- EVIL EMPIRE #1 – A comic surrounding a hip-hop artist whose goal is to “fight the powers that be”? Sounds like a job for SuperMoody, indeed. In what is now our very first #NerdSwag comic review, Boom! Studios’ Evil Empire #1 explores a devastating dystopian future — had Chuck D and Zack de La Rocha sold the fuck out. In this case our pro/antagonist emcee-at-hand is Reese Greenwood, who looks as dope as the political raps she spits. Following a terrible coincidence swirling one of her songs and actual politics (murder, of course), Reese is pulled into the mix. Her actions that follow will shock the shit out of readers, right up until scribe/Say Anything frontman Max Bemis pulls the carpet from right underneath us on the last page. Nutso. And it’s quite obvious Bemis has a talent with the pen, as the dialogue in Empire is among the finest I’ve read thus far in 2K14. Ransom Getty — whose own name could be a crazy cool band name itself — brings realism to the linework. To keep the whole apocalyptic society stuff grounded, it’s the type of drawings that’s needed and thankfully received. Yet, while there are still some big questions surrounding how this gets to there, it’s hard not to like what I’ve seen so far with E.E. I’m ready to rally ’round this creative family, pocket full of shells. 3.75/5.
- QUANTUM and WOODY: GOAT #0 – First off, if it wasn’t for our own Cooke the Cleric, the Monsignor would have never read this book. The title for it alone is just stupid, unless we’re talking about the great and deranged Mr. Harrelson. So, imagine adding the word “goat” after and some dubious numbering. Thankfully, Valiant just gets it. Their comics have been kicking ass for some time now, and it’s pretty much MY PROBLEM that I’ve only recently started to catch on. Eternal Warrior, Unity, XO Manowar, Harbinger, and this: Quantum & Woody. Now having had caught up, it’s easily one of the finest “comedy” comics on the market. Even better, all of the humor comes at a sad price. James Asmus is doing a bang-up job bringing levity to a funny buddy scenario, giving us two guys who are clearly wannabe’s, and we’re pulling for them. Even more so in this special one-shot, we’re pulling for the accidental G.O.A.T. Haedus saves foreign communities, hangs with mythical creatures (such as he) — a whole load of bizarre shit, really. The comic also finds how neglectful the Henderson boys as youths were to the strongest hero of the bunch. But no worries, as my pal Daniel Elkin from Comics Bulletin said in his review, you’ll “giggle til you pee.” 4/5.