There is a lot of exciting soccer stuff going on these days and M&W are right there in the thick of it, recounting the matches that tickled their buttholes with a feather. Monster, always snacking (even though his body advises against it), has two new reviews for the people. First, the Quesalupa from Taco Bell, and the new Sweet & Sour Skittles...from any store that sells Skittles. Apparently (and obviously)...
Read MoreIndieGoGo: Master of the Lords by Old Skull Comics
I felt like putting this one on the site because it's coming from Mexico which is cool, but also because it looks fun. The premise is pretty simple and the text below or the video above will tell you all you need to know.
IndieGoGo Link!
I bet you remember those magical 80's cartoons: Thundercats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, He-Man, Silverhawks, the list goes on. I bet you remember the toys as well, they all had a special vehicle, a lair, a playset. I bet you remember the smell of your warm TV screen, of your plastic action figures, of your favorite worn out comic book. That is the feeling MASTER OF THE LORDS is going after, the smell of your childhood, even if you didn't grow up in the 80's.
Imagine there was another cartoon, another comic, another toyline you knew nothing about, but it combined all the cheesyness and awesomeness of all the cartoons you love, even if it was just a ploy to sell toys, who cares? It had Rapping Astronaut Dinosaurs, Borderline Offensively Dressed Barbarians, Street Tough Extreme Sports Aficionado Mutants, and a Planet full of Ninjas!
WagakkiBand Announce SXSW 2016 Showcase Details
Japan's hottest export, WagakkiBand announced details for their appearance at Austin's SXSW 2016 festival where they will perform at the The Des Moines Embassy (Red River & 6th street) on March 18 at midnight run by Live Nation. As already announced, they will be stopping in New York City to perform at Irving Plaza March 14, 2016, headlining the night, “WagakkiBandLive in N.Y. – AKATSUKI". "Akatsuki" is the lead track from their newest album and means “Dawn" or “New Beginning”. Tickets for the Irving Plaza show are available for general public via Ticketmaster. WagakkiBand is an 8-piece band that fuses Shigin, poetry recitation rooted in Japanese traditional performing arts, Wagakki, traditional Japanese musical instruments, and rock music to bring a fresh and yet authentically Japanese live show. Their YouTube smash hit,“Senbonzakura” has over 34 million views and counting and their latest single, “Hangeki no Yaiba” is the theme song for the dTV original series of mega multimedia hit, “Attack on Titan.”
The band played to a sold out Club Nokia L.A. Live crowd as part of the Anime Expo in July 2015 and performed on Good Day L.A. They have been making waves with their mix of classical Japanese musical tradition and modern rock reaching #1 on the Japanese charts with their September 2015 sophomore LP, YASOUEMAKI, as MTV Japan named them an Artist To Watch. YASOUEMAKI is available in the US at iTunes, Spotify and other online stores.
Front woman Yuko Suzuhana is in fact the champion of a nationwide Shigin contest. Backing Suzuhana are 7 members playing traditional instruments including Shakuhachi (bamboo flute), Shamisen (3 string guitar like instrument), Koto (Japanese Harp), and Taiko (Japanese drum). They released their debut album Vocalo Zanmai in 2014, which hit Top 10 twice during a 22-week stay in the Top 100 of Japan's Oricon weekly charts while their video for "Senbonzakura" hit 10 million views within a few months of release. The video now boasts over 34 million views.
Review: I Hate Fairyland #5
I’m not sure what more I can say about Skottie Young’s I Hate Fairyland that would adequately convey just how much I’ve enjoyed this series. In a current industry climate that drips with saccharine positivity, it’s a real treat to see a book presented in an all-ages style that simultaneously rips the genre a new asshole. At times, even literally. Now imbued with the accumulated powers of Fairyland’s dark underbelly, Gertrude finally throws down with her would-be bubbly replacement, the appropriately-named Happy; herself awhirl with weaponized rainbows, unicorns and gum drops. And thanks to the illustrative machinations of both Young and colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu, it is a spectacle to behold. In fact, Fairyland has probably the best gore this side of Luther Strode. Despite what you might think, given his widely popular cutesy covers, Young is an exceptional (and exceptionally gratuitous) bloodshed peddler. And I salute him for it.
Amidst pages-upon-pages of monster disembowelments, solar eviscerations, and your sundry flayings and blood baths, this issue wraps up as decisively as the series began. At the same time, perhaps surprisingly, it sets up well what promises to be an intriguing follow-up series, which I cannot wait to binge on later this year.
As simple as this book has been in its conceit, its characters and its storytelling, it is also driven by a creative team that is clearly bringing its A-game. Young really puts the “harm” in “charming” with this series, both in the way he flirts creatively with a profane dialogue, and in how he expresses that lost innocence visually on the page. He also sets up a legitimately interesting world here, with its jelly seas, syrup orcs and pancake caves. I would honestly play this as a video game or Candy Land-meets-Cards Against Humanity board game. Mother fluffer, how fun would THAT be!?
As I mentioned before, Beaulieu gives everything a slick, neon-candy sheen that makes devouring each panel that much more delicious. Letterer Nate Piekos, meanwhile, brings some of the most dynamic lettering I’ve seen since the halcyon days of he 90s, when folks like Chris Eliopoulos would allow words to break free of their balloons with explosive vigor. Piekos affects a similar visual here, but makes everything fluffy and rounded, such that his letters are integral to the look of the book itself, rather than just a byproduct of its fabric.
I Hate Fairyland is that rare thing these days: a “cute” comic that doesn’t pull punches and is actually able to elicit some very real laughs. Missing it is not an option.
