The Mice Templar Volume II: Destiny 0 (April 2009)

It’s a short but not sweet zero issue for the second Mice Templar series, which picks up almost immediately where the first series ended.

Writer Bryan J.L. Glass has two stories going–one has the fallout from the actions of the good priest (not exactly priest, more like elder–but still called a priest) and then one with Karic, the series’s protagonist, on the run with his new protector, Cassius.

Glass doesn’t have a lot of room to do anything and he doesn’t try. He lets new artist Victor Santos show his chops in both talking mouse heads and then an action sequence too. It’s almost more interesting as a transitory piece than anything else. There’s nothing necessary in the issue, but it’s impossible to discount it too.

The look into the activities of the elders is reason enough not to disregard it. It’s more unexpectedly deep than the stuff with Karic.

CREDITS

The Sacrifice; writers, Michael Avon Oeming and Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; colorist, Veronica Gandini; letterer, James H. Glass; editor, Judy Glass; publisher, Image Comics.

Furious 5 (May 2014)

I don't know where to start. I'm not sure about the epilogue. It's a very cute and nice epilogue, but Glass has just got done dragging the reader through a very rough opening action sequence and then an extremely taut issue. With Furious, Glass has always made sure to keep the series's reality very dangerous. So anything can happen.

He sets up two, maybe three, dangerous anything can happen moments this issue. These moments come during this phenomenal action sequence. The whole issue is an action sequence, but it's not one without content–Glass and Santos get a lot out of every panel, every page. Santos's artwork is just fantastic.

Glass takes a less is more approach with the revelations in the issue too. The emphasis isn't on the origin pay-off, it's on what's happening next. And that emphasis is why the epilogue can still work.

Furious is a fantastic comic.

CREDITS

Fallen Star, Part Five, Catch a Falling Star; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Spencer Cushing and Jim Gibbons; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Furious 4 (April 2014)

Glass brings in something I don’t think I realized the comic was missing–the Jim Gordon character. Some kind of person for Furious to have a conversation with about things, even if it’s brief.

It totally changes the tone of the comic, though the plot for the issue also changes things up a bit. Furious attends a press conference in her honor–the idea is to appeal to the public–while the villain is out there causing lots of trouble still. Glass starts to explain the villain, but the full resolution is undoubtedly next issue. Hopefully after the hard cliffhanger gets a resolution.

So it’s kind of a talking heads book with this cop talking Furious down while she’s trying to beat a confession out of someone. Then there’s a lot of talking at the news conference. It doesn’t feel bridging though, Glass is still building story with the scenes.

B+

CREDITS

Fallen Star, Part Four, Fame Is a Fickle Mistress; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Spencer Cushing and Jim Gibbons; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Furious 3 (March 2014)

Glass doesn’t let up this issue. He makes things so intense, the previous issue’s cliffhanger is forgotten until this issue’s cliffhanger, which is similarly themed. The one problematic thing about Furious is how much Glass is hinging on the resolution to the Cadence Lark question.

Based on this issue, which features Furious fighting a serial killer who’s out to rid the world of women, Glass will probably do fine. This issue’s hard, mean and still somewhat positive. The fight’s convincing not just in the blow by blow, but how Furious develops through it.

Santos’s style–violent but appealing–is perfect for this issue too. The fight against the serial killer has to be uncomfortable, but equally balanced between concern for Furious as she gets assaulted and concern for how much the violence she visits on the villain as it psychologically tears at her.

A page-turner to say the least.

A-

CREDITS

Fallen Star, Part Three, Blaze of Glory; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Spencer Cushing and Jim Gibbons; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Furious 2 (February 2014)

What a very strange comic book. It’s got a lot of humor; Glass writes some really funny details and rejoinders. Funny, funny guy. It’s got a lot of pop culture commentary. Glass makes some perfectly good observations about how celebrities get treated. It’s thought out too. He backs it up with good flashbacks. It’s got the Santos artwork. There are some problems I’ll mention later, but otherwise, very solid artwork. Santos handles motion beautifully and there’s a lot of motion in Furious.

It’s also a very cynical look at the world. Glass implies a certain misogyny involved in how the public interprets Furious as a superhero. He’s not obvious about it, but it’s a rather bold observation to make.

And the comic’s very violent. The protagonist is a vicious psychopath with control issues. She’s very sympathetic too.

Santos can’t handle the violence. His blood’s too cartoony.

Otherwise, Furious is impressive.

B+

CREDITS

Fallen Star, Part Two, A Dream of Flying; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Spencer Cushing and Jim Gibbons; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Furious 1 (January 2014)

I obviously haven’t been getting enough Darwyn Cooke and Cameron Stewart lately because they were the first styles I thought of seeing Furious. It’s not like Victor Santos is particularly similar to either style–his figures are sharper against the backgrounds–but the tone is the same. It looks fun, but it’s serious.

Bryan J.L. Glass has a big surprise for the finish, but it’s one the reader really needs to pay attention to get. The gimmick is a superhero treated like Lindsay Lohan by the media, but it’s an empty one compared to what Glass and Santos are actually going for. They’re rather ambitious here.

But Glass and Santos are often too ambitious, they want to get too much into the issue–and Glass has very deliberate, if sometimes tiring, plotting. They don’t take enough time to transition.

Furious has a lot going for it, if no one fumbles.

CREDITS

Fallen Star, Part One, Life’s a Bitch; writer, Bryan J.L. Glass; artist, Victor Santos; letterer, Nate Piekos; editor, Jim Gibbons; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.