1st Impressions: JACK HAMMER # 3

JACK HAMMER # 3
Written by Brandon Barrows
Art by Ionic
Action Labs Entertainment

FLIPPING THROUGH:

                Jack, with the help of Ramona, finds a way to piece together what’s been going on. It seems that the company Technotrends has had some dirty dealings. The CEO, Eddie Newman, found out about them and hence the beginning of this series. As more and more answers are uncovered, the mastermind behind the whole caper is making his final moves to deal with Jack … once and for all.

ART:

                Ionic does a pretty good job here.  All the characters are well rendered and this is more detail this issue than in last with the backgrounds and characters. We got some pretty decent classic background work from Ionic.  The movement of the characters look more fluid this issue, which makes the action stand out more during those moments during the second half.

                Solid, classic panel work here; definitely going with the noir, crime drama feel of the book. Ionic makes sure the colors are not too vivid; thus, creating a great atmosphere for the issue and the overall genre of the comic. While some of his perspective shots with characters in the distance aren’t very detailed, but do not take away from the book this issue.

WRITING:

                Meanwhile, Barrows produce a good issue as he speeds towards the arc’s climax. Barrows presents a very capable detective in Jack Hammer as he starts filling in holes to the mystery behind Eddie Newman’s death and the kidnapping of his wife by super-powered thugs.

                What I love about the book is that the super powers are very much secondary. Barrows focuses more on the plot and mystery aspects of the book. This allows Barrows to really focus on Jack as a characters and even feel more relatable.  Thus, the battle at the end of the book feels a bit more exciting, because the stakes feel much higher.  This isn’t a world where super powers are as common place as Marvel or DC … they are a bit stricter here. There is a good grasp of reality that helps give the book a strong identity and it shines very much this issue.  

                The book is paced extremely well as it goes on a consistent uphill climb towards the climax. The dialogue feels authentic with good homage to old noir or gumshoe flicks. Barrows presents the pieces of the mystery coming together very well, allowing Jack to be our guide. The villain’s reveal seemed a bit typical till you actually got into his/her motivation.  Barrow shines as we see super powers dealt with a bit differently here.

                Barrow’s does produce a good issue. The only thing that is keeping it from being a great issue is that it’s a bit dialogue heavy. Sure. There is a lot happening ; but there is a large amount of dialogue that ends up interrupting the flow. Otherwise, a solid job from Barrows.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                This issue was good. It moved towards the climax. There was a lot happening but didn’t feel cluttered.  The art was good and the writing was strong. The dialogue heaviness of it might interrupt the flow a little. Otherwise, a great read.

RATING:

                I give Jack Hammer # 3 an 8 … out of 10. Pick it up now!

Comic News: Devil's Due & Manning Join Forces For Print & Digital MR. RHEE

DEVIL’S DUE, DIRK MANNING INK DEAL FOR MR. RHEE 

Devil’s Due to Collect for Print, Digital Release

CHICAGO, IL: Devil’s Due Entertainment has signed horror writer Dirk Manning to release comic book based on his successful horror/noir online comic, Tales of Mr. Rhee. The existing web series is to be collected into a print volume, as well as made available on digital comic platforms. Future “Mr. Rhee” content is also in the tentative planning stages.

The story of Mr. Rhee goes:

Five years ago Hell invaded Earth in a “nightmare world” scenario, only for the demons to be driven back into the abyss after three days of world-wide oppression.

Society has now rebuilt itself, though, and everything is back to normal…or so most people choose to believe.

There are still wicked things left behind that occasionally emerge from the shadows, prompting the involvement of the cryptic and enigmatic paranormal troubleshooter known only as “Mr. Rhee.”

“Tales of Mr. Rhee makes perfect sense as the next addition to the Devil’s Due family” says Josh Blaylock, founder of the Devil’s Due brand. “Dirk is a work horse, constantly promoting his titles, and looking for a different approach to how publishing is handled, and that is the kind of creator we’re looking for. Plus, Mr. Rhee is just a wonderfully sick and twisted collection of horror stories I couldn’t resist.”

Manning adds, “Tales of Mr. Rhee is a series I’ve wanted to take from web to print for a long time, but I’ve been waiting for the right set of circumstances which would allow me to reward the most die-hard fans of the series with a really cool bookshelf edition while also being able to unleash the franchise on the mainstream market. Bringing the series to Devil’s Due will allow me to offer existing fans a deluxe edition collection of the series while also introducing new comic readers to the character who is about to become their new favorite horror comic icon.”

Look for details regarding the print release of Tales of Mr. Rhee to be announced soon, with product shipping this Winter. Manning and Devil’s Due intend to utilize a combination of digital distribution, national store distribution and crowd funding platforms to maximize the success of Rhee, as well as exploring options in other areas of the entertainment field.

ABOUT DEVIL’S DUE ENTERTAINMENT: Devil’s Due Entertainment is a comic book publisher and incubator of diverse pop culture content. As “cartographers” drawing the maps in an uncharted world of new media, Devil’s Due brings together a vertically integrated platform to develop stories and fantasy worlds, and then implement the circulation of that content. In addition to its own creations, the company is servicing the needs of its partners who want to draw attention to and monetize their brands in merchandising, film, television, and various channels in the pop culture space.

ABOUT DIRK MANNING:Manning is best known as the writer/creator of the horror comic series Nightmare World from Image Comics/Shadowline and the ongoing inspirational column/book collection Write or Wrong: “A Writer’s Guide to Creating Comics”(Bleeding Cool/Transfuzion Publishing). Other works include Love Stories (to Die For) and several short films for the popular YouTubehorror series BlackBoxTV. Dirk lives on the Internet and can be found online at www.DirkManning.com as well as at Facebook and Twitter.