Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews. This is where we give advanced glimpses at some of the comics that will be coming out this Wednesday.
A reminder for you. Here at PopCultureSquad, we are decidedly Anti-Spoiler. We feel that ruining someone’s experience with something for the sake of getting a scoop or clicks is the wrong thing to do. Therefore, we have decided to publish this column, as necessary, with mostly spoiler-free reviews of upcoming issues. Hopefully, the information that we share with you will increase your excitement for these books.
This week we have TWO preview comics. The first is the debut of Road of Bones by Rich Douek and Alex Cormack, published by IDW. This is one of the books that we were eagerly anticipating and featured in our New Number Ones column for May.
The second book is the conclusion to Incursion by Alex Paknadel and Doug Braithwaite, published by Valiant. We have been excited about this story since the debut issue.
You can find Road of Bones and Incursion at your LCS or on Comixology on May 22, 2019.
Road of Bones #1
IDW Publishing
Written by Rich Douek
Art by Alex Cormack
Letters by Justin Birch
Cover Art by Cormack
Original Solicitation:
In 1953, the Siberian Gulag of Kolyma is hell on Earth-which is why Roman Morozov leaps at the chance to escape it. But even if they make it out, Roman and his fellow escapees still have hundreds of miles of frozen tundra between them and freedom. With the help of a mysterious being straight out of his childhood fairy tale stories, Roman just might make it-or is the being simply a manifestation of his brutal circumstances driving him insane?
From writer Rich Douek and artist Alex Cormack, Road of Bones will carve a path of unrelenting dread right into your heart. Horror, history, and Russian folklore collide in this brutal survival tale, where the worst prison in the world is merely the gateway to even darker horrors.
PCS Review:
That solicit is pretty accurate. This prison break book is full of tough and rough people. The characterization melds perfectly with Cormack’s art style. His use of limited lighting and a simple color palette are key components in the tone of the book witch is ominous and frightening. Cormack tight camera angles are also and inspired storytelling choice. They make the rare wide angle scenes much more impactful, and they lend to the feeling of chaotic uncertainty that pervades the book.
Douek is phenomenal as well. The pacing and dialogue in this book are excellently crafted. The subject matter is harsh, but effectively delivered. The intermingling of Soviet-era human rights issues, Russian folklore, and prison politics is masterfully executed. We are totally hooked on this series. It is highly recommended for some deep and terrifying comic reading experience.
Incursion #4
Valiant Entertainment
Story by Alex Paknadel and Andy Diggle
Script by Alex Paknadel
Art by Doug Braithwaite
Colors by Diego Rodriguez and Leonardo Paciorotti
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Cover Art by Braithwaite with Rodriguez
Original Solicitation:
It’s time for the boss battle: Eternal Warrior vs. Imperatrix Virago!
Young Tama’s life hangs in the balance during this otherworldly battle. Will she survive, or will the Earth need to choose a new Geomancer?
Alex Paknadel, Andy Diggle, and Doug Braithwaite’s conclusion is downright epic, but what else would you expect from this creative team and a story this massive?
PCS Review:
Wow!! That was a heck of a conclusion to this arc. I am hoping that it is only the beginning and we will have more stories featuring Tama and Gilad.
Paknadel, a rising star in comics writing, gives us a captivating end to the battle to save the life of Earth’s geomancer. The dialogue is powerful, and combined with Braithwaite’s images, the story his very strong emotional beats.
This is one of those books that causes all sound around you to fade out, and when it is done, you feel your blood pressure come down and the real world make its way back into your consciousness. The characters in this book are interesting and instantly likable. There is a certain feeling that I get from the Tama and Gilad relationship that moves my emotions in amazing ways.
Listen, this issue is fantastic, and if you haven’t been reading this series, you are truly missing out.
