RoboCop #2 Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Carlos Magno
Covers by Goni Montes BOOM! Studios
Release Date: August 6, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99
If Superman was the quintessential idea of truth, justice, and the American way in the ’30s and ’40s, RoboCop was that for the ’80s and ’90s. Cold, analytical, machine processed justice. Truth that was incorruptible, and could be backed up and revised later if needed.
And, of course, there is nothing more American than megacorporations owning everything. It wasn’t a huge leap to assume they would someday own the police when the movie came out in 1987, and the sentiment hasn’t gone away in the last 30 years.
Ghosted #2 Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Goran Sudzuka
Colored by Miroslav Mrva
Lettered by Rus Wooten
Covers by Sean Phillips Image Comics
Release Date: August 14, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99
In several pre-release interviews, Joshua Williamson described Ghosted, his six-issue miniseries for Image Comics/Skybound, as “Oceans’ 11 in a haunted house instead of a casino.” As intriguing as that idea sounds, the first two issues haven’t delivered much on that promise. Typical for the first issue in a new series or miniseries, issue #1 was all set-up, introducing the lead character, Jackson T. Winters, a convicted felon serving a ten-year stretch, who’s broken out of an unnamed prison by Marcus Schrecken, an elderly eccentric with very specific tastes and an ample bank account to satiate those tastes. Schrecken collects paranormal objects and wants Winters to capture and bring back a ghost from a haunted house, actually a mansion.
That mansion, once owned by the long-gone Trask family, wasn’t only the site for a few mysterious deaths, but the site of brutal, vicious murders by various members of the Trask family. They used their wealth and power to evade the legal implications of hunting and murdering whatever stray homeless people crossed their paths. Schrecken believes the mansion offers the best chance at capturing a ghost. Williamson sidesteps what, if anything, Schrecken plans on doing with the ghost, but as anyone familiar with haunted house stories, specifically influences like The Haunting, The House on Haunted Hill, and The Legend of Hell House (the first and third well-regarded novels before making the jump to the big screen to equally well-regarded adaptations), will guess, Schrecken’s (probably) up to no good.
Jim Albright, the legendary Captain Midnight “” costumed hero of World War II “” has emerged in present time via a storm at the Bermuda Triangle. Almost crashing into a military plane on a routine run, the Captain bursts forth from his own plane, leaps onto the stranger’s plane, and forces the United States pilot to land on a Navy ship. Taken into custody but quickly escaping, Captain Midnight is now on the loose, apparently trying to complete his final mission from almost seventy years before. Hot on his trail are two U.S. Agents “” one a supporter who seems to have a familial tie to Albright and the other a clear skeptic “” trying to uncover the missing pieces to his last assignment, his disappearance, and who else may have been transported to 2013 as well.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro Series “” Krang #1 is, simply put, a delight. It’s about 50% kick-ass action tale and 50% the fun Ninja Turtle type comic that you love. Put that all together and it’s 100% good!
I really didn’t need a Krang origin, but Joshua Williamson convinced me otherwise. I can’t believe I just read a comic about a living brain who goes Rambo in order to prove himself to his father, but I did. And I really enjoyed it. Williamson writes an interesting story about focusing on Krangs younger years and his quest to earn the respect of not only his father, but his fellow…brains, I guess. It’s a lot of fun, surprisingly intense in places, but it’s all around awesome. There’s great elements of fun, surprise and we get an honest to God resolution for the story. The only downside? No Ninja Turtles.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press
