Brandon: This was a great issue and man is it a bummer to have Fowler leave. This book has been so right in so many ways that losing even a piece of the overall team feels like a massive loss. I am sure the book can continue to be great but this is one of the most disappointing departures from a Valiant book for me.
Outside of that this issue was the shit per usual. This book is so damn funny like I said in our Power Rankings for last month. The Goat was killer this issue as was the army of clone spare body part farms. It also had a lot of heart as you get more fantastic character and relationship building between the titular characters via the flashbacks that continue to be money.
What did you think David?
David: Oh man, this comic was really great, man. As sad as it is to see Tom Fowler roll out, I’m really excited for Ming Doyle to come in, and I think he really, really crushed in this last issue. His work is honestly amongst some of my favorite in the industry, and the combination of him with Jordie Bellaire is just spectacular. Their selling of the Goat coming out joke – in one of my favorite, random joke types – was so damn hilarious. Killed me Brandon. Killed me.
And I loved how they handled the Goat overall. Honestly, there are so many ways they could have done that, and somehow, they came out with the absolute best option.
This book kicks ass Brandon. I really dig it. Let’s talk about the brothers though. This first arc was both about establishing their “origin” but also about establishing what led these brothers to where they are and who they are. How well do you think they’ve established their relationship through four issues?
Brandon: I think they’ve established the best relationship between two characters in the whole Valiant Universe. These guys feel organic and real. There is great humor but an equal amount of tragedy but the title walks that slightly dark line and turns it into relatable characters who are also incredibly ridiculous. I’m very impressed with what has been done between these two characters in only four issues.
How is this book stacking up to the previous iteration that you are a HUGE fan of?
David: Well, artistically this book surpasses the original so far. As much as I enjoyed M.D. Bright’s art, it was never truly exceptional. It was a good fit, but never anything that blew me away. Fowler and Bellaire do that each and every month though, and in that regard it crushes it. Priest was such a dominant force on the original though, and while Asmus is making major strides in recapturing that magic, he’s going to need time. I think he’s well on his way, but I do think he’s still figuring out how to properly use the black title cards or whether or not he really wants to use those (which were a staple of the original).
Either way, it’s shaping up incredibly well in comparison to the original, which is astounding because Brandon, I was a big fan.
Did you have a favorite moment in this most excellent issue? I mean, besides the coming of the Goat?
Brandon: Honestly, I really enjoyed the cut scenes. They added such a great emotional undertone to the comedy that is ever present in the title. Without this type of character work the humor just wouldn’t feel the same. It adds great layers to the overall book. I think the cut scenes consistently have been pretty amazing.
Did you have a favorite part?
David: Besides the goat, I loved the reveal as to why Woody went away. For such a self-serving prick, the guy has good intentions…sometimes. So it was great to see that. I really loved that.
Continued belowI went on a bit about why the art rules. Want to add anything about that, yourself?
Brandon: I think you hit all the important marks with the art. I just want to reiterate how much I am going to miss the current art.
Anything else or are you ready to slap a rating on this bad mother?
David: Let’s rate this bad boy. I’ll give it a 9.0. It continues to be an absolute joy of a book. What do you give it?
Brandon: I really enjoyed this issue and I continue to enjoy this series. It’s getting a 9.0 from me as well!
Brandon: While I didn’t enjoy the issue as much as I did last months, I still enjoyed it. It was a rather fun Halloween issue. I thought the art was solid and I felt Zubkavich did a great job stepping in and keeping the feel of the book but also adding some of his trademark humor as well. We also got some more of Dr. Mirage who I absolutely love! I wish we’d get a lot more of her.
What did you think of the issue?
David: I thought it was okay. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good. It was just a perfectly decent one-off issue that showed about who Jack Boniface is, threw in some call backs to what’s been going on, and had fun with the world of New Orleans on Halloween. Besides that though, nothing about it really stood out for me. What about it stood out for you, besides Dr. Mirage being back and as amazing as ever?
Brandon: While the issue was fun, I would agree that it really wasn’t anything amazing. So with that in mind my favorite part of the book was Dr. Mirage riding the float complaining about the work being lined up for her. Outside of that it was a fun but not outstanding issue. Had Dr. Mirage not been in the issue I probably would have had a hard time coming up with something to talk about to be honest. Not to say it was bad by any means but it just didn’t have a stand up and take notice moment.
What did you think of the art?
David: Sepulveda is a guy who throughout his career has appeared in books I like but never really done anything that made me say “hey! I dig that guy’s work!” In this issue, it was more of the same, as he did a fine job bringing this story to life – in particular, the parade looked particularly good – but just like the rest of the comic, it was an exercise in not really standing out. Honestly, I read it in about as passive of a fashion as I can a comic. I didn’t get really invested in either direction, and that might be the worst thing you can have in a story.
What about you? Did you dig Sepulveda’s art?
Brandon: I thought it did what it needed to do as well but I also didn’t think it provided anything that really changed my opinion of the issue. If anything it added to my perception that it was a decent book but nothing amazing. He draws a nice Dr. Mirage and he also draws a pretty decent Shadowman but overall there wasn’t a lot to write home about.
Do you have anything else to add about the issue or are you ready to rate this bad boy?
David: Nope, I’m all set. As a one-shot set in New Orleans during Halloween, Zub and Sepulveda did a fine job of bringing it to life, but ultimately, nothing really stood out enough to make it a book I have a lot to say about. Let’s call it a 6.0 – worth a read, but maybe not a buy. What about you?
Brandon: I’d give it a 7.0. Nothing great but nothing horrible.
