TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3135:

So what's this comic book / series about? Here's the background info from the web site:

"Written by Steve Moore, art by Cris Bolson, colored by Doug Sirois, lettered by Todd Klein, covers by Clint Langley.

The stunning conclusion! After an explosive showdown of thunder and lightning on the battlefield, Hercules and his companions are set to end Egypt¹s civil war. But even with a cunning plan to defeat Khadis, Lord of Lightning and the insurgent king Amenmessu, there still remains a traitor in the royal house of Seti II. When the dust has settled on the grounds of war, the future of Egypt is in the hands of Hercules.

28 pages, $2.99”

So what's 'My Take' on this last comic of the five issue mini-series?

Front Cover:  Very imposing Front Cover...Regal even. And when opened up to show a wrap around cover, it is actually a breath taking cover! (What I received was the Cover A WrapAround cover at the top left, not issue #1 Doug is holding in the photo.)

Inside Front Cover:  Good that there is a 'previously' paragraph, especially since I had NOT read any of the 4 previous issues in this 5 issue mini-series. Normally I would not pick up the last issue of a mini-series that I had not read the earlier issues.  So I'll keep that in mind reviewing this issue #5 only. The actual credits are listed on this page. As shown previously above.

Splash Page:  None / as the story appears to continue from the previous issue.

Pages 2 - 24: The rest of the story.

Then 5 pages of Houses Ads & a letter from the President / Publisher of Radical Publishing on the inside back cover.

Back Cover:  On the Cover of this Cover 'A', it is the wraparound cover.  I am not aware of what the Cover 'B' back cover shows.

So...What did I think of this issue, coming in at the tail end of the story?

Well, first let me speak of the storyline.  I'm glad there was a 'previously' paragraph on the inside front cover.  That helped! I was able to pick up on what had been going on earlier, but had a little trouble identifying the characters who were in this storyline. Again, that is why I normally don't pick up the last issue to read first!

The artwork: I found that the story flowed with this artwork.  There was a bit of 'red', (blood), in several panels, but I came in on a battle that was going on. Not overly gory, and the battle was soon over.  The style of the art fit this genre.

The colors:  I found that the colors used for this issue to be complementary and not over the top.  Some fight scenes today are overly gory in presentation...this was not. Good coloring on this issue.

The lettering:  Todd Klein is a pro at this.  Another good job in placing the word balloons, especially on some pages that were heavy in text.

Note:  The Hercules Logo and character design were by Jim Steranko...Yes, THAT Jim Steranko. 'Nuff Said!

Overall, if this last issue in this mini-series is representative of the entire five issues, then this would be a comic book series that I would enjoy reading.

Although I am a big fan of Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless, I was never a fanatic of the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys TV Show, which ran for 6 seasons.  From what I could see from this final issue of the comic book mini-series, this is definitely not like the TV Show.  It's more of an epic story instead of a classic adventure yarn type of storytelling.

I would give this issue #5 by itself, a Very Fine Plus (VF+) 8.5 out of a 10.0 grading scale, due to the fact that I haven't read the earlier issues, so I had missed the beginning and middle of the storyline. Again, that is not this mini-series' fault that I missed the earlier issues. I'm just grading this based on what is presented only in issue #5. 

As I said earlier, this was a recent mini-series. This was cover dated for December 2009. For info on how YOU can see more AND order this comic book, check the following web site: Radical Publishing - Hercules - where you can see the other covers, and maybe wait for the TPB (Trade Paper Back), that is in the Pre-Order stage right now.

My thanks to Doug Sirois for bringing this comic book mini-series to my attention.  Doug does NOT have a Facebook Fan Page, so I will instead show his own web site address here: DougSirois.com. I took a look at it, and found it to have quite a few examples of his works!

~ Michael D Hamersky @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com

Note: Our own online comic book store carries many different genres of comics and graphic novels, including Hercules, Xena and other Comics in this genre at:

http://www.comicbookscircus.com/

 

---

 

"Hammering Out the Web For You Since May 12th, 1998!"       Note: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:     Make It So Marketing Inc. PO Box 130653 Carlsbad, CA 92013

Check Out More Of Our Own Endeavors:   Yeah, that's me in the photo shown to the left, taken at the 1973 San Diego Comic Con! I first set up as a 'dealer' at the 1972 SDCC at the El Cortez Hotel. So I've been around comic conventions for a little while, LOL!   Tina and I now have an on-line exhibitor table at the first "virtual" comic con titled the "Facebook Comic Con" (FBCC)! You can view our table and interact with us there on Facebook by clicking this link.  So if YOU are a Facebook member, please 'join' our Facebook Comic Con - Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, links to this blog, and other wall comments that we post every day!    Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'.         ------------------- Talking about comics: if YOU are a comics creator, (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, etc.), OR even a Comics / Magazine Publisher, feel free to contact me regarding YOUR works for a possible mention / review! I've made a special blog post about: "How To Best Submit YOUR Publication For Possible Review!" for those creators / publishers that would like to possibly have their publications mentioned or reviewed. Just click on the link provided in this paragraph! ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently. The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768. NOTE; All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

 

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3134:

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3133:

So what's this comic book about? Here's the background info from the web site:

"Thanks for stopping by to check out Vesuvius Johnson! When is the last time you read a comic book by two guys who really know what it's like to jump out of a plane at altitudes that require Oxygen with over 100lbs of gear, guns and ammo strapped to them? Mike Naylor and Jeff Clemens are those two guys and they're proud to bring you this one of a kind Superhero. Vesuvius Johnson! Nobody knows action first hand better than Mike and Jeff. Both are Ex-Military Special Operations Veterans with real world adventures under their utility belts! Don’t miss this once in a lifetime chance to jump on the train while it's still at the station! Get on board! We need you! Vesuvius Johnson needs you! Your adventure with Vesuvius Johnson starts here and now.

