Sirk TV Comic Review: Dark Horse Advance Previews [9-26-12]

The intrinsic stories for this incarnation of single issue previews (September 26th, 2012) balance in established characters and scenarios as well as new progressions. While "Dragon Age" and "Angel Faith" play to a certain family dynamic, it is "Mind Management" that truly sets itself apart. BEWARE: Spoilers Ahead!Angel Faith: Family Reunion #14 Entering into this world without previous knowledge, the texture seems to revolve around a "Lost In Space"-type family who each possess special powers or are inundated with malaise whether it be vampirism or wanton destruction. The action in this issue centers on Willow, whose destructive power she is trying to control and yet use against a mythological type creature on a foreign planet. Only by the bite from her vampire father does she calm down through he almost succumbs to his darkness. The son, Connor, apparently had been leading a band of creatures (also on the planet) who see him as their messiah. With the crisis averted , they return via portal (ala "Stargate") to Earth, only to find a short time later that a murder has occurred at their house in London. The scope necessitated in the art and the connection of the family is definitely palpable, necessarily heightened by Joss Whedon's involvement though the structure seems invariably complex in its different worlds.Axe Cop: President Of The World #3 To create a comic with this texture of the absurd is saying something. The texture of how Axe Cop engages his foes and saves the world completely takes leave of all ideas of sense. That said, it is undeniably humorous. Axe Cop starts off being attacked by a Water Queen while a mad scientist on Mars makes an Every Man who can be anything bad ever created. Meanwhile back on Earth, a goo Gorilla monster attacks a major city. Axe Cop, of course, must reconstruct his friend Goo Cop out of gold to fight this enemy. When they are finished, they blast off to Mars where Axe Cop has his head cut off only to reveal that he is robotic but spiders inside his body place him back together. As a result after bringing the law back to order, it is revealed that the Axe Cop giving a speech on Earth is actually a doppelganger controlled by aliens. The real Axe Cop, in the meantime, has created a second Earth. People on First Earth will stab themselves to death but not before he has filled these fake people with bombs to destroy themselves and the nearby alien home world. The creators of this comic with intensity are truly out of their minds but there is a dexterous "Adult Swim" mind frame to the proceedings.BPRD: Hell On Earth - Return Of The Master #2 With Hellboy and Liz off in a structure of their own, Abe Sapien has drifted off near death. The government and under-agents of the Nazi fugue seeks to retrieve his soul for themselves. In the lab, some of the scientists including Dr. Marsten suggest a radical new therapy to create new cells for the dying agent but it seems that they are being controlled from the inside. Meanwhile, a team of BRPD agents, having returned to Scotland, are on a quest (not unlike "The Hobbit") for a mysterious object. They come upon a ghost of sorts which they are able to stave off with a charm given to them by Hellboy. In congruence, a young girl is being trained by a chicanerous old lady with a vulture-like creature around her neck to access dark thoughts and worlds. The old woman is trying to control her but the young girl fights back. Coincidentally, on the outskirts of a castle, a couple other agents watch as Father Lazar, a messiah-type figure, staves off a snake which mutates into a gothic creature. "Hellboy" and, by extension, the BRPD have always been havens of religious metaphor. While the consistency here points to a longer running storyline mythology, its clarity functions more as vignettes that only truly make sense as part of the whole.Dragon Age: Those Who Speak #2 The extension of a princess of pirates works quite well within the structure of this story. The narrative in this issue waxes one of redemption which, Isabella, the female pirate, when caught, is forced to come to terms with in regards to her crimes against humanity. Her captors are the Zunari whom she stole a sacred book from. The intention seems to be a form of brainwashing meant to bring Isabella to work for her long-hated adversaries. Isabella's mind moves back to the different situations that turned her into the woman she has become. Her mother and her lived in a Zunari colony in her youth but her mother succumbed to their rhetoric while Isabella fought off the urge with a vengeance. Piracy allowed her to control her destiny and do what she wanted, whether in personal situations or in business. The moment it began to take an odd turn was when she was carrying slaves and was forced, when attacked, to drown them all rather than giving them over. She felt that it was the more humane act but her interrogation proves otherwise and she starts to crack. Her two compatriots, captured consecutively with her, are kept separate although there is a correlation to a relationship with one of the Zunari generals. The artwork, especially when Isabella is recounting her exploits and the death of the slaves, are particularly vibrant.The Goon #42 The title character always has an interesting perception up his sleeve to make sure the odds are in his favor. Like an old wrestling picture from the 40s or even "Pulp Fiction", the victor makes sure everything moves in flow with what they want. The interesting angle in The Goon's world is that witchcraft takes on a certain potency which makes creatures come alive in ways they should not. But, like Lobo, these are just signs of the times and actions to be tolerated. A dark force, which like the rest of this world, is circled in a kind of shadowy tendency comes together in the ring where the underdog becomes a chemically-induced brute which The Goon promptly takes out when he doesn't get his due. The noir style combines with a vivid burnt texture to the proceedings where every corner is dirty with grime and gives this title a specific energy.Mind Management #5 This piece is a phenomenal piece of work. Using the structure of doubt but also mystery  that one comes to expect of "Lost" & "Heroes", the story paints a man slowly going insane because what he believes he sees is too perfect and not real enough to live. When the angles of life that he believes to be undue start unraveling whether it be the fake smiles or the love of his wife, they all come crashing down around him in time. The style of art and its muddled edges plays into this psychology but it is the way this man sees the world that propels the comic. Using good locations from Zanzibar to the South Of France, the story paints an almost Dr. Quest-type trying to redeem himself, but lost in a Recall situation that he created himself. It however is one he cannot extract himself from even if he wants.Star Wars: Darth Maul - Death Sentence [Blood & Carbonite] #3 The intrepid journey of Darth Maul back from his death-fueled darkness at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi continues in wanton structure with The Clone Wars TV series. Maul has always been motivated by hate but, after his recreation with spider type legs, he has become an even more mutated soul. In this journey, he has turned an entire species with his ideas that they must all sacrifice their ranks to achieve victory (knowing fully himself that it is simply a ploy for him to get what he wants). His brother is sitting like a hood ornament in the opposing camps office encased in carbonite which fuels his rage. The Jedi Council's hands are tied. Eventually Obi Wan Kenobi shows up with Clone Troopers to even the score. The art to this point is adequate in capturin the sand planet not unlike "Dune" but the moment when the Troopers are attacked and open fire before Kenobi can react  is what truly sets the pace apart. The structure of the frame jumping from the battle to orbit truly give the piece a sense of scope.