100 Word Hits – Comic Reviews #2
Welcome to the second installment of our new column 100 Word Hits, in association with comics retailer The Unreality Store, in which Matthew De Monti brings us short, sharp reviews of the latest books to hit comic stores over the past month or so!
Past The Last Mountain #1
Written by Paul Allor | Art by Louie Joyce
Neil Cutter works at Westfield Penal Preserve in Montana and he’s dealing with a prison break. Westfield this isn’t your normal penitentiary, the preserve is designed to house magical creatures since the ending of their war with humanity. Willa the dragon, Kate the faun and Simon the juvenile troll have escaped and are heading to a mythical refuge for magical creatures and hot on their heels are Cutter’s men.
There are definitely shades of WE3 in the story, the art is nice and there’s a series of short stories to enhance the sense of world-building. Overall a nice solid read.
Rating: 8/10
Ghost Rider #3
Written by Benjamin Percy, Cory Smith | Art by Brent Peeples
Johnny Blaze is wandering America like a demonic version of Michael Landon in Highway to Heaven. Hitching a ride he ends up on The Red Road, a highway so full of road kill the asphalt has been turned red by their blood. Here, as Ghost Rider, he encounters a demonic 18 wheeler truck!
There’s the introduction of the Council of Night Magicians and FBI Agent Warroad reveals more of her backstory. Percy is expertly keeping the reader (and Blaze) guessing as to what is really going on and why Blaze has no memory of his exploits as Ghost Rider. Intriguing.
Rating: 8/10
Dogs of London #1
Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Artecida
Soho 1966. Billy Graves is dead, his testicles are missing. Frank Babbs is head of The Dogs, one of the gangs of London, fighting a turf war against The Quinns. The Quinns are suspected of killing Billy Graves and The Dogs want revenge. Cut to the present day and Frank has been knighted for services to business, and other members of the Dogs have tried hard to distance themselves from their shady past.
But three bodies have been found, and Frank is about to find out the past never stays buried forever… Milligan and Artecida deliver up a brutal opener!
