Tag Archives: Zenescope

COMICS

Comic Review: Vampire Emmy and the Garbage Girl

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VAMPIRE-EMMY-AND-THE-GARBAGE-GIRL_Page_1Publisher: Margins Publishing

Creative Team: Pat Shand and Roberta Ingranta

Letters: Jim Campbell

Cover Colors: Jen Hickman

 

 

 

The creative team behind the successful comic Robyn Hood from Zenescope Entertainment, Pat Shand and Roberta Ingranata have collaborated on a black and white one shot, VAMPIRE EMMY AND THE GARBAGE GIRL.

Emmy is a laid back Netflix and chill kind of Vampire. Happy to just lay back and spend her day watching TV and eating her bloody chess fries. That all changes one day when Emmy forgets to get her garbage out and meets the new garbage person. Love at first site. Except for one problem, the new garbage person is human. Maybe?

Emmy has a small problem with human relationships. They don’t last. The problem is they don’t  understand Emmy’s special needs(no garlic in the pasta) or Emmy out living them.

VAMPIRE EMMY AND THE GARAGE GIRL is a love story.  A love story between two different people but who are also the same.  Emmy and Annabelle have the same problems as any normal romance. How does one introduce one self? The award attempt of introduction. Specially  when a raccoon keeps stealing them from the garbage can.

Once again Pat Shand writing makes his books fun to read and down to earth. Pat has a way with dialogue that no matter who is talking, vampire, ghost, ghoul or were…….. it is normal and down to earth. The way people talk everyday. This story is between to woman but Pat has been able to tell their story without hitting you on the head that it is a story of two woman.  This is a story of courtship, taking those first steps and how they effect everyone. Straight, gay, black, white and even the living dead and a were ………?

Roberta Ingranata works gets better every time I see it. I have to say the choice of doing this book in black and white is the right choice. I feel that if done in color the book may have lost some of it’s appeal. The black and white really helps Roberta’s work shine.  Especially on page 11, panel 5. The sun light flaring against Annabelle’s face. Then the contrast of Emmy shinning through the shadows. Great stuff.

VAMPIRE EMMY AND THE GARBAGE GIRL will debut at Heroes Con on Friday, June 17th and be online in early June (date TBA). Readers who want to learn more about the book and get updates as launch approaches can follow along at www.marginspublishing.com. You can also pre-order if you wish to do so.

Give VAMPIRE EMMY AND THE GARBAGE GIRL a shot. You won’t regret it.

COMICS, Zenescope

Comic Review: Hellchild #1 of 5

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Screen Shot 2016-03-06 at 7.01.43 PMPublisher: Zenescope

Writer: Pat Shand

Art: Vincenzo Riccardi

Colors: Eleonora Bruni

Letters: Jim Campbell

Release Date: 3/23/16

 

Thousands of years ago, Hades, the God of the
Underworld, had a daughter named Angelica.
Because of his own foolish schemes, Angelica was
tragically killed. But present day Hades is a changed
man. In a committed relationship with vampire
hunter, Liesel Van Helsing, Hades has taken to
fighting evil. However, as a new threat rises up in
New York City, Van Helsing and Hades will be forced
to face the consequences of his past evils. This is
the story of the Hellchild…

Source: Hellchild

Yeah okay that is cheating just copying and pasting that part out of the inside page. Just giving you a idea of what is going on here. So there.

After a small introduction to our lead characters.  We a thrust forward to a lovely battle between some juiced up vamps, Hades and the Liesel Van Helsing. Oh yeah there is kid vamp here. Nice touch. Looks and acts like a rabid monkey. Screen Shot 2016-03-06 at 10.28.05 PM

A common thread I have been finding in story telling is the not being honest with the one you love. Again this shows up here as Van Helsing takes something to Hades. Van Helsing plans on surprising Hades and we all now that not going to turn out good.

Vamps trying to take control, Vamps trying to raise a dead Morgana and Van Helsing trying to raise Hades dead daughter. There is a whole lot of action is this first issue. Oh hell there is another Vamp up to no good also. These stories are nicely weaved together and you do not get lost wondering what is going on.

Oh just so you know this book is not all staby, staby and bringing the dead back to life. There is a humorous scene in the lower levels of the city where Leslie is called Marian’s ‘Little Friend’. Of course this does not end well for one of the bouncers they meet.

Pat Shand does what a writer should do in the first book. Lay down the ground work to the introduction characters and story.  Also getting the reader wondering what coming next. Pat also moves between comedy and horror making the book much more enjoyable to read.

