Reviews: Bludwire #1, Honor and Curse: Eternal #4, 51 #4 & Exploit #4
From Mad Cave Studios
A new series begins with Bludwire #1 and one ends with Exploit #4. Also, there are the continuing adventures in 51 #4 and Honor and Curse: Eternal #4 from Mad Cave Studios.
Bludwire #1
Ace and Zora were built for men’s pleasure. Now they’re building a life of their own, one bullet at a time. When sex bot Ace mounts a dangerous rescue mission, she isn’t starting a revolution. She’s trying to save the woman she loves.
But Ace and Zora are valuable property and a corporate kill squad is hot on their trail.
Bullets fly. Metal screams. Rivers run red with blood and coolant.
From critically-acclaimed writer Paul Allor and artist Ermitis Blanco, Blüdwire is a tender love story surrounded by a hail of bullets. Love is love, but liberation is violent.
Author: Paul Allor
Artists: Victor Ibanez, and Ermitis Blanco
An excellent introduction to the characters and the state of the world in which they live. It has some excellent suspense, and I enjoyed the way some of the timing of the panels worked.
Ace’s rescue looks to be planned well, but of course there are some spoilers on the horizon – including the police and their robotic aid. There seems to be some difference in the robots and their roles – that will make moving forward interesting in this story.
I particularly like the way the relationship between Ace and Zora is shown. They seem to be different, but there is something that has drawn them together.
There is some excellent art here, and special mention to the lettering, which added well to the story.
I will be carrying on with this one!
Get Bludwire #1 at Forbidden Planet:
Honor and Curse: Eternal #4
As the Order of Nine tightens its net, Genshi rushes to prevent an assassination, only to spring a deadly trap that ends in mass bloodshed and a spectacular explosion.
Outmatched and outmanoeuvred, he’s left with more questions than answers as the enemy proves just how far ahead they really are.
Author: Mark London
Artists: Nick Marinkovich, and Jaime Infante
This was an action-packed issue as Genshi looks to get ahead of those who are targeting him.
He’s cleverly worked out that he may not be the only target and looks to remedy the situation and stop the Order of Nine. Things don’t go to plan, and the only advantage is that as readers we get some excellent action with some brilliant high-octane artwork.
The ending leaves things out there and at an interesting point. There seems to be more to this.
Internally Genshi is still fighting his own internal battle, and the use of this was well played and makes for a multi-layered read.
Get Honor and Curse: Eternal #4 at Forbidden Planet:
51 #4
When a post-human empowered by a stolen top secret formula is spotted in Hawaii and connected with a brash string of robberies, the 51 crew is dispatched to deal with the situation.
But what they discover about the origin of the raid on Area 51 will leave them reeling!
Author: Curt Pires
Artist: JOK
After all that had been going on, this was an interesting side quest in the search for all that had been released from Area 51. There is the bigger story happening, and that makes a big play at the end of the issue, but the majority of the story is a one-shot.
With a new superhuman, using stolen drugs, causing his own kind of problems, the team have to do their best to stop it. It kicks off well with the tease and then shows us how we got there.
Even ending on a reasonably nice, although funny, note before the end cliffhanger.
There is a continuation of the excellent art and colouring with some brilliant, electric scenes that make this an entertaining read.
Get 51 #4 from Forbidden Planet:
Exploit #4
The final issue of Exploit halts and CATCHES FIRE as Kirby, Lenox and their danger pals stage a daring heist at Datum Tower with the whole world watching.
Predatory tech billionaire Clark Kincaid is doing amazing, and his evil scheme is finally falling into place. Can anyone stop him and his political cronies as they roll out the architecture for a technofascist state, with infinite money and power on their side?
No one reasonable, certainly. But Mr. Ipsum isn’t reasonable. He promised revenge. And he’s already inside the building.
Authors: Laura Hudson, and Tim Leong
Artist: Emiliana Pinna
An excellent finish to the story. With a clever aspect at the beginning that links in nicely to the revenge and goal of the heist. There are some tense moments and some little additional factors that make it worthwhile.
I like how the cast of the characters works out, and the ending was well played and adds something for a possible future if wanted.
There is some excellent artwork here, including some clever crowd scenes that add to the overall tension.
This has been a great series.
