Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      31
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Among
      various
      Image
      Comics’
      are
      two
     
     
      with
      very
      contrasting
      books,
      Newmen
     
     
      and
      Bloodstrike.
      Both
      offer
      the
      reader
     
     
      excellent
      art
      work,
      which
      is
      common
     
     
      with
      most
      Image
      comics,
      but
      the
     
     
      similiarities
      stop
      there.
     
    

    
     
      Newmen
      chronicles
      the
      adventures
     
     
      of
      a
      group
      of
      nu-gene
      positive
      teenagers
     
     
      banded
      together
      by
      a
      mentor
      by
      the
     
     
      name
      of
      Proctor.
      Bloodstrike,
      that
      being
     
     
      the
      ‘‘all-new,
      all-different’’
      Bloodstrike,
     
     
      focuses
      on
      a
      one
      man
      killing
      machine
     
     
      who
      gets
      back
      up
      help
      from
      the
      Experts.
     
     
      Now
      that
      you’ve
      been
      brought
      up
      to
     
     
      speed
      I’ll
      proceed
      to
      tear
      them
      apart
      for
     
     
      you.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      Week:
      Bloodstrike
      vs.
      Newmen
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      X-Factor’s,
      sorry,
     
     
      Newmen’s
      story
      sounds
      like
      a
      rip-off
      of
      a
     
     
      more
      popular
      comic,
      Bloodstrike
      is
      more
     
     
      original.
      It
      is
      also
      less
      confusing,
      as
      the
     
     
      Newmen
      saga
      likes
      to
      start
      stories
      in
      the
     
     
      middle
      and
      go
      back
      to
      the
      start,
      the
     
     
      whole
      time
      not
      making
      much
      sense.
     
    

    
     
      Bloodstrike
      and
      his
      band
      of
      merry
     
     
      men
      (and
      women)
      offer
      the
      bloodthirsty
     
     
      something
      of
      intrest
      as
      they
      hold
      little
     
     
      regard
      for
      sparing
      lives.
      When
      reading
     
     
      the
      two
      comics
      together
      this
      makes
      the
     
     
      Newmen
      look
      like
      major
      league
      wimps.
     
     
      In
      a
      sense,
      they
      are
      just
      that,
      since
      they
     
     
      don’t
      want
      to
      harm
      the
      image
      of
      nu-
     
     
      genes
      around
      the
      world.
      Yawn.
      Blowing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      *&@%
      out
      of
      everything
      tends
      to
     
    

    
     
      make
      a
      comic
      more
      interesting,
      espe-
     
    

    
     
      cially
      since
      the
      writers
      aren’t
      really
      all
     
     
      that
      hot.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      the
      weak
      storylines,
      the
     
     
      dailog
      is
      solid.
      The
      panels
      are
      also
     
     
      relatively
      easy
      to
      follow,
      although
     
     
      Bloodstrike
      again
      has
      the
      edge.
      Few
     
     
      mistakes
      are
      made
      in
      the
      inking
      and
     
     
      other
      areas
      of
      production,
      so
      you
      aren’t
     
     
      distracted
      from
      the
      story,
      when
      there
     
     
      actually
      is
      one
      you
      can
      follow.
     
    

    
     
      The
      biggest
      complaint
      stems
      not
      from
     
     
      the
      comics
      themselves
      but
      from
      the
     
     
      thinking
      of
      Image
      Comics.
      To
      be
      able
      to
     
     
      follow
      one
      series
      you
      have
      to
      follow
     
    
   
   
    
     
      them
      all,
      as
      cross-overs
      occur
      every
      two
     
     
      issues.
      This
      is,
      of
      course,
      an
      attempt
      to
     
     
      increase
      profits,
      but
      it
      makes
      it
      hard
      for
     
     
      new
      readers
      to
      become
      involved.
      Both
     
    

    
     
      titles
      lose
      out
      in
      this
      area.
     
