Showing posts with label Jessica Kholinne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jessica Kholinne. Show all posts

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Leroy Douresseaux Reviews: MARKSMEN Volume 1

MARKSMEN VOLUME 1
IMAGE COMICS/BENAROYA PUBLISHING

CREATORS: Michael Benaroya, David Baxter, and Dave Elliot
STORY: David Baxter and Dave Elliot
SCRIPT: David Baxter
PENCILS: Javier Aranda
FINISHES: Gary Leach
COLORS: Jessica Kholinne and Benny Maulana
LETTERS: Bebe Giraffe
ADDITIONAL ART: Tomm Coker (series cover); Nam Kim and Matthew Dalton (end papers)
COVER: Javier Aranda and Gary Leach with Jessica Kholinne
ISBN: 978-1-60706-486-2; paperback
192pp, Color, $15.99 U.S.

Produced by Benaroya Publishing, Marksmen is a six-issue miniseries set in a post-apocalyptic America. It presents a world where everything seems to have gone wrong: a financial meltdown with a global domino effect, civil war, mass riots, looting on a large scale, opportunistic vigilantism, exodus from the cities, starvation, and even cannibalism.

Image Comics just released Marksmen Volume 1, a trade paperback collecting all six issues of the series with additional material. That includes “The Future in Our Sights,” an essay about the world of Marksmen and also two-pages of character designs. Hugo Award-winning science fiction author, Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep, 1992) provides an afterword.

Created by Michael Benaroya, David Baxter, and Dave Elliot, Marksmen is dystopian science fiction. It is set 60 years after a global financial meltdown led to a civil war that splintered the United States into warring fiefdoms. Most of the action takes place in and around New San Diego (NSD), a technocratic utopia that offers the last bastion of peace and prosperity for those that live within its walls. Sgt. Drake McCoy, NSD’s best protector, is one of a select group known as the Marksmen, a defensive force descended from the Navy SEALs. The Marksmen defend the city from the numerous human threats that exist in the wasteland outside New San Diego’s walls.

Now, there is a new threat. The oil rich Lone Star State is sending a powerful army to steal New San Diego’s technological secrets. Arriving ahead of them is a renegade group of former Lone Star State denizens. One of them is Joe Percival, a former NSD with ties to Drake’s father, Admiral Leo McCoy, and his mother, Dr. Sharon Heston, the NSD’s head scientist. Will Percival and his son, Sean, have anything that can help Drake and the NSD stop the Lone Star Rangers? Or are the Rangers’ charismatic leader, The Duke, and resident religious fanatic, Deacon Glenn, really unstoppable?

There is not much to say about Marksmen other than to say that it is a damn good read. On Monday, May 14, I received a review copy from Benaroya Publishing. I read the first two chapters on Tuesday, May 15. On Wednesday, May 16, I practically devoured Chapters 3 to 6 and I wanted more. Marksmen is like Black Hawk Down meets Mad Max, but Marksmen’s villains are scarier than the bad guys in either of those movies.

This is a well-thought out future scenario. Writer David Baxter offers some sharp commentary on the real world social, political, and financial situations happening right now that could lead to a situation similar to the one presented in Marksmen. Then, Baxter turns it into a breathtaking science fiction and military action thriller. It is more popcorn fun than most Hollywood heavy hitter action flicks, and it is scarier because this story’s basis is grounded in the current disquieting reality.

On the storytelling end, the art by Javier Aranda (pencils) and Gary Leach (finishes) is good, but Aranda’s pencils don’t display the polished quality of a veteran artist. Composition and the layout of some of the panel interiors is a little off. However, Aranda has the ability to create drama and tension that grabs the reader, and he has a knack for visualizing both physical and non-physical conflict. This is why Marksmen keeps hitting the mark.

Readers looking for credible comic book action thrillers will want Marksmen Volume 1 for repeated readings.

A-


Saturday, October 8, 2011

The New 52 Review: VOODOO #1

"...the Voodoo she do...:

VOODOO #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Ron Marz
ART: Sami Basri
COLORS: Jessica Kholinne
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
COVER: Sami Basri and Sunny Gho
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Voodoo is a female superhero character created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi. She first appeared in WildC.A.T.s #1 (cover date August 1992), which was published by Image Comics. Voodoo is an alien Daemonite; she lives as Priscilla Kitaen. An exotic dancer, she uses telepathy and shapeshifting to gain information on human and metahumans.

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” Voodoo headlines her own self-titled comic book series. As Voodoo #1 (“Keeping Secrets”) opens, Voodoo is shaking her ass and working hard on a stripper pole at the Voodoo Lounge in New Orleans. Not only are horny men watching her, but also two special agents. One of them, Tyler Evans, decides to make a move on Voodoo, but she makes a bigger move on him.

The always reliable comic book scribe, Ron Marz, delivers on Voodoo #1. If I remember correctly, this is not the first time the character has had a solo series or miniseries, but Marz takes just 22 pages to maker her more interesting than she ever was as a Wildstorm pinup girl. Plus, Marz builds this story on a slow simmer until he finishes with a darn good explosive ending.

Marz’s clever script is turned into dazzling comic book art and graphic storytelling by Sami Basri (pencils/inks) and Jessica Kholinne (colors). Basri’s smooth line work shapes and forms tight compositions that offer superb figure drawing and simple but evocative backgrounds. Kholinne’s coloring gives depth and texture to the art, anchoring Basri’s slick line to the story and giving everything weight and substance.

I want another dance from Voodoo.

A-

September 28th
AQUAMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/aquaman-1.html
BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/batman-dark-knight-1.html
BLACKHAWKS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/blackhawks-1.html
FLASH #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/flash-1.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/justice-league-dark-1.html