February 2015 Comic Book Reviews

Meteor Men

Jeff Parker
Oni Press
Street: 10.15.14
What was supposedly a star shower, the largest meteor shower that has ever been seen, turns into something even more spectacular when the rocks start colliding with Earth. Alden, a 16-year-old boy, is the eyes of this book, and you watch through his eyes the beginning of mankind’s end as aliens emerge from the meteors. It’s all unclear exactly what they want and why they are here, but Alden is special and connects with the aliens. It’s a creepy read—as humans continue their daily lives as aliens shift in the background, while they are protecting Alden with serious consequences abound. Meteor Men ends on a cliffhanger: creating more questions than answers—but definitely leaves you wanting more. –Rebecca Frost

Midas Flesh
Ryan North
Boom! Studios
Street:12.23.14
A science fiction approach to an old Greek Myth, the “golden touch” is explored as weapon of mass destruction. The story follows the crew of “The Prospector” spaceship, who seek a weapon to destroy the evil empire, “The Federation.” Little is revealed about The Federation, except that they enjoyed annihilating the home planet of Cooper, the Prospector’s acting Science Officer. The illustrations complement the flow of the story, building up when appropriate and darkening when turmoil is present. Ryan North delivers a clean, smooth plot, and Shelli Paroline and Brandon Lamb capture the essence of North’s characters flawlessly through their artwork, demonstrating a perfect balance between the writing and illustrations. The book is clearly composed for a younger generation in mind (nothing more harsh than a “dang” is ever read), and yet, it still managed to keep me intrigued. That may say more about my own mindset, though. While main characters Joey, Cooper and Fatima slowly start to reveal their back stories, I look forward to discovering more about the war and why each of them are so eager to rally against The Federation. Midas Flesh should be treated as safety measure after binge-watching indie horror films on Netflix—its fairy tale components appropriately serve as a bedtime story. –Andrea Silva


Nelvana of The Northern Lights
Adrian Dingle
IDW
Street: 12.09.14
Sure, we all give Canada a hard time, but they are light years ahead of the United States in some regards: health care, handsome men named Ryan and female superheroes. Nelvana of The Northern Lights was one of the first female superheroes ever introduced, gracing pages before Wonder Woman, back in 1941. In 2013, Hope Nicholson and her partner Rachel Richey took to Kickstarter to fund a reprint of the original Nelvana comics, and raised $54,876 in five days—double their initial goal. The book features restored art and original comics that debuted from 1941 through 1947, and deserves a read if you’re into characters like the new Lady Thor, She-Hulk and Captain Marvel. –Rebecca Frost