Who and what is Vesuvius Johnson? Born from the fiery core of this earth, Vesuvius Johnson is unlike any other superhero to have ever set foot on the planet. Have you heard of Mother Nature? Let’s just say he is a very close relative to her with an ugly edge and much less forgiving.”

So what's 'My Take' on this first comic of the series in 2010?

Front Cover:  This is illustrated in a different style than from yesterday's reviewed comic book by the same artist. Definitely can tell why there's a person called 'Vesuvius' just from the cover page though!

Inside Front Cover:  Used as a 'Credits' Page: Besides being created and written by Mike W Naylor, co-created with art by Jeff Clemens, we also see that the coloring is by Antonio Mastria, with lettering by Wayne Powers.  Plus their web site's url is shown.

Splash Page / First Page: Not used as a 'splash page'. Starts right in with the storyline.

The storyline is 'heavy' in dialogue. So much so, that several pages have more than 6 panels in them.

Yet after the last panel on page 25, there is a 'to be continued' sign.  Of course I do realize that the front cover did say 'Day One', so it makes sense there would be a continued story happening here.

So what about the artwork?  Well, to me it's reminiscent of some underground comix artwork, which is NOT saying it's bad or good, just that it has a little of that 'feel' to me. And I do like several underground comix both Silver / Bronze Ages & today's Modern Age of Comics.

Although pages 4 & 5 used the old school standard of 3 panels to a row with 3 rows / nine total panels, there is the other extreme shown on pages 8 & 9, where the panels are inserted with a 'road' track to connect them from page 8 to page 9, and then back to page 8 and then ending at page 9. Whew!  So the artwork is definitely something to watch in this issue!

The colors used are wide ranging, from being 'subdued' to 'in your face', and then somewhere inbetween again! I'm reminded a little of underground comix again, where the 'boundaries' of colors are challenged.

The lettering was done very well, considering the different formats the panels were placed in on the pages mentioned above.  Good job on the fonts used, and the sound effects used!

Overall, I would give this introductory issue a 'Fine / Very Fine' (F/VF) 7.0 comic book grade, (out of a 10.0 Mint grading scale).

The cover price of $4.99 could be considered a 'little' high, even though there were enough pages, 25 of them, including the inside back cover as an 'interior page' in the story.

Only the back cover could be considered an 'ad page', even though it was the ad page that the printer,(ComiXPress), used to show that they were the printers. (Part of the printing process / contract.)

I think that the concept of this comic book series is a good one. Just that the execution of this 1st Issue could have been 'tightened' a little more.  Maybe the 'looseness' of this issue is what reminded me more of what older 'underground comix' were like, and what some of the ones being published today are like.

Overall, this 1st introductory issue enticed me enough to check out the comic's web site, and see what the plans are for the future of this series. 

I am suggesting that you check it out also, as there are several pages from this 1st issue on that web site, and you can see for yourself what I commented on above, and thus make your own decision on this series.  You can't beat that!  You get a 'review' here and a link to preview a few pages of the same story!

For info on how YOU can see more AND order this comic book, check the following web site: www.VesuviusJohnson.com  - where you can read the bios of the creators, their upcoming con schedules, and much, much more!

Also, "Vesuvius Johnson" has a Facebook Member Account, and NOT a Fan Page.  So if YOU are a Facebook Member, feel free to send a 'Friends Request to 'him' at his Facebook member account by clicking here!

My thanks to Mike W Naylor & Jeff Clemens, for submitting this first issue of the series for possible review! You can also see what Mike and Jeff are currently working on together and separately by visiting http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0623295/ for Mike and www.JeffClemens.com for Jeff!

~ Michael D Hamersky @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com

Note: Our online comic book store carries many different genres of comics and graphic novels, including Underground and Super-hero Comics at:

http://www.comicbookscircus.com/

 

---

 

"Hammering Out the Web For You Since May 12th, 1998!"       Note: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works! To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:     Make It So Marketing Inc. PO Box 130653 Carlsbad, CA 92013

Check Out More Of Our Own Endeavors:   Yeah, that's me in the photo shown to the left, taken at the 1973 San Diego Comic Con! I first set up as a 'dealer' at the 1972 SDCC at the El Cortez Hotel. So I've been around comic conventions for a little while, LOL!   Tina and I now have an on-line exhibitor table at the first "virtual" comic con titled the "Facebook Comic Con" (FBCC)! You can view our table and interact with us there on Facebook by clicking this link.  So if YOU are a Facebook member, please 'join' our Facebook Comic Con - Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, links to this blog, and other wall comments that we post every day!    Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'.         ------------------- Talking about comics: if YOU are a comics creator, (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, etc.), OR even a Comics / Magazine Publisher, feel free to contact me regarding YOUR works for a possible mention / review! I've made a special blog post about: "How To Best Submit YOUR Publication For Possible Review!" for those creators / publishers that would like to possibly have their publications mentioned or reviewed. Just click on the link provided in this paragraph! ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently. The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768. NOTE; All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

 

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3132:

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3131: