State of the Burning Mind

November 1, 2014

Hello All, 

At the end of September, I wrote that I would post all the reviews that I had done over the course of October. Early today I posted a review of Life with Archie #36, the last of the reviews I have actually written.

Starting today, the Burning Mind is going on a 2-month hiatus. I will return to writing for The Burning Mind (articles, commentary and reviews) on a regular basis on Thursday, January 1. Though, I may post the occasional piece between now and then.

I had planned on weekly reviews, bi-weekly articles and the occasional random thought and commentary this past year. Because of my brain aneurysm, this didn’t happen. Well, it will this year.

In fact, since the year starts on a Thursday, I will kick off the New Year will a review of a title released that Wednesday.

So, stay tuned. I can’t promise cutting edge news reports, but I can promise commentary, thoughts and blasphemes ideas you will find nowhere else.

So, let’s turn the page into the New Year and start the journey anew.

Ace Masters.

FEATURE REVIEW ARCHIE COMICS' LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36

LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36

Publisher: Archie Comics

Writer: Paul Kupperberg

Artist: Pat Kennedy

Release Date: 7/23/2014

If you are astute, you’ll notice that I didn’t use the title for the particular story in this issue. There is a reason for that.

There is also a reason I waited to do this review.

***WARNING *** SPOILERS AHEAD***

If you’re a comic book fan, you probably already know what this issue is about – it’s been all over the comic book news sites for months.

If you don’t know what is special about this issue, and don’t want it to be spoiled, then I suggest you stop reading, rush out, and find a copy of this issue – if you can. This issue is very hard to find, I was fortunate to get mine and the variant covers. Of course, you can get the trade that reprints this issue and #37 follow-up.

Archie Comics called this issue a Landmark issue, and it is – for reasons beyond the main event that happens.

I waited to write this piece for a few weeks to give the issue and its event time to settle. That may seem silly, but really this one deserves that.

If you don’t know, what comes out of this book is this:

ARCHIE ANDREWS is dead.

Yes, Archie is dead. No Archie isn’t coming back – I don’t believe. That is what is being said.

The teenage Archie is still around, and will be published for years to come.

If you aren’t familiar with this Life with Archie series, it tells two tales of possible futures, one where Archie married Betty, and one where Archie married Veronica. Archie is an adult in this series, so the teenager lives on.

While this issue is about the Death of Archie Andrews, it is also about much more. It has a message and a purpose to it, steeped in events going on in the world around us right now.

The issue starts with Archie running through Riverdale, thinking about his life, how things have turned out, the future, and how good things are. It is written in such a way that even though Archie talks about his love for his family and WIFE, it is never revealed whom he is talking about in this story, Betty or Veronica.

The writing and the art show that it could be either one.

The story also touches on Kevin Keller and his husband – yes, if you didn’t know there is a gay Archie character – who is a rising politician and a gun control activist.

Threats have been made against the life of Keller, threats that are carried out at a party for Keller held at Pops (now owned by Jughead). Here someone tries to shoot Keller . . .

Only Archie dives in the way, taking the bullet meant for his longtime friend. Unfortunately, he also accepts the death that was meant for Keller.

A heroic Archie dies on the floor of his beloved hangout, sacrificing his life for a friend, surrounded by those he loved.

It is a landmark issues not just because of Archie’s sacrifice, but because it also touches upon the Gay Rights issue, and more prominently, the Gun Control/violence issue, two very prominent issues of our time.

Unfortunately, gun violence has killed a beloved character in Archie Andrew.

Unfortunately, gun violence has killed many beloved people in real life.

While the Death of Archie issue of Life with Archie was promoted in advance, this wasn’t a shock value death. They didn’t kill him in such a way that showcases a “how can we kill him and bring him back?” thought process.

This death was handled with Grace and Love.

Rating: 8

FEATURE REVIEW IMAGE'S WAYWARD #1

Wayward #1

Publisher: Image

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Steven Cummings

Release Date: 8/27/2014, ongoing series

Imagine if your parents divorced and you moved to a new country to live with one of them. Culture shock right? I bet a lot of you have experienced that.

Now imagine that you are attacked by giant turtles (think evil ninja turtles), and saved by a mysterious girl. A girl who won’t explain anything and quickly disappears after you buy her a milkshake. I bet that part hasn’t happened to you (if it has contacted me NOW!).

That is Rori Lane’s life, a half-Irish, half-Japanese teenager who has moved to Japan to live with her mother. She can somehow see odd red lines tell her where to go . . . Odd.

First thing out of the way: Wayward is a beautifully rendered book. Art, inks and colors are superb. The art style is a mix of traditional ‘western,’ or ‘American’ style, and manga style. Neither style overwhelms the other. The balance between them is near perfect.

The writing . . . hmm, this is where I see that some people may be down on Wayward. That is not because the writing is bad, but because this isn’t an epic, earth shattering first issue. You know what? It doesn’t have to be.

This #1 introduces the main character, gives us a journey she is on, gives us a resolution to that initial journey and starts Rori on a path to a new journey. This issue does everything that it needs to.

This is another solid start to another Image series. This is getting to be a habit with them.

Rating: 6.5

Ace Masters

FEATURE REVIEW BOOM! STUDIOS'S CLOAKS #1

Cloaks

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Writer: Caleb Monroe

Artist: Mariano Navarro

Published: 9/3/2014

Cloaks is another in a recent rash of titles I have read that I am not sure what I think about it. The first issue is okay. There is nothing wrong with it, no gaping plot holes and the art is solid.

However, it is so by the numbers and done to death that it feels stale even though it is a new story.

The story is about Adam, an orphan introduced at the wake for Blackstone, his magician guardian. We learn that Adam is The Kid a New York Street magician, eventually arrested by a mysterious group who wants him to join them.

In the issues final reveal, the offer to join the group is made by Blackstone.

As I said, there is nothing wrong with Cloaks, it is a good first read, but is just a typical by-the-numbers book with stock characters.

That said, I will be reading the next issues, just to see where things go.

Rating: 5

Ace Masters

FEATURE REVIEW DYNAMITE'S LADY ZORRO #1

Lady Zorro #1

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Writer: Alex De Campi

Artist: Rey Villegas

Release Date: 7/16/2014

Normally creating a female version of a male character is just a money grab, and sorta bla. Usually I stay away from them. However, I am a huge Zorro fan, so I wanted to check out Lady Zorro.

Lady Zorro is actually a supporting character that was introduced in Dynamite’s recent Zorro series. No, I am not talking about Lady Rawhide (also recently published by Dynamite). Lady Rawhide and Lady Zorro are two different characters. Even if both Ladies share the background of being introduced as Zorro characters (Rawhide back in the TOPPS Comics days).

Lady Zorro originally debuted as a supporting character in the main Zorro series, as a wandering and lost Indian woman who lost her family to the violence of Captain Gonzales’s soldier. This character doesn’t don the Lady Zorro identity until this first issue though.

In Lady Zorro #1, Zorro makes an appearance, asking for her help while he (Don Diego) must leave the area. She agrees.

Immediately she is in way over her head, adopts a Zorro type guise and finds herself thrust into conflict against German mercenaries and way out of her league.

The Artwork is impeccable, any fan of bad girl/good girl art will find plenty to love here.

The writing is solid as well, but is held back a little by a story that is by the numbers, and falls a little flat at times.

The real issue I have is the character herself. Lady Zorro was more compelling to me as the supporting character in Zorro. As often is the case, the supporting characters are more compelling and deeper then the main characters.

Can Lady Zorro carry a solo title? Only time will tell.

Even if it is by the numbers, it still is a rather entertaining action/adventure yarn. If you need your fix of a hot chick kicking ass, this will fill that for you.

Rating: 6

FEATURE REVIEW IDW'S THE SQUIDDER #1 BY TEMPLESMITH

The Squidder

Publisher: IDW

Writer/Artist: Ben Templesmith

Release Date: 7/16/2014, ongoing series

H.P. Lovecraft meets aliens, meets genetics? An interesting mix.

Squidder takes place in the future, after giant alien Squids have conquered the earth. Enough time has passed that a life and religion has developed around the The Squids, to the point where their invasion and the fight against them is believed by many to be a rebellion.

A Squidder is a type of genetically engineered solider designed to fight and kill the Squids. Our lead character is one of the last of The Squidders, perhaps the last. Old enough to know that the ‘rebellion’ was actually Earth fighting the Squid invasion. He should know, he was there and fought the Squids.

He is now a man looking for a way to die, but not believing he could ever find one. A mercenary, he is hired by a local ‘boss’ to retrieve his property – A Squid priestess whom he bought from another party. This disgusts the Squidder, who believes the priestesses are traitors to humanity.

He only agrees after the ‘boss’ threatens to dig up his wife and family.

Along the way, the priestess tells the Squidder a number of things, including a prophecy that may or may not have to do with him. Of course, he doesn’t believe her.
Templesmith’s artwork is top notch as usual. His writing is solid as well, but make no mistake; the real draw of this title is The Squidder himself. Nothing else matter other than his character, his journey. He is a nicely rendered character and suitably overwhelms the title.

My only drawback from these first two issues is a familiar feel. Genetically altered humans created to fight an alien race, and one is pre-destined from a prophecy? I’ve seen this before in a number of anime shows.

Rating: 6

Ace Masters

FEATURE REVIEW IMAGE'S LOW #1, 2

LOW

Issues 1, 2

Publisher: Image

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist: Greg Tocchini

Release Date: 7/30/2014, ongoing series

I always write honestly, in anything I do. Whether it is articles, reviews, fiction, even if people don’t like what I have to say.

Honestly, the reason I picked up Low is that I like Rick Remender’s writing, usually.

The problem with honesty is that sometimes it hurt and you not sure what to say. That is how I feel reading the first two issue of Low.

Honestly, I don’t know what I think of the title . . . yet. I am not quite sure what is going on. So far, it falls into that little hidden space that doesn’t allow one to really know if they are reading something brilliant, or reading brilliance into something that isn’t there.

Low is by no means bad, but I can’t say it’s great, yet. It has done enough to pique my interest, and I will check out the next few issues to see where things are going.

The issue may be that nothing is clear yet. The story changes so much from the first to second issues that it is a little jarring.

I like Rick Remender as a writer, so I am willing to give a chance that the not so clear plot and story are be design.

Greg Tocchini art works well on Low, even if it isn’t world-shaking. It has a very nice, fluid like flow to it, and truly captures the feel of a culture that lives underwater. It gives the impression one is looking into an aquarium, the exact kind of feel Low needs.

Final Thought: More issues to read need.

Rating: NA