The Mercenary Sea #8 by Symons and Reynolds

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The Mercenary Sea is an on-going series created by Kel Symons & Matthew Reynolds published by Image.

Writer: Kel Symons

Art and Colors: Matthew Reynolds

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

“ON TREASURE ISLAND” The second of a two-part story: On the hunt for Koji Ra, Jack and the crew of the Venture explore ancient ruins on a deserted island and run into an old adversary. This issue also includes a bonus short story just in time for Christmas.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below *** The Good

  • Matthew Reynolds kicks things off with another impressive cover.
  • Kel Symons sets the table with a race against time [an unstable volcano about to blow] and an old adversary hunting for the same treasure.
  • Regular readers will be surprised by this one: I like the blur effect on page 6, panel 3.
  • The splash on page 11.
  • “Can we go again?”
  • The bonus Christmas story!

The Bad:

  • “The room is flooding!”
  • “There’s too much water pressure.”
  • “No good, Skipper.  No way out up here.”

The Ugly:

  • The centipede’s path.

The Mercenary Sea #8 should appeal to all who old time action and adventure.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Mercenary Sea #7 by Symons and Reynolds

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The Mercenary Sea is an on-going series created by Kel Symons & Matthew Reynolds published by Image.

Writer: Kel Symons

Art and Colors: Matthew Reynolds

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

“JOHNNY ONE-NOTE” The book BuzzFeed calls one of the top indie comics you should read returns with an all-new adventure. Jack Harper, captain of the Venture, tracks down clues about the legend of Koji Ra from an antiquities dealer in occupied China.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Bottom panel page 7 – simple but effective
  • Abbott and Costello would have been proud – page 9, panel 1
  • “I owe that guy a drink.”
  • Last page splash.

The Bad:

  • Usually I lead off The Good with praise for another Matthew Reynolds‘ cover.  This one isn’t bad, but it isn’t up there with my other Mercenary Sea favorite covers.  Any guesses why?  Yep, the background blur effect.

The Ugly:

  • Not a thing this issue.

The Mercenary Sea #7  should appeal to all who old time action and adventure.

Rating:

21 Things You Might Not Know About “Justified”

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Justified is my current favorite tv show so I was glad to read 21 Things You Might Not Know About Justified.

Here are my three favorite of the facts listed…

6. LEONARD WAS A FAN OF OLYPHANT’S PORTRAYAL.

Before his passing, Leonard was very vocal about being a fan of Justified—particularly with the way that Olyphant interpreted the character of Raylan. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal asked Leonard whether the series had influenced the way he visualized the character in his writing, to which he responded: “No, because Tim Olyphant plays the character exactly the way I wrote him. I couldn’t believe it. He’s laidback and he’s quiet about everything, but he says, if I have to pull my gun, then that’s a different story. And it works. There are very few actors that recite the lines exactly the way you hear them when you’re writing the book. George Clooney [in the 1998 movie Out of Sight] was one. He was very good.”

7. OLYPHANT ISN’T THE FIRST ACTOR TO PORTRAY RAYLAN GIVENS.

James LeGros got there first, playing Raylan Givens in the 1997 TV movie adaptation of Pronto. And LeGros has popped up on Justified, too: In 2011, he began a recurring role as small-potato criminal Wade Messer.

17. OLYPHANT CLAIMS TO BE DOING HIS BEST SAM ELLIOTT IMPRESSION.

In order to be the coolest guy in the room, Olyphant claims that he just acts as Sam Elliott might. The irony, of course, is that Elliott will star as one of the final season’s bad guys. “On his first day of work, I took [Sam] aside and said, ‘Look, buddy, here’s the deal: Raylan is really just me trying to be you and failing miserably,” Olyphant joked to Rolling Stone.

Source: Mental_Floss.

Z-View: The Mercenary Sea #6 by Symons and Reynolds

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The Mercenary Sea is an on-going series created by Kel Symons & Matthew Reynolds published by Image.

Writer: Kel Symons

Art and Colors: Matthew Reynolds

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

“TOP HAT, WHITE LIE, AND TALES” Jack and Evelyn, a.k.a. “Top Hat,” are captured by Tono, locking the outclassed Venture into combat with a top-of-theline Japanese destroyer.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Another excellent cover by Matthew Reynolds
  • Symons comes up with a great and ingenious way for Jack to get word to his crew.
  • Page 14  is really nicely done.

