Knightingail Vol 2: Shadow Divisions continues the adventures of Knightingail following the events of Knightingail Vol 1: The Legend Begins. Knightingail and her four Centurion companions must use their combined powers to destroy Luceus and his invading army. At first, they find that their combined powers are unmatched when fighting Luceus’ army. But the stresses of war soon bring their toll, and divisions erupt between even close friends. It is when they are most divided that Sicai, Queen of the Shadow Ravens, and her tribe of all female assassin warriors strike at the divided Centurions.

Knightingail returns with all her new friends in the next volume of the popular fantasy series. Knigtingail Vol 2: Shadow Divisions #1 is in PREVIEWS this month and will be released this July. Knigtingail was created by, and the second volume is written and edited by, Wayne Gardiner. Mel Joy San Juan provides art with Katrina Mae Hao providing colors. Zach Matheny rounds out the cast with lettering. So is volume 2 a great new chapter in the Knightingail saga, or has the magic run out?

The story picks up not too long after the events of the first volume. Knightingail, real name Eloa, the new Master Centurion who has healing power and control of the elements is back to fight a new battle. Kaeli (the Hunter Centurion SilentSight), Daniel (the Carver Centurion SwiftStrike), Maragus (the Builder Centurion Axalor), and Knigtingail’s cute Dracon bird friend Purefire are trying to liberate the Carver city of Suscitatio from Luceus’ evil army. As the group fight their way through the city and to the mines, Knightingail is giving us a running commentary on who they are and why they’re fighting. A lot of things are explained from the first volume as the battle rages. The group works their way to the mines when things start to look grim. Can Knightingail overcome the army and free the city with her friends help, or has the team bit off more than they can chew with this mission?

Gardiner writes a good issue for the next installment. You don’t necessarily have to have read the first volume to know what’s going on. Of course it helps, but the great majority of the story is Knightingail narrating the story and reminding us who the characters are and what happened to lead them to where they are now. There’s still the cutesy dialogue like “huggies” and “BFFs” as the group fight to free the city, but this is more of a catch-up story. It feels almost like a prequel to the next volume more than the first entry. It reads almost like a one-shot. It’s a largely self-contained story that rehashes what we’ve already seen while giving us a quick new adventure. There’s not big cliffhanger to hook you, but the theme of team cohesion is obviously what’s going to be turned on its head this time around. The art is great. Mel Joy San Juan and Katrina Mae Hao make a fantastically vibrant and eye-popping fantasy realm. From the characters to the landscape, everything just screams big, fun, fantasy story.

Bottom Line: Knightingail is a fun fantasy series suitable for families and kids of all-ages. It feels geared toward the younger audience, but there’s a lot for fantasy fans to enjoy as well. The first issue of the next installment doesn’t quite hit as hard as the first issue of a new chapter should, but there’s enough here to warrant a return trip 3.5/5

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Review: Knightingail Vol 2 #1

A horse shot my parents in an alley when i was a young boy. RT @shaunh22: @ssnyder1835 Why don’t you like horses?

— Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 16, 2013

A horse shot my Uncle Ben. RT @juventuz: @ssnyder1835 Read Batman 16 finally, you got something against horses? — Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 17, 2013

As a boy, I thought a horse killed my father. He was my father RT @broughstuff: Batman #16 was awesome, but what’s snyder got against horses — Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 17, 2013

I hate horses. RT @taitanorules555: @ssnyder1835 do you hate horses because why did you make freeze kill a freaking horse? — Scott Snyder (@Ssnyder1835) January 18, 2013

Mr. Snyder continues to avoid answering the hard hitting question of why he dislikes horses. The writer seems to have a personal vendetta against our equine friends. Where does this deep-seated hatred come from? One could not venture to guess, but we have obtained this footage of someone taking their hatred from the land of fantasy to the reality. Is that Scott Snyder punching a horse in the face? It’s not for us to say, but it does look like him doesn’t it?

GIFSoup

Mr. Snyder continues to taunt fans about horse hatred. Earlier today he sent out the link to the following Amazon review [click to see larger image] through is personal Twitter. This man must be stopped before more fictional horses are destroyed. I propose a petition to prevent Mr. Snyder from ever writing a My Little Pony book. Just think what he would do to them?! *if you can’t tell, this is an article in the style of The Onion making fun of the supposed horse controversy and the gif is from Blazing Saddles.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Scott Snyder’s War On Horses Continues

Ruby’s thirteen. She sells newspapers for pennies. And she’s got The Green Hornet’s gun. Will Hornet and Kato find Ruby before the mob does…or can THE GREEN GUN GIRL save herself? The original Green Hornet in a super special tale from writer Nate Cosby (Cow Boy)!

The Green Hornet Year One Special is written by Nate Crosby and illustrated by Edu Menna. Marcelo Pinto handles colors while Marshall Dillon provides letters. This special features a story within a story, and the old style comic sequences are done by Evan Shaner. So is the Green Hornet Special really special or are you left feeling stung?

