Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Lord Of The Jungle #1
Dynamite Entertainment
Nelson & Castro

Dynamite is taking a shot at retelling Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan story by offering up an introductory full-length issue for only a dollar. This issue moves quickly and gets the story off the ground enough that the basic setup is complete by the issue's end. The artwork is good but fails in one very key scene. Overall, I think there is enough here to entice a reader to come back for more.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

The Boys #61
Dynamite Entertainment
Ennis, Braun & Robertson

The Boys is such an odd book sometimes. Ennis tends to build up to something big and the payoff makes the lead-in issues so worth the wait. However, in the moment, the building up can be a painful process. This issue is almost entirely set-up and it drags way too much for my tastes. Ennis provides a good cliffhanger but it isn't enough to make this issue above average.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist #1
Dynamite Comics
Trautmann, Ross, Indro & Mujiono

Dynamite's launch of Flash Gordon provides an easy choice to pick up the first issue by pricing it at a dollar. The full length comic book manages to roll out the latest reboot in a very accessible way by sticking to concepts known to the modern day masses. Basically, the comic sticks to the 1980 film that has a bit of a cult following while switching gears and jamming the story into Nazi Germany of the mid-1930s. It's an okay book that sets up a decent story but leaves some key areas undeveloped making the book flat in some areas. At a dollar you can't go wrong but I'm just not sure the long term appeal with this book. We shall see.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #4 of 6
Dynamite Comics
Ennis, Robertson & Avina

Every once in a while Ennis delivers a stunning issue of the Boys where he shocks the reader with a powerful visual that is backed by toying with a character's inner most feelings. If the image is just grotesque with no story behind it comes across as just shock for the sake of shock. It's when he pulls off this connection where the visual is graphic, but that it only adds to the power behind the idea that he is at his best. This issue pulls off that trick to perfection. This mini-series has been entertaining but has been stuck in the same slow style of storytelling that has been a curse to The Boys for a couple of years now. This issue holds nothing back as we get the definite origin of Butcher. This is the gamma-bomb, the spider bite, the parents getting gunned down in the alleyway. It's a terrific issue and origin during point.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #2 of 6
Dynamite Comics
Ennis, Robertson & Avina

The second part of the origin story of Billy Butcher finds itself in very familiar territory for writer Garth Ennis: a war story. This issue sets Billy in the middle of the Falklands War as Ennis shows the basic roots of what makes the character so at ease with conflict in the present time. It's a solid read but it doesn't really break any boundaries and in some parts, particular the end, I found the story to actually detract from the character being built up in the mini-series and what the character is all about in the main series. Overall, it's a good read for the die-hard Boys fans but it really isn't giving up the big secrets yet.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Jennifer Blood #3
Dynamite Comics
Ennis & Batista

In this issue of Jennifer Blood we get a little bit more of the domestic side of the character before she heads out for another nighttime killing. The issue doesn't do much to separate itself from the female Punisher-like story and continues to introduce very bland and forgettable characters, especially the villains. Jennifer's motives are much clearer than in the first issue and one thing is for sure about this issue: Ennis continues to surprise with the depths of his mind when it comes to killing. Overall, this issue doesn't help to get this series off the ground. It's an okay read but far from special.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

The Boys #54
Dynamite Comics
Ennis, McCrea & Robertson

Part Three of "Barbary Coast" could very well be the most boring issue of The Boys to date. It doesn't mean that it's a bad issue by any means but it's essentially a brain dump combined with a history lesson from Mallory to Hughie. Mallory continues his long origin story that picks up from his first involvement with super soldiers in World War II from the previous issue to more current times, right up until he meets up with Butcher. The issue reads very much like a wikipedia entry for The Boys and while it answers a lot of questions it just feels so overwhelming that I'm not sure what's the big reveal or just a filling in of the blanks.

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Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

The Boys #53
Dynamite Comics
Ennis, McCrea & Robertson

I dreaded reading the latest issue because the content placed super heroes in World War II. Few creators express as much love for World War II as Ennis, but on the other hand, inserting heroes into the war had me conjuring up visions of Captain America running with his shield as he opens up holes in the German front for Patton's 3rd. My concerns were completely off base. Not only does Ennis inject heroes into the Battle of the Bulge, but he does so in keeping with the theme of this series while maintaining a level of integrity and reality for the actual events that took place during the war. This was an excellent issue.

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