Tag Archives: greg rucka

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Black Magick (Volume One) by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott – A Book Review

Black Magick kept earning all sorts of praise so I finally got a copy of the first volume entitled Awakening.  The premise is that Rowan Black is a tough-as-nails detective by day and a witch by night.  Not the flying on the broom kind, but rather the sort who communes with nature and is able to tap into realities beyond normal human understanding.

Greg Rucka is an above average writer who particularly excels at crisp dialogue that often progresses a story line logically and engagingly.  He has created a cast of well-rounded characters that will surely become even more interesting as the series continues.

Nicola Scott is a phenomenal artist with a superb grip on anatomy and, like Rucka, knows how to pace her drawings to always move the story forward fluidly and fetchingly.  Her colors are also subtle yet they set the tone magnificently in more hues of grey than I thought possible.

But even with all that being said I can’t say Black Magick particularly captured my interest.  I’m not excited to read the next installment and really don’t find myself all that invested in Rowan Black’s ensuing tale.

That’s not to say you won’t like it, though.  If hard-nosed detective stories with a dash of the supernatural are your thing, you may very well enjoy it.  After all, Black Magick features the work of two of the best in the industry.

Image result for black magick volume one cover

 

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Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1 – A (Comic) Book Review

Wonder Woman is nothing if not a contradiction.  She is warrior of peace, after all.  She absolutely believes in truth and justice, yet she will fight to the death in pursuit of those things.  This complexity of character, an attribute that has always accompanied Wonder Woman, came especially to the forefront during Brian Azzarello’s masterful time on the title.  Within the last six years, it came to light that she was not only the child of the Amazon queen but also of Zeus himself!  To further add depth to the icon, she eventually became the God of War!

Greg Rucka embraces all of these contradictions and uses them to create a gripping first installment to what appears to be a captivating story line.  In Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1, Wonder Woman remembers two distinct pasts, two separate lives, and she wants nothing more than the truth concerning these contradictory recollections.  She uses a unique approach to achieve this desired truth which sets her on a new path, and this new journey will seemingly put her in direct conflict with the entity Wally West is warning of in DC Universe: Rebirth #1.  I love that already Batman, Flash, and Wonder Woman know something is amiss, that they are being manipulated and watched, and it’s only a matter of time before they do something about it …

Two artists are featured within this issue.  Matthew Clark handled the Wonder Woman for whom we are familiar, and then, half way through the book, Liam Sharp takes over when Wonder Woman ditches her New 52 costume and adopts more traditional armor befitting an Amazon warrior.  Consequently, this new armor is very similar to what she wore in her big screen debut last March.

Rucka, like Azzarello, delivers a complicated, multifaceted Wonder Woman with a clear mission in mind.  He is treating her with dignity, respect, and as the capable hero she is.  Like The Flash: Rebirth #1, this issue seems integral to the overall story unfolding within the DC Universe.

I left Wonder Woman after Azzarello’s departure because I didn’t care for the way the new creators handled her, but Rucka has definitely brought me back.  I can’t wait to join Wonder Woman as she discovers her truth.

 

 

 

 

 

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Lazarus: Family by Greg Rucka – A Book Review

I picked up Lazarus out of curiosity because Amazon kept suggesting I read it.  I’m familiar with Greg Rucka’s work, so I thought it would be worth my time.

The first volume of Lazarus, entitled Family, did not disappoint, though I must admit that I probably won’t follow the series.

The world is now owned by the very wealthiest of people, called Family, and everyone else is simply considered Waste.  Each of these Families has a protector, and they are called the Lazarus.  Family focuses on one particular Lazarus called Forever.  She believes she is among the adult children of the family Carlye, and while she is certainly the favorite, she is not what she believes.

Forever has the ability to mend from virtually any attack, so survive almost any encounter.  She seems to be an expert warrior, well-versed in any and all weaponry, and agile beyond compare.  However, the reader must wonder if she’s intended to have the morality she’s developing, especially as it becomes even more apparent this is not a conventional human being.

Family involves a lot of action, plenty of intrigue and deception, interesting political and societal implications, and stunning art, but it didn’t capture my imagination enough to keep me invested.  However, that doesn’t make it “bad.”  I think those readers who enjoy such stories will find it captivating.