Here are our reviews of all of this Wednesday’s BOOM! Studios titles.
Venus #3 (of 4)
Writer: Rick Loverd
Artist: Huang Danlan
Trouble is brewing as the crew of The Mayflower begins to erupt into chaos and dissension.
I was a bit confused by the beginning of this issue, after last issue’s revelation that Earth had basically been destroyed by an all out nuclear war the crew of the Mayflower seemed relatively unaffected. This was super strange to me; there is a reason for this behavior, but it’s not clever and it seems a bit needless, especially considering that we’re one issue away from the finale. We also learn the identity of the saboteur from the first issue, but we won’t get a motive until issue #4 and it has me worried that the reasoning behind this drama will be glossed over due to space constraints.
I started off with this story really liking the characters and comparing them to a mix between Star Trek and The Martian; three issues in and both of those comparisons no longer apply. The crewmembers lack a distinctive personality that sets them apart from one another, and Captain Manashe has become too cold and unlikeable for my taste. I’d hoped she’d at least bring the crew together and we’d see she cares for them deep down, but I don’t get that from her, or anybody in this comic. Venus had a very promising start in my opinion, but I would have loved to see it go somewhere bolder than it ended up going.
The Verdict – 6.5/10
Peanuts #31
Writers: Charles M. Schulz, Various
Artists: Charles M. Schulz, Various
Snoopy goes on a secret mission on behalf of the “Head Beagle” and Peppermint Patty tries to earn a gold star.
I might as well confess this right off the bat; Snoopy focused stories are my least favorite Peanuts gang stories. I know Snoopy is a beloved and iconic character synonymous with the Peanuts legacy, but for me he works best in small doses. Unfortunately for me this issue has a very long Snoopy story titled “Thompson Trouble” involving Snoopy going on a dull and pointless mission to find someone named Thompson. I didn’t find it funny or amusing. I was extremely happy when it finally ended.
“Go for Gold”, however, represented everything I love about The Peanuts gang. Snoopy was used sparingly, and it was funny. The story revolves around Peppermint Patty becoming obsessed with earning a gold star from her teacher. I remember those gold star stickers, and I remember the great symbolic importance attached to them, so it was a nice bit of nostalgia to relive.
This book still does a fantastic job looking and feeling like classic Peanuts stories, and even though I didn’t care for “Thompson Trouble”, “Go for Gold” more than made up for it. Buy it if you’re a fan!
The Verdict – 7.5/10
Munchkin #14
Writers: Sam Sykes, Derek Fridolfs
Artists: Mike Luckas, Derek Fridolfs
Spyke dies and takes a gnarly trip on through the afterlife in this hilarious tale based on the epic deck card game.
This issue of Munchkin was a lot of fun as it started with “Spyke’s Inferno” a story where the character of Spyke shares with us readers firsthand what a Munchkin goes through after they experience their untimely demise. There are some really clever site gags that had me rolling on the floor laughing my butt off, and there was never a dull moment. I loved the premise of this issue, as character deaths are a big part in the card game, and it was fun to see Spyke go through the various levels of his own personal hell in order to be reawakened for another game. Sam Skykes knows how to channel the spirit and humor of the card game, and Mike Luckas really nails the art down perfectly.
“Help Wanted”, the second tale is a bit shorter and it involves Spyke auditioning a sidekick. It’s not as brilliant as the first “Spyke’s Inferno”, but it’s still fun and well written and animated by Derek Fridolfs. It’s still a lot of fun, and
After more research, I’m happy to find that this book isn’t necessarily intended for a younger audience, which is good because some of it just isn’t appropriate for the Adventure Time demographic, no matter how many similarities the animation styles might have, this is a lot more brutal and warped. I can see a parent accidently pick this up for a kid, and I hope that doesn’t happen for anyone under the age of 12 or so, but it’s good to know that the BOOM! Box Imprint isn’t designed to be marketed towards kids like the KaBoom! That eases my conscious quite a bit and makes a lot of my gripes in my last review quite moot.
This is an excellent book of an excellent and fun series for fans of an excellent and fun game. Do yourselves a favor and check this out, you won’t be disappointed; it has the feeling of a newspaper comic strip gone twisted.
The Verdict – 9.0/10