Score: 4/5
I Hate Fairyland #5 (of 5) Writer/Artist: Skottie Young Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu Letterer: Nate Piekos Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 2/18/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
Review: Citizen Jack #4
Planned or not, the timing of Citizen Jack is brilliant. Releasing it during perhaps America’s most circus-like election cycle? A stroke of goddamn genius. Call it life-imitates-art, call it a happy coincidence, call it what you will, but the fact remains that Citizen Jack, especially in its fourth issue, is perhaps the most topical comic book today. At the core of proceedings this time is a political debate, which hosts all kinds of crazy; be it in the talking dolphin moderator, the rabidly idiotic audience, or in the titular Jack himself, whose presidential run is already a bad parody of itself. Sound familiar, America? On either side of this debate debacle is the story of a nobody who is desperate to be somebody. Jack is hungry to prove that he is not a joke, by any means necessary; and while that doesn’t make him necessarily “bad,” it does make him dangerous. It doesn’t help, of course, that he has fallen in with a fallen angel.
The best part of this issue, in fact, surrounds those two characters: Jack, and the demon Marlinspike, as we get closer to the nougaty center of what makes each tick, and the straits that have brought them together. I suspect that they are actually a lot more alike than either of them - or the reader - is willing to admit at this point. But seeing Jack’s lifelong tragedy set beside Marlinspike’s mystery has provided a strong and steady workhorse of a title.
Somewhat surprisingly, given how it echoes the devils of real-world politics at the moment, Citizen Jack has quietly been chugging along, but I think it could turn a corner any moment into what could be an affecting supernatural tragedy. I won’t go so far as to call it “Shakespearean,” but the elements are there.
Tommy Patterson’s art style reminds me in a lot of ways of Nick Pitarra’s. It is cartoonish, even buffoonish, but it is also so stylized as to appear grotesque, and can definitely get creepy when a given scene so demands. Whether it’s in a hidden gun tucked within a waistband, fingers suddenly sprouting worm-like horns, or fresh blood on a white snout, Patterson and colorist Jon Alderink turn up the chills this issue.
I’ve been hard on Alderink’s colors in previous issues, noting how its consistency wavered, often between panels. And while that remains true here, he also applies some interesting veneers in the flashback and more hallucinatory scenes. Still, a more consistently measured approach to color wouldn’t go amiss when things get serious. But man, that page where we get a close-up of Jack’s beleaguered face? That thing is firing on all cylinders.
I hope political fatigue isn’t (ironically) hurting the allure of Citizen Jack, because it remains a very enjoyable book. It has a lot to say, not necessarily on the state of American politics, but on that of the American Dream, the destinies we hope are ours and what we’re willing to do to make both come true. Oh, and hell. Also hell.
Score: 3/5
Citizen Jack #4 Writer: Sam Humphries Artist: Tommy Patterson Colorist: Jon Alderink Letterer: Rachel Deering Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: 2/17/16 Price: $3.99 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
Review: Freelance Blues #1
A book with the word "Blues" in the title sets a mood. I get a sad feeling from the word. Unfortunately that’s the same feeling I got after reading this comic. Freelance Blues is the newest title from independent publisher Alterna Comics. I admit I wasn’t familiar with the publishing imprint before I read this book but any place that gives indie writers and artists a platform is a friend of mine. The best piece of artwork in this book is the cover. Cover artist Michael De Mundo uses right splashes of eerie greens and smoky shadows. This is the only glimpse color we get during the issue.
Because I’ve read a lot of indie books I know that more often than not black and white artwork is a budgetary choice more than it is a creative one. In this story the artwork looks very amateurish and unfinished. From start to finish the drawings look like they belong in a comic strip where quality isn’t as a large a factor. There is clearly potential here in artist Vicki Tierney. Each character has a very expressive face when speaking. Unfortunately the background characters are not given that level of detail.
The credit of writer is split between two: Ian Daffern and Mike Leone. On a positive note the concept here is fun. Lance, a young man is struggling to find steady employment in a number of temp jobs. What stops him from doing so is the strange appearances of vicious monsters. Lucky for Lance he’s prepared to fight these monsters with abilities that are not entirely explained. He seems to be a monster hunter... a freelance monster hunter. I did have a little fun during Lance’s first job as a telemarketer. Who can’t relate to having a mundane job at some point in their lives? The fun dwindles we are taken through a day in this mundane life call after call after pointless and unfunny call. It wasn’t even shown in real time and still the day felt like it went on too long. Scenes where Lance is going through banter with friend/co-worker Leon seem to drag for far too long. The dialogue is really cliché here making the scene feel unnecessary.
Speaking of dialogue, the lettering in this book was simply sloppy. This is another instance where creativity comes into play. Some writers prefer to hand-letter their books instead of digitally and I’m all for that when it is done carefully. Some of the dialogue was not even legible. Speech bubbles are filled with awkwardly aligned text through the entire book.
Monsters do show up several times in the book. Although the designs aren’t entirely original it is through the creature scenes that the art is at its best. I only wish more pages were dedicated to action scenes rather than the work scenes. I can’t help but notice plot holes in the action such as a group of men in intimidating suits that show up to Lance’ second job and are never seen again. A mysterious tape of no particular origin is handed to Lance and never hinted again. These breaks in the main story seem to distract rather than contribute. The cliffhanger is another point of confusion. It seems to come from nowhere and barely references anything previously seen in the book.
