Justice League #6 Review

By now everyone should be used to The New 52. Justice League has been the flagship title. I really have been enjoying the series, it's a fresh thing when you've been reading Marvel for awhile. Straight 9/10s, with the exception of the last issue. The book started to lose its 'epic' feel. Why? The minor complaints with the previous issues were becoming major. Sometimes some of the members had zero lines in an issue, and the writing was getting bad. In the beginning it was good, but then  I realized something in the previous one: the writing now just wasn't good. So Issue #5 broke the role of 9's to an 8. I was now a bit worried for this series. That worry was destroyed after reading the first couple of pages of this issue, it was just fantastic.

Official description from DC:

The Justice League is united at last against Darkseid! The awesome consequences of this high-stakes battle will resonate within the series for years to come! Geoff Johns and Jim Lee end their historic first arc with a bang!

There's this really amazing splash page of Superman zooming into Darkseid. That alone makes the comic, I was wide-eyed looking at it, Jim Lee just went all-out in the art department this time. There's a great tension with the battle against Darkseid, it's all thanks to the brilliant art. The writing was actually strong in the beginning and middle, Wonder Woman actually shows some character, and even Green Lantern is decent. (For the beginning and middle, it all falls apart during the end with him, which I'll address in the next paragraph.)

The writing was actually pretty good in the beginning and middle, but not during the final part. Green Lantern just comes off as a jerk. "We're not a team." "We're not friends." "This was just a one-time thing, okay?" Yes, those are his actual lines. Superman once again barely shows a shred of character, he doesn't advance at all. Batman doesn't do much besides encourage Cyborg. It's generic stuff. Now, for Darkseid. He seemed to have an interesting motive, but his plot felt rushed and his demise too fast. His dialogue is rather shallow, he just comes across as an angry brute with no character. His demise as stated just happened too fast. Too much build up and hype, he is finished off quickly.

Those criticisms aside, the issue is fantastic. It has some of the greatest splash pages I've ever seen in a comic. The action is great, and the dialogue between the League while fighting Darkseid was very good. They actually sound like a team. The cover is another strong one, showing a very well-drawn Darkseid looking down on the League. The human reaction to the League winning felt robotic and unrealistic, the writing could have been much better there. However, the majority of the issue actually feels like a Justice League comic in that they're a team and working together. We see that for the first time here.

Overall, Justice League #6 is one epic comic. Your jaw will drop at the amazing splash pages. It proves to be an epic finisher, albeit a bit rushed. Darkseid's role could have been swapped with another villain pretty easily with some minor changes. The writing was strong in the beginning and middle, it actually looks like they're acting like the Justice League. I am intrigued with how the next arc will go, since it takes place five years later in present day.

9/10.

Godzilla: Legends #4 Review

The Godzilla Legends are back with this ambitious issue. Here we have the Smog Monster's (Hedorah) debut in IDW's Godzilla comic universe. This issue is similar to the first Legend, in that it's basically a summer blockbuster condensed into a comic. The previous two Legends were pretty story driven with the monsters uses as more of a plot device. So this issue was a nice change of pace, nothing beats an action-packed comic with Godzilla monsters as the stars. This issue is a fun little comic that Godzilla fans will like. It's lacking the punch the first Legend had, but remains a fun action-packed issue.

Official description from IDW:

An epic single issue story shining a light on another terrifying Toho monster! This issue sees the debut of the one and only Smog Monster— Hedorah! G-Force is sent to battle the blob-like beast as it lays waste to China. But another monster's presence might make this an even more chaotic conflict! Don't miss the mayhem!

This is exactly the kind of stuff I've been wanting to see from this mini-series. Concepts that fans always wanted to see that never happened in the films. Battles between monsters that never happened before, stuff you might read in a fan-fic. So here we have Hedorah, the infamous Smog Monster trading blows with Mechagodzilla II. As a Godzilla fan, it's just fun watching these two battle. (Why is it they don't recognize Hedorah? If they recognize Anguirus, they should recognize the Smog Monster.) Soon Godzilla shows up for a spectacular fight with Hedorah. It's good to see the Smog Monster getting the respect he deserves, he looks extremely powerful in the comic.

