Yes, since I didn’t do the daily comic reviews over my vacation, I’m just going to do the remaining comic reviews for this week here. (I did get Cartoon Network Action Pack #48 done, at least. But first: Jake & Leon.

I knew I forgot something this week.

I don’t think I’ve let on that Jake and Leon (and other characters that show up) are just acting in skits rather than just being a gag comic. All the fourth wall breaking explained, but there is still some “back stage” data to be found by clicking on the comic. Just like yesterday and the Showcase, I already let the the comic slide because of the site maintenance, but also because of Easter, so I didn’t feel like missing another one. But now on the other comics I read this week.

The Sixth Doctor in a nutshell.

Doctor Who Classics Series 3 #2

IDW Publishing (April 2010)

originally appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #92-94

WRITER: Steve Parkhouse

ARTIST: John Ridgeway

EDITOR: Alan McKenzie

IDW COLORS: Charlie Kirchoff

IDW EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton

IDW DESIGNER: Amauri Osorio

The Doctor and Frobisher discover a ship in the water surrounding the lighthouse, and that the old thief is an infamous Time Lord thief named Astrolabus. He has stolen Voyager’s maps to time and has decided to have the Doctor retrieve them…whether he wants to or not!

What they got right: An insane renegade thief. I like how Steve is willing to have more bad guy Time Lords (and not the whole race save one, Davies!), and it looks like the beginnings of a merry chase. I’ve actually read this story before, both in a friend’s collection and the Titan comics reprints (in the original black-and-white), so I already know what’s about to go down. That doesn’t make the stories any less interesting. Ridgeway’s art is very good here, enhanced by Kirchoff’s reprint coloring. No stubby-looking Doctor here.

What they got wrong: One thing I recall for this arc is that stuff happens that doesn’t make a lot of sense. Who are these guys really, and how do they seem to bend reality like they were the White and Black Guardians? For that matter, if Voyager is so darn powerful, what does he need the Doctor for? (I wonder if Voyager is supposed to be of the same race? That would answer…nothing, actually.)

Recommendation: Whatever its faults, this sets up a pretty neat story arc coming up that Steve has fun aplenty with, so it’s worth looking into.

Why put her on the cover? She's on two pages tops.

Mass Effect: Redemption #4 (FINALE)

Dark Horse Comics (April 2010)

STORY: Mac Walters

SCRIPT: John Jackson Miller

ART: Omar Francia

COLORIST: Michael Atiyeh

LETTERER: Michael Hiesler

COVER ART: Daryl Mandryk

After taking out the Broker’s men and his connection with the base, Liara and Feron race to rescue Shepard’s remains from the Collectors. Unfortunately, the Collectors maintain a telepathic link even across light years, and mess up our heroes’ plans. Liara is forced to leave Feron behind to get the remains back to Cerebus, but as the story ends she plans to rescue him as well. (Perhaps a plot point in the game?)

What they got right: I can’t really comment on the story here. While it ends OK on the comic end, the story leads into the video game, and not having played it (still haven’t finished the first game, and it’s been so long since I played I’m thinking about just starting over) I can’t tell if this contradicts the story or not. With one of the game writers part of this comic I would hope not. On the other hand, I can comment that the art and colors are beautiful.

What they got wrong: Again, I can’t tell without knowing more about the game.

Recommendation: As a stand-alone story, the series as a whole is good, but the ending isn’t as satisfactory as I would otherwise like. As far as a lead-in to Mass Effect 2, you’ll have to ask someone who played the game. Still, you should at least give the story a look-over.

Sadly does not happen in this comic.

The Phantom: Generations #10

Moonstone Entertainment (2010)

STORY: Paul Kupperberg

ARTIST: Joe Bucco

COVER ART: Ruben Procopio & Doug Klauba

COVER COLORS: Jason Millet

EDITORS: Mike Bullock & Ed Rhoades

When Arab thieves steal an important treasure from Bangalla, the Phantom is in hot pursuit. He is joined by a group of other thieves who have no love for the Shah or his son-in-law, who stole the treasure. Together they come up with a plan for rescue and revenge.

What they got right: The artwork is rather nice, although not the best in the series. Kupperberg writes some interesting guest stars for this story.

What they got wrong: I know that occasionally the Phantom has to bypass the “Phantom does not kill” rule, but the writer has him stabbing people like he’s writing an adaptation of Assassin’s Creed in comparison. And will someone put some generation markers for those of us not steeped in Phantom lore, please? I don’t know which Phantom had a wife named Anneliese, a son named Kit (right, they all did) and a daughter named Kirsten. I can guess which one they’re on because I know how the comic works, but what about people starting with a later issue? Those “for those who came in late” segments aren’t just about retelling the origin of the first Ghost Who Walks, you know.

Recommendation: It’s still a good story, and despite my issues I rather enjoyed it. Worth getting.

Why is Captain Kirk acting like Princess Leia? To drive fanboys insane, of course.

The Tekwar Chronicles #6

Bluewater Comics (Nov. 2009–yeah, they’re that late)

WRITERS: William Shatner & Scott Davis

PENCILER: Lipe Oliveria

COLORIST: Zachary Turner

LETTERER: Jaymes Reed

EDITOR: Craig J. Nevius

LOGO DESIGN: Patrick Foster

PRODUCTION: Chad Jones

Jake has been captured by a Teklord that was pushing a new form of “anti-Tek” virus that would have been more addictive than Tek itself. Now the virus has been set loose, and he thinks Jake was involved. He wants Jake to find an anti-virus so he can get back in business, and has taken Beth prisoner. Jake and Warbride attempt to resume tracking down the “Grease” which is also driving robots crazy. More clues left behind by Sid brings more riddles about Jake’s past, but leads the pair to a data chip that may hold some answers, but the power has been cut to the entire city, and the only way to get to the data is to return to Tezcorp, which lead Jake to the barrel of Kate’s gun.

What they got right: I assume they know where they’re going with both stories, and at least the mysteries are well set up.

What they got wrong: If only the execution was. I finally figured out what’s been bugging me this whole series–the narration! I actually have to stop reading the story to read the narration, because much of it is setting up the back-story without following along with the events currently taking place. This works in novel form, but here they need a better way to use the narration to set-up the history. Take a look at Marvel’s old adaptation of the Blade Runner movie if you want to see how to do it right. And the story itself is going way too dark for my tastes. One scene has the torturer doing something nasty to Jake’s crotch. (Not perverted, just worse than waterboarding but less than hooking electric wires to his man-bits or something.)

But it’s the art that’s really getting on my nerves enough to give it its own paragraph. It’s an improvement over the previous issue (outlines that let you tell object A from object B! about time!), but still doesn’t hold a candle to the previous arc. And the colors are so dark, so it can match the artwork. Seriously, I’ve seen Turner’s deviantART page. He’s capable of doing far better, but in order to match up with the art he’s really being brought down here. It doesn’t serve him well.

Recommendation: I’m not sure I’ll be picking up any more issues past what I’ve already ordered (if there are any more, because I haven’t seen a solicit). The themes are darker than the last arc, the narration forgets it’s not in a novel, and the art makes me unhappy. You might be better off ending your run with the first arc.

And because I have too many waiting to wait until I return to “Weekly Wrap-Up” format next week:

This week’s Cracked: 5 Great Careers Destroyed By The Post-Oscar Curse: Then again, maybe they just let their egos get the better of them. “Hey, I just won the Oscar! Why don’t I make this movie about a floating head who gives everybody guns in a movie that says guns are bad while proclaiming ‘The gun is good’. I can’t do any wrong!” Just be warned that there’s a chalk drawing of man-bits in your future if you read this article, which is probably why I wanted to get it out of the way. That and the Zardoz trailer will give you many nightmares, if only because of what Sean Connery is wearing. (And only the director’s career was ruined?) But then there’s…

Best Scene of the Week

Mass Effect: Redemption #4

And that's just the best part of the entire fight scene.

Seriously, check out the comic just for the full scene. Tomorrow, it’s back to the daily comic reviews, since I’m going to have a bit more free time. Yeah, they’re playing with my hours again, so if I seem a bit more stressed in future posts, blame the return to financial insecurity. (This is why I’m not going to be on the Art & Story for a while, since my 15-day trial is up and I don’t know what I can afford at the moment.) At least I still have a job, and maybe I can turn the free time to my advantage.