For any comic book creator a first issue is a make or break time period. Every page has to be used to push the story forward and leave the reader wanting more. I’m not sure what level these writers and artist are at in their careers but the fact that the comic was composed in a fairly decent structure is an achievement. It’s the flaws in both the dialogue and artwork that make this achievement invisible. Out of the outpour of recent indie titles this one just does not stand out.
Score: 1/5
Freelance Blues #1 Writer: Ian Daffern and Mike Leone Artist: Vicki Tierney Publisher: Alterna Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 2/17/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
Trailer Time: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong
I'm looking forward to the monthly return of Archer & Armstrong. I've enjoyed the teasers and this trailer, but enough is enough... give me the book already Valiant. At any rate, we'll just have to have this trailer hold us over.
In advance of the 10th Annual ComicsPRO Membership Meeting in Portland, OR, Valiant is proud to debut the official animated trailer and an extended look inside for A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of the ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES from red-hot writer Rafer Roberts (Plastic Farm, Shutter) and Valiant-exclusive superstar David Lafuente (Ultimate Spider-Man)! On March 16th, get smashed or be smashed when Valiant's award-winning adventurers go "IN THE BAG" for an insane rescue mission pitting Archer into the mind-bending maze of lost treasures and historical oddities that awaits inside Armstrong’s magical satchel! (Oh yeah, and there are some ninja-nuns, a talking fish-man, and a Greek god with a thirst for revenge too... It's starting to get pretty rowdy in there!)
Review: The Twilight Zone: 1959
Not all television series translate into comics successfully. As a fan of The Twilight Zone I come to the comics with an expectation for nostalgia and enjoyment. Rod Sterling’s (the creator of the Twilight Zone) voice serenades me as I open up the first page. This special 48 page one-shot is broken up into three short stories and runs under the subtitle: 1959. All three stories are written by three different pairs of writers and artists. The cover is definitely an attention grabber showing a young modern day kid walking by a subway car filled with skeleton passengers. It’s a haunting image to say the least and upon closer inspection the clothing details of the passengers such as tobacco pipes and hats put them in an alternative time period. This time period is 1959. It’s also the setting of each of the three short stories.
The first short story is called, “The Laughing matter.” It begins with a short introduction of bank president Coddington Buckley III scolding his son Coddy for not completing a foreclosure assignment. The classic opening narration gives us insight into this cruel man’s fate in true Twilight Zone fashion. As the story progresses we see Coddington do everything to humiliate his son going as far as to reveal his crush on a female co-worker who he doesn’t approve of. Harsh.
Writer Tom Peyer paints Coddington as a larger than life stereotype of the big bad business man bully. Donald Trump comes to mind. His bullying is so over the top that it makes the character really hard to take seriously. Donald Trump comes to mind. His son Coddy has an interest in drawing and his drawings play a large part in the supernatural twist. The artwork in this story is somewhat skewed with everything looking just a little off. The shapes of the characters are rough with no one character conforming to a realistic body type. The perspectives of the scenes are draw slightly sideways. This gives an overall feeling that in spite of the bright, vibrant colors that something is wrong in this world.
There’s nothing really here except for the date on the calendar that sticks this story in the time period of the 1950’s. The dialogue is pretty modern as is the fashion. Several scenes of gore and violent acts made me question if this should’ve been a Twilight Zone title. By the end of the story justice is served but there’s little to take away morally from the story. Good people are hurt. Bad people are punished. That’s about as deep as it gets here.
The second short story is a coming of age tale called, “Initiation”. Two boys are begged by a new comer to join their “club.” The boys take advantage of the boy. They tell him to repeatedly go into his house and do things to offend his unseen mother. Each test results in an off-panel beating that neither we nor the boys see. For some reason each time the boy comes back he is just as cheerful as ever, doodling an off-putting portrait of his mother on an etch-e-sketch. Echoes of the 1950’s are more apparent in this tale, reflected in the dialogue, costumes and Atom bomb videos screened in a classroom scene. Colton Worley handles the artwork here masterfully. He sketched and colored it with heavy detail. The rich greens of the trees bring a calm feeling of childhood. Everything is a little hazy in texture like it comes from a memory. There are hints of Stand by Me in the way the kids interact with each other. It is however, really stifling after finishing this one. The predictable plot is complicated by a twist. It may require several re-reads.
The last story, “Comic Code” left me secretly jealous for one reason. In the 1950’s comic books were 10 cents! This story brings us into a fictional 1950’s era where a Stan Lee look alike, Dr. Richard Fredrickson leads a crusade to banish all comics from the populous. He is successful at this, turning comics into a dying medium. At surface level his reasons draw parallels to the very real comic code enforced in the golden age of comics in our world but as the story progresses his personal agenda is revealed and leads him to put his stamp of approval on a line of comics from a mysterious business partner in return for half of the profits. As a comic fan it’s hard not to want this guy to get what’s coming to him and he does. In a twist coming straight from the War of the Worlds the artwork explodes in the last few pages as gruesome alien creatures appear to serve bloody justice on Dr. Richard Fredrickson.
Overall each story serves the purpose of entertainment but the heavier content makes it hard to accept as a Twilight Zone title. These stories all lack subtlety and feel rushed to the climax. No room for mystery or build up. It’s almost like the writers don’t realize how hard it is to creep out comic book readers. The morals of these tales aren’t exactly clear either. The guilty are punished seems to be the running theme throughout the one-shot. The banner and the narration are all that make these stories feel like they come out of the Twilight Zone. Now if they were X-Files then I’d be more a little more fan friendly, but they aren’t and I’m not.