However, the main attraction of this comic is the spectacular art. MG looks great, and Godzilla has a menacing appearance. Hedorah looks good also. (I think more detail could have been put into Hedorah, but that's just me.) The fights look nice and fluid. The writing is basically your stereotypical summer blockbuster dialogue. However, whereas likable lead character(s) was established in Legends #1, this issue doesn't really establish any characters. The issue presents their code-names, but really, the reader forgets them by the middle of the issue. The human characters just weren't engaging.....at all. I know it's just a one-shot issue, so there really isn't any time to make these characters engaging, but they were just dull. Of course, the fabulous monster action makes up for that, it's great to see these characters revived in this fashion after all these years.

Overall, Godzilla: Legends #4 is a really fun comic. It features the most 'different' monster of all time in the form of Hedorah. It's good to see the Smog Monster back in action, and looking pretty tough I have to add. Ity's good that Chris Mowry 'gets it,' Hedorah is one tough cookie. However, Mechagodzilla II's arsenal is something else, since its from the Heisei era. So it's interesting to see a Heisei character using its arsanal against a practically unbeatable Showa character. While the human characters weren't engaging at all, the spectacular art by E.J. Su and fun monster action makes this issue worth the $4. It's a good day to be a Godzilla fan.

8/10

Godzilla 2000 Review

On May 20th, 1998, TriStar Pictures released GODZILLA into American theaters. It was also the same year American audiences were alienated to Godzilla movies. So one year later, TOHO released a brand new Godzilla film: GODZILLA 2000 MILLENNIUM. Think about this for a second. TOHO retired the Godzilla franchise four years earlier in 1995, when the big G was killed off after battling Destoroyah. So after Sony blew it with their film, TOHO must have been pretty angry with how America treated the license. So they quickly rushed into production a new film to show us how to make a new, modern Godzilla film. Then the following year Godzilla: Millennium stomped into Japanese theaters. (It came to American theaters the following year, hence the title change to GODZILLA 2000.) This film holds a special place in a lot of fans' hearts. This was the first Godzilla film a lot of fans saw in the theater. (Ah, if I could bring myself to that time to watch it on the big screen.) Thirteen years later, it still stands above the rest of the Millennium series in quality, it's THE definitive Godzilla film.

Official description from Sony:

Get ready to crumble! The king of all monsters is back and bigger than ever! The action heats up when a UFO reveals itself as a massive alien monster with awesome destructive powers. The alien monster heads straight for the behemoth GODZILLA who's just crushed the entire city for the battle of the millennium. But GODZILLA's furious heat beam may not be enough to destroy the death-dealing alien, and the future of humankind is in jeopardy. Now, it's a bang-up, threeway, no-holds-barred brawl as GODZILLA, the alien monster and the courageous citizens of Japan fight an unprecedented battle for survival in this earth-shattering new sci-fi action adventure that will blow you away.

I remember many years ago on Christmas morning when I turned on the TV. I was flipping the channels until I hit what I believe was the Sci Fi (now known as SyFy) channel. I stopped there cause a very dramatic scene had caught my eye. This giant thing was attempting to swallow Godzilla whole. That was captivating, I had never seen anything like that before. It was dramatic seeing the big G being, well, about to be swallowed. I turned it off after he blew up the thing because I was eager to open these gifts. So anyways, that was the first time I was witness to GODZILLA 2000. I don't remember exactly when I first saw the whole movie through, but it must have not have been long after. I just can't help but enjoy this film every time I watch it. It's a simple, straightforward story without any complex side-lpots thrown in. (I'm looking at Godzilla vs. Biollante and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah specifically.) This film is easy and enjoyable to follow. It doesn't reference any past Godzilla films, it does what the 98 film attempted to do: make a perfect modern way to jump into the franchise.

There are a few a main characters this time around. There's Yugi Shinoda, his daughter Io, reporter Yuki Ichinose, and Mitsuo Katagiri. Shinoda proves to be a simple, yet compelling focus. His fixation on Godzilla is simple, yet makes sense. His relationship with his daughter is realistic. Probably the best relationship between parent and son/daughter in a G film. The child costar was pretty solid, which isn't something you see every day in a G film. (Godzilla vs. Hedorah, I'm looking at you.) Now, the reporter, Yuki, was by far the worst character in the whole thing. She definitely had a certain spunk, but the writing, (or in this case, the dubbing) was awful for her. Now, Katagiri. The first couple of times I saw the film, I didn't think much of him. Now, after watching it again, I can see the brilliance in his character. He isn't like previous commanders in the franchises, he seems to genuinely want to protect the public. And while other leaders usually sit at their desk watching things from a monitor, this guy is on the scene firsthand.

Ah, the monsters. First up, Godzilla. The look is just FANTASTIC, it's my personal favorite. The exaggerated spikes make the giant lizard look even more menacing. They also don't flap around as much as previous incarnations, making it even more realistic. And I really liked how in the American version they gave him different pitches of roars, really gave him emotion. Orga is the opponent this time around. He has a very interesting backstory that should have been explored more. Orga has a pretty interesting appearance, with his huge hands being his main thing. No complaints with the suit, it just needed more screen time to realize its true effectiveness.

The soundtrack is a bit different that ones from previous films. It's good stuff, it fits the atmosphere in the film. Maybe not as dynamic as some of the other soundtracks, but some great tunes stood out. (The Millennium's theme, transformation into Orga, and the final battle theme, we also get the classic Godzilla theme, that was a nice touch.) The thing that separates this film from the other G films is its 'realism.' The opening with the van and Godzilla was just fantastic and had a very interesting perspective. It felt reminiscent of  Cloverfield, such as the scene with Godzilla stomping on the tunnel while the van was attempting to escape. The effects are very good, aside from some bad CGI. Godzilla swimming in the ocean was fantastic, however, something like that had never been captured before in the G films. Now, the best part worth the price alone was the final fight. It was EXCELLENT, very climatic. There's no boring 'beam wars,' (sorry Heisei era) it's realistic giant monster brawling. The stakes are set high, and is just plain dramatic. The way the film rolls about gives it a dramatic feeling, when Godzilla falls down, we feel it. It just feels like a well put together film, something some previous films can't say they did.

Overall, GODZILLA 2000 is a simple and straightforward G film. And that's a good thing. It has a very different atmosphere when compared to previous entries, it just felt 'real.' It features a great Godzilla look, and the effects are top notch aside from some CGI shots of the Millennium UFO. Orga proves to be an interesting foe with a great, but unexplored backstory. The pacing is excellent, but that's mainly thanks to the solid cast. We actually care about these people, and the human 'antagonist' stands above other human characters in the G series. Aside from some strange comedic moments with cartoony music playing during them, it's hard to find fault with this film. It's the perfect jumping on point, you do not need any knowledge of the previous films to enjoy this one. If you've never watched a Godzilla film before, I urge you to head to the video store after reading this review to pick up GODZILLA 2000.

9/10.

RETRO REVIEW: Ghost Rider: Vicious Cycle

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was released into theaters this past Friday. Ghost Rider is the type of concept that when you look at it, the word 'cool' comes to mind. Prior to this series, the Rider hadn't had a comic book in awhile. He had a miniseries prequel called Road to Damnation a year before, but the last ongoing was the famous Danny Ketch series, which ran from the 90's to the early 2000s. Sadly, the book was canceled due to low sales. So the Ghost Rier character was in limbo for a few years. Then a year before the 2007 film came out, Daniel Way and Mark Texeira unleashed a new ongoing series with Johnny Blaze. So at that time, Ghost Rider was re-sparked. In the coming paragraphs I talk about the first arc, Vicious Cycle.

Hope.

It's the Devil's favorite poison.

Those are the first words of this arc, while Ghost Rider is zooming toward the 'exit' of Hell. Then it turns out to be a fake gateway. Issue #1 is one of the single best starts to a Marvel comic series I've ever read, and the second best Ghost Rider comic. (Only behind the legendary Tony Isabella #9 one.) It's Johnny blaze in Hell, literally. This is how you start a Ghost Rider series, this is where the films should take cue on how to do the character. The villain is Lucifer, the Devil. No, none of that Mephisto nonsense, this is the ACTUAL Devil. Yes, I never really liked that plot twist of Johnny making a deal with Mephisto who 'pretends' to be the Devil. This brings the Ghost Rider series to its very early roots. Daniel Way's portrayl of Lucifer is jusr spot-on. Evil of course, but a hint of sarcasm. It's a great portrayal.

Many prefer Jason Aaron to Daniel Way on the title. Not me, I prefer the latter a lot more. In my opinion, the book fell flat when Jason Aaron took over at Issue #20. So here we have Johnny, who is stuck in Hell looking for a way out. Meanwhile, the Devil is in his castle, watching, manipulating him. I find it really interesting how Way portrays Hell and how it works. The Devil is the king, and then there's the Lake of Fire section for the souls that don't make it to Heaven. So he just watches them burn, it's a really interesting perspective. Ghost Rider eventually runs into this little demonic thing who claims he can help him get out of Hell. It turns out, however, that the demon was Lucifer in disguise. In today's media world, it's hard to surprise a reader/viewer, cause everything has been done before. Like, in a lot today's horror movies, the 'scares' are so cliche, it's hard to be surprised by them. But that scene was truly unexpected. What follows at the end of the issue is Johnny making it back to earth, but he brought the Devil along with him.

Issue #2 is a real highlight. We get a great confrontation between the two near the middle with great splash page of Ghost Rider standing in front of Lucifer. The most dramatic scene in the whole arc was when Ghost Rider was inches apart from Lucifer, and the latter had a bunch of matches to blow up a van full with people. Meanwhile if Ghost Rider takes another step, he will inadvertently blow up the van. It's a lose lose situation. And then one person in the van decides to take matters into her own hands and hits the ignition key. That in turn blows up the van. Ghost Rider falls to the ground in sorrow and having failed to be a 'protector of innocents' while the Devil rides away in a car smiling and laughing, it's a truly dramatic and emotional moment. Then at the end of issue #2, Doctor Strange decides to make an appearance.

Now this is my only real complaint. The writing and battle is very good, (let's just say that if anyone said Doctor Strange could beat Ghost Rider, this issue would set you straight) but the problem is that they don't seem to know each other. Doctor Strange says his name, but Johnny Blaze doesn't give recognition to him at all. Why are they fighting you ask? Well, he thinks the Doc is Lucifer in disguise. It's a valid thing to think, but in the end after he does the Penance Stare, he says, "This man is innocent." It's like he never met or heard of Doctor Strange. Look at that fantastic cover to Issue #2. I mean, I think that is one of the best comic book covers of all time. Texeira is a monster with these covers, not to mention the art inside is great. Especially in Issue #1, it gives Hell  a 'cool' yet terrifying look. It looks like how we all picture it, but at the same time, giving it a new edge never before seen in any type pf media.

Overall, Vicious Cycle is a definitive Ghost Rider story. If you've ever been curious about the character and looking for an entry-point, this story is the way to go. If you just came back from watching Spirit of Vengeance and looking to read about the character, this is the way to do it. Or maybe if you left the film disappointed, thinking the character and his universe is nothing but mindless action and corny writing with no plot, read this story, it will change your mind. The story features Johnny Blaze, the true Ghost Rider. It features a great story, Hell, and the Devil, the actual Devil. The writing is solid and the art is great. Vicious Cycle is a great story for old and new fans alike.

10/10

Green Lantern Review

Green Lantern came out a year ago. It was DC attempting to break out of the norm. See, they really don't like to venture past Batman and Superman. (They tried a few years ago with Jonah Hex, and you know how that turned out.) Well, Green Lantern was I'm sure supposed to be the start of the DC 'Cinematic Universe.' That idea was quickly destroyed when it bombed. Negative reviews all over the place, it was just a mess and DC was probably extremely disappointed. They're probably like, "Well, we have an upcoming Batman and Superman film, we'll just forget about that Justice League movie." So unlike a lot of people, I didn't go to the theater to watch it. In fact, this review is coming right after watching it. For some reason, I tend to like a lot of movies people don't like. Spider-Man 3, X-Men 3, Jurassic Park 3, Clash of the Titans (2010), and even X-Men Origins. I don't consider any of those to be 'bad' films. However, despite what you might think, I know there are 'bad films out there. (Super Mario Bros, the worst film ever made.) So going into Green Lantern, I wasn't expecting an awesome film. After watching it, I can definitely say it's far from being awesome, but it's still a pretty good comic book movie that gets more hate than it deserves.

Official description from Warner Bros:

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax.... he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

One must question why exactly Warner Bros. would want to bring Jonah Hex to the big screen. I mean, he's not even b-lister, he's a C-lister. So DC wanting to bring Green Lantern to the big screen was a pretty great idea. It was just going to be like what Marvel did with Iron Man. He was never an A-lister like Spider-Man or Wolverine, but thanks to the film, he's now an A-lister liked by the general public. (He's seen on everything from shirts to lunch boxes.) So Green Lantern was meant todo  just that, only it didn't. Green Lantern is a stereotypical summer blockbuster. Average acting, generic 'immature but in the end becomes a serious hero' character, lots of special-effect driven sequences, and a bit of a cardboard romance. (Though the latter isn't as generic or forced like many others.) This film was going to do what Iron Man did for Marvel, but failed with the general public and fans. Now before I begin this review, it's fair to say that I'm not a huge of the Green Lantern franchise. I know the characters and origins, but that's about it. With that said, I thought the film did a pretty good establishing the character and his universe. Simple and straightforward, it's the 'Star Wars' of comic book movies, like how Thor is the 'Lord of the Rings' of comic book movies. Green Lantern suffers for some scenes feeling too rushed and mediocre acting. It's attempting to be 'epic' but that just doesn't happen. A little bit above average would be the term.

Ryan Reynolds plays the title character. He actually had some experience in the genre, he played Deadpool in X-Men Origins beforehand. His portrayal of Hal Jordan was mixed. Sometimes he's alright, but sometimes he's just corny. Granted, I expected a lot worse, but the portrayal wasn't that bad. I could see a great improvement if the film ever gets a sequel. Blake Lively plays the love interest, Carol Ferris. Now I really expected an awful portrayal, but she wasn't that bad. Whereas the romance in Thor felt completely rushed, this feels natural and not just 'put in.' Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond plays the secondary main villain. Now his portrayal could have been better. However, some scenes he was admittedly menacing. (The scene were he yells to Hal to "Sit down" being a prime example) Mark Strong as Sinestro was spot on, like he was lifted straight from the comics. He needed a lot more screen time.

Parallax plays the central villain. I thought he was very good, and the backstory with the Guardian was fantastic. Granted, his design (mainly his head) could have been better, but his voice and everything else was great. Kilowog was spot on, also lifted straight from the comics. Tomar-Re was also great, these two really needed to appear more. The soundtrack is above average, it had some really great themes that fit the atmosphere. The special effects are mixed. There is A LOT of CGI in this film, maybe a bit too much. Usually I wouldn't say something like that, but a lot of it would have fit better as a CGI movie rather than a live action film. Now, Oa looks fantastic, rivals Asgard for most glorious looking place in a comic book movie. The Guardians and Green Lantern Corps all look fantastic. The Green Lantern costume looks a bit too cheesy. I'm sorry, but the mask just doesn't look that great. I must say, the beginning was the best part of the film. It really gave you an impression that this was going to be an 'epic' film. Sadly, the earth scenes couldn't keep up.  In fact, it's very similar to Thor in that matter. Both are really good when they're in Oa/Asgard, but mediocre on earth. The difference is that Thor had a better main actor and story.

Overall, Green Lantern isn't a great film. It could have been better. With that said, it's still a watchable flick. I went in there not expecting much and left thinking "That was actually pretty good." While it had some mediocre acting, it still does a good job establishing the Green Lantern universe. It's worthy of a sequel. It could have used a bit more time to explain things, the whole Sinestro after-credits thing was just forced, he needed more screen time and motivation within the film for that. Green Lantern is a pretty good film, it doesn't deserve the hate it gets, and is definitely not even close to being one of the worst comic book movies of all time.

7/10.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #12 Review

This is the final issue of Kingdom of Monsters. However, this is NOT the end of the story. There had been a lot of confusion over the past month over what was happening with this series, now it's settled. Now, this is a review, not a news article, so let's talk about the issue. Kingdom of Monsters might just be the most mixed series I've ever read. At first, Eric Powell wanted to portray a very gritty 'real world' with monster Armageddon. Eventually it proved too much with the pop-culture references, and soon Jason Ciaramella was hired. Now he knew what the fans wanted: kaiju action. So we got that, but at the same time, a lot of the plots established in Powell's run was lost. So yeah, it has been a mixed series. This issue is an epilogue of sorts, with the only highlight being the amazing ending.

Official description from IDW:

The evil twins are gone. Godzilla lies dormant. The monsters that roam the earth are wounded, battered, exhausted… if mankind has any chance of recovering from this disaster, now is the moment. But with the world in ruin and civilization in total disarray, can anything still be salvaged? The fate of humanity is determined in Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #12!

It's not really a spoiler to talk about the ending since it was basically confirmed in the last issue's letters page. So without further ado, SPACEGODZILLA has arrived. I must say, this really made the comic for me. He's watching earth like an evil mastermind, it's good stuff. Now bringing logic back, how exactly is SpaceGodzilla there? How did G-Cells get into space? How was Godzilla cloned? How is any of this possible? Besides logic, it's still a pretty amazing scene. Now, the other 31 pages are nothing but an epilogue. In a nutshell, it's basically impossible to spoil the issue, because there's nothing to spoil. There is no dialogue, only those thought boxes. It does a nice job being realistic about the whole thing and has solid writing, but it just doesn't warrant the $4.

Well, this will be the last time we have Santos doing the art. I've gotten use to it over the past couple of issues, it fits the gritty story it was telling. Some pages really stood out this time around, namely the Mechagodzilla one. SpaceGodzilla also looked fantastic. Regarding the covers, both are dynamic. The main one is pretty nice, aside from the obvious trace drawing of the Rodan. (Google Rodan, first row second image.) Matt Frank does a very dynamic job once again, SpaceGodzilla looks fantastic.

Overall, Kingdom of Monsters #12 is exactly what you expect: an epilogue to the story. It did a great job of that, but felt underwhelming. Granted, it is an epilogue, but didn't feel worth the $4. The final page made the comic, however, it gives the reader (if you're a Godzilla fan of course) chills. So in closing, I look forward to the upcoming sequel in May. This series has been mixed, but overall a good read with some great kaiju action in the later issues. So I look forward to May, but until then, we have Legends #4 next week.

6/10.

ADVANCED REVIEW: Star Wars Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm #1

Star Wars is one of the most popular franchises of all time. Indeed. you probably won't find a franchise with more fan clubs. The original three films are beloved in American culture, with the three prequels being successes. (Though not in a lot fans' eyes.) Star Wars has a heavy backstory within the films, plenty of untold stories. That's where the comics come in. There have been lots of Star Wars comics over the years, Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of the Jedi, etc. However, this new mini-series by Dark Horse will go down in history. It's going to tell how the franchise began. This could go down as famous or controversial depending on how it's handled. Truly, I'm surprised this hasn't been done before. Dawn of the Jedi, this is where it all begins. What you get is a very intriguing start to this legendary franchise.

Official description from Dark Horse:

On the planet Tython, in the center of the galaxy, an order of warrior monks strives to maintain peace and to balance the mysterious power known as the Force. But a stranger is coming--one who will destroy both peace and balance, and open the galaxy to exploration and conquest. This is where it all begins!

The majority of the issue is an explanation of how the Jedi came together. It's simple, but effective. It doesn't bore or confuse the reader with explaining all the alien races deeply, it simply explains how this whole thing came to be. It's also a good way to get new fans. It's a simple, yet intriguing story. There are no lightsabers, or the 'Dark Side,' it's the beginning of Star Wars. Character wise, the story has some pretty interesting ones. Xesh, whom I'm sure will become a fan favorite, looks to be the Darth Vader of this story. Then there's these commanders with the title 'Predor.' There's an interesting backstory going on here that I hope will be a little explored in future issues. So far, no central 'good guy' has been established. Usually that would be a bad thing, but the story carries itself. Granted, it's not exactly known what the 'bad guys' want yet.

The art is solid. It's standard comic book art, it fits the story. It's not dynamic like Jim Lee's, but solid. The fight looks nice and fluid. I must give praise to the script, it's good stuff. Since this is an advanced review, I'll refrain from using any of the good quotes. The whole explanation of the 'Force' was interesting, I'm sure hardcore Star Wars fans will be intrigued. New fans can also jump in, some parts may be a bit confusing, but it's a good place to start if you've been waiting to pick up a Star Wars comic.

Overall, Star Wars Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm #1 is a very good comic. Simple, but effective. However, the main reason why you should pick this is up is because THIS is how it all began. THIS is the first chapter in the Star Wars saga. THIS is how the Jedi form. If that's not reason enough to check this out, I don't know what is. It features an explanation of how the 'Force' came to be, and managed to squeeze in a sold fight and story. Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #1 releases this Wednesday on the 15th.

8/10