some far distant future or an alternate dimension we are a space faring race. Sadly we are earth bound for the time being. Ken Garing takes us into the depths of space and maroons is on a dust bowl.

The environment is harsh and unforgiving. As Silas tries to escape from the Planetoid he realizes to survive he must put his needs aside and work with other denizens. God this description is so corny, but read this book and it will move you. I wanted to throw off the shackles of gravity and take to the stars. We could have so much more happiness if we just tried to have what we need instead of what we want.

Bless you Ken Garing. I hope for more work from you as soon as you're up for it.

Verdict: Must Read

Dia De Los Muertos

Art By Riley Rossmo

Stories By Ed Brisson, Alexander Grecian, Joe Keatinge, Alex Link, Christopher Long, Dirk Manning, Jeff Mariotte, Kurtis J Wiebe and Joshua Williamson 

Inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead, artist extraordinaire RILEY ROSSMO (DEBRIS, GREEN WAKE, COWBOY NINJA VIKING, REBEL BLOOD) joins forces with nine different writers to tell tall tales from beyond the grave!

Hansel Moreno: Riley Rossmo and friends explore the Day of the Dead. Death touches ourlives in all sorts of subtle ways, in Dia De Los Muertos we explore the human experience and the spiritual influence from the beyond.

Riley tackles the art under stories penned by nine different writers, changing his style to fit the story. We see in to the far future in a scifi romp by Joe Keating. Ed Brisson and Alex Grecian explore the power of vengeful spirits. Together the stories showcase what we both fear and wonder about death, the ultimate chapter in all out lives.

Verdict: Must Read 

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