Comics
Review: ‘Captain Ultimate’ #4
A charming ode to Halloween and all things spooky, “Captain Ultimate” #4 is a hilariously fun superhero tale that mixes scares and laughs. Get ready for lots of entertaining action and adventure with the “Captain Ultimate” series. There’s a lot to enjoy in a comic book that has costumed freaks, tricked-out cars, and a psycho punk band.
WRITTEN BY: Benjamin Bailey & Joey Esposito
ART BY: Boykoesh
PUBLISHER: MonkeyBrains Comics
PRICE: $0.99
RELEASE: October 30, 2013
Captain Ultimate is babysitting his number one fan, Milo, while his parents are off to their own adult Halloween parties. While Milo is going around, knocking on every door in sight, something else is wandering the streets on Halloween night. A punk band, The Pumpkills, is driving around in their hot rod, causing tons of trouble to the kids. The Pumpkills are really looking for a fight and they’ve got one with Captain Ultimate. The only problem is, Captain Ultimate has to keep himself in disguise during the battle of the bands.
Writers Benjamin Bailey and Joey Esposito develop more of the hero/sidekick relationship between Milo and Captain Ultimate. When the Pumpkills arrive, that’s when Milo jumps into the spotlight. Because he wants to be a hero himself, Milo acts with confidence while being put under pressure. Being a parental figure, Captain Ultimate knows exactly when to step in, without overshadowing Milo. Bailey and Esposito want to show how Milo can defend himself, without getting in over his head.
What’s interesting about the writing from Bailey and Esposito is how they bring back previous characters into the fold. There are a few returning characters that were introduced in the first installment. Continuing with its anti-bullying theme, it turns out Captain Ultimate is protecting the child of one of his hated enemies. Bailey and Esposito are slowly building the mythology with the people Captain Ultimate meets.
I really enjoyed the character designs for the punk band, The Pumpkills, from artist Boy “Boykoesh” Akkerman. The drummer’s entire head is a carved jack o’ lantern. The drummer is always smiling, as if he only has one facial expression. The guitarist has a tattoo right across her knuckles, which spells out, “Rock.” I thought it was really hilarious that these rock stars are getting drunk on root beer backstage.
My favorite of Akkerman’s illustrations is the splash page where Milo, Captain Ultimate, and Mutt are all going trick r’ treating. With a lot of references to popular culture, see if you can spot them all. The children are dressed up as Wonder Woman, Doctor Who, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Ed Ryzowski pays around with color of their body tones, so that the eye can spot the trio as they cover the entire block in one shot.
“Captain Ultimate” #4 is such an enjoyable read with a real message at its heart. Halloween is a fun time to dress up and eat candy, but it’s not cool to act like a bully in front of others. This is not a bad way for kids to be introduced to comics.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.