The Bad:

  • “We took a direct hit aft, sir!”
  • “Feels like I just cut in on another girl’s dance.”  “I don’t take spins around the floor with my crew.”

The Ugly:

  • Still not a fan of the out of focus/blur effect — see page 19.

The Mercenary Sea #6  should appeal to all who old time action and adventure.

Rating:

Z-View: The Mercenary Sea #5 by Symons and Reynolds

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The Mercenary Sea is an on-going series created by Kel Symons & Matthew Reynolds published by Image.

Writer: Kel Symons

Art and Colors: Matthew Reynolds

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

MARCH OF THE GRENADIERS The crew of the Venture teams with a band of Chinese guerillas to rescue “comfort women” held captive by Japanese soldiers.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Excellent cover – one of Reynold’s best yet.
  • Page 8 splash!
  • The night scenes of battle — low contrast color throughout that make bright things pop [blood, explosions…]
  • Great cliffhanger leading into issue 6.

The Bad:

  • Being a Chinese pilot trying to get airborne.
  • Winning a battle, being hailed a “savior” by villagers, heading back to the sub and meeting…

The Ugly:

  • Still not a fan of the out of focus/blur effect on page 15.

The Mercenary Sea # 5  should appeal to all who old time action and adventure.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Houdini’s Lost Film, “The Grim Game” Restored and Premieres in March!

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The Grim Game,  a film once thought lost will premiere at the TCM Classic Film Festival in March.

The Grim Game, made in 1919 was Harry Houdini‘s first starring role and considered by many his best film.  I look forward to see The Grim Game when it makes its fully restored way into rotation on the TCM network.

For the full story on the film and restoration, check out this piece at Deadline.com.

Z-View: Sherwood Texas #5 by Berryhill and Hillyard

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Sherwood Texas is a five issue mini-series published by 12-Gauge Comics.

Sherwood Texas #5

Writer: Shane Berryhill

Artist: Daniel Hillyard

Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

 

John Prince and Rob Hood slug it out for the soul of Sherwood, Texas in the stunning conclusion to this tale of betrayal and revenge. You don’t want to miss the big finale of this smash-hit series! 

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Andrew Robinson’s cover!
  • Prince’s anger gets the best of him and his emotional swing is more realistic than one would expect.
  • Page 13, Panel 2.
  • The story has a satisfying wrap-up so that no sequel is needed but the groundwork is laid just in case.

The Bad:

  • It doesn’t matter if you’re family if the Prince thinks you ripped him off.
  • Being discovered as a “snitch” by the Prince.
  • The Nobles luck because Loxley’s aim is so good.
  • The framing of the covers was a cool idea, but I’d rather see more of Andrew Robinson’s art!

The Ugly:

  • “Come on, Loxley, make it easy on –”  “Charlie!”

 

Sherwood Texas #5

Rating:

I enjoyed the Sherwood, Texas mini-series enough that I’d pre-order a sequel or at least check out anything else that Berryhill and Hillyard do.

Z-View: Sherwood Texas #4 by Berryhill and Hillyard

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Sherwood Texas is a five issue mini-series published by 12-Gauge Comics.

Sherwood Texas #4

Writer: Shane Berryhill

Artist: Daniel Hillyard

Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

 

The battle moves south of the border as Hood goes into Mexico looking to thwart the Nobles at every turn. Back in Sherwood, John Prince is about to make a discovery that changes everything.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good

  • Berryhill comes up with a nice explanation of how Will is kept safe while recovering.
  • Ann Willis is a great supporting character.  “Remind me never to get on your bad side” – indeed.
  • The Jesters taking the fight across the border.

The Bad:

  • The casual way that Sheriff Hoyt shows he has tired of the interrogation.  [So bad it could have been listed in “the good” section.]

The Ugly:

  • Prince’s nephew’s situation… love the last panel of the book!

 

Sherwood Texas #4

Rating:

Eric Beetner Talks RumRunners, Writing Tips and More

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If you don’t like Eric Beetner’s crime stories it just means you haven’t read one.  Give The Devil Doesn’t Want Me,  Dig Two Graves,  A Bouquet of Bullets or any of Beetner’s other crime yarns a try and you’ll be sold.

Beetner also reviews crime novels from time to time and his reviews are short, entertaining and to the point.  Beetner has turned me on to some really good crime novels.

Beetner is also the subject of a short but informative interview by S.W. Lauden where I learned about Rumrunners and few crime yarns Beetner is cooking up for us.