Finger Guns #1 Advanced Review

Written by Justin Richards 
Art by Val Halvorson 
Colors by Rebecca Nalty 
Letters by Taylor Esposito

Finger Guns written by Justin Richards and illustrated by Val Halvorson is the first new series of 2020 published by Vault comics. Now if you followed me at all last year you know just how much I love this publisher. Throughout 2019, Vault was a continuous powerhouse with titles like These Savage Shores, Heist, Money Shot and Sera and the Royal Stars. Vault is fully prepared to start 2020 with a literal bang. Thanks to the kind folks over at Vault Comics I was able to get a sneak peek at the first issue of Finger Guns a month before it hits your local comic shop.

Life as a teenager is hard. With factors like school, work, friendships, and puberty it can feel almost impossible to balance. Life as a teenager with a crappy and stressful home life, well that's even harder. Enter our two protagonists. Finger Guns follows the story of two such kids following their own beaten path just trying to make it through life before converging together with what they have in common It's a coming of age story we've seen before, but with an added twist. Our two main characters can manipulate the emotions of one another with you guessed it, a single finger gun motion.

This book is absolutely gorgeous, Val Halvorson and Rebecca Nalty (the series colorist) are an absolute dream team together. In a book about elevated emotions, the theme is handled perfectly in regards to its art. The colors are gorgeous and vibrant while still tying down the fact that this book is just about everyday kids. There's also a use of texture along with the colorwork that I really appreciate, it really helps to add depth to every panel and page.

While there are a lot of similarities between our characters I also really love the contrast between them. Wes, who we're first introduced harnesses a power that seemingly elevates the emotions of others, especially those of hate and anger, while his counterpart Sadie seemingly calms and settles with the use of her own powers. This contrast can also be seen in their personal lives as well. Wes lives most of his life alone, as his absent father spends most of his time working late, while Sadie's family is quite the opposite as we learn here parents are financially struggling which only adds weight to their family. Both are feelings that almost everyone has experienced at one point or another which helps to make the series more relatable despite its magical touch.

My biggest issue with Finger Guns premiere is its pacing. Now I'll give him credit, Richards gets right down to it with our main character discovering and experimenting with his powers by page four. I like this a lot. However, from there, the rest of the issue seems rushed with scenes feeling incomplete at times. The final pages, in particular, are where we see it the worst especially in the issue's cliffhanger. I'm almost certain of where the next issue will go and how it will begin which makes its ending lacking in any weight or real "threat".  I personally feel like the final pages should have just shown the eluded action with the opening of issue two dealing with its consequences.

Overall I really enjoyed Finger Guns and am excited to see where the story will go. If you're a fan of series like We Can Never Go Home or 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank this is a seemingly no brainer pickup. Either way, make sure to pick up Finger Guns #1 and read it for yourself when the first issue drops on February 26th.  

Sera & The Royal Stars #1 Advanced Review

You guys probably already know but I'm just gonna reiterate how much I love Vault comics! They're honestly one of the best publishers out there right now with some of the best talent in the industry. Despite Vault still being in its infancy, they've already managed to publisher hit titles like, Heathen, Wasted Space, These Savage Shores, and Submerged, all of which you should be reading. Not only that but they publish some of the most diverse stories in comics right now, with a wide range of themes and voices across all their titles.

Sera & The Royal Stars is a new Asian influenced epic fantasy limited mini-series from Jon Tsuei & Audrey Mok. In the midst of a great civil war, Princess Sera will have no choice but to follow a predetermined destiny when the great goddess Mitra replaces her heart with a fragmented crystal shard. With the fate or her house, subjects, and land on the line, Sera will have no choice but to leave all she knows behind in the hope of bringing balance back to Parsa. 

Princess Sera reminds me a lot of Red Sonja, she's fierce willful and badass, making her my favorite kind of protagonist. Despite the odds against her and the lingering weight of past failures, she embarks on a journey carrying a burden that only she is able.

I absolutely loved this first issue. First issues often suffer the casualty of world building and character introductions, while sacrificing excitement and intensity or vice versa, but with Sera & The Royal Stars, this is not the case. Our story starts on the foothills of a great battle. It makes the beginning quick and sharp, but as the story transitions, Jon Tseui is able to find this perfect balance that offers action and engagement while still setting up this fantastical world he's created with Audrey Mok, that leaves you wanting to see more. 

Speaking of Audrey Mok, her work in Sera & The Royal Stars is drop dead gorgeous. I'm familiar with her cover work with Archie titles like Josie & The Pussycats and Blossoms 666, but creating a cultural fantasy combined with some really fantastic character designs is where she shines. Colorist, Raúl Angulo who works alongside Mok, utilizes bold and contrasting colors, along with unique textures to really help push her linework to another level, giving life to this new world.

Sera & The Royal Stars is a wonderful and diverse addition to the fantasy genre. With such a star-studded first issue, the series is definitely on my pull list.  So far it's a great all-ages title, without succumbing to an overly childish feel, making it great for literally everyone. If you're a fan of series like Avatar The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra or Red Sonja make sure to check this one out!

Sera & The Royal Stars is currently available to preorder at your local comic shop, with the first issue releasing on July 17th.