The story is a Green Hornet tale told through the perspective of a young girl named Ruby. Ruby is a thirteen year old who hocks newspapers on the street corners. The news isn’t great, but everyone wants to read what The Green Hornet is up to. The masked menace captivates the young and old alike with his exploits plastered on the front page of the Daily Sentinel. Ruby’s mind tends to wander as she imagines herself as a young sidekick of sorts to Hornet and Kato. While selling papers or sneaking into the home of her alcoholic father, Ruby fantasizes about a particular episode where only she can save the Hornet from the circus thug. When Ruby’s fantasy world comes into existence as Hornet and Kato try to stop thugs on her street, can Ruby be as cool and collected as she is in her dreams?

Crosby crafts a great and touching story. Having a young dreamer cross paths with their hero isn’t a new story, but the way Crosby weaves the imagined with the real keeps it fresh and interesting. There’s enough character development with Ruby and her world to keep the reader entertained while they wait for the inevitable appearance of The Green Hornet. Menna does an apt job with the comic. At times the art looks and feels a little rough, but the street level scenes come off really well. The old comic strip style of Ruby’s fantasies are handled brilliantly by Shaner. It looks like it was lifted straight form an old comic serial.  The way the page and words fade into the old style strip is fantastic.

Bottom Line: The Green Hornet Year One Special is truly that, special. With a touching story by Crosby and astounding old comic serial images, this book is one for Green Hornet fans new and old. With a different take on the dreamer meeting the hero angle, the script and art make something really fresh. Check this one out 4/5

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Review: Green Hornet: Year One Special

You have sung your last ho, ho, ho, for I am coming to take your head. I am coming to take back what is mine, to take back Yuletide…  I Krampus, Lord of Yule, son of Hel, bloodline of the great Loki, swear to cut your lying tongue from your mouth, your thieving hands from your wrists, and your jolly head from your neck.”

Recently while attending a small local Comic Book show in Seattle, called Jet City Comic Show I got to meet with longtime Fantasy artist Brom.  [Gerald] Brom has been a long time fantasy artists who has done some superb artwork for all areas of sci-fi, fantasy world. From Novels, to Comic Books,  as well even illustrating Magic the Gathering gaming cards.  While his art is often loaded into the same category as Frank Franzetta, his style is all his own, a little bit darker often mixing in the elements of Horror, Fantasy, and Science-Fantasy into his work; a sort of visual fusion art, if you will.

While speaking briefly with long time artist Brom at Jet City, he told me about his upcoming book that releases this October titled KRAMPUS, the Yule Lord. Needless to say I got a little excited about this due to the use if this ancient European Christmas Legend as the basis of fantasy novel.  If you don’t know about Krampus he is a mythical creature recognized in European alpine countries. According to legend, Krampus accompanies Saint Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to St. Nicholas, who gives gifts to good children. When the Krampus finds a particularly naughty child, it stuffs the child in its sack and carries the frightened child away to its lair, presumably to devour for its Christmas dinner. (And yes Krampus was introduced to me via a certain episode of Venture Brothers.)

Brom’s new book  is just in time for both of the upcoming holidays, Halloween and Christmas!  While this story is technically a Christmas story the art seems just perfect for a Halloween read, and I’d read it out for both.

Brom’s Krampus

The synopsis of Brom’s new novel is as follows: One Christmas Eve in a small hollow in Boone County, West Virginia, struggling songwriter Jesse Walker witnesses a strange spectacle: seven devilish figures chasing a man in a red suit toward a sleigh and eight reindeer. When the reindeer leap skyward taking the sleigh, devil men, and Santa into the clouds, screams follow. Moments later, a large sack plummets earthward, a magical sack that will thrust the down-on-his luck singer into the clutches of the terrifying Yule Lord, Krampus. But the lines between good and evil become blurred as Jesse’s new master reveals many dark secrets about the cherry-cheeked Santa Claus, and how half a millennium ago, the jolly old saint imprisoned Krampus and usurped his magic. Now Santa’s time is running short, for the Yule Lord is determined to have his retribution and reclaim Yuletide. If Jesse can survive this ancient feud, he might have the chance to redeem himself to his family, to save his own broken dreams…and help bring the magic of Yule to the impoverished folk of Boone County.

Brom’s Santa Claus

With what looks to be some great art and fantastic writing I’d check out this novel right away, it’s sure to be a good and fun read.  To learn more about KRAMPUS, the Yule Lord book debuting this October, or to see more of Brom’s work please check out his website at: www.BromArt.com

Krampus will be available via Amazon or you can find it on Barnes and Nobels shelves as well.

Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN: 978-0062095657
Release Date: October 30, 2012

Val Victory, Preview: Brom’s tale of Krampus, the Lord of Yule and mortal enemy of Santa Claus.

