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.
Here at Pop Culture Squad, 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 feature three new books. They are from Adventureman #1 from Image Comics, Faithless II #1 from Boom! Studios, and Old Haunts #1 from AWA Upshot Studios.
You can find these books at your LCS on June 10, 2020.
Adventureman #1
Image Comics
Written by Matt Fraction
Art by Terry Dodson
Colors by Rachel Dodson
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Cover Art by Dodson & Dodson
Original Solicitation:
SERIES PREMIERE! A CATACLYSMIC ADVENTURE DECADES IN THE MAKING!
In this WILDLY AFFORDABLE TRIPLE-LENGTH FIRST ISSUE, revisit how the legend of the greatest pulp hero of them all, ADVENTUREMAN, ended in a heartbreaking CLIFFHANGER with our hero facing execution at the vile hand of his ultra-nemesis BARON BIZARRE on the eve of the MACABRAPOCALYPSE…or did it?!? Eighty years after his apparent demise, single mother Claire and her Adventurefan son Tommy seem to be the only two people alive that remember the thrilling ADVENTUREMAN sagas…but from that memory burns THE SPARK OF RESURRECTION! WHERE HIS STORY ENDED…HER STORY BEGINS! This sense-obliterating, earth-shaking, imagination-quaking adventure that spans generations comes to you from MATT FRACTION and TERRY & RACHEL DODSON!!!
PCS Review:
This is a hefty launch to this series. The pages are expectedly lovely. The sloping curves that grace Terry Dodson’s art are on full display, and Rachel Dodson adds a warm tone to the images with her colorwork. The art, however, has moments and flashes that signal a darker story. It is really brilliant. The panel construction is dynamic and interesting. A beautiful book.
Matt Fraction weaves a story that evolves in the most innocuous way and soon enough the reader is gripped by a feeling of attachment and concern for Claire, the main character. The storytelling devices used in fabricating the depth to this book are fabulous. Clayton Cowles does some wonderful work lettering this book that is really critical to the story. It is really a joy to read.
Faithless II #1
Boom! Studios
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Maria Llovet
Letters by AndWorld Design
Cover Art by Llovet
Original Solicitation:
The best-selling erotic thriller returns from the acclaimed team of Brian Azzarello and artist Maria Llovet as Faith, and her lovers, Louis (a.k.a. The Devil) and Poppy (his daughter), bring magic and chaos to the streets of Italy. Turin, known as the epicenter of black magic, is also a place of high fashion, art, and literature. Now, Faith is in the center of it all and with that, her own power grows. But any power comes with a price. Faith has only just begun to pay for hers. Curious about this blockbuster occult sex thriller? This is your new jumping-on point! Featuring the first of six connecting erotic variant covers by superstar Tula Lotay that are too explicit to show you in PREVIEWS!
PCS Review:
This debut issue of the second Faithless series takes its cues from the first. It is brash, bold, sexy, and scary. Maria Llovet creates an intoxicating, voyeuristic visual display. Her use of color is excellent. The brightness of the color choices mirror the theme of contrasting reality with fantasy that the book deals with.
Brian Azzarello and Llovet explore the nature of art and artistry as a major focus of this issue. It is full of striking visuals, and also thought provoking dialogue. At the same time, there is sex and the devil; so, buckle up and hold on tight. It is a fun ride.
Old Haunts #1
AWA Upshot
Written by Ollie Masters & Rob Williams
Art by Laurence Campbell
Colors by Lee Loughridge
Letters by Sal Cipriano
Cover Art by Campbell
Original Solicitation:
Three Made Men, standing at the brink of retirement, find their unbreakable bond put to the ultimate test when they are suddenly assaulted by the ghosts of their past. Confronted by decades of buried secrets – resentments, affairs, doublecrosses, and murders – the three friends have no choice but to unearth the deepest, darkest sin from their past and pray they don’t find an empty grave.
PCS Review:
This book simultaneously evokes despondent sadness and abject terror. Ollie Masters and Rob Williams are able to develop a captivating story with the dialogue of, almost exclusively, the three men referenced in the solicitation. The plot is intriguing as three longtime friends reconnect for a very specific reason. The horror element to the story forebodes what is to come, and the book is littered with moments of curiosity for audience.
Laurence Campbell and Lee Loughridge collaborate to deliver a gritty feel to this book. The panel structure and camera angles lend a cinematic aspect to the experience. Loughridge really shines in his use of light to focus the panels (no pun intended). The reader can tell there is much more to come in this series, but this first issue promises that it will be an interesting trip.
