From Boom! Studios comes a prequel series to Kurt Sutter’s Sons Of Anarchy TV show. Here, we get a fresh, baby-faced Jax, just joining Clay and the boys of SAMCRO after a break-up. He’s full of piss and vinegar, and looking to forge his own path, while trying to live up to the expectations not only of his out-of-the-picture father, but also his mother, Gemma, and her beau, Clay. This was an interesting look into how he got involved in the nonsense on the show, and it was an extremely faithful adaptation.
Ollie Masters‘ (Snow Blind, The Kitchen) writing flows easily, bouncing around from two primary perspectives, a balancing act the show did so well. He also drops in bits of characterization and potential set-ups for future storylines without it feeling too perfunctory or expository. Everything flows. The art by Luca Pizzari (Black Knight, Red Skull) is probably the most impressive aspect of this issue: each character looks not so much like younger versions of the actors who’d played them, but more as the characters the actors were portraying (does that make sense? Think of it like Clay looking like Clay, and not like a Photoshopped version of Ron Perlman playing Clay.) Aside from the characters looking like their TV counterparts, the art is steeped in earthy, brownish hues during the day scenes, and bluish/teal hues at night: little effects like this are always interesting, as they go a long way at establishing the setting. As it is, being a former viewer–if not outright fan–of the show, this was a nice diversion. I wasn’t chomping at the bit for new SoA stories, but if you are, this is as close to a continuation of the show as you’ll get. 4/5 Bibles.
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What the hell is going on in the Superman world these days? It’s as if DC is trying to stuff as many versions of this character in as possible. Anyways, Lois Lane gets her own book — just not as you’d probably imagine. Lois has Superpowers, and enlists the aid of Lana Lang to help her get a grip on them, similar to how she did with Clark. The book does a pretty good job at juggling the two leads, considering their tumultuous relationship over the affection of one Clark Kent.
Writer and Penciler Phil jimenez (Fairest, Infinite Crisis) does a good job at bouncing the two against each other and giving their relationship a fun rivalry. And his artwork for the issue is no doubt one of its highlights, as each panel is a pleasure to gaze over. My gripe with the book though is that it feels a little too convoluted. Theres a lot going on and it’ll no doubt have readers, especially newer readers, scratching their heads as to what’s going on. Also some of the writing comes across as cliche. Overall its a fun issue–oh, that last page!–and an interesting new direction for.. (we think?) Lois Lane. 3.5/5 Bibles.