Infinite Vacation 1 Review

What you need to know: Mark lives in a world where alternate realities are up for sale, and buying and trading your way through unlimited variations of yourself is as commonplace as checking your email or updating your status. But when other "hims" start dying suddenly and he meets a mysterious girl who wants nothing to do with "life-changing," he'll learn the truth about the universe he stumbles through, and what happens when your vacation turns on you.

What you'll love

Fresh High Concept: They say there are no new ideas, and they are probably right. Spencer definitely hits on concepts that have been previously explored, the trick is to take something that's been done and turn it on it's ear and Spencer more than does that here.

The Human Condition: It's been said so often that it's now in danger of becoming a cliche. The best story are ones that explore the human condition. Infinite Vacation holds a mirror to our consumerist culture and forces us to examine ourselves. Spencer finds a way to comment on life which being preachy or sappy.

Pushing the envelope: I'm a huge fan of being creative with comic pages, I love writers and artist that push the bounds of the genre. There's one scene in particular where there is a photo of a real person in the book, it's quite jarring at first, I actually turned back to make sure it wasn't a advertisement.

Modern: The danger in having a book that hits so close to the present is that writers have a tendency to get too cute with the material. Spencer avoids this pitfall masterfully. The book is modern and relevant at the same time. I can see people ten years from now reading this and the book holding similar resonance.

Spencer: I've proclaimed(on more than one occasion) that Nick Spencer is the Kevin Durant of comics. What I mean by this is that Spencer, like Durant is not a household name, but is clearly on his way to being at or near the top of his industry. This must be what people felt like when Bendis burst onto the scene.

What you won't: There's not much dislike, the art is kind of trippy but I think that's the point.

Bottom Line: If Morning Glories didn't exist, this would be the book that would turn Nick Spencer into a star. Get on this one early folks. I think we have a great one on our hands.

Grade: A

Morning Glories 5 Review

What you need to know: It's an explosive confrontation as the Glories attempt to rescue one of their own from the deadly clutches of the Academy. But with their newly formed team already falling apart, they suddenly look like they're in need of rescue themselves


What you'll love

The Cover: This is by far my favorite cover of the series so far, the attention to detail, the acting of the characters all make it stand out. If a cover is supposed to make a reader buy the book Rodin Esquejo more than accomplishes his mission. Anyone walking by could pick up this issue, take a look at the cover and immediately understand what the story is about.

Interior Art: It's not a secret that I'm a big fan of Joe Eisma's art, however I thought he'd taken a small step back last issue. In this issue Eisma is at his best, the characters are so well defined, both in their look and expression. The school itself has become a character in this story as well, which is also to Joe's credit. I feel like I've been in Morning Glories Academy before, one can almost smell the chalk dust.

Coloring: This is the first time I've ever commented on the coloring of a book, but as I review more and more books, I've begun to develop an eye for it. Alex Sollazzo's colors help to make this book what it is, it seem that the perfect color is used in every scene. The color's capture the youth and energy of the school, while at the same time highlight the darkness that lies under the surface. It's superb work.

Opening:I go on and on about opening scenes because they are so crucial. Spencer has an uncanny knack for using dialogue to grab you in an open. Here he uses point of view to add an element of mystery.

Balls to the wall: Last issue my complaint was that it felt like filler. Issue five is the climax of the arc and it feels like it. Spencer pulls out all the stops, paying off plot threads that he'd set up. This issue gives us a bit of everything that a fan of this book can ask for. It's hard to go into to detail without spoiling it, but rest assured that Nick Spencer slams his foot down and the gas and doesn't let up.


What you won't: What's not to love.


Bottom Line: If you've kicked yourself for not jumping on another book earlier, do yourself a favor and jump on this one now. Do not and I repeat DO NOT wait for the trades, it's that good.

Grade: A-

Morning Glories 4 Review

What you need to know: The students of Morning Glories hatch a plan to save one of their own.


What you'll love

Art: Joe Eisma does it once again. His art is so consistent at this point that I almost tire of saying it. In this issue I notice how he made every room in Academy look unique. This may sound easy but it's not. Eisma gives Morning Glory Academy the perfect atmosphere. There's a also a subtle effect of Eisma's art. Morning Glories school seems massive.

Deeper Characterization: In this issue Spencer digs deeper into what makes these kids tick. Literally every page is about fleshing these characters out and allowing us to discover who they are.

Nice Twist: The ending of the issue isn't exactly shocking but it catches you off guard though. It's a nice beat they can be taken in several directions and it defintley left me salivating for the next issue.

Reflective: In a past review I mentioned that what separates a good story from a great one is what it has to say about life. The exploration of the human condition, if you will. There's a nice scene where this is on display towards the back of the book.

What you won't

Ensemble cast: It's just the nature of the beast. Spencer's a great juggler, but it's hard to juggle this many characters. I'm interested to see how he does it. It's not really a problem for me personally because my two favorite characters are consistently highlighted. But I can see where some are coming from.

Slowed down: There's a lot of planning in this issue, which is never my favorite. It's very smart planning but people sitting around talking, or plotting as it were, can seem to drag.

In between: I felt like this was a bridge issue to get us towards the end of the arc. Spencer raised the stakes but not in any way that's new. We've seen the children punished before, so that's nothing new.


Bottom Line: Morning Glories has consistently been one of the best books on the shelves since its inception. This is a book you can give to your girlfriend.(or any other non comic reader for that matter)

Grade: B+

Walking Dead Review

What you need to know: A small town Sheriff awakes from a coma to find that the world as
he knows it has been changed forever.

What you'll love

Slow burn: The show's premiere is a template for slowly building toward a climax and then delivering in magnificent fashion.

Human Condition: The zombies draw you but the story keeps you. The Walking Dead is not about Zombies, it's a story that happens to have zombies in it. For a show that is essentially about death, there's so much humanity.

Sound: Like it's fellow AMC show Breaking Bad, Walking Dead masterfully uses sound, it's not so much what you hear but what you don't.So much of the story is told without words.(like the comic)

Visuals: There are so many gripping visuals, from the zombies, to the lead riding his horse down an empty Atlanta street. AMC didn't spare any expense, things could have easily become cheesy. Instead we are treated to some truly horrifically gory scenes.

Lead: Andrew Lincoln inhaled his role as Rick Grimes, he is the lawman in everyway. From his vulnerability initially to his growing strength and morally ambiguity and finally sheer terror during the show's climax. Watch out, if Mad Men or Breaking Bad go off the air anytime soon, both Grimes and The Walking Dead may be picking up some hardware come award season.

Sarah Tancredi: Though we didn't see too much of her Sarah Wayne Callies of Prison Break fame plays a central role in the Walking Dead. I'm a huge fan of Mrs Callies and her presence can only mean great things ahead.


What you won't

Opening: There isn't much, however I'll nitpick. The opening was cheap, Grimes shoots a little girl/zombie. It was unnecessary, over the top and didn't fit the tone of the show. It felt like they threw it in there to initially hold the audience's attention. This is an AMC show, thus the audience has a built in maturity level. Viewers could have waited ten minutes before they saw their first zombie.

Gory: It's not for the weak of heart. Especially initially. I'm thinking if this kind of thing bothers you, you're not going to watch a show about zombies anyway. Walking Dead is so good that it's worth closing your eyes a few times.

Slow: More of a preference thing, if you have a short attention span and/or you thought Transformers 2 was a great movie, perhaps this is not the show for you. Otherwise enjoy.


Bottom Line: If you were late on the bandwagon of great shows like Mad Men or Breaking Bad, you definitely want to catch this one on the ground floor. The Walking Dead is a masterpiece in the making.

Grade: A

Morning Glories 3

Morning Glories

What you need to know: Morning Glories is a private school full of danger, mystery and deceit, in this issue the plot thickens as students continue their first day of classes.

What you'll love you

Art: My view of artist is similar to way sports referees are viewed, if you've noticed them they haven't done their job. (Sorry, I'm a writer so sue me) Joe Eisma defies this rule, his art is spectacular, not only is it beautiful and eye catching, but it masterfully conveys the emotion and mystery of Morning Glories.

Catchy slogan: With these kinds of stories it's critical that the foundational slogans and catch phrases work. Spencer knocks it out of the park with "the hour of our release draws near" It's catchy and appropriately cryptic and most of all it makes me want to know more(which is the point)

Cinematic: Morning Glories reads like a movie or TV show. It's an appealing approach that serves this book well. When I'm reading Morning Glories I'm completely ensconced in the world that Spencer and Eisma have created. Their cinematic approach is a big reason why.

Characterization: The ensemble cast format has its pitfalls,(I'll hit that later) but one thing it has the potential to do is create favorites among the audiences. So far for me it's the head strong Casey and the pathological Ike. It'd be very easy for these characters to become cliched but Spencer breathes life into each archetype.

What you won't

Ensemble cast: Done well the ensemble format can be better than any other story telling vehicle, done poorly and you have New Avengers(I'm joking,lol) Large casts are a juggling act and its impossible to please everyone. I enjoy Casey and Ike, but what if I didn't? I'd be stuck with them for an entire issue.

Depth: So far this the only true weakness I can find. The difference between a story that's very good and great is in it's emotional resonance, is it's ability to connect with to connect with its audience. It's still very early but Morning Glories isn't strong on big themes, or exploration of the human condition. Maybe it won't be that kind of book, maybe it will, but depth is the trait that creates greatness and this book definitely has the potential to be great.

Bottom Line: Nick Spencer is well on his way to becoming comics next superstar and Morning Glories could be the vehicle that takes him there. It's a must read every month.

Grade: A