Score: 3/5
Twilight Zone: 1959 Writer: Tom Peyer, Mark Rahner, John Layman Artist: Randy Valiente, Colton Worley Colorist: Salvatore Aiala Studos Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $5.99 Release Date: 2/17/16 Format: One-Shot; Print/Digital
Review: Huck #4
To say that this series has been amazing is a bit of an understatement as Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque have delivered four issues that honestly put everything else being published… to shame. There is a line of dialogue in this fourth issue that I so want to spoil for you. I can’t even tell you what I yelled out loud after reading it because that too might spoil it. The delivery and emotion all come from the team as a collective which again shows how amazing and once in a lifetime this collaboration is. The story starts off with a writing device that I hate. I hate it because it’s overdone and rarely done in the way it was meant to be used. The reason it works here is because Millar is just giving you a peak at a flashback rather than having the actual story lead to what the opening shows. That’s the device, the “look at the future of this very issue you’re holding in hand.”
We start off by seeing Huck’s mother escaping her Russian captors and it’s fantastic. The reason it works as the opening is that once we’re clear from there, Huck’s brother tells us all about the mom. As he talks, we see the mother again, but when he gets to the escape Millar jumps over the action of said escape. The reason being that if you told that part of the story as a character in the story you wouldn’t be believable. It’s a cheat of sorts, but it works because the opening tells us that everything about the mother will be revealed. And it is.
Huck and his brother Bob decide to head out and find their mother. Huck says that it’s not that simple and that he needs a name or a picture in order to find someone. Bob provides her full name and they get going. Discreetly. Well as discreetly as Huck can be as he is still Huck and he stops for every emergency he encounters along the way.
That is something that Millar has done incredibly well throughout this entire series. Kept Huck consistent. It’s very easy and typical for any story to present their character how they want them to be seen and then through the course of running them through the story they lose that character. A lot of writer’s pretend that this is just the “character’s journey”, but really it’s faulty writing. Millar even teases that with the previous issue when it looked like Huck had lost his way. Millar did in one issue what other creators do in twelve.
Huck has never been more excited than to find his mom, but he’s still himself and needs to help others. His core personality trait is putting others before himself and so there’s no surprise when he stops to help ducks cross the road. Instead you just smile and say, “that’s Huck.” Or as his bother says:
“You really are something special, you know that?”
“No.”
“That’s why you’re special…”
I almost feel bad for Albuquerque. I mean the range of locations, people and things that he has to illustrate is just amazing. This series and in particular this issue, crosses the world. And he does it all in this comic book version of Norman Rockwell’s style. Hands down if he doesn’t win all or at least most of the top awards in the industry then we as a collective comic book whole are blind. Albuquerque is not only delivering his best work, but he’s delivering THE best work in the comic industry.
With that said you have to talk about the last two members of this collaboration. Dave McCaig makes Albuquerque’s art look beautiful. If you’re going to do muted and flat color tones, do it this way. I’ve read at least five comics this week that were attempting for the same style of coloring, but it’s nowhere as good as McCaig’s because his remains vibrant. Albuquerque may be illustrating in the Rockwell style, but McCaig is the one making it look 100% like it.
The unsung hero of this book is Nate Piekos of Blambot. Piekos is the letterer and designer of the series and I haven’t given him enough credit. Well it’s due. Piekos brings Millar’s words and Albuquerque’s art to life. He adds the voice and the dynamic to the words to match the artwork. The way he letterers yelling is perfect. It gives you the stern emotion behind the words without being comical looking. I’ve seen some yelling in comics that deflate the scene. If you don’t notice the lettering then I don’t blame you, when it’s done this well you should notice it, but it really is in command of your reading experience so be thankful that someone so talented it behind it.
Huck is a comic like no other. Frankly I don’t know or care if anyone else likes it because it’s their loss if they don’t. For me, this is the comic I run to read. This is the comic that reminds me why I love this medium and it’s the first book in the longest time to give me those butterflies in my stomach when I pick up the issue. Simply put, it’s the best goddamn comic out there.
Score: 5/5
Huck #4 Writer: Mark Millar Artist: Rafael Albuquerque Colorist: Dave McCaig Letterer & Design: Nate Piekos of Blambot Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 2/17/16 Format: Print/Digital
Review: Adventure Time: Ice King #2
What’s cooler than being cool? Ice KING! Welcome back to the pediatric perversion that is the world of Pendleton Ward. This six issue series is dedicated to the peculiarities that define our Ice King, hopefully providing some insight into why he’s such a princess snatching old coot. Through what seems like innocuous run-ins with various denizens and princess’ we are deceived into legitimate character building!
The Ice King is hunting for his ironically kidnapped penguin but needs the help of a super-cool and super-secret wizard gang to get him back. And thus ensues a series of seemingly random encounters that, upon reflection, managed to successfully give us a peek under the royal robes to find a reluctantly helpful but also not helpful monarch. It’s easy to write off these interactions as trivial and insignificant but by the time I finished the last page I was surprised at the quality of the sum of these character building moments.
But alas, the King needs to be cool and, as anyone with half a brain knows, if you want that cool and indifferent je ne ce quoi, you seek out vampires. And unlike those twinkle toed pussies in Twilight these vamps got scary swag. The search for cool takes us to some fun places and to some fun extremes, making this issue a weird cross between Adventure Time and Clueless.
