https://blacknerdproblems.com/eight-billion-genies-1-review/
Writer: Charles Soule / Artist: Ryan Browne / Image
It’s an incredibly simple concept. Imagine that you are going about your day and suddenly, a small phantasmal figure appears in your line of sight and says, “You can have one wish.” Which, in and of itself, would probably bring a veritable treasure trove of shenanigans. But now imagine that eight billion people have also gotten to make a wish. That’s the entire premise of this latest speculative fiction comic that is Soule and Browne’s Eight Billion Genies, and the chaos starts pretty much from the get.
Eight Billion Genies #1 starts with a little bit of a wonky framing as the narration sets the action in a small bar in a Michigan town “tomorrow.” We see the proprietor of the bar interact with various acquaintances and customers before the scope is slowly expanded to other people across the world. Soule does a great job of fleshing out the different characters with dialog and manages to create a solid rapport. Who wouldn’t emphasis with an almost twelve-year-old trying to make the best of a rough home situation, or the wise barkeep with a clearly mysterious past? Brown brings all of the characters to life, while also keeping the pages flowing as more characters get introduced and the more fantastical elements of the story kick in.
When the titular, ephemeral genies show up, everything quickly escalates and within just the first second so many chaotic things happen in a wonderful cacophony of inner desires and truly imaginative imagery. As the time scale escalates from eight seconds to eight minutes, Soule and Browne takes us through several different scenarios in a rapid succession and deftly create a polar sense of impulsive and foresight, of selfishness and selflessness. It’s a high concept premise that is executed brilliantly.
Eight Billion Genies #1 is a refreshingly vibrant first issue that dives headfirst into its conceit and just presses the gas pedal as hard as possible. Soule’s quick wit and writing paired with the surrealistic art from Browne work wonderfully in concert for this wild premise, and I’ll be following very closely to see what happens in the next issue/eight hours next month.
9.2 “Wishes Granted” out of 10
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram!
The post ‘Eight Billion Genies #1’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Writer: Charles Soule / Artist: Ryan Browne / Image
It’s an incredibly simple concept. Imagine that you are going about your day and suddenly, a small phantasmal figure appears in your line of sight and says, “You can have one wish.” Which, in and of itself, would probably bring a veritable treasure trove of shenanigans. But now imagine that eight billion people have also gotten to make a wish. That’s the entire premise of this latest speculative fiction comic that is Soule and Browne’s Eight Billion Genies, and the chaos starts pretty much from the get.
Eight Billion Genies #1 starts with a little bit of a wonky framing as the narration sets the action in a small bar in a Michigan town “tomorrow.” We see the proprietor of the bar interact with various acquaintances and customers before the scope is slowly expanded to other people across the world. Soule does a great job of fleshing out the different characters with dialog and manages to create a solid rapport. Who wouldn’t emphasis with an almost twelve-year-old trying to make the best of a rough home situation, or the wise barkeep with a clearly mysterious past? Brown brings all of the characters to life, while also keeping the pages flowing as more characters get introduced and the more fantastical elements of the story kick in.
When the titular, ephemeral genies show up, everything quickly escalates and within just the first second so many chaotic things happen in a wonderful cacophony of inner desires and truly imaginative imagery. As the time scale escalates from eight seconds to eight minutes, Soule and Browne takes us through several different scenarios in a rapid succession and deftly create a polar sense of impulsive and foresight, of selfishness and selflessness. It’s a high concept premise that is executed brilliantly.
Eight Billion Genies #1 is a refreshingly vibrant first issue that dives headfirst into its conceit and just presses the gas pedal as hard as possible. Soule’s quick wit and writing paired with the surrealistic art from Browne work wonderfully in concert for this wild premise, and I’ll be following very closely to see what happens in the next issue/eight hours next month.
9.2 “Wishes Granted” out of 10
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram!
The post ‘Eight Billion Genies #1’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Afronerd Radio can now be heard LIVE courtesy of Apple Music/Itunes
Is it Wednesday already? Well, you know what that means....it's time for Afronerd Radio's Mid Week in Review show, airing each and every Wednesday at 8 p.m. eastern on the BTalk 100 internet broadcasting platform. Check out the latest discourse from your friendly-neighborhood AFROnerdist hosts, as they analyze the following topics: during Sunday's Grindhouse, we spoke around the periphery of the Doctor Strange sequel, Multiverse of Madness but this time around let's get into some spoiler talk, shall we?; more fallout stemming from legendary Youtube commentator, Kevin Samuel's untimely death-Radio personality, Tom Leykis, oftentimes called a "Father" of "red pill" content, accuses Samuels of stealing his act; the iconic Bruce Lee caricature, "Fei Long" from the longstanding Street Fighter VG is being discontinued from any future iterations pursuant to Lee's family wishes (deemed disrespectful or comedic);
Canonically, some deceased comic book characters never return from the grave (Uncle Ben, Thomas, and Martha Wayne, Bill Foster/Goliath, etc) but it looks like Marvel is looking to bring back John Proudstar (Thunderbird) and we have our thoughts; speaking of returns, Milestone's Blood Syndicate is back on the scene, courtesy of Milestone 2.0; our thoughts about a cadre of popular Atlanta rappers (including Gunna and Young Thug) were recently arrested in a widespread racketeering sting;
Lastly, our impressions of recent trailers that hit the cyberwebs (Westworld S4, Love Death+Robots S3) as well as our thoughts concerning streaming giant, Netflix's recent financial woes, and loss of stock value.
One thing that Dburt is doing (finally) is investing in cryptocurrency, courtesy of Roundlyx. We would implore our followers to investigate, discern and then explore by using our referral code: afro-87A4BF
Call us LIVE at 508-645-0100. AFTER CLICKING ON THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK, GO DIRECTLY TO AFRONERD RADIO!!!
Also, Afronerd Radio's podcast format can be heard via BTalk 100 Pandora, Spotify, and, IHeartRadio....more formats to follow!
Writer: Stephanie Phillips / Artist: Flaviano / Boom! Studios
This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time, that Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” plays (or in this particular case, are written on the page) as a specter of death approaches to take a life. Grim #1 follows a grand tradition, a common story, a familiar narrative and starting, where we follow a Grim Reaper. In this case, the reaper’s name is Jessica Harrow, and Flaviano’s evokes all the tropes you’d expected while adding a distinctively modern flair to it.
Phillips’ narrative blends a lot of familiar tropes and arcs, and it’s in that unique blend that Grim #1 finds a niche. You get the depiction of the reaper leading a relatively deceased soul to the afterlife. You get the depiction of the not-exactly River Styx and the souls damned to some eternal punishment. You get the depiction of the not-exactly Purgatory in an excessive bureaucracy that some modern interpretations have leaned into. And you get the eventual pivot to the main narrative of Jessica Harrow’s journey.
Grim works because of Phillips’ awareness of the genre and the use of shorthand to help accelerate the pacing while still keeping us invested in Harrow’s own introspection. It’s a familiar set up, but it’s still executed tightly. You have to give props to Flaviano’s illustration, Renzi’s coloring, and Napolitano’s lettering. The combined visual aesthetic is striking, alluring, and has a fantastic, polished feel that shows a wide range of settings and action brilliantly.
While not the strongest first issue ever, Grim #1 is still a gripping first issue with a unique visual flair and tight writing. Grim’s familiarity works in its favor and innovative in its presentation. I’ll be sticking around for the next issue for sure.
8.9 “Scythes” out of 10
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram!
The post ‘Grim #1’ Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.