Review of Matamoros #1

Just received a review copy of the new comic book Matamoros, illustrated by John Cox of Cox & Forkum fame and written by Darius Lamonca and Sleet.

Now I am no comic book aficionado. Its been some years since I’ve even picked one up but I have been tempted to pick up a few of those graphic novels, in the end those non-fiction books in my Amazon wishlist get the nod instead.

With that said here is my review on it in three words, it’s got potential.

Here is the description from their site:

Chuck Sobietti was a seventeen-year veteran of the U.S. military. He’d seen it all - Gulf War I, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan - but nothing in his experience could prepare him for one fateful day in Iraq and its aftermath. Part political thriller and part war story, “Matamoros” follows one of America’s heroes in the “Long War” - an ordinary guy who discovers that only extraordinary situations exist when the enemy is a protean entity which refuses to adhere to the laws of war.

I could tell its been done on a shoestring budget from a indie publishing company (Scott knows all about that) and still the storyline shone through. I enjoyed the in-your-face conservative storyline involving a Army sergeant wounded in Iraq, made good as new by futuristic medical marvels, and fighting the bad guys of our time, fanatical Islamists. Just wish it was longer and the story more fleshed out. The story seemed to jump at times, most likely due to the shoestring budget thing once again but all in all, it has lots of potential.

Of course the artwork is outstanding coming from the likes of John Cox, he does such a good job you can really feel the frustration of the main character as he sits in the hospital, and his anger at the terrorists in our country.

So my review? I would buy the next issue for sure.

Scott’s Review:

Got my comic (or is it graphic novel?) a few days ago. I liked it a lot, and will be buying #2. This is NOT something for an opponent of the war in Iraq or a Bushbasher. In no uncertain terms, it speaks very plainly in words and pics. What struck me the most wasn’t the story, the sideline jabs at the ACLU etc., no, what struck me was the genre. When I was a kid I remember reading G.I. Combat, Sgt. Rock, Nick Fury, and others. During WWII, Korea, and Vietnam comics went to the frontlines; I mean they were actually shipped there. Is it the message, the entertainment, propaganda, what? Well, I think we see a little of everything in em, but what you didn’t see was anything that didn’t help bolster support the efforts for the war(s) to succeed. Today, that pc message has changed, and it’s too often not only unacceptable, but reprehensible in many circles to point out the horrors of war and how they’re countered by brave men and women. Matamoros is a vigilante, and vigilantes aren’t new to literature (including comics), but what is new, AND WHAT I FOUND TO BE VERY BRAVE, was the effort to show an American making his way through the litigation maze to fight terrorists. If I had my wish for future editions I’d hope that they’d take some real backpage news stories of the horrors that Al Queda does daily, and include them in the most graphic and realistic sense. The political left reminds us all the time of how horrible war is (as if someone disputes that), but they too often ignore by distraction that it’s not 2million Americans who have served in Iraq who are the really bad guys over there. Al Queda’s horrors are so disgusting and sinister that they aren’t even allowed to be described or reported here in the states. I think this comic is the perfect engine for opening that door since books are ignored, movies are more anti-American than anti-Al Queda, and the news is pure and simple afraid to print cartoons let alone the stories of how (for example) an Iraqi police chief in Fallujah had his 3yr old daughter’s head put on his front porch because he was against Al Queda. Oliver Stone’s not accepting scripts for that kinda thing. The NYT is afraid to publish the Danish cartoons, and books about Al Queda’s atrocities don’t sell as well as Jon Stewart’s funnies.

No bs, I think this comic has some serious potenial, and I really REALLY hope they stick with it!

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