Bullet Adventures # 2 from Altruist Comics (review)

Elaine Choi is the new Bullet, a legacy speedster hero following in the footsteps of her grandfather. A high school student, she is shown here to have a hard time lying to her friends about her adventures as a superhero, keeping her alter ego a secret. Her mom isn't too keen on her adventures, fearing the job will take her daughter like it did her father.

The villain of the story reminds us as much of Captain Cold as Bullet reminds us of his enemy The Flash. A villain with ice gauntlets versus a hero with superspeed. Not that original, but hey I cannot deny it guarantees a nice superhero fight.

The dialogue by Jordan Alsaqa is pretty fluid and the pacing of the story pretty good. The artwork by Nicólas Carrizo is clear, easy to follow, focusing more on storytelling than flashy splash pages which I like. The story feels as old fashioned as it does new. By that I mean they took everything that made Bronze Age comics cool and put them firmly in the environment of today.

Teen Machine # 1

It is so impressive how Dan Sehn manages to keep turning out superhero comics. Where a lot of publisher fold after a few he keeps going on with his Argo Comics.
This comic holds several short stories featuring Teen Machine, the Teen Titans of the Argo Comicsverse if you will. They are all written by creator Dan Sehn and illustrated by several artists.
The first story seems a bit inspired by old humor comics. The story is kind of fun but the art wasn't as good as I'm used to for Argo. Then there's a story where the heroes meet the Argo equivalent of the Justice Society of America. The last story, which has the best artwork I think, has the team face off against another teen team.
All in all, the stories are fun to read and it's always cool to see new superheroes appearing. Don't expect any deep and dark introspective stuff, just cool heroes doing their thing.
The comic is rounded out by a few pin-ups

Earthling # 4

Earthling has managed to gather some followers who aid him in his animal rescues.
Superheroin Lovechild saves a homeless guy from some muggers and is asked by The Regiment to stop Earthling from hurting people on his mission.  Picking him up when he's on a mission in South Africa he makes him an offer he might not be able to refuse.
I liked this issue the best so far. The writing is getting better, there's more of a story and the art by Jim Jiminez is very solid throughout. The colors are very professional, and the whole animal rights activist thing used very well.
Another hit in a solid series.

Mega Woman #1 & 2 (Godhood Comics)

Keisha Carter is Mega Woman, probably the most badass metahuman (called Superiors in this universe) in the Godhood Comics verse. We watch her kick supervillain Captain-X's behind and are introduced to her police detective dad who reminded me of the Flash's stepfather in the TV show.

Turns out Mega Woman is a goddess as is further explained in the second issue. There we are also introduced to a female villain I would call hot if she wasn't one of those ice-powered ones.
The story is interesting and the designs are pretty cool. What really impressed me though was the DC / Marvel quality of the artwork, both the pencils as well as the coloring. A very professional package.
Mega Woman is a hero for our times and the perfect mix between a black superhero and a female hero that should make it a popular comic. After all, you could call it a mix between Wonder Woman and Black Panther and we all know how they did at the box office.

The White Ribbon Runs the Red Lights (Signal City) by Blake Michael Nelson

I don't like superhero novel that read too much like Young Adult novels or seem like just an excuse for a fantasy writer to sell books on the back of recent superhero blockbusters. This one doesn't fall in those categories, even if the protagonist is a young guy.
What is evident here is that the writer really loves superheroes and comics. Main heroes Skirmish and The White Ribbon may owe just a bit to Robin and Marvel's Cloak but mainly they are pretty original heroes and not the carbon copies of Batman or Superman we often encounter in these books.
Set in Signal City we read how Skirmish, martial arts expert and sidekick to hero Quarterstaff gets involved with the theft of magical weapons and meets the young female mystical hero The White Ribbon. In his investigations he has to face his darker past at an assassin school.
I really loved how fast-paced this novel was. It's not too long and the scenes move along quickly with very well written action scenes.

The Ultimate Agent (Ultimate Agency) by Derek Borne

With this series of novels  I was expecting more or less a book about SHIELD, what I got was way more T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents...
Devon Bertrand is recruited to join the Ultimate Agency, a secret spy organization. There he is gifted with amazing superpowers and assisted by Brett who outfits himself with all kinds of gadgets. Together they fight some superpowered and evil Russians. Along the way they gather some female, superpowered allies. There's also some love stories as subplots.
I thought at times the character development scenes took a bit too long but the action scenes are splash page amazing. The superpowers are impressive and no holds are barred there. The universe is pretty original but absolutely a superhero one even though a bit more realistic than the usual comic book ones. Don't however mistake this for a dark and gritty deconstruction story. It's just plain fun, superheroic spies fighting all over the world.

