CATALYST PRIME: SEVEN DAYS #1/ Script by GAIL SIMONE/ Pencils by JOSE LUIS/ Inks by JONAS TRINIDADE/ Colors by MICHELLE MADSEN/ Letters by SAIDA TEMOFONTE/ Published by LION FORGE COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

Mysterious meteors spell doom for the universe of Catalyst Prime, as a cosmic threat decrees that Earth must die in seven days time. Faced with seven days to come to peace with destruction, how will Earth’s heroes respond?

One of my favorite underrated comic book mini-series of all time is The Final Night – a story in which the heroes and villains of DC Comics’ Earth face the destruction of their world. Simone’s script inspires similar feelings of ennui, while introducing new readers to the world of Catalyst Prime and its core characters. The artwork by Jose Luis, Jonas Trinidade and Michelle Madsen perfectly captures the epic scope of the story and portrays the action quite well. Those readers not yet exposed to the Lion Forge superhero line will find this a warm welcome.

 

DARK ARK: AFTER THE FLOOD #1/ Script by CULLEN BUNN/ Art & Colors by JUAN DOE/ Letters by DAVE SHARPE/ Published by AFTERSHOCK COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

As God decreed that a man named Noah build an ark to save the animals of Earth, so too did darker powers order a wizard named Shrae to build an ark to contain the creatures of nightmare. Now, Shrae’s daughter, Khalee, must take her father’s place and guide the ark of Noah to the land discovered by the monsters.

I went into Dark Ark: After The Flood based on my love of Cullen Bun, not knowing it was the sequel to an earlier mini-series. This left me somewhat confused, as the book makes no effort to inform new readers of this fact, offering no summary of the previous series. Thankfully, Bunn’s script is accessible, but some kind of recap on the title page would not have been amiss. The artwork by Juan Doe is gripping, being vividly detailed yet simply streamlined. I would suggest reading the original Dark Ark  if you haven’t already, but this comic seems to be a worthy follow-up to that series.

 

DCEASED #5/ Script by TOM TAYLOR/ Pencils by TREVOR HAIRSINE/ Inks by STEFANO GAUDIANO/ Colors by RAIN BEREDO/ Letters by SAIDA TEMOFONTE/ Published by DC COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

With the Anti-Life virus spreading and Metropolis destroyed, Earth’s heroes and villains will unite to consider the fate of what remains of humanity. Their decisions will change the face of the DC Universe’s future forever, as they consider the possibility of abandoning the Earth for outer space.

It is a rare comic that can make you both laugh out loud and weep openly. DCeased #5 is such a comic. There is nothing more to say beyond that, save that if you haven’t already been reading this book, start now.

 

THE DREAMING #14/ Script by SIMON SPURRIER/ Art & Colors by MATIAS BERGARA/ Letters by SIMON BOWLAND/ Published by VERTIGO COMICS

Review by MATT MORRISON

Dora turns to Hell to learn the truth behind her origins, but how is she supposed to bargain with the lords of The Pit when she has no soul to sell? Thankfully, she has other coin to barter with and demons love a good game…

Simon Spurrier continues to keep the spirit of Vertigo Comics alive in the Sandman universe, with a script worthy of Neil Gaiman himself. Paired with guest artist Matias Bergara (whose work here shows why he was nominated for an Eisner), this is an excellent issue and a wonderful introduction for new readers who have yet to meet Dora and learn of her crazed quest to save the realm of dreams from total destruction.