Sovereign 1 (March 2014)

Sovereign #1 Chris Roberson splits Sovereign’s first issue into three parts; he’s trying to establish a whole world so splintering makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, the three parts are not equal.

The first part is some mystics having to bury people. Not their people, just people, because as mystics they have to bury dead. Roberson works in a mystic in training, which gives the reader further entry into the world.

The second part is some prince who doesn’t want to be king but is going to be sooner than he thought. For the first part, which is set at night, Paul Maybury’s art is excellent. Once the day time scenes start? It’s okay. Mostly. It’s like Paul Pope meets E.C. Segar.

The third part is the weakest. Lots of fantasy exposition; it’s set at sea, there are monsters, lots and lots of terminology.

It’s too bad–the first part’s great.

CREDITS

Writer, Chris Roberson; artist, Paul Maybury; colorists, Jordan Gibson and Maybury; letterer, John J. Hill; publisher, Image Comics.

Doc Savage 1 (December 2013)

7250637 doc savage 1 Chris Roberson seems to love Doc Savage. His enthusiasm for the concept, the thirties setting and the characters makes this issue work. He just doesn’t necessarily write a comic for readers who aren’t just as enthusiastic about Doc Savage. And I imagine it’d be hard to find anyone enthusiastic enough.

There’s nothing new about this series. Roberson manages to make nods toward the characters Savage has influenced but nods aren’t enough for an issue, much less a series.

Bilquis Evely’s art is okay, but it too lacks anything particular. It’s a straightforward rendering of 1933 New York City. It’s occasionally very nice looking (mostly with the buildings, though one or two action panels), but the style is too vanilla. Savage needs some teeth, otherwise it comes off too pat.

Roberson employs a laid back narration, which is interesting and different. Sadly, he’s writing narration of mediocre story. Where’s the beef?

CREDITS

Writer, Chris Roberson; artist, Bilquis Evely; colorist, Daniela Miwa; letterer, Rob Steen; editors, Molly Mahan and Joseph Rybandt; publisher, Dynamite Entertainment.

Starborn (2010) #3

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Huh. What to say. It’s very hard to say anything about this issue of Starborn because Roberson’s script is so padded, he only has about six pages of story here. There are maybe three double-page spreads (so twenty-seven percent of the issue) and then it ends on a full-page spread. The pacing is awful.

Maybe Roberson just doesn’t know where to go, because–reading it–it seems like Starborn‘s jumped the tracks. When the protagonist talks about the reality of the universe (with all these aliens out to get him–he’s Neo, by the way) and how a sci-fi author wrote about it, it’s interesting. When it’s the aliens, not so much.

With better action scenes, it might work. But Roberson writes anti-climatic action scenes; the good guys either retreat or there’s a deus ex machina. It’s hard to care about them.

Or the series.

Starborn (2010) #2

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There are countless issues with Starborn. I mean, the thing opens in an alien council—it looks like a mix of Star Wars and fantasy (some big minotaur looking thing)—but my major problem is buying into the story requires the reader to buy into the protagonist’s stupid sci-fi enthusiasm.

The gimmick (the protagonist’s dumb sci-fi novels are really his memories of intergalactic adventures—isn’t that Cyclops, by the way?) is fine. But the reader is supposed to think the idiotic alien universe Roberson comes up with is cool. It’s infantile. The secret sect of scantily clad warrior women? Wow, how awesome! Given Randolph’s art, which sells the cartoonish aspect of the story, one would think Roberson would have tongue firmly in cheek.

Instead, he plays it straight.

This issue loses the charm the first one eventually engendered. It also has a lame resolution to the previous’s cliffhanger.

Starborn 2 (January 2011)

Instead, he plays it straight.

This issue loses the charm the first one eventually engendered. It also has a lame resolution to the previous’s cliffhanger.

CREDITS

Writer, Chris Roberson; artist, Khary Randolph; colorist, Mitch Gerads; letterer, Ed Dukeshire; editor, Bryce Carlson; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Starborn (2010) #1

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Starborn is an adolescent male’s fantasy world come to life (well, an adolescent male “grown up”). The protagonist is in his twenties, writes sci-fi books no one will publish and has a crush on his childhood next door neighbor.

Of course, it turns out his sci-fi books are true and his next door neighbor is grown-up too and she’s going to be his bodyguard.

The covers to this book do a terrible job advertising it–though I think one should never judge a comic with an Humberto Ramos cover by that cover, just gag at the sight and maybe tear it off and read the comic.

Khary Randolph’s style is sort of a Space Ace retro homage, full of energy; it’s pleasant and appealing and also able to convey the action.

Roberson’s first person narration is solid too.

It’s like a genial Matrix. It’s a good start.

Starborn 1 (December 2010)

Of course, it turns out his sci-fi books are true and his next door neighbor is grown-up too and she’s going to be his bodyguard.

Khary Randolph’s style is sort of a Space Ace retro homage, full of energy; it’s pleasant and appealing and also able to convey the action.

Roberson’s first person narration is solid too.

It’s like a genial Matrix. It’s a good start.

CREDITS

Writer, Chris Roberson; artist, Khary Randolph; colorist, Mitch Gerads; letterer, Ed Dukeshire; editor, Bryce Carlson; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: Dust to Dust (2010) #5

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Oh, I thought it was a five issue series. It’s an eight issue series. Hmm. Not sure I would have made that commitment after the second issue letdown.

This issue is mostly action. There’s a lot of flashback from the rogue android. They call them rogues, not renegades. There’s a lot more of the Terminator 2 stuff too–I think it’s the pre-nuclear holocaust vibe, it all feels very Terminator 2.

Roberson reveals the mole–the hidden android amidst the heroes (or at least, the protagonists). She’s Black. All the primary bad androids are Black. I can’t believe no one noticed.

What makes Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? interesting–what makes Blade Runner interesting–isn’t the mythology of their respective futures. It’s the writing or it’s the filmmaking. The first issue, Roberson seemed to get it. But now, with the fifth issue, he’s all about explaining this future.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: Dust to Dust (2010) #4

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Now I’m reminded of A Scanner Darkly, the film adaptation, I haven’t read the book (also by Philip K. Dick). Something about the colors.

It’s a brave move, to try to continue Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Roberson isn’t failing. The first issue just suggested he’d knock it out of the park, kind of like K.W. Jeter’s sequels to Blade Runner. It’s not a failure by any means.

This issue shows all of Roberson’s strengths–for example, he continues to develop the Dr. Wu character, giving her personality all sorts of lovely facets. He deftly introduces them both in dialogue and in her narration. It’s well done.

There’s just not a story. It’s a prequel in a really general sense (so far), borrowing on some concepts instead of continuing a story. Nice how a prequel continues even though it comes before.

But anyway. I’m glad there’s only one more.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: Dust to Dust (2010) #3

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With my expectations adjusted following the second issue, Dust to Dust is getting leveling off. Or at least it seems to be.

Roberson has three distinct voices this issue–Reed, the empath, who has a second person narration. The android blade runner talks in the first person. He was a lot more interesting as a narrator during the first issue, before the reveal he’s an android. Then there’s Dr. Wu, who appears to be tweeting her narration, with the too long for twitter tweets.

The story is progressing–the renegade androids are collecting dead animals, Wu is researching the phenomenon of the animals dying–but Roberson doesn’t have a hook. While this issue is superior to the last, it’s superior on a lot simpler terms.

Adler does wonderful design work here, which makes up for the sometimes too sketchy faces.

But it’s not the sliced bread the first issue suggested.