Comics
Review: ‘Sledgehammer 44’ #1
Picture World War II. Nazi Germany has the world by the balls and America finally makes the decision to step in, but this time, replace atomic research with a different kind of weapon and we have the premise of Sledgehammer 44. Imagine a Frankenstein-like monster robot hell bent on bringing the hammer down on some Nazi scum. I love when Mignola takes a break from his massive schedule for “BPRD” and “Hellboy” to take on some creative side jobs like this one, though by this point we all know most credit should go to John Arcudi, his partner in crime, on these side projects.
WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
ART BY: Jason Latour
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
RELEASE DATE: March 13th
PRICE: 3.50
To be frank I have never been a big fan of war comics. Not that I don’t enjoy epic wars since I am quite the history buff, I just feel as though movies and TV do so such strong representations that it outshines other mediums. That being said “Sledgehammer 44” kicks some serious ass. The robotic twist gives it a different element and even though there have been similar ventures in both movies and other media, this book has that creativity that sets it apart.
Sledgehammer is the slang name for Project Epimetheus, but “Sledgehammer” is less of a mouth full and has a more intimidating air to it. The Hammer is either a robot or a man in a suit, which doesn’t really matter because it packs one helluva punch. The story starts off abruptly with soldiers mid battle, preparing to back up their secret weapon. It continues at an alarming pace as the Nazis release their own secret weapon (of course). The second half of the issue is more about plot development which slows up the pace but doesn’t take away from the overall awesomeness.
Mignola and Arcudi do a great job in both the building up the story’s setting and mood as well as dialogue between characters. Both these guys are known for the creativity and this story goes to show a really fresh take on an idea that’s been kicking around since… the end of the war. I’m excited to see what this book has to offer in terms of the Epimetheus Project.
Jason Latour’s art work is very much on the cartoony side of the spectrum, many of the characters faces are almost comedic in their appearance and this is one aspect of the book that isn’t stellar. However, I love how the action sequences are put together; the explosions, bullets, and lightning are the most exciting elements of the book. Dave Stewart covers the colour spectrum, he gives this book the same look as both “BPRD” and “Hellboy” and as the recent recipient of the Ghastly Awards Best Colourist, need I say more?
I’m pretty impressed with this book, I know both these guys can put together quite the epic tale and this one has potential to rank up with the rest of their work.
3.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – GreenBasterd
IDW Dark and Paramount recently joined forces to launch limited comic book tales set in the worlds of Smile and A Quiet Place, and we’ve learned today that they’ll continue hanging around in those franchise universes with two brand new limited series tales.
Entertainment Weekly has exclusively revealed this afternoon that IDW Dark’s Any Given Smile debuts in September, while A Quiet Place: Rising Tides arrives in November.
First up, from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Pablo Collar, Any Given Smile puts a football-themed twist on Parker Finn’s successful Smile movie franchise.
The five-part limited series is “set in January 1995, during the American Arena League football championship game in St. Augustine, Florida. The rising superstar of the Sharks, backup quarterback Dupree, is feeling the pressure from his teammates, the fans, and also the city’s gambling underworld, to whom he owes a considerable debt. Meanwhile, a sports journalist investigates a string of suicides that may be connected to the big game. At the very least, they are connected to a sinister entity that preys on the minds of its victims.”
From writer Declan Shalvey and artist Luke Sparrow, A Quiet Place: Rising Tides will also be a five-issue limited story. The comic book tale “brings the creatures to the Florida Keys, where a father-daughter duo attempt to survive on water in a houseboat.”
EW further details, “This tense family reunion coincides with the arrival of the vicious creatures that hunt through sound. Grace and her dad find safety on the open ocean, but she’ll have to make landfall sooner or later; the father’s oxygen tank and their supplies are running low, while a hurricane swiftly approaches.”
Learn more about both comic books over on Entertainment Weekly.
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