Rodriguez is probably the most compelling reason for a new reader to join at this stage.  His art is gorgeous.  With Fotos on colors , the art is fluid and graceful - a sort of horror ballet if you will.  Thick lines and chunky designs make it a familiar and unique looking book all at the same time.  While the details in the antique doorknobs show the care taken in creating the visual world, the movement of the lines keeps the book interesting when it could have become bogged down in extensive monologuing.  It is an example of the creative team working together to create a great experience despite problems here or there.

No, this is not a great starting point, despite what the number on the front cover might tell you.  It is an intriguing title that is worth starting from the very beginning and this chapter, for the initiated, is full of revelation.

The story is easy to read and fast paced, with some excellent action sequences. The overall world seems a little derivative. With the heavy handed state and military police patrols, there is little here we have not seen before. I am hoping future issues delve a little deeper into the background of the dystopian future because in this first outing, there isn't much new to digest. The Indego Blue character is the strongest part of the book. Even though he has a James Bond vibe, complete with a “gadget guy,” both his appearance and his personality make him instantly likable. He seems very much a kind-hearted hero which is a welcome take, and proud of his hybrid origins. The story suffers from trying to introduce too much, the world, the characters, the villains, but the feelings should dissipate when the mini-series is read as a whole.

Russell's artwork is a mixed bag. The characters are clean and fresh, with interesting designs and features. The book is presented in black and white, but the inking is a little too sparse for a non-colored presentation. The storytelling is good and page design appealing, but the lack of darks gives the impression of being unfinished. The outlines also appear a little scratchy, and I don't think this is a function of the PDF review copy, but rather the lines themselves. I really like the rendering style, but it could use a little more polish.

After reading the book, you are left with the impression that there is a lot of potential in the world of Indego Blue. Even though this future is bleak, the fresh faced animated hero is exciting and unusually happy and makes you want to stand up and cheer for him. It is refreshing to have such a positive hero in such an inhospitable world. Not a perfect outing by any means, but there is enough here to bring the reader back for more.

I actually wasn't expecting so much action from this title, but a good portion of it was an expertly choreographed fight between our heroes and the clan of werewolves. Lanz's storytelling is very crisp and clear, more than making up for some of the sketchiness of the rendering. As a general rule, I am not a fan of gray-tones in black and white comics, as I find it muddies the works, so to speak, but it is done well here. I was particularly impressed with the splash page, a seeming mixed media piece with excellent use of negative space and white on black rendering.

The biggest problem with Ex Occultus: Badge of Langavat lays in its overemphasis of plot over character development. I don't even think Wakefield is mentioned by name in the story, leaving a new reader confused about who the hero is. It is a great concept, especially being set in a believable past, and I am excited to read more about Wakefield and Fergus, but they are not developed well here.

The comic is worth a look. I commend the writers for using a barely known legend as a springboard for their story. Researching the review, Wikipedia provided a mere sentence. Many occult investigator comics tackle the more common legends and look to add a new twist. In this case, the material is fresh and interesting. I am not sure what the plans are for future episodes of Ex Occultus, but no doubt the creators have earned a future look.

Lady Fight: Escalation is very much a flash fiction equivalent for the comic book medium: the stories told are brief and snappy, meant to leave readers with a more visceral response of emotion than a developed sense of plot and meaning. But I’m not sure if the book’s system works for me. Lady Fight introduces some interesting concepts and characters, but the narratives remain shallow, not giving me enough to hold onto from story to story.

There are three total tales in this issue of Lady Fight. The first is “Explosion Proof,” a small eight-page story about a female bounty hunter who’s become the hunted. There’s not much else to describe other than that. She’s out on a hit, gets caught by some guys who want to kill her, but winds up showing them who’s boss.

The second story is “One Nation,” which showcases the exploits of Souverain, a vigilante soldier who defends the greater good in Afghanistan. When she’s caught by her ranking superiors, she strikes out on her own. This of the three stories is the most salient, touching upon relevant topical issues of human rights and how to handle them in a war setting.

The third is “Card Shark,” a light-hearted story about a feminine hero named Category 5 (Cat 5 for short) due to her hurricane-like powers. She’s trapped aboard a singles cruise when it’s attacked by a not-so-original shark villain, and it’s her responsibility to save the day. I must admit—I was left unsettled by the ignored murder of a man who was just trying to meet a gal with some dated pickup lines. I didn’t find his death as funny as I did slightly sad. I guess some guys just can’t win.

Each story presented in Lady Fight: Escalation brings some creativity to the table. “Explosion Proof” sports some smooth artwork with a confident heroine; “One Nation” uses a fictional story to examine the very real situation of Middle Eastern culture and violence; and “Card Shark,” while the plot itself didn’t blow me away, had an upbeat and lively tone with fun atmospherics. Collectively, Lady Fight delivers some worthwhile value, but when looking at each story individually, they’re much thinner and harder to judge. I simply need more material.

Lady Fight: Escalation isn’t a great comic, but it certainly isn’t a bad one either. It’s somewhere in the middle, but has the promise of evolving into something quite good as the skills and talents of the creators evolve, too.

This is a striking book. From its cover that, along with the interior art, recalls Geoff Darrow and museum bookstore kid’s books at the same time to its wordless yet meaty narrative, this book sets itself apart from the rest of the white noise clogging the shelves at your local comic store.

Delgado hits the reader with an emotional, touching and dramatic story. What is most impressive is the pantomime. It is a hard thing to pull off and something that is seen more rarely in this world of super-decompressed serial narratives. When combined with needless splash pages and the attention deficient youth of today, comics seem to have lost some of their allure to youngsters. However, Delgado is not afraid to challenge them. He knows that to create an effective all ages title, it is important to communicate with the audience not to merely communicate at them.

That is why the depth of emotion is so impressive here. In quick succession, he lays out the diversity of life in the period of the book. From rich fauna, to vast rock formations, from flying lizards to insects and lizards that resemble those of this era, there is a cornucopia of characters for him to chose from.

Here, he follows a herd of some of the less fearsome dinosaurs as they migrate. There is no real reason given for the migration, but there is the sense that something is afoot. It could be any myriad of things that has this grouping of different large herds moving as one. Most likely, the tyrannosaur that follows the group has something to do with it. While not being graphic in his violence, Delgado lays out the very real threat of the era and creates exciting action sequences.

There is also the lovingness he handles the family units in the herds with. There is a sense that there is true affection here. Despite a cutesy circle of life intro, you get a sense of the amount of work it takes to keep the herd together and it is obvious how important the creatures are to each other as a result.

There is also the cinematic approach Delgado gives his panels. He has a definite handle on how to handle action as well as warmth and emotional content. His work in Hollywood is understandable given the talent shown here.

There is also a nice editorial column in the back where the artist talks about his affection and respect for the films of Ray Harryhausen. I have often talked about my affinity for well conceived and informative back matter. This essay is on a whole other level though. With his talk of what appeals to younger readers and his love for one of Harryhausen’s films, he transforms the story into more. There is one film in particular that he cites as inspiration, The Valley of the Gwangi. Evidently, this film is a typical western that happens to feature dinosaurs and as I read the essay, I realized how the comic worked like a western with the T-Rex as the villain, the triceratops as the lawmen and the rest of the herd as the townspeople being terrorized. It has shades of High Noon or Seven Samurai and as such has a more archetypal story grounding it.

Age of Reptiles is a rich and dynamic comic. Its story's rich details and narrative make it a true stand out in the shelves today.