Art by Vincenzo Riccardi does a good job of moving that action along. The fighting action from panel to panel is done well.

In the end I give Hellchild #1 or 5 a 3.5 pops out of 5. Not a bad book for a #1 but lets see how it moves forward from here.

Remember comics are to be enjoyed. Not destroyed.

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COMICS, Zenescope

Review: Inferno – Resurrection #1

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infernoPublisher: Zenescope

Writer: Ralph Tedesco

Artist: Antonio Bifulco

Colors: Erick Arciniega

Letter: Jim Campbell

Release Date 1/13/16

This is the first issue of a 5 part series and like most first issues this is a introduction to our lead characters.  Our lead is Mercy Dante a one time assassin that after killing herself gets a second chance. This time working for the Devil.  The Devil has a small problem with some of the horde from below escaping to the above world and need to be returned.

A chance encounter with a young woman during one of Mercy hunts sets up the story that will lead Mercy to the villain of the series, Mr Russell. Mr Russell is a local gangster in Los Angeles that happens to use escaped demons from hell as muscle to collect out standing debts.  Also we learn later that  Mr Russell also has a taste for the dark side of life.

Writer Ralph Tedesco does a good job of introducing the new reader to Mercy.  Giving the reader a quick history of Mercy and how she got her second chance. The reader is given a small hint of a character in her past but you don’t need to know to enjoy this first book.  The story did grab me enough to follow up with the next book in the series.  The dialogue between characters feels natural and moves the story along at a good pace.

Art by Antonio Bifulco is fantastic and some of the best I have seen in the Zenescope line.  Zenescope has begun to line up some impressive talent and it is really shows. I have always been a art guy first and the work of Antonio caught my attention. I also have to say with the help of colorist Erick Arciniega, Antonio facial expressions and creepy melting faces really pop out.

So in the end I give Inferno – Resurrection #1 3.5 pops out of 5.

Remember comics are to be enjoyed. Not destroyed.

LLAP/POBS

 

 

COMICS, Zenescope

Comic Review: Van Helsing Vs Dracula

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Screen Shot 2015-08-06 at 9.05.13 PMPublisher: Zenescope

Writer: Pat Shand

Art: Michele Bandini

Colors: Walter Pereyra

Letters: Jim Campbell

Editor: Nicole Glade

Once again with creative writing and great art, Zenescope has created another interesting story updating old characters and placing them in the present. Zenescope has slowly been moving their characters to more of a real world(yes I know it is comics) and away from the magical realm of their earlier stories.

Each story now flows into a world where magic and the occult are present. Van Helsing Vs Dracula keeps the movement going forward.

Van Helsing is living the live or in this case her job as a vampire killer. Pat Shand has again written a character that speaks and thinks like we do. Sometime serious and other times using humor to remove tension. As her father before her, her Nemesis is Dracula. Besides follow in the family business, Van Helsing has vengeance on her mind because Dracula turned her father and she was forced to kill him.

When a friend calls,  Harker asking for help for his infected girlfriend, Mina. Van Helsing sets of with her boyfriend.  Now her boyfriend happens to be Hades. Hades has something going on behind Van Helsing’s back. Ummmmm what could it be? Hades and Harker don’t see eye to eye and it builds some extra tension in the room. Both Van Helsing and Hades have a different method of finding out what is effecting  Mina. Looking forward to see how Pat writes this coming conflict.

The art work of Michele Bandini is great. Clean and with hints of Anime influence in his art style. Michele does a great job of mixing North American and Anime. The two things that caught my attention were two simple things. First our heroine is not wearing high heels.  Finally someone give us a practically foot wear. I have a hard time believing that woman would wear high heels to battle.  Second is one small thing, Van Helsing drooling as she sleeps in the arms of Hardes.  Not the most attractive thing but it makes the character more real to me. If only Van Helsing outfit  would become more battle particle.

Hey Van Helsing is hot for 200 years old but fish net stockings to fight vampires, really?

Van Helsing Vs Dracula is a very entertaining read and well worth your money.

I give Van Helsing VS Dracula 4 pops out of 5.

Remember comics are to be enjoyed. Not destroyed.

LLAP/POBS

John G M Burke

Oh one small thing guys. You missed a arm Harkers glass on page 5, first panel. But hey I just a nerd.

COMICS, Podcast, Zenescope

Ep 40 Chat With Pat

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Ep 40 Chat With Pat

This episode I get a chance to talk to Pat Shand from Zenescope Entertainment. Pat and I talk about his new creator owned book Family Pets. Also we chat about Robyn Hood, Red Riding Hood, Buffy and about woman in comics and how we would love to see more woman involved in all aspects of comics. Plus so much more.

Check out this episode!

COMICS, Zenescope

Comic Review: GFT- Red Riding Hood One Shot

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Screen Shot 2015-06-05 at 7.59.36 PMGFT – Red Riding Hood One Shot

Publisher: Zenescope

Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco

Writer: Jeff Massey

Artist: Chris Johnson

Colors: Saida Temofonte

Zenescope it celebrating it’s 10th year in the comic business and to mark that celebration the company is producing a group of six one-shot stories. The first of two of these one shots are SNOW WHITE and RED RIDING HOOD.  These 2 books should be on your local comic store shelf by the time your read this or at least at the end of June. I have been fortune enough to read the first two and of those I enjoyed Red Riding Hood the most.

I am still getting accustom to the Zenescope Grimm Fairy Tale world but I have been finding myself enjoying the more ground in the real world stories. Yes I know it is not a real world but with the mix of fantasy and more earthly stories I enjoy the ones based on earth.

I have not followed any of the previous Red Riding Hood stories so the adventures of Britney Waters. My only knowledge of her is from an adventure with Robyn Hood. That being said I am glad this is my first full introduction to her.

Britney Waters is a described as a ninja, psychiatrist that is also a lycanthrope(Werewolf). Her job as a  bounty hunter in Los Angeles has her hunting down both humans and the supernatural. I have to say I had a ball reading this book. Jeff Massey has what I like to call a true writing style. Meaning that the dialogue between the characters feels natural. Britney’s conversation with the old fellow she shares her place with very down to earth and real.

The art work of Chris Johnson really caught my eye. The work on the faces on all the characters really helped the improve on already great dialogue. The movement of the characters also very well done. The only thing for me that I did not really enjoy was the coloring done by Leonardo Paciarotti(sorry Leonardo). I felt that the wash out aspects really did not work for me. I have to say mostly in the faces. It distracted me.

The book for me was a good and fun read. I find not knowing much about the Grimm Fairy Tale world does hurt when I am read other books from Zenescope. Hopefully more books will slowly move to more earth based adventure and story telling.

In the end I give Red Riding Hood – One Shot a 4 out of 5. I also hope that the time of Jeff Massey and Chris Johnson do more adventures of Red Riding Hood (RRH). I would love to read more.

Oh the end of the book made me laugh out load.

Remember comics are to be enjoyed. Not destroyed

LLAP/POBS

John G M Burke

 

 

COMICS, Zenescope

Comic Review: The Little Mermaid #1-4

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Screen Shot 2015-05-18 at 9.50.41 PMThe Little Mermaid #1-4

Publisher: Zenescope

Story: Joe Brusha

Writer: Meredith Finch

Art: Miguel Mendonca

Color: Ivan Nunes

Zenescope has once again taken a childhood story and updated it to a more adult fare. This is no Disney ‘Little Mermaid’ story.  The story is one of  missing child. A Romeo and Juliet love story with a little that crazy scientist trying to create a army of mer-people.

Liz Fisher is the mom and her Romeo, Issoro fell in love and their forbidden love produced a child, Erica. But at the time of her birth the baby is stolen and given to another family.  Into the story comes the witch of the underseas, Ursula. In all honesty I never sure that the witches name is every said. The character even though sexier then her counter part at Disney is the same. Color and all.  Ursula promise to help the couple get back their baby. Of course their is a catch. There is always a catch.

Erica story is one of survival. She has to figure out how to escape her prison before her usefulness has run out. At times these mer-people can say……hulk out and become more powerful. This is what the evil and typical mad scientist wants to create his army.  You tell me and you don’t see Ursula and crazy sci guy are working together.

So far Meredith Finch story is interesting but really not spell binding. Is it bad, hell no but it is not riveting.  Trying to create a very interesting story is hard with the limitation set forth in a world or mermaids. The main interest for me is seeing how in book 5 Meredith combines the plot of the lead villains.  How is she going to get a satisfying ending.

The art of Miguel  Mendonca is enjoyable not hard on the eyes.  The look of the book is what I think is the Zenescope style. At times to dark and  heavy in the shading department. Okay I may not be able to describe the style but if you pick up a few different books you will see it.

To boil it down boys and girls, GFT: The Little Mermaid is a nice read. Not great but it is interesting. Again hopefully the ending will make this book a better read to suggest getting the trade.  If you can wait for the trade I would suggest that.

I give the books 1-4 a 3 out of 5

Remember comics are to be enjoyed. Not destroyed.

LLAP/POBS

John G M Burke