TODAY'S 'MAIN FEATURE':

The above pictured comic book was sent to me for a possible review here in this Blog from Carl Herring Jr.... 

It currently is the first issue in the series, although at the end of this issue, there is a 'to be continued' note. 

So the front cover pictured above looks really cool... What's the series about?"

Here is the press info for issue #1: 

"A bi-annual publication suggested for mature readers, Crime Wave Anthology is a collection of three stories that features the exploits of men and women of law enforcement as they fight all levels of crime to keep our city streets and the country safe. The stories center mainly around the adventures of an FBI duo, Chase and Hunt." 

So what did I think of this series?

Well, It's always 'thrilling' to open up a comic book that turns out to be an anthology, because I never know what to expect!  Am I going to be satisified when reading or maybe have mixed emotions about the different stories?!

However, in this case I was 'notified' on the cover that I was holding an 'anthology' comic book.  Even though the word 'Anthology' was in smaller print than the rest of the title...

The cover looked really good, and if it was at a LCBS, I would have stopped and checked it out.  That is a good point in its' favor, right from the start!

I really appreciated seeing the text on the inside front cover.  That text emphasized that I would be reading an 'anthology' as I turned the next pages.  That was a very good idea, and one Not always used today by the creator(s).

The splash page, which was actually page one of the first story, really caught my eyes. The presentation was similar to comics I used to read, and the action and story kept me reading.  Kind of reminded me of comics before the 3 or 4 issue story arcs that a lot of mainstream comics are into today...

The second story also kept my interest.  I noticed that there were no ad pages inbetween the first and second stories... nice!

The third story ended up being 'To Be Continued'.  Okay... well OK until I realized that the second volume of this series may take a while to read.  I wasn't aware this series was a bi-annual series until researching to blog here today. Darn!

However, the shower scene in the third issue reminded me of the Natasha 'Black Widow' shower scene in the old Daredevil series from years ago... so I'll be back!

You know... this was a 'fun read', even though it was a 'crime comic'.  If it is the intent of Carl to establish a 'brand' using this comic as one corner of the foundation, then he is on the right track with this series in my opinion!

Regarding the creative team on this anthology comic book:

Scott E. Ambruson does the interior artwork on the first two stories.  His earlier credits include Trailer Park of Terror #6.  The third story is illustrated by Chris Torres whose credits include Robert Sodaro's 'Agent Unknown'.

If you thought you recognized the style on the front cover, that was because it was by Norm Breyfogle, who is best known for his Batman artwork!

The Creative Director for Three J Productions is Ed Traquino. Ed did the lettering, coloring and all the technical aspects of the publication.  My thought is that it is the coloring that really makes this issue stand out, both on the front cover and the interior pages. Great work Ed!

To me, this first issue is a very good foundation on which to build the series!

You can buy this comic, (as well as other Three J Productions publications), at:

http://www.threejproductions.com .

Plus You can be 'interactive' with this company if You are on Facebook, by becoming a 'fan' of their Fan Page at: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Haven-CT/Three-J-Productions-LLC/45275790627 .