Comics
Review: ‘Captain Ultimate’ #1
Made with unabashed glee, “Captain Ultimate” #1 is an enjoyable and nostalgic trip to Saturday morning cartoons. Readers will be genuinely delighted by this endearing superhero tale. After an endless supply of dark and cynical anti-heroes, it’s a nice change of pace to have someone who stays faithfully true to their crystal clear message and doesn’t cross the line. There’s also a massive Cthulhu-inspired monster that attacks a city.
WRITTEN BY: Benjamin Bailey & Joey Esposito
ART BY: Boykoesh
PUBLISHER: MonkeyBrains Comics
PRICE: .99 cents
RELEASE: July 18th, 2013
Just when the city thought it was safe, a giant monster suddenly attacked with such an unstoppable fury. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire as tall buildings topple over and bridges collapse. When the world desperately needs a hero, there is no one to be seen. The legend of Captain Ultimate became a myth, then a faint whisper as his heroic stories were eventually forgotten. People just don’t believe in Captain Ultimate anymore, but a single young boy still does. Believing beyond hope, Milo will do anything he can to bring back Captain Ultimate, even if the others don’t want him.
Writers Benjamin Bailey and Joey Esposito tell the narrative from the point of view of Milo, who represents wide-eyed childhood innocence. Though the good-natured message is aimed for children, it really doesn’t talk down to them. Milo’s Bully may act like a jerk, but he doesn’t want to physically cause Milo pain. The Super Revenging Society, the squad full of dark and brooding adults, act more like bullies than he does. These anti-heroes are more about picking a fight on purpose, rather than saving the day.
What I really like is how Bailey and Esposito develop the relationship between Milo and the Bully. The two don’t like each other, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be friends. When the city is under attack, Milo and the Bully have a hilarious dynamic where the jokes switch back and forth between them. At one point, it’s the Bully who has to try and save Milo from the giant octopus alien monster.
Artist Boykoesh delivers a character design in Captain Ultimate that is purposely suitable for children. With his mustache and strong physique, Captain Ultimate is represents a father figure/role model for Milo. Notice when Captain Ultimate arrives in the pages, Milo is always looking up at him. Boykoesh keeps the panels from Milo’s perspective, making Captain Ultimate seem larger than life.
The Bully is a tongue-in-cheek homage to the classic Punisher look. Boykoesh illustrates the Bully, who idolizes anti-heroes, with these large white boots and a white skull on his T-shirt. Straight out of a cartoon, the Bully makes some really funny facial expressions with his long unibrow and black circles for eyes. Keeping with the animated spirit, Ed Ryzowski paints the pages with bouncy eye-catching colors.
“Captain Ultimate” #1 is is pure and fun for all ages. With a strong anti-bullying message and an endearing theme about friendship, this is a great way for kids to start picking up comics.
Rating: 4/5 skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
You can pick up the first issue online.
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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