Our main characters are Eloa, who becomes our title character Knightingail, and Kaeli who is from a different tribe. Kaeli is a squirrel-like creature whereas Eloa is more of a humanoid or pixie-like character. In this world, there are seven tribes with different skills and cultures. You have tribes such as foresters, hunters, carvers, and dracons. Each tribe has a leader with a special ability, that person is called a centurion. Over all of them is the Master Centurion who is chosen directly by the Sovereign One. The Master Centurion can control the forces of weather itself.  Over the many shadow cycles (years), the tribes have split over their differences and have begun to differ over what they call the Sovereign One.

Eloa serves on her tribe’s council in the place of her father. Eloa has the power to heal and restore, but no one takes her seriously. Towards the end of issue 1, Eloa starts to question her father about her mother’s death. This is one of the big mysteries throughout the book. Unraveling the true reason behind that death shows how Kaeli and Eloa are some of the most important people in the world. It isn’t hard to imagine that Eloa and Kaeli discover they are Centurions. They are also joined by Daniel, the king’s son who Eloa heals in the middle of the first issue. Daniel is deaf and mute, but he is one of the stronger characters in the series. He, Eloa, and Kaeli set out on an adventure of discovery. An invasion begins and the trio must protect their homes. They meet many characters along the way who help them in their quest. It’s a story of twists and turns, but I just wanted to give the broadest of outlines.

The art in this book is absolutely fantastic. It is bright, colorful, and cheery as you see the amazing landscapes and characters that populate this fantastical world. There are, however, moments when it is dark and gloomy. When there are tone shifts and scenes of war the dark colors are dominant, but like the hope our characters represent there are still some splashes of brightness.  The art if fresh and crisp. The writing on this is just as excellent. Wayne Gardiner crafts a world with a rich history that we learn as we go along with the series. The flashback scenes are what I have called the infodump in other reviews, but it is done in a way that is exciting. We are reading the history of the previous battles and how what we dropped in on with issue 1 came about. The only thing I can nitpick with this series is that we know that Kaeli is telling this story to her children and we saw Eloa/Knightingail save someone at the beginning. Because of that, the reader knows those two characters at least are in no mortal danger. They go through trials and tribulations, but we know they won’t die since we’ve already seen them in the present and the action and adventure has already happened. Some of the dialogue is cheesy at times, but you have to remember the characters are teenage girls and boys so it works more often than not. It’s teenage slang, but for a fantasy world.

Bottom Line:  Knightingail #1-6 is an amazing fantasy tale. It reminded me slightly of Thundercats, Avatar the cartoon, and Tinkerbell. I couldn’t stop reading. I read from start to finish wondering what would happen next. The art alone is worth the cover price, but the story is very well done. This is a perfectly formed and rounded world that I would like to see further adventures in. I give Knightingail a 4/5.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Review: Knightingail The Legend Begins

Not since the MATRIX, have the Wachowski taken up a SciFi adventure of this level. The film is based on a popular science fiction fantasy novel by David Mitchell consisting of six separate stories connected to one another at some point in the story as a whole. The film is set to star big names as Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Halle Berry, Natalie Portman, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, and X Men First Class‘s James McAvoy among others with the release date in October of this year.

Not a lot to show here yet folks, but the photos released so far look AMAZING.
Check it out. More to come soon here on this soon-to-be highly anticipated release.

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Based on David Mitchell’s best-selling novel, Cloud Atlas is an epic story of humankind in which the actions and consequences of our lives impact one another throughout the past, present and future.

One soul is shaped from a murderer into a saviour and a single act of kindness ripples out for centuries to inspire a revolution.

The independently financed film will be co-directed and written by the directors/writers of the hugely successful Matrix trilogy, Andy and Lana Wachowski and Perfume director Tom Tykwer.

A Warner Bros. Pictures /A Company/Anarchos Pictures/Ascension Pictures/Five Drops/X-Filme Creative Pool Release.

DocBBanner, Quick First Look At Wachowski’s Film For David Mitchell’s CLOUD ATLAS

January 4, MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Comics is pleased to announce a brand-new project from multiple Harvey and Eagle Award winner Peter Bagge (Apocalypse Nerd): Reset!

If you could relive major events in your life, would you take a stab at making things better—and would your best attempts only make things worse? Or would you use your second chance to put your most twisted, perverted fantasies in motion? These are questions washed-up actor and comedian Guy Krause asks himself after he signs up to be the main research subject for a virtual-reality experiment.

“I originally envisioned Reset mostly taking place in the virtual fantasy world of protagonist Guy Krause’s imagination, but soon discovered that the events occurring simultaneously in his real life were far more interesting, and so I wound up focusing more on that instead. I guess truth is stranger than fiction—and that’s why I’m generally not a fantasy writer!”

says Peter Bagge.

In addition, fellow Dark Horse Originals creator Matt Kindt (3 Story) will be drawing the exclusive variant cover for issue #1.

Reset #1 is on sale April 18, 2012!

Agent Burgos, RESET YOUR MIND!