What I enjoy about this series so far is how light and easy it is. It’s silly and simple but don’t let that disarm you! When I sat down to write this review all these ridiculous interactions between burger people and vamps and cool wizards accumulated to make a good character foundation. It’s easy to almost forget that the Ice King’s ultimate goal is to recover his kidnapped penguin Gunter because it’s only lightly mentioned, but this remains a well plotted out book that will generate more than just a few chuckles.
Score: 4/5
Adventure Time: Ice King #2 Story: Emily Partridge Writer: Pranas Naujokaitis Artist: Natalie Andrewson Publisher: BOOM!/KaBOOM Price: $3.99 Release Date: 2/17/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
Review: Dragon Age: Magekiller #3
For the first time DA: Magekiller is running into the major problem of cross media integration. Issue three opens with a well illustrated action beat to allow for some pretty heavy-handed expository narration. See, you need some knowledge regarding the activity taking place on the periphery of Dragon Age: Inquisition's main narrative to make sense of this issue's sudden and seemingly abrupt plot progression. But, writer Greg Rucka can't just expect every reader to retain basic plot details from another medium. So, issue three of Magekiller kind of races along, stumbling as it pukes exposition because the crux of this issue's action is tied to a specific pre-existing story. Once you wade through that pool of exposition (and a well illustrated action beat) this issue is a very low-key character piece.
Speaking of which -- I appreciate Rucka's restrained use of action. It features heavily at the front of the book then exits altogether, giving way to some nicely written, clever banter. You get your sword-swinging and explosions out of the way early here. If that’s what you’re into.
Tessa gets her brief time in the spotlight while Marius shows his vulnerability by stepping into the background. Well, collapsing into the background. Previous issues may have made Tessa seem competent, but more of a sidekick to a skilled master. This issue confirms her position as the gifted people person of our mage killing duo. Here, DA: Magekiller makes it clear that the world has changed, becoming a far more dangerous place in between issues. Similarly, Tessa's role becomes more prominent as our dashing roguish leads transition into true heroes. Instead of running from assassins, our protagonists are spending time -- and, crucially, hard earned money -- on the collective well being of less competent civilians. And their heroics have gotten someone's attention.
Priority and responsibility seem to be central themes of this issue. Faced with the potential end of the world, our protagonists easily slip into the roles of heroes. As a result not much happens in issue three of Magekiller. Tessa gets fleshed out nicely. And the closing panels set up a major change to our heroes' motivation and direction. It’s a good momentum-sustaining issue.
Score: 3/5
Dragon Age: Magekiller #3 Writer: Greg Rucka Artists: Carmen Carnero and Terry Pallot Colorist: Michael Atiyeh Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 2/17/2016 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
Review: Kingdom Bum #3
This is an issue of chasing. Chasing a dream? No, not really. It’s just really thumbless bums chasing thumb-ed bums for some dumb reason. Ok, not really a dumb reason, it just sounded too good to not include that. Consider Kingdom Bum #3 the politics issue. Though we’ve had politickin’ before, this issue is saturated with it and, while it’s intriguing, the story does seem to slow down noticeably.
Another one bites the dust. Another bum death that has nothing to do with the story ushers us into the, um… story. But the sporadic bum deaths are nothing to panic over when compared to the thumb chopping maniacs threatening the entire community’s way of life. Masked in the unending scheming and planning comes an actual act of war but character motivations are still murky. Sure we know people don’t want to die and want to keep both their thumbs but those seem like general human problems, not driving forces for story progression.
This murkiness I speak of manages to find its way into other areas of the story as well and even the artwork. For example: a thumbless bum who was just the subject of a thumbless joke magically appears to have both thumbs a page later or even the assertion that too many rules and regulations inside the bum society would turn their world into the world of the home’d and job’d, implying that their homelessness was a conscious choice. I know this story isn’t supposed to be taken seriously despite the dramatic events, but some of these inconsistencies stood out enough to separate themselves from the story itself.
This is a significantly slower issue than the previous ones. It’s much more political and attempts to stir the intrigue pot with plotting and organization but never quite fully realizes that potential. Despite that, the penultimate issue does setup a dramatic finish that should be a worthy romp to close out a fun story.
Score: 3/5
Kingdom Bum #3 Writers: Adam Wollet, Rick Marshall Artist: Jon Reed Publisher: Action Lab/Danger Zone Price: $3.99 Release Date: 2/17/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
Review: Tomb Raider #1
Once again in search of some hidden treasure I turned to Tomb Raider in hopes of finding a pulpy Indiana Jones-esque adventure but with a badass female lead. Well, maybe this treasure is yet to be discovered and lies in subsequent issues. Lara Croft as a character has come a long way since the 90s, where her blocky strangely shaped body dashed across computer screens across the world. Through various reimaginings we have seen Lara Croft become many things, but always remaining the adventurer and the archaeologist. Dark Horse’s latest iteration is no different. The problem here is that despite the talented Mariko Tamaki penning this issue, it just isn’t that exciting. Debut issues can be difficult, sometimes they explode with action and hook readers immediately, other times they rely too much on creating exposition and set up. Neither route is necessarily bad, but I think that both need a little of the other, and despite an okay start Tomb Raider #1 falls victim to trying to pack too much in too little time.
The issue opens with Lara falling down a pit in a cavern and then showcasing her powerful sense of hearing, something that will certainly reappear later in the story. This particular adventure isn’t brought up again, but rather serves as a way to introduce Lara, but really she needs no introduction, she is a fairly large pop culture icon. Without this scene however the rest of the comic, Lara training with friends, Lara at a convention, etc would feel pretty mundane. There’s a lot going on here, the set up of some great mystery, the myth of a mushroom that can grant immortality. And once the comic gets a little into the adventure part it revs up a little. It’s just a shame that it had to happen three-fourths of the way in. The introduction of the villains at the end of the issue serve as a great cliffhanger to an otherwise bland issue.