    

    
     
      Containing
      more
      differences
      than
     
     
      similiarities,
      Bloodstrike
      and
      Newmen
     
     
      offer
      the
      reader
      a
      choice.
      My
      choice
     
     
      would
      clearly
      be
      Bloodstrike
      but
      |
     
     
      wouldn’t
      place
      the
      burden
      of
      reading
     
     
      either
      on
      anyone
      who
      actually
      has
      a
     
     
      social
      life
      and
      not
      three
      hours
      a
      night
     
     
      free
      to
      spend
      figuring
      out
      a
      comic
      book.
     
    

    
     
      --
      Lorne
      Caborn
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Book
      Reviews
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Something
      to
      do
      (when
      there
      is
      nothing
      to
     
     
      do)
     
    

    
     
      Mary
      Engelbriet
     
    

    
     
      (Andrews
      and
      McMeel)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyone
      Needs
      their
      Own
      Spot
     
     
      Mary
      Engelbreit
     
     
      (Andrews
      and
      McMeel)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      little
      book
      features
      adorable
     
     
      illustrations
      by
      Mary
      Engelbreit.
      Pulling
      the
     
     
      tabs
      creates
      new
      pictures,
      to
      delight
      of
     
     
      adults
      and
      children
      alike.
      While
      it
      is
     
     
      directed
      towards,
      the
      accompanying
      text
      is
     
     
      more
      appropriate
      for
      an
      older
      reader.
      As
     
     
      much
      as
      I
      like
      this
      book,
      the
      appeal
      is
     
     
      limited
      because
      of
      the
      ambiguous
      age
      group.
     
     
      It
      would
      be
      a
      great
      gift
      or
      stocking
      stuffer,
     
     
      for
      that
      person
      you
      don’t
      know
      what
      else
      to
     
     
      buy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      --
      Aldera
      Chisholm
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dinopix
     
     
      By
      Teruhisa
      Tajima
     
     
      (Chronicle
      Books)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      book
      features
      outlined
      versions
     
     
      of
      Mary
      Engelbreit’s
      most
      popular
      illustra-
     
     
      tions.
      These
      can
      be
      coloured
      and
      trans-
     
     
      formed
      into
      posters,
      greeting
      cards
      and
     
     
      decorations.
      The
      book
      features
      a
      velcro
     
     
      closure
      so
      kids
      can
      keep
      their
      finished
      pages
     
     
      together
      in
      a
      portfolio.
      I
      am
      a
      firm
      believer
     
     
      in
      encouraging
      artistic
      talent
      in
      young
     
     
      children
      and
      colouring
      books
      like
      these
      are
     
     
      an
      excellent
      way
      to
      do
      that.
      The
      activities
     
     
      in
      this
      book
      are
      great
      entertainment
      for
     
     
      rainy
      days.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      --
      Aldrea
      Chisholm
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      very
      interesting
      book.
      Dinopix
      is
      a
      collection
      of
      photographs
      depicting
      dinosaurs
      outside
      their
     
     
      natural
      habitats.
      Tajima
      specializes
      in
      digital
      design
      and
      photography
      and
      has
      fun
      placing
      dinosaurs
     
     
      in
      modern
      situations.
      Some
      of
      the
      more
      interesting
      locations
      include
      a
      Barosaurus
      in
      Edmonton,
      a
     
     
      Tyrannosaurus
      in
      San
      Francisco,
      and
      a
      Pentaceratops
      crossing
      a
      road.
     
    

    
     
      Another
      interesting
      feature
      of
      this
      book
      is
      that
      there
      is
      a
      brief
      profile
      of
      each
      dinosaur
     
     
      pictured.
      Facts
      include
      height,
      weight,
      diet
      and
      scientific
      classification.
      This
      book
      is
      a
      great
      learning
     
     
      tool,
      providing
      factual
      information,
      as
      well
      as
      showing
      the
      sizes
      of
      dinosaurs
      relative
      to
      more
      modern
     
     
      images.
      The
      pictures
      are
      great.
      The
      only
      drawback
      of
      the
      book
      is
      its
      high
      price.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      --
      Yvonne
      MacKean
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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