She Said Destroy #1 Early Review

While Vault comics is still developing as a publisher, the company has already published indomitable stories like Heathen, Submerged, Wasted Space & These Savage Shores. I'm excited to say that when She Said Destroy drops into comic shops next month, it will undoubtedly be following its powerhouse predecessors. Of course when this book was announced I immediately knew I had to get issue one. After all, this book screamed my entire space goddess neon aesthetic. So huge shoutouts to Liana Kangas for getting this gem into my hands a little early, because I honestly just could not wait until it's release date in late May.

"And when a God is forgotten, they can never return." One of the opening lines of She Said Destroy, this simple phrase compiled of only a few words was enough to make my jaw drop and go "damn, this is gonna be good." As stated in the first page of this debut issue, when the Pantheons have fallen only two Gods remain.  Brigid, the Goddess of Sun, and Morrigan, Goddess of Death. A regalias interstellar war wages between them and the line between good and evil although seemingly apparent are not as expected, as it's the Sun Goddess who appears to wage war against that of Death. The story's focus lays with those who have pledged themselves to the divine deities, as warriors from both sides will inevitably come together for better or for worse in the future issues to come.

Joe Corallo has taken mythology from all walks of life that we've known forever, elegantly transforming it into lore that is all his own, yet still, something we as readers can connect with. Morrigan and Brigid, names that are all too recognizable have been transformed into deities for a modern age, while still staying true to their characteristics.


She Said Destroy is a beautiful blend of magic and science fiction. You can really feel the Star Wars influence on every page making many moments, like the training sequence between our main characters Winona and Raul on the first few pages feel familiar. That being said, She Said Destroy feels entirely it's own despite its mainstream inspiration. The characters and settings are fantastically designed by Liana Kangas, taking traditional fantasy influences and making them feel modern and gorgeous. Despite the war raging in the story's backdrop, each panel is bright, breathtaking and colorful creating a wonderful contrast.

The first issue is quick, a little too quick for my liking, and not a whole lot happens, but then again as with all first issues, there's the task of world building for what's to come and engaging the reader all within the span of twenty-two or so pages. That being said issue one ends on a fantastic note. As the Goddess Morrigan, bringer of death and destruction sits calmly on her throne she utters one single word to those who would pledge themselves to her. "Destroy."  Personally, I think it's going to take more than the first issue for me to become truly invested, which isn't necessarily a bad thing considering it makes me more than willing to pick up future issues to see what's to come.

Overall She Said Destroy is a great addition to Vault's wide range of stories. It's a science fiction/fantasy elements along with strong female heroines is the perfect media to help hold us over while we wait for the release of Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker.  Even better She Said Destroy has a strong young adult vibe, making it a fantastic story for everyone to enjoy compared to some of the more mature titles from the publisher. Be sure to pick up She Said Destroy from Joe Corallo and Liana Kangas when it drops into your local comic shop on May 29th.

Heads Will Roll - Clankillers #1 [Early] Review

  I've been on a warrior woman kick lately. I mean I'm always on a kick with warrior women, but lately, I've spent a lot of time with series like Vault's Heathen, Dark Horse's Sword Daughter, and Dynamite's Red Sonja. So seeing as Clankillers #1 was being advertised as another young warrior girl on the run and out for revenge I knew I had to put the first issue on my reading list. Of course I have to give out a huge thanks to Sean Lewis and the Aftershock team for sending ya girl an early review copy. You guys are seriously the best!

Clankillers tells the tale of teenage rebellion, set amidst the harsh landscape of historical Ireland. Blaming the death of her mother, and the descent of father's madness on the Goddess Balor, Princess Finola decides that she alone will take down the holy deity. But in order to come face to face with the goddess herself, Finola will have to kill the Four Clans of Ireland, including the one belonging to her own kin.

There's a lot of potential in this first issue. Lewis and Fuso have really laid out the groundwork, setting up both the characters and story quite nicely. Why is Finola seemedly her father's favorite daughter, what was the king like before insanity took over, and of course why did the Goddess Balor need to kill the Queen? These are all questions I NEED answered and why I'll be continuing to read this series.  It gives readers enough to be invested without blowing it all away with the first issue. We've also got some really great characters on our hands. Of course I love Finola, she's got the spirit and strength to conquer through anything taking the impossible feat of claiming a goddess' head, head on. (Pun totally intended) But who I'm really enjoying is King Padraig the Grotesque, As his name states, he's a man of pure evil. Padraig is the comic book equivalent of Tywin Lannister and its shown throughout the issue through his own actions and dialogue why he's so hated by his daughter and feared by those around him. He's a tortured scumbag and those are my favorite kind of characters.

Now Antonio Fuso's art is rough, but given the mood and style of Clankiller's, that's not a bad thing. In fact, it's what really helps to bring the story together. The colors are dark and murky, really helping to set the brutal tone of feudal Ireland. The world is shit, and while dialogue can take that feeling so far, Fuso's art brings us that much farther, truly showcasing the hardships in which these people are forced to face.

Series from Aftershock comics seem to be hit or miss. Animosity and Insexts both from Marguerite Bennett are among my favorites from Aftershock but I think that Clankillers makes a great new addition to the publisher. I'm really excited to see where this series will go as Finola cuts her way through the four clans to her goal. Given that we've already seen talk of Goddess' and some magic I'm hoping that the creative team will pull even further from Irish mythology. Give me all the banshees, kelpies and changelings, please!

Clankillers #1 hits the shelves of your local comic shop this Wednesday, July 18th, as well as digitally over on Comixolgy.

For fans of Sword Daughter & Head Lopper.