Tomb Raider has great potential to fill the gap in Dark Horse roster, after the tragic departure of Star Wars a little ways back. Tomb Raider is a great franchise with a large following and if this comic picks up steam it could become a powerhouse. The artwork here is a little standard, nothing too outrageous, or bold which is a shame. I expected a little more from Dark Horse this time around, and was disappointed with the slow pacing of this issue. Though with Tamaki at the helm there is some real potential for this series to become a heavy hitter. Here’s hoping for some more adventures!
Score: 2/5
Tomb Raider #1 Writer: Mariko Tamaki Artist: Phillip Sevy Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: Print: $3.99 Release Date: 2/17/16 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital
Review: Fake Empire #1
Maybe you're experiencing grim urban fantasy fatigue. Several books, shows, and etc. have introduced various takes on the concepts. And “several” here means “perhaps too many“. They all involve some invisible substrate of reality where our fiction collects and coagulates. Fairy tales are placed under the harsh light of reality. Happy endings continue on into tumultuous lives with grim consequences. Done well, this corner of the comic noir sub-genre exposes the fallacy of fairy tales while still celebrating the need to fantasize. Done poorly -- or done in an uncreative manner -- it results in tired clichés layered over cynicism and pointless violence. The novelty of this concept easily fades and the stories kind of blend together into a dark sludge. But, Fake Empire may have what it takes to stand apart from the crowd.
Fake Empire begins with an act of violence as its inciting action. One of the book's more striking images portrays one of fairy King Oberon's daughters dead atop a pile of garbage. Mirroring this image, another fairy princess, Charli, is identically posed comfortably asleep moments before learning of her sister's death. Brought together by their shared loss and by the vacuum left by the death, the deceased’s sisters reluctantly reunite. Eric Palicki 
writes dialog that serves to elucidate background information without feeling terribly forced. We get a few pages with which to get acquainted with the surviving princesses. Little references and shifts in tone establish enough of a past history that we almost don't need the handful of occasional flashbacks. The script establishes enough of its own rules while describing character roles and relationships very well. Thankfully, Palicki avoids having characters just tell each other things they would all likely know already. There's a lot left pleasantly unexplained, though I hope future issues continue to dole out exposition naturally.
Rebellious sister Lucy initially comes across as very simply childish and self-indulgent. However, a late issue reveal lets us in on a greater purpose among the fairy king's daughters. Her earlier alienation from her family seems very straightforward until we get to spend some time with her. That's good character work. Charli, the sister who seems to have her life mostly under control is presented as somewhat out of the loop when it comes to her own family. It’s nice to have characters with multiple facets so early on.
Fake Empire's mystery is merely introduced here. We get few clues as to the murderer's identity. And there's very little in the way of motivation for the killing. The primary questions of this first issue, for me, come down to the meaning of the book's title. Does the title refer to the presumed fictional nature of fairies or to the King's desire to hold on to a fading glory? Is the layer of fiction occupied by fairies facing destruction from disbelief, as feared by King Oberon? No idea.
I’m interested. And there’s enough left to the imagination that I feel there’s an actual mystery ahead.
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Fake Empire #1 Writer: Eric Palicki Artist: Vinnie Rico Colorist: Fred C. Stresing Publisher: Darby Pop Publishing Format: Mini-series; Digital/Print
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Review: Devolution #2
After adjusting my expectations a bit with Devolution I think I enjoyed it a little more this time around. My main problem isn’t the overly simple plot, or the generic character types, it’s that Remender doesn’t really sound like himself here. Over the past few years I’ve become a fan of his character-driven sci-fi, but Devolution feels more like a weird Walking Dead side-plot than a Remender comic. If you can look past that, the comic can still be an enjoyable foray into post-apocalyptia. It’s not bad, it’s just nothing special.
This issue focuses on Raja’s capture at the hands of some over-the-top neo-nazi soldiers. She attempts to explain to them that she can lead them to a cure to save mankind, but their crazed leader, Gil, doesn’t give a shit about that. He likes living as the alpha male of his newfound kingdom. Gil is very reminiscent of Negan from The Walking Dead, crazy, brutal, and vulgar, he gets what he wants through fear and force (he cuts off a guy’s balls with a pair of scissors). He’s the stereotypical alpha male in these types of stories, a crazed villain who represents the worst parts of the “old world”. Unsurprisingly Raja is to become his sex slave, until she is rescued by some dissenters amongst the group. In a bloody battle to reach a still-working helicopter (well drawn by Wayshak), the rebel group narrowly escapes death. Raja looks out upon the flaming mess that was once her prison and wonders, “What am I trying to save?”.
With this mini-series half way through you have to wonder where else can it go? Now instead -- # of the lone anti-hero we have a group of survivors struggling to find a cure. The tropes unfortunately keep flowing, but most of Devolution’s charm lies in its creative and dark world. Hopefully Remender and Wayshak will finally lead us into some batshit crazy dinosaur bloodbaths now that the angry alpha male human leader is out of the way. Come on, this may be a post-apocalyptic comic, but the premise of the entire thing should at least be showcased a little more. With very pulpy roots, and a ridiculously wacky science fiction plot there has got to be some more adventure in store for Raja. Issue two got pretty dark, in an attempt to showcase humanity’s weaknesses and stubbornness. This comic doesn’t really appear to be very lighthearted, but I really hope that things brighten up a little. Even after being slightly disappointed with this comic so far I still have faith in the premise, the synopsis alone had me intrigued before I even started reading (which says a lot about my taste). With three issues to go there’s still hope for mankind’s future as well as the readership of Devolution.