Like Father, Like Daughter # 1-4 (Short Fuse Media)

These days a lot of my favorite comic book writers are female: Margaret Stohl, Becky Cloonan, etc.
With this series I can add Kathryn Calamia to that list.
Casey is a young girl whose father has left her when she was young. The reason he did was that he preferred his life as the world's only superhero to that of a devoting father. When she gets superpowers herself she enlists the aid of some friends to learn more about her powers. When her dad returns in her life and they try to understand where his powers came from things get dramatic and dangerous.
This is a superhero comic with only a few action scenes and no real supervillains. In this world being a superhero is still unique and Casey's dad, Invulnerable is the only costumed hero out there.There is a suspenseful story, some real emotions and some laughs.
The whole realistic feel, the combination of high school setting and female protagonist, the mysterious plot... These elements would make this a great Netflix series! So I recommend this for people who love the CW shows and stuff like that.

Free superhero prose fiction for you!

I just need to tell you folks about Trish Heinrich's book that is available for free right now.

Free for a limited time!  Alice takes up the mantle of the Serpent to defeat a nightmare villain, but at what cost? Get the book fans call "a swanky, action-packed superhero novel!" Free until January 1st! Don't wait, get your copy today!
Here's the link:   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075PLKZT5
 Trish was inspired by a song by geek rockers Kirby Krackle who I just love. So that should go a long way in showing us Trish is the real deal and not just another writer trying to cash in on the current superhero movie craze.

Trials (The Omega Superhero Book Two) by Darius Brasher

In this follow-up to Caped we again follow Theodore Conley (Kinetic) in his path to becoming a great superhero. He and his friends from book 1 have to undergo a series of trials in order to become a licensed superhero. Some trials are just about fighting, some about surviving and others are more psychological.
I had a feeling some chapters were a bit less fast-paced than in the first novel. I do admit though that for instance Kinetic's battle with Myth was so awesome and well-written I could see the comic book panels in my head.
Theodore is a well-rounded character, a lovable geek sometimes (there's a Kobayashi Maru / Star Trek reference), sometimes a jerk, but always very human. His supporting cast is also very unique as were some of the other wannabe superheroes.

The Mighty Crusaders # 1 (Archie Comics)

With this first issue the familiar good old heroes The Mighty Crusaders return. I've read them in their old Red Circle comics, in their DC Comics Impact line and in the more recent Archie version.
I'm happy to say this looks like quite a strong version, incorporating several strongpoints of those earlier runs.
The feel of the comic is pretty fun and classic with nice and vibrant colors and clean artwork. The characters are fun and lively. Still, there seems to be a modern sensibility to the story.
I liked how the old and new Crusaders are linked via the new (female) Shield talking to the new one. I loved seeing all characters return but found myself especially loving The Web.

Caped (The Omega Superhero # 1) by Darius Brasher

In this novel we are introduced to farmboy Theodore Conley who turns out to be one of the more powerful metahumans in the little universe Darius Brasher created (he also has a series called The Superhero Detective). He's a nerdy, scrawny kid with a great guy for a father. He kinda reminded me of Peter Parker growing up with Jonathan Kent (you know, Superman's stepdad).
Anyway, superheroes here need to be licensed. To become that they need to go to superhero school and Theodore, becoming the hero Kinetic does that. When he faces his new moral enemy he's ready to break some rules though.
This is a fun book with just a tad of darkness every now and then. Theodore is a great character you can really identify with and root for. One of his friends, Myth, has the power to become mythical creatures which I thought was an awesome power! His friendship with his fellow teen heroes is written as good as the best Avengers Academy scenes and the fights move fast.
Great first book, have already bought the second one in this series.

Argo 5 # 24 (Argo Comics)

Do you remember those cool old comics where the Justice League teamed up with the Justice Society? Those days when team ups were still fun and cool instead of long boring stories that take a year to tell? This comic is clearly a homage to that as Argo 5 teams up with that other superteam in the Argo Comics Universe, Impact International. Just like in those old comics they split up in small groups. In this case to track down the offspring of some aliens. The stakes are pretty high if they fail too!
The artwork by Alex Garcia is great, it looks a lot like George Perez which is pretty high praise. The story by Dan Sehn is great fun to read and the Argo Comics characters are always fun and timeless.

Swan Song (Permafrost / The Swan) by Frank Fradella

I used to love the stories on the old Cyberage Adventures website. They were a very Astro City like take on superheroes, combining very human characters with cool powers. Until now I never read a novel by Cyberage creator Frank Fradella. With the big new plans he has for his characters I picked this one up and loved it.
The book is called Swan Song after a superhero appearing in the book, but the focus is more on the heroin called Permafrost. Through her eyes we meet the hero The Swan. He is a very popular kind of everyman superhero who helps Permafrost in tracking down her father's killer.
There's a nice couple of superheroes here such as kung-fu master Jade Tiger, language expert Lexicon and the Superman / Captain America mix called The Minuteman. There's also a very cool and dangerous villain with an interesting premise. The fight scenes are pretty exciting.
What makes this such a good book though is the very in-depth look behind the masks of the main heroes Permafrost and The Swan who become very real human beings throughout the novel.

Superteam: The Red Raptor Files - Part 2 by Christopher Valin

I read this one right after Sidekick The Red Raport Files - Part 1. That was a pretty fun book as well, but it suffered a bit too much from the fact that it read like the Batman and Robin of an alternate earth. With this one stuff gets a bit more original.
Red Raptor, sidekick of dark vigilante Black Harrier sets out to create his own superteam when he's fed up with the rules of the superhero guild that wants him to use his old name Red Kite again. He gets together a pretty cool group of sidekicks together, just like Robin did in the classic Teen Titans comics. There's a powerhouse, a speedster and a Wondergirl-like character but they never feel like rip-offs I had to admit. There's also this hugely entertaining less able hero called Cricket who could be this universe's own Squirrel Girl.
When the biggest heroes of this universe seem to have gone bad it's up to Red Raptor and his team to save the world. Pretty harrowing, just like the job Red Raptor now has flipping burgers...
What makes this one such a great read is the incredibly fast-paced style of writing. You can really picture the comic book panels in your head as you read the fight scenes.
I hope there's third book soon.

The Edge: Revenant by Marvin Wynne

This is a comic series, created by Marvin Wynn with a pretty original feel to it without losing what we love in superhero comics. In this paperback collecting issues 1-4 we follow the adventures of a striketeam in their hunt for the villain called Revenant, whose look reminded me of DC's Nightwing.
 The superpowered folks in this series have been infected with a virus called The Edge that gives them their powers.
There are some overtones of Extreme's Brigade and Bloodstrike here, both in the look of the striketeam involved and the violence. The costumes look pretty original and where many other indy superheroes look like copies of the bigger icons like Superman and Batman all characters here look pretty unique.
The art by Mark V is pretty solid most of the time, though not all pages look as good.

Double Lives (Johnny Wagner, Godlike PI) by Matt Cowper

I don't just read superhero comics. I love superhero novels as well.
I enjoyed this one more than I thought. I love PI fiction but I've come across a lot of superhero novels that combine that with superhero fiction. The writing and fun plot in this one really won me over though.
John Wagner is  a PI with the arm of a god. When a popular superhero is killed by a second class supervillain the widow asks him to investigate. Along the way he encounters many superheroes and supervillains among which his old girlfriend and the hot assassin called Deathrain.
The dialogue between Wagner and the god that inhabits his arm are very funny. The heroes and villains aren't knock-offs of popular comic book characters but very original creations. I loved that.
Very eager to see this character return.

Superb # 2

Cosmosis gets into trouble at the Foresight Corporation Compound, letting his powers loose. He manages to escape and ends up at Kayla's place. She unmasks him, surprised that she knows him. The guys from Foresight are on to Cosmosis though and show up at Kayla's doorstep.
This is a quicker read than the first one with bigger art. It serves to advance the plot nicely, but in true Netflix show fashion is not much of a read on its on.
Written by David F. Walker, art by Ray-Anthony Height.

City Earth # 1

This series by Willie Cordy Jr. and CE Comics came out first in 2014 but is coming to Comixology now. Very cool, sure to have more people pick it up now.
This first issue starts with a dream sequence in which we see many cool heroes and villains get destroyed as a set-up. There are some great costume designs, I didn't care much for the ones that seemed to be inspired by Ironfist and Luke Cage but there's an Egyptian looking one and one in red and yellow that had me eager to see more. We don't get more though, because we see how Tommie Cooper wakes up from this dream, unhappy about his current world full of street predators.
Then we follow Fingers, a burglar hired to steal some kind of disc. When his partners don't get out alive he flees and involves an innocent man.
Now we've got the guys who got robbed after Fingers and the disc and one ominous looking supervillain lurking in the background.
This is an original tale and though I have some idea where it's going it's pretty much surprising and mysterious so far. The art is solid enough and I like the fact the writer is also the artist, making this a very personal vision. There are some typos though, which is a shame, the rest looks pretty professional.

Earthling # 3

Every issue of this series is eagerly awaited by me. Earthling is just such a cool character, both superhero and animal rights activist. I love how he uses his powers, a bit simular to DC's Vixen but executed cooler.
In this issue his mission becomes even clearer, to us and to Earthling as he fights The Regiment, Genuine Comics' government-sanctioned heroes. Earthling is not on the side of law and order or the government. He fights for the animals.
The art by Jim Jiminez is impressive as is the coloring. We get a deeper understanding of the vegan hero with this issue, impressive writing. I'm afraid some people might think they will not enjoy the issue because of the animal rights angle. They would be wrong. Even if you don't agree with the politics involved, this is a solid independent superhero book with good production values and good characters.

Argo 5 # 23

Trust Dan Sehn to write a fun story. In this neat self-contained story Blue Dynamo and Chain Reaction set out to buy an action figure for Blue Dynamo's collection. They encounter an old man who has a large collection of cool stuff. When one of the items turns out to produce a dangerous enemy the heroes get help from an unexpected source.
Meanwhile we see how the National Organization of Police Departments views superheroes and especially teen heroes like the Teen Machine.
The banter during this story is priceless, the art is clean but modern. The story is nowhere deep but Silver Age style fun. Special bonus points for the cool Tom Raney pin-up included.