Author: Matthew Dillon

Transformers #8 IDW Writer: Brian Ruckley Artists: Anna Malkova, Angel Hernandez, and Beth Mcguire Smith I’d argue the best stories mix their action-driven content with their more meaningful, character-focused plotlines. The secret to a truly great fight scene is the context surrounding it, as opposed to what actually happens in it. Lackluster aspects can be overlooked if the sequence has a good setup, major ramifications on the narrative, and combatants you actually care about. Alternatively, it’s fine for a story to clearly delineate its fight scenes from more complex, quieter elements. However, that runs the risk of creating an…

Killer Groove #1 & #2 Aftershock Writer: Ollie Masters Artist: Eoin Marron Aftershock has been putting out some great comics recently, and Killer Groove is no exception. The book alternates between two wayward souls living in 70s Los Angeles. Jack hopes to become a rock star but spends most of his time bartending. After accidentally saving a hitman’s life, he finds a new source of inspiration. Killing. Meanwhile, Jackie is a private detective tasked by a foul-mouthed kid to find her missing Vietnam War veteran father. Raúl, Jackie’s uncle, ends up joining in on the investigation while on the run…

With each passing year, digital comics seem to gain more and more prominence. According to Comichron, they only make up 10% of comic sales in terms of dollars in 2018. Even then, any format with those kinds of numbers is worth paying attention to. More anecdotally, I know far more comic fans who read digital comics through Comixology and similar platforms than those who don’t. Particularly popular are the likes of Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe, where you pay a monthly fee for access thousands of issues, old and new. The newly released website and application Graphite is very…

Transformers #7 IDW Writer: Brian Ruckley Artists: Angel Hernandez, Andrew Griffith, and Anna Malkova The last issue it looked like Transformers was on an upward trend. But issue #7 is a return to form and not in a good way. For a start, the book’s art woes return. It’s another issue of switching between several artists with varying styles. The only real shared element between the pages illustrated by Angel Hernandez, Andrew Griffith, and Anna Malkova is the questionable level of quality. The art itself just isn’t that interesting. That’s in addition to being presented through passable if at times…

Stronghold #4 Aftershock Writer: Phil Hester Artist: Ryan Kelly Issue #4 of Stronghold brings the focus back to the characters, without taking too much away from the series’ grand cosmic narrative. Claire finally reunites with the captive Michael, who’s been imprisoned by Stronghold, the organization that worships him. They’ve put the amnesiac god in a device that forces him through multiple lifetimes. It’s one of the most inventive elements of this series, as the art and writing present a fate that’s appropriately mundane but still hellish. Michael’s reaction to this ordeal is also very believable, as well as fleshing out…

Section Zero #3 Image Comics Writer: Karl Kesel Artist: Tom Grummett While the last issue of Section Zero ended with a pretty decent hook, this one fails to capitalize on it. Doctor Challenger found herself in earth’s primordial past, leaving Section Zero behind. The rest of the team takes a back seat, mostly following Sam Wildman’s desperate search for his ex-wife. Sam gets a decent amount of development in this issue but none of it feels very substantial. It also comes at the expense of the other team members and even the plot itself. It would have been more interesting…

Transformers #6 IDW Publishing Writer: Brian Ruckley Artist: Bethany McGuire-Smith After an uncertain start, Brian Ruckley’s Transformers series has finally hit its stride. Orion Pax, who will one day become Optimus Prime, meets with his old mentor, Codexa. Unfortunately, they’ve become estranged, as the head archivist no longer leads a conventional existence, physically or mentally. Their strained conversation gives the book a chance to properly explore Orion and Megatron’s friendship. Along the way, it further elaborates upon previously neglected elements of the narrative. Transformers is still taking an enigmatic approach but now it is building up a mystery rather than…

Heroes in Crisis #9 DC Comics Writer: Tom King Artist: Clay Mann Despite my grievances with this event, Heroes in Crisis #9 was not a disastrous conclusion. I wouldn’t call it “good” by any stretch though. After building up a morbid mystery, writer Tom King offers an ending so subdued that it’s best described as anticlimactic. It feels like Heroes in Crisis drops its central plotlines instead of resolving them. That’s partially because Batman and Barry Allen’s investigation disappeared from the book two issues ago. But that would be easier to overlook without the last minute twist Heroes in Crisis…

Clue: Candlestick #1 IDW Writer and Artist: Dash Shaw Clue always struck me as one of the more narrative-driven popular board games. At least, comparatively speaking. It’s always benefited from a consistent, fleshed out focus. Six eclectic guests end up searching a mansion to determine which of them murdered their host. With that, Clue has a clearly defined goal, central premise, field of play, and cast of characters. It’s certainly not the most intensive storyline but it was coherent enough to warrant a feature-length movie in 1985. The new IDW series Clue: Candlestick leans into the game’s unique strength to…

Transformers #5 IDW Publishing Writer: Brian Ruckley Artists: Anna Malkova, Angel Hernandez, and Sara Pitre-Durocher The fifth issue of Transformers opens with Megatron giving a speech to the masses of Cybertron. He outlines the goals of the Ascenticon revolutionary movement. By extension, he also defines the status quo Orion Pax (the bot who becomes Optimus Prime) and his allies are trying to maintain. It’s an effective, powerful scene and the book really shouldn’t have sat on it for five issues. Transformers has almost seemed to be putting off properly defining its central conflict. So it’s unfortunate that it took…