Score: 2/5
Devolution #2 Writer: Rick Remender Artist: Jonathan Wayshak Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 2/17/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
Review: Vast Expanse #1
Vast Expanse was a Kickstarter we actually covered on the site during its initial run. I’ll be very open and honest with you and tell you that it’s been one of the few Kickstarter’s that have been sent to us that I had a real interest in. We get a lot of Kickstarter submissions, but finding ones that I actually want to help or even read myself… well it’s becoming harder and harder to do that. There are just so many projects out there and I can’t find the energy to be excited about all of them. Vast Expanse on the other hand caught my attention by being an anthology that offered four very different stories for the reader to check out. I’m not going to sum all of them up, but the first story is more of an old school style of story. It was reminiscent of EC Comics or even more European style of comics, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as standout good as the rest of the stories.
The last story had the least amount of story, but considering it was basically Beast Battles in real life… well I could live with it. The art was fantastic and really brought the battling mutated beasts to life. I mean it’s totally Beast Battles without saying it and I would read more set in this world especially if the artist was attached to it.
100% Weird is a story that a lot of people can relate to as it’s a nerd fantasy about a teenage girl being bullied and getting help from the Secret Council at the school. It’s a very clever story with a lot of humor and heart. The writing is strong and so is the artwork which was in my opinion tied for the best on the issue.
The last story… I want to tell you everything about, but I won’t. It’s extremely clever and would make a wonderful Twilight Zone episode. Hell, I can see Hollywood trying to make an entire movie out of it, but it works perfectly as a short story. That’s all I’m going to say because it was the crown jewel of the issue. The artwork was the perfect fit for it even if it was a bit too dark at times. If it was cleaned up some more it would have been absolutely perfect.
Here’s the thing about this anthology… there isn’t that one story that you don’t care for. Usually there’s at least one or two tales that are meh and feel like filler, but here I actually liked all of the stories. The first story wasn’t amazing or deep like the others, but it had such a classic feel that I couldn’t help but enjoy it. It was a window into another era of comics and something about that sucked me in. There isn’t a single weak link in this one-shot and so I wholly recommend that you check it out for yourself. No two stories are alike and so at the very least you’ll find something to enjoy.
Score: 5/5
Vast Expanse #1 Writer: Jeremy Scott Nichols Artists: Lautaro Capristo, Adrián Bago González, J.C. Quattordio, Anthony Pugh, Rosa Devine Publisher: Township Comics Price: $4.00 Format: Anthology; Print/Digital Website
Review: Radiation Day #1
Radiation Day is one of those stories in which the main characters don’t know what they’ve gotten themselves into. They’re being played by all sides and they’re stuck in the middle trying to figure out how to get ahead of everyone else. So far, it does the formula well. We meet two guys that work with each other in a shithole future that has toxic air and forces everyone to pay for clean air and wear masks outside. In a way the structure feels like a space story about smugglers, but set on earth. They’re about to take off for a job when some other smugglers fire warning shots at them and they find out the guy that hired them may have let slip what they were after. Our two main characters take off and head towards the booty anyway. Along the way we see some people living out in the radiation. The story also informs us that they’re cannibals and that they’re basically waiting for people to head towards the treasure hunt.
The story is a bit generic. There seems to be some twists coming. The loot doesn’t seem to be everything that it is, but our main two character don’t know that. There’s too many players in the game right now to know for sure how everything will go down, but for now the first issue plays it safe.
The characters try to have friendly banter between them, the kind of personal conversations that include insults and information you can only get from hanging out with someone way too much. It unfortunately feels hollow. They come off like friends, but their jokes and inside info into one another is just dressing. It doesn’t add to their characters or reveal anything about them. Really we’re left knowing nothing about them other than one kind of hates the corporation that handles the clean air… nothing new there either.
The art is the shining aspect of the story. It’s detailed and illustrated nicely. There’s personality to the art in both the style and presentation. The character designs are a bit boring and no one really has an iconic look other than the cannibal leader. The coloring is muted and earthy. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t make the art pop. It’s serviceable and has skill, but it really could have made the art for the story be standout great.
I don’t know if I’m curious enough to check out the next issue. There wasn’t enough time spent with the characters to make me care whether they live or die and that’s the big motivator for the next issue. It’s not a bad comic book, it’s just not captivating. It plays it safe and that ultimately makes me lose interest in it.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Brett Jones Artist: Chris Yarbrough Colorist: Bryan Timmins Publisher: Project-Nerd Publishing Price: $4.99 Format: Print Website
Review: Archie #6
It is patently unfair to hold Veronica Fish to the high, high standard of Fiona Staples. I know this and yet in reading Archie #6, I was reminded how unfortunate the change in artists has been for an otherwise great book. When the book began Mark Waid's take on Archie was sharp and charming but with a very familiar innocent sense of humor. As such, it was Staple's stylish, semi-realistic art that made the book feel wildly new. Veronica Fish's work is, by comparison, so stylized and cartoonish (and completely unlike Staple's) that the new tone lost entirely, making one wonder why the book has to avoid the Archie house style anyway. It is to be expected that Staples, who is in the middle of Saga with Brian K Vaughan, couldn't be the series continuing artist, but her work is so distinct that it seems like a blunder to let her create the new world of Archie without any plan in place to continue her style. The art, which I should note is good in its own right, is not the only thing making Archie #6 feel disconnected from the earlier issues. Mark Waid is on record as being a writer who believes planning a story too far in advance is a deficit, but as the focus continues away from Archie to less interesting side characters the main thread of the story threatens to lose itself in what feel like glorified tangents. Issue six begins with Archie being knocked unconscious by a baseball (accidentally hit by Betty), and his ensuing concussion makes him the catalyst for the events of the rest of the issue, but not an active participant. Veronica meets yet another new love interest, before being reminded, via Archie's injury, just how conflicted she feels about their break-up. Meanwhile Reggie takes Archie's absence as a means of getting close to Betty and ingratiating himself to the Lodge family.
Unfortunately, the Reggie/Mr. Lodge plotline, which takes up most of the issue, can't seem to decide exactly what it's doing as it oscillates between large comedy and oddly Machiavellian maneuverings. While Reggie's tone-deaf attempts to get Mr. Lodge on his side could be amusing, his use of his father's conveniently available newspaper articles as leverage feels oddly serious. Similarly, Mr. Lodge as a character is so nasty and powerful that his intrusion into the world feels like it has far too high of stakes. The concept of a powerfully rich, ruthless man going after an innocent teenager (using evidence of vandalism) violates the rules of the new world of Archie by being legitimately dark.
Perhaps this whole plotline would read better to me if I had a reason to care about the characters, but Reggie's motivations are unclear and, frankly, uninteresting. Previously, Waid managed to take other mostly one-note classic characters like Jughead and find their key qualities, but Reggie never goes beyond being a vile bully. We are told that he hates Archie, but we are not given any reason beyond the fake ID from last issue, and his actions don't fully fit with wanting revenge for that. There are some hints that he feels ignored by his parents and wants to use the Lodge's to increase his own status, but in a book defined by clean, light characterization, he feels oddly uncharismatic. As such the Reggie plotline feels like an off-tone tangent distracting from the charming book of the previous issues.
And when the issue is away from Reggie, it's pleasantly apparent that the original book still very much exists. The details in the lives of the main characters remains stunningly well-realized (and usually funny). Veronica's frustration manifesting itself as athletic prowess is perfect summation of her character and her genuine concern over Archie's well-being is sweet. Similarly, the realization that the supposed stuck-up Betty really love's Archie is a nice step towards establishing the love-triangle dynamic of the original series. I hope that this love-triangle is in some way resolved instead of dragging on for another 60 years, but that's really a mark of how much Mark Waid has made me care about the characters. Archie number six evinces how excellent the book can be when it stays rooted in its relationships. While the art and main story are giving me pause, it's hard not to be optimistic about the continued success of the series.
Score: 3/5
Archie #6 Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Veronica Fish Publisher: Archie Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 2/17/16 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital
Review: Marzipan Physics #1
This is a difficult review to write. I really enjoy everything that Marzipan Physics does. The origin story and the world are very familiar to themes found in Blue Monday or Hopeless Savages. The art is Mike Allred Mad Man inspired with its own great style. I see what it is and what it’s going for, but I have to fully admit that it’s not quite there. Even with all these great elements, it’s way off from being as iconic as the aforementioned properties. Our main character shares the name of the book. That is to say that our main character’s name is Marzipan Physics. The issue opens up with the success of the Large Hadron Collider. Marzipan thinks back on the work she’s done to get it that far and then we read an email about a work party and band performance. The band is of course Marzipan’s and her two friends that she works with.
While at the Tiki-Mama, Marzipan’s parents call her on some future space tech version of Skype. She heads back inside and must fess up to her friends and inform them of her backstory that we then read. They ask if she has any other secrets and she says yes… she needs their help saving the planet.
As I said, I like everything this book is doing, but it’s rough. The opening is a bit confusing because it almost seems like a daydream at first. There’s a few ways the info couldn’t have been presented so that it wasn’t so confusing, but instead giant thought bubbles are how we’re filled in. That’s the other strange thing, there’s no dialogue or narration until they’re at the Tiki-Mama. Though the dialogue is the roughest part of the story. It’s mostly exposition and none of it comes across as naturally spoken by the characters.
There’s an overall pacing problem as we quickly run through the opening, spend very little time with the friends and then rush into Marzipan’s backstory which didn’t vibe very well with the rest of the issue. It was still interesting and clever, but it wasn’t well-balanced within its own tale or the rest of the issue.
I really enjoyed the art. I can see others having problems with the way it’s colored, the ladies in the story all have patterns layered on their characters and the pattern doesn’t move or bend like clothing, but I find that to be more of a style choice than an artistic flaw. There’s a lot of solid coloring which matches the thick line work of the art. There’s a Saturday morning cartoon feel to the art style, but it works for the story and gives the issue a nice style. It’s not quite Allred’s style, but that’s really the closest thing I could compare it to.
There’s more than a few problems with this first issue of Marzipan Physics. The story and dialogue need some work, but the setting, the characters and the art are all heading in the right direction. There’s nothing else like this book in the world of comics which is another reason I’m a fan of it and will be back for the second issue of Marzipan Physics.
Score: 3/5
Marzipan Physics Creator: Jennifer Ross Self-Published Price: $5.00 Format: Print Website
Review: Saga #33
The newest arc of Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ sci-fi epic has taken a turn for the slower more character driven moments. This has never been more apparent than in the latest issue. Issue 33 centers around the two reporters, Upsher and Doff that we’ve previously seen trying to follow the main characters Marko and Alana and their hybrid child Hazel. