Robin the Hood # 2 Review

ROBIN THE HOOD # 2

Written by Ken Janssens

Art by Bob Gordon & ESCOMIC

Bluewater Productions

This will be a Spoiler Free Review.

                Robin has a small showdown with the Sheriff in front of Marian, who Robin seemed to have tried to rob. Afterward, we find get some face time between Marian and Robin, who seems to like her. The Sheriff, after the battle, ends up deciding to get some help. And there is a traitor about.

THE GOOD:

                The story was pretty solid. It was paced well. The dialogue felt good and authentic of the time.  Janssens has a good sense of pacing, as each scene didn’t feel as it went too long or too short. I do like his Robin: brash, adventurous and slightly conceited with touches of a good heart and a man who would work hard. Marian definitely seems like a stronger woman in this than in previous incarnations.

                The characters are presented well. And Janssens keeps it interesting by throwing in a little mystery here and there in the book.

THE BAD:

                Okay. There are times where the art is decent and there are some really good panels. But then, Gordon and ESCOMIC drop the ball several times throughout the book. There are panels that I believe that the art seems too thick and sketched, as there are times where people’s faces are too messed up to be seen. Now, I know that gets hard for people in the distance but there were some that there was no excuse for it. I know the art and color are pretty heavy … and I can see that there is a good amount of style. It was solid at the start of the book but just plummets by the end.  This is NOT good. The style is thick and can deliver good art by man … the overly thick black outlines and some of the coloring make the art look unappealing in many panels. I would say 50% of the book had solid art and 50% did not. It feels like after the first few pages, it was a rush job.  And from the earlier pages, I know Gordon & ESCOMIC can do better.

FINAL VERDICT:

                Story is good. The art is meh. There was a lot of potential artistically that gets dropped. That is my main issue with this book.  Robin the Hood # 2 gets a 2.5 out of 5.

CoW: Cover of the Week 10/4/12

CoW: Cover of the Week 10/4/12

It's me again BI readers, Darryll 'YTC' Carter, with a brand new CoW: Cover of the Week. Typically I only talk about the cover bringing the Golden Udder home. But since I have been gone awhile; in honor of you all I will post three covers. And they are....

Detective Comics #13
(DC Comics)
Cover by Jason Fabok

This Detective Comics cover features the Caped Crusader himself and long time nuisance the Penguin. While the Penguin himself isn't particularly cause for alarm among us Batman readers, the actually layout of the cover is what caught my eye. It's just a nice classic compilation. The hero is in the foreground and the villain is leering over him. I presume that's Comissioner Gordon in the background accompanied by an ominous full moon and a small piece of the Gotham City skyline. It very effectively sets the tone, expertly standing by colors we associate with the night, mystery and the Dark Knight.

Spaceknights #1
(Marvel)
Cover by Chris Batista
This first issue of Spaceknights is on the list because of the nostalgia it created. I picked up the issue, looked it over and realized it reminded me of G-Force/Gatchaman. The hero busts in the foreground and then their alternate selves soaring through space in the background. Its neat. I really dig the yellow and blue suit in the center. One thing i did notice though, is that the armor they're wearing below is not the same as armors soaring above. There's probably a plot explanation for that.

GOLDEN UDDER WINNER

Robyn Hood #1
(Zenescope)
Cover (C) by Stjepan Sejic

Last but certainly not least, in fact this is my favorite cover of week and the Golden Udder winner; Robyn Hood #1. I read the title of this book and saw the replaced the 'I' in Robin with a 'Y'. Then I saw that it was a Zenescope book and automatically concluded it would revolve around a female Robin Hood, which is bad-ass to say the least. There are three covers for this  book. Cover A by Eric Basadula is pretty awesome. I love the fairytale feel of the cover that the colors bring out. Cover B by Greg Horn features some great art. But it lacks color and the imposing stature that Cover A brings.




Cover C is by far the best of the three. The painted feel of the colors seems more of a match for a Robin Hood tale. The action pose is stereotypical of Robin Hood and with that comes a bad-ass factor. When you add in the flaming arrow, the hint of a burning blaze in the foreground and the arrow in her mouth; you come out with a winner. I'm picking this up.