The Island of Dr. Moreau #1 & 2 by Ted Adams

A reimagining of H.G. Wells’ novel, this two-part comic brings the story to vivid life with art by Gabriel Rodríguez and colors by Nelson Dániel. The art is the exceptional part of this story. All the creatures, the horrific vivisections, the lush island fauna, and the vivid expressions are all displayed with masterful work by the artists. The story itself follows the novel beat for beat, except that it swaps the protagonist, Edward, for Ellie, which I found refreshing in a male-centric novel. They also change the ending, moving the protagonist out of the strict narrator role and allowing her to actually make a positive change. The only downfall was the speed at which the story is presented. While the novel spans 11 months, the comic feels condensed, with everything happening over a couple of days, and the rest happening largely off-screen. The horror doesn’t have time to sink in. You barely have time to let a scene breathe before you’re on to the next.

Overall, it’s a good read. It’s great to look at. Pick it up if you’re looking for some really cool creature designs, but perhaps stick with the novel if you want more of a well-paced story.

Hawkeye Vol. 1-4 by Matt Fraction

Fantastic!

Matt Fraction’s storytelling throughout this series is phenomenal. Much like in Age of Ultron, Fraction shows us what makes Hawkeye such an appealing character. It isn’t that he’s a superpowered Avenger (because he’s not, hilariously shown on the first pages); it’s that he is human. Every issue of this four-volume set shows him when he’s not an Avenger, but when he’s doing the right thing for the people. It shows why he’s an Avenger. Every volume has him getting beaten down, but getting back up like good ole Cap as he navigates his way through the mission while training up Kate Bishop, his replacement. It’s hilarious, heartwarming, and just plain fun.

It helps that it is accompanied by great art, as well. David Aja is my particular favorite of the bunch. His simplistic art and colors are at the same time full of expression and life. It works perfectly with Fraction’s storytelling to bring Hawkeye to life. Javier Pulido comes in a close second, with the remaining artists rounding out third, but don’t let my ranking fool you, as there isn’t any bad art throughout this series.

Young Avengers Presents #6

The story by Matt Fraction is simple, with good morals and a touch of cool, but coming off the Hawkeye series, I found it a little underwhelming. The art, though very good, didn’t really stand out from the crowd. Overall, I found it to be okay.