Comics
Review: ‘Five Weapons’ #1
The concept behind Five Weapons #1 reads like male teenage wish-fulfillment 101; boy is drafted into a prestigious school for assassins where he can choose what he’ll specialize in, only he doesn’t have to specialize in anything because his wits are too much for anyone. It’s a pretty juvenile fantasy, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be executed well. Unfortunately, “Five Weapons” is not executed well, with an irritating protagonist, empty characters and no sense of gravity to its proceedings.
WRITTEN BY: Jimmie Robinson
ART BY: Jimmie Robinson
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: February 27th, 2013
I understand Jimmie Robinson’s “Five Weapons” is geared towards kids who are enrolled in middle-school; two pages in, and I was pretty sure I wasn’t reading the next “Watchmen” or “Sandman.” Still, even taking this into account, there’s no way to call this a good comic. Even for a children’s comic, the characters are ridiculously one-dimensional; virtually all the characters other than the protagonist – Tyler Shainline – serve as an obstacle for him to overcome or a puzzle for him to solve. None seem to have a motivation or purpose beyond being a plot device. It’s lazy writing, pure and simple.
The greatest flaw, ironically, is Tyler Shainline. Shainline comes from a prestigious assassin family, and quickly begins to assert his dominance over both the faculty and students of the school, solely relying on his brilliant intellect. Jaws drop at his audacity and his ability to manipulate and defeat others. In other words, he’s exactly what every young student wants to be; cocksure, capable and extraordinary. But the pitfall of this is that Tyler isn’t a character; he doesn’t have a weakness. He doesn’t have something to overcome, not really. He’s a presumptuous, arrogant fantasy, as desirable to introverted young students as he is utterly unrelatable to them. If you can’t connect with the protagonist of a story, something is clearly wrong.
The art, also by Robinson, is appropriate in its tone and surprisingly well-detailed, but it’s not enough to save “Five Weapons.” There’s much better young adult fare out there. I suggest you go find it.
1/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – GeorgeShunick
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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