Evil Empire #1
Written by Max Bemis
Art by Ransom Getty
Color by Christ Blythe
Letters by Ed Dukeshire
Cover by Jay Shaw
BOOM! Studios
Release Date: March 5, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

As a huge fan of post-apocalyptic stories, I’m always pining for the next Walking Dead or Jericho that’ll satisfy my primal curiosities about a world where the material comforts of modern suburbia have been ripped away. Enter writer Max Bemis’ new series Evil Empire. Perhaps my expectations of fire and brimstone were misplaced; what we get is more TMZ than DMZ. And, yet, that’s not a bad thing.

Evil Empire follows the rise of a totalitarian regime in a near-future America. Reese is a rap star whose politically charged lyrics brand her as a lone, dissenting salmon swimming against the rip tide of political conformity. Just as Reese scoffs at a vacuous political commercial, the star of the ad, Sam Duggins, makes a surprise appearance backstage. The aspiring politician seeks to tap into the energy of Reese’s fanbase by befriending her and, presumably, winning her endorsement. After some hokey cardboard cheesing that’s typical of a big-name politician, Duggins intrigues Reese enough to win her reluctant attention.

Guarding the Globe, Volume 1: Under Siege
Written by Robert Kirkman & Benito Cereno
Pencils by Ransom Getty & Kris Anka
Inks by Ransom Getty, Cliff Rathburn, Jonathan Glapion, Russell Jackson, and Kris Anka
Colors by Thomas Mason, Ron Riley, Rex Stabbs and FCO Plascencia
Letters by Russ Wooton
Editor: Sina Grace
Cover by Todd Nauck & John Raunch
Image Comics
Release Date: August 29, 2012
Cover Price: $16.99

Guarding the Globe, Volume 1 is an interesting comic. I didn’t have anything invested in the characters or the book itself, but I was pleasantly surprised. But, not as much as I’d wanted to be.

Writers Robert Kirkman and Benito Cereno sure know how to write a giant, sprawling superhero team vs super villain team epic, earth shattering story. I just wish I cared a little bit more. And I wish it wasn’t so cluttered. My first problem was that I barely knew any of the characters in the book, which, I’ll admit, was my fault. I’m not a huge fan of the Image Comics’ superhero universe, so almost all of these characters were foreign to me. That being said, I wish they would’ve spent a little more time introducing the characters…because there are a TON of characters in this book. It boils down to a double-page spread with each character getting a “This is…Kaboomerang!”