Happy Easter weekend geeks and geekettes! We’ve got two great writers looking at two new titles. and they’re here to give a voice to one of the indie companies out there! Yes, yes, we’re all getting ready for Avengers later this week (and be sure to catch our review once the movie comes out!), but for now let’s dive in and see what’s what, no?!
@IAMSCF
From the the rainy London streets to the sweaty quarters of New Orleans, Valiant’s resident voodoo priestess Punk Mambo has officially landed her own series! Hailing from the Shadowman series, Punk Mambo uses magic in all forms and ways. Where normally a “Lao” possesses a person (like Shadowman), Mambo has complete control over her Lao making her in some ways even more dangerous and more unpredictable.
This first issue doesn’t dive deeply into her backstory, instead the creative team of Cullen (Venom) Bunn and Adam (New Mutants : Dead Souls) Gorham drop us right in the middle of a case where Mambo is investigating a group of missing gutter punks. Things go sideways quickly when someone gets the better of Mambo. Things escalate from there with a trip to the birthplace of all things voodoo – Haiti!
A fun, brash, moody magical romp through the Valiant Universe awaits! All this and a kick ass cover by Dan (The Nocturnals) Brereton! 4/5 Bibles and a spooky smoking skull for good measure.
-Sean Farrell
@CollyCol
Imagine a land immortalized as a perfect and just society, a land of milk and honey. Now this land becomes subject to a clash of ideals and literally collapses as a result, the following maelstrom of destruction and chaos makes some long for simpler times, while others remain willing to bear the cost of a truly free society. This the glorious vision of Valiant’s Fallen World.
Rai, a 41st century cyborg samurai and rebellion leader turns pacifist after the devastating destruction of New Japan. Meanwhile, on a quest to rescue the refugees, super soldier Bloodshot inadvertently encounters a being that will force Rai to again pick up his sword.
This epic ride through a world-shifting breakdown –with an eye towards equality– may feature several super powered beings, but prolific writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy) creates a story and struggle that is so easy to relate to, human, and relevant to the present. Adam Pollina (X-Force) strikes the right tone of fantastical and realistic, with dynamic line work that jumps of the page. Get into this adventure ASAP. 5/5 Bibles.
-Colleen Vincent