Conan/Red Sonja #2

Writer – Gail Simone, Jim Zub
Artist – Dan Panosian
Colours – Dave Stewart

Unlike most crossovers, this issue does not pick right up after the previous one; instead both that issue and this feature done-in-one tales that can be read separately yet they contain a running plot thread to tie them together if you plan on reading the whole series.  And why would you choose not to do so?  It just so happens to be written by those magnificent scribes, Gail Simone and Jim Zub, masters of their craft.  It also happens to be drawn quite wonderfully by that artist without peer, Dan Panosian and is some of the best art the man has ever produced.  So if that does not draw you in, then nothing will!  Together, our creative team has Red Sonja run into Conan once again, this time upon the high seas as she tries to capture his ship thinking it full of slavers.  That ship just so happens to be the Tigress and Sonja soon has more than she bargained for.  But like all good team-ups, after the battle they get together and head off on an adventure, one that sees them encounter the Bloodroot once again as well as Thoth-Amon.  While the first tale was a lot of fun, this one is even more so as it also includes Bêlit and Sonja’s companion Annisia.  of course, our heroes go on to battle the fiend known as Thoth-Amon and when it looks like they have won, well, there are two more issues to the series.  The best thing about this book, aside from seeing these two barbarian heroes team-up for the first time in many years, is the fun with which our creators seem to be having with the series and because of that, we have just as much fun reading it.  A truly great book from a team of truly great creators.

4 out of 5

Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #5

Writer – Joe Casey
Artist – Nathan Fox, Connor Willumsen
Colours – Brad Simpson

No matter what the crew of the Tiger do, they always hit setbacks and every delay could mean disaster for their missing captain.  Meanwhile, Major Klavus has a plan to find Victory, and so he does after a sort, finding Victor on Earth while the other clone of Captain Victory is in for the fight of his life.  Captain Victory’s limited series keeps on rocketing to its conclusion under the careful guidance of Joe Casey who infuses it with as much science-fiction goodness as he can muster.  Having his constant companion Nathan Fox along for the ride and guest artist Connor Willumsen only adds to the wonder that is this series.  There are not too many pure, science-fiction books around at the moment, so it is a shame that this one has to end soon.  Even so, that is not stopping the creative team from delivering one incredibly thrilling tale that sees its main character pretty much out of the picture and replaced by clones that only hold some of his inherent traits.  One is essentially a barbarian while the other is just a teenager with powers he does not really understand and is stuck on Earth of all places.  Klavus becomes more and more interesting as the series goes on, for even though we do not really get any backstory on the man, it is through his devotion to his Captain and Joe Casey’s great characterization that we learn what we do of him.  What would be nice for the last issue is to see just a little more of Orca and Tarin as Mister Mind and Klavus have been seen more prominently than those two, though if that does not happen; a sequel or another series would be even more appreciated.  This is been one of Dynamite’s best books going at the moment and could use your support so that it might generate some sort of future prospects.

4 out of 5