Arrow Comics

A Review by Anthony Van Pyre and Jerry Seward

Well, here we are again reviewing the latest Arrow comics (and some previous months').

DARK OZ 5 What a way to end the mini-series. All I can say is WOW! I didn't think it would come to that. This issue is as dark as the pervious and dare I say, a little darker. What becomes of our land of Oz is a shame and Ozma's final words, "What have I done?," still linger in my head. All in all, one of the best issues around though I wish they would have went more into the Scarecrow's son before they killed him off.

Coming up is the Wogglebug Special and then THE LAND OF OZ, which starts in ARROW ANTHOLOGY #4. I do hope they start to bring more of the lesser known folks into the comic like Polychrome and I do hope they explore some of the other places that surround Oz. There are endless possibilities. I'm not going into this issue of OZ in detail for good reason - I don't want to give anything away, but needless to say, it's well worth the price of admission.

I rate it 5 out of 5.

WONDERLAND While I don't know if I agree with a teen-age Alice (least she looks like a teenager), the first issue has captured the essence of Wonderland itself. It's a mishmash of a hodgepodge that you just have to sit back and enjoy the ride. My only complaint is that you feel like you were dropped in the middle of a story. I do hope they have some flashbacks like when Alice first came to Wonderland. While I like WONDERLAND with the current storyline, I don't see how far they can take it but I'm sure they will come up with something. It's nice how they portray some of the characters such as the Cheshire Cat, and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum being what amounts to big, dumb bodyguards. I can't say much about the issue this time because it's just starting and I don't know where they are going with this war with Queen of Hearts, but I'll keep reading. Like OZ, WONDERLAND has always been a favorite of mine since childhood and I'm anxious to see where they head with this.

I rate it 3 out of 5 (would've been higher if I wouldn't have been confused).

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE MEMPHIS FRONT

While WAR OF THE WORLDS is more Jerry's cup of tea then mine, I enjoyed this first issue of THE MEMPHIS FRONT. It captured the paranoia of the original movie and radio show. Here we have the resistance fighter who is tired and just wants to rest and what happens - he meets up with a nut who thinks he is the coming Messiah here to help them against the Martians, and the final page has me wondering where they'll go next issue. I have some ideas myself. Great storyline and a great cover, too.

That's one thing I've always liked about Arrow: they were willing to take a chance. Now if they can bring back THE REALM and maybe get the rights to POWER FACTOR (another great independent title gone to the way side).

I rate THE MEMPHIS FRONT 4 out of 5 (great intro on the inside front cover, too; catches you up on what you missed).

KORVUS I must say I was impressed. Mick Fernette starts off the story slow, dropping little choice bits here and there to whet your appetite; he even includes a map of his lands. This has the makings of a great story, the kind that leaves you wondering. I like the way he portrays the Ranger - in reading through the book, you can tell he is a role player and can see the Chuthulu inspirations (which he does talk about in the book itself). I'm interested in seeing the new artist on the upcoming issues. If his preview in KORVUS 3 is any indication of his art, it looks killer! I'd like to see a little more detail, but all in all an enjoyable book.

I give it 4 **** out of 5 for issues 1-3.

First up, "Simon and Ajax." Here's what you get when you cross a cute animal with a sexy secretary. This story was mildly amusing and I did chuckle out loud in the opening. I mean, a sheep sneaking around the city. Wonderful puns, great story, very humorous. To give you a taste, the sheep goes to Simon and Ajax because the police have accused him of stealing "lambchops." Yep, you heard us right. Too damn funny for its own good

It gets 4 out of 5 lambchops.

On to "Battle Bot." I didn't find this one as funny as the first "Battle Bot" story we read and as for a origin issue, I was kinda disappointed it didn't have the same comical feel as the story in issue 1. I'll reserve final judgement on it till I read more Battle Bot stories.

Unfortunately, it only gets 2 arrows outta 5. Come on, Randy, we can do better.

What can I say about "Night Streets." I never really read any back in the old Arrow days but if what I'm seeing in this two-part story is any indication on how it was back in the day, then I'm sorry to say I missed a good thing. This is by far one of the best if not THE best story in the two issues of ARROW ANTHOLOGY we've reviewed thus far (yes, it even beats my first love DARK OZ for different reasons). It had great character development. You felt for the characters, you felt their elation, their pain, their sorrow. You understood why Bernie was the way he was. If you're looking for a great story, read this one. I'll have to see if we can get any back issues of these stories. It gets 5 street signs out of 5.

Now on to "Wonderland" and "Dark Oz." I'll make this one short and sweet. Interesting intro to the WONDERLAND series. Too bad the first issue wasn't as good as this. Nothing more really to say. I'll split the difference - 3 rabbit holes outta 5.

And the final story of ARROW ANTHOLOGY 2, "Miss Chevious." While I never read any of the TALES FROM THE ANIVERSE before, I've usually liked stories with talking animals (I used to love reading CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW). The cat bounty hunter is an interesting angle especially because she is female. My only complaint is that I wish this story would have had more pages, but we will see what ends up happening. Now Randy, this is more like it.

4 out of 5 blasters.

By the way, this issue also had an ad for MEDIEVAL MAYHEM, a new series from Tyme Comics - cute pinup, guys, I like the ad - thumbs up!

Now on to issue 3.

First, I must say excellent pic on the back cover, Bryan - you rock! That pic just kicks ass big time. I can't even go 5 outta five on it, I gotta go 10 outta 5.

"Great Scott!" LOL This is one story that's real. Look at the writing in one panel: this lady says, "Why did you do that, you dick?!" LOL Can't get much more real than that. This one was amusing big time: the baby and feeding him - just too funny (hey, what can I say, I'm male). "Great Scott!" gets 4 outta 5 nipples

Now on to "Dragon Queen." Very nice artwork; would love to see it in color. An "A" for the story, nice teaser - enough to whet the appetite without being overwhelming or leaving you lost. Nice big panels, too, and not overwrought by writing. It lets the pictues tell the story and only says what needs to be said, nothing more. I look forward to seeing more of this. 5 out of 5 dragon scales.

Now on to "Ninja Duck." Here we have a cute little tale about a duck who's a ninja. He doesn't seem too bright. This is a simple tale which is enjoyable; no heavy thinking, not many characters to keep track of. Worth a read. I don't know how many isusues you could go with this in a regular monthly book, but for an installment in ARROW ANTHOLOGY, it works nicely. 3 throwing stars out of 5.

Now on to "The Adventures of Simon and Ajax." This is the first part of the story that tells how they met. Let's see, we got cherub commandoes, some Nazis, a mad scientist - all the makings of a good story. My only complaint: I have to wait to read the rest of it. This series kinda reminds me of HOWARD THE DUCK, with Howard and Beverly. It's a great little series. I like series with talking animals that don't take themselves too seroulsy (mind you, I'm not saying I don't like serious talking animals stuff). The one cherub I'd swear they ripped off of NICK FURY: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. This one's a winner, folks (just like the last "Simon and Ajax" I read ).

4 out of 5 stars.

Now on to "Samantha." Interesting story I suppose. No words with it but what's it all mean...ah well, it was stylishly done, so it gets 3 *** out of 4.

Now on to "The Fool." Great story, wonderful moral. 5 ***** out of 5.

Nothing more needs to be said other than keep 'em coming, Randy.

Now, let's see what Jerry thinks:

DARK OZ 5 - This was an excellent ending to a fantastic mini-series. The writing is some of the best I've read and the story kept me on the edge of my seat, in the same way a really good TV series cliffhanger keeps you glued to the set.

WONDERLAND - An impressive debut issue. I don't know if Dorothy was really needed. I would've preferred they hold off on a crossover until later and focused more on Alice as the lead character of this series, but other than that, I really liked the first issue, especially all of the witty banter between all of the characters.

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE MEMPHIS FRONT - Just in time for the anniversary of the original H.G. Wells novel. This comic rocks and it stays true to the original concept, which has been explored to lesser success in Marvel's Killraven comics.

KORVUS - What if H.P. Lovecraft had written Conan? The result may have been something like this dark fantasy. This one just didn't grab me. I guess it wasn't detailed enough for me. Or maybe it was the gore, which I don't have a problem with as long as it's worked in well with other elements such as story and character. Hopefully, future issues will explore this world more fully. It has a lot of potential.