411’s Comic Reviews: Major X #1, The Walking Dead #190 More

Hello and welcome to 411mania’s weekly Comic Book Review! Each week we’ll be serving up a warm dish of reviews (and previews) from Marvel, DC, and anything else that captures our interest. What did you pick up this week? Let us know in the comments.Want to write a review? If you can write at least one review a week, consistently, email me at [email protected]!

Knights temporal #1

Preview by Steve Gustafson

When Auguste de Riviere returned from the Crusades, he was ashamed and horrified by the things he had done. Hoping to reclaim his soul, he pledged to root out evil wherever it might be found. But when he pursues a vile sorcerer into a forbidden forest, his life is shattered. Auguste ventured into the dark forest, but emerged in the modern world. Accompanied now by the enigmatic Jane Fool, Auguste hunts a madman while trying to piece together the mystery of his very existence.

CULLEN BUNN ON WHAT THE STORY’S ABOUT AND HOW HE CAME UP WITH THE TITLE:

“This is a weird fantasy tale. It’s the story of Auguste, a medieval knight in search of redemption, who pursues a vile necromancer into a forbidden, haunted forest. It is said that no one who enters this forest ever leaves. This is not the case for Auguste, though. He leaves the forest–but when he exits, he finds himself in another time. And another time. And another time. Auguste’s very existence is shattered and cast through time and space. He exists over and over again in multiple eras. And in all of those eras, he has the same goal–to stop the necromancer’s evil plans. There’s a strange connection between all of these different “instances” of Auguste’s existence, one that can be both a boon and a deadly disadvantage, as you’ll see. How did Auguste find himself in such a strange predicament? Well, for that you’ll need to read the comic.

As for the title, it was a long road, and I ran the story concept by several of my first readers to get their feedback. In the end, KNIGHTS TEMPORAL sounded perfect for a story about time-lost knights.”

Ghost Tree #1

Preview by Steve Gustafson

IDW Publishing announced that Ghost Tree #1, the first chapter in an ethereal four-issue journey through the dark forests of Japan, sold out at the distributor level – well before its April 24th on-sale date! To meet the demand of fans and retailers, IDW will release a second printing of Ghost Tree #1 on May 22nd.

“We here on the Ghost Tree creative team are thrilled that we’re doing a second print,” says writer Bobby Curnow. “This is a quiet character-based drama— not something with big marketing hooks or flashy cover plans. We’re extremely lucky and thankful that people seem to be interested in what we’ve shown so far.”

Illustrated by Simon Gane and colored by Ian Herring, Ghost Tree follows Brandt, a young man who returns to his ancestral home in Japan, only to uncover a haunted tree and the departed souls – including friends and family – that are drawn to it. Brandt attempts to heal some of history’s wounds, but will he be able to find any measure of peace for himself?

Bloodborne #11

Preview by Steve Gustafson

A Song of Crows (3 of 4)! Delve deeper into the world of Sony and FromSoftware’s gothic gaming hit, Bloodborne! Writer Ales Kot and artist Piotr Kowalski continue their acclaimed run – and fan-favorite Hunter Eileen discovers a truth that may drive her mad!

The Walking Dead #190

Review by Steve Gustafson

If you’ve taken a break from The Walking Dead comic, I think it’s time for you to come back. The Commonwealth storyline has found its rhythm and delivering on the drama and tension across the board. Even the undead have come back in way to remind us that they are still very much a threat to the living.

Conflict among those living in the Commonwealth has come to a head and developed some interesting dramatic angles to explore. Rick’s story has really stepped up and has given long time readers a worthy payoff in how his choices have brought him to where he is now.

I admit that I was just about to give up on Robert Kirkman but he’s always a step ahead, wagging his finger at me for doubting him. Apologies sir!

As a fan from the start, I’m more than happy to say that this book still finds ways to entertain and keep us engaged in what happens. Don’t believe me? Pick this one up and see for yourself!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Major X #1

Review by John Pumpernickel

What can you say about Rob Liefeld? As much flack as he catches, he can deliver buzz and sales like no one else.

The one thing about Liefeld is he is filled with amazing, big ideas but it’s the execution where things slip through the cracks.

Major X #1 is a perfect example. While fans of the 90s will treat this book as a warm, comforting blanket of all things good from that era, when you reread the book, it comes up short in the areas that count,

Liefeld has a certain magic that draws fans in. Only he could get away with the dialogue and uneven panel layout that he throws out there. The excitement carries the page but closer inspection makes wonder how he’s been able to get away with it after all these years. The ideas he’s trying to convey have some merit but it never really connected with me.

This issue lives or dies on what you feel about Liefeld and his place in the comic book industry. He’s the teflon don and no criticism has been able to deny his popularity.

I found myself shrugging after reading this issue, thinking this was a number of rejected ideas from the 90s come back to remind us of the best (and worst) of that time period.

I’ll pass.

Then again, Major X #2 has already sold out so what do I know?

Rating: 7.0 out of 10

That’s all the time we have. Tell us what you’re reading below and see you back here next week! You can now find our reviews on ComicBookRoundUp.com! www.ComicBookRoundUp.com