Outcast #3

Writer – Robert Kirkman
Artist – Paul Azaceta
Colours – Elizabeth Breitweiser

The book starts out with a man named Blake biting a woman named Theresa’s tongue out.  When their mutual friend Luke comes home, it is a little obvious that something is wrong.  The good Reverend meanwhile, is not having a good time of it, smoking, drinking and gambling and having a pity party in front of the other poker players as well as having a crisis of conscience.  And Kyle, the protagonist of the book, is finally starting to get out of his funk, one that has seemed to last almost his entire life in one form or another and has dinner with the neighbour.  The book ends on an ominous note, less gory than the one that started it off, but one that does not indicate good tidings.  If there is one thing that can definitely be said about the book, it is that Kirkman is taking his time with it and letting things unfold at a leisurely pace.  It seems almost like The Omen in its pacing and the vibe it gives off.  There is an underlying menace to the story when you read it and while it might seem a little slow, it is deliberate and only enhances that feeling.  Kyle still seems less like a hero than he most likely will become, but he is becoming a little more likeable the more we learn about him.  The Reverend on the other hand is turning out to be more of a damaged character than was realized up until this point.  A couple of questions do arise because of it being, will he find redemption in his work, or will one of these demons that are out to get Kyle and everyone else, end up killing the Reverend?  The book is intriguing enough to stick around, but there are a few clichés that rear their head, one being the priest.  Things could always turn out different though and what seems cliché now could all be turned on its head as Kirkman writes smart books, so time will tell.  Otherwise, it was a good issue, but it would be nice to see something substantial happen and inject a little energy.

4 out of 5

Aquaman #34

Writer – Jeff Parker
Artist – Carlos Rodriguez
Inker – Bit
Colours – Rain Beredo

Aquaman and Chimera battle it out with only one possible outcome acceptable.  One of them is not going to make it out of this alive and Aquaman is having a hard time making sure it will not be him that lies defeated.  Parker and guest artist Carlos Rodriguez do a great job on the latest issue, though there is not much to it as it is literally one solid action sequence from cover to cover.  The two fight it out with one gaining advantage over the other and then losing it and then alternating over the course of the book.  The book ends with one of those scenes that promise the reader more to come at some future point and all in all, it was pretty good.  It could have used a little more story to beef it up a bit, but sometimes a whole lot of action is a good thing.  With this latest arc ending, Jeff Parker has proven that he was truly able to fill the shoes left by Geoff Johns with a story that was intriguing, exciting, action-packed and a lot of fun.  What the future holds for the sea-king remains to be seen, but it can be rest assured that Aquaman is definitely in good hands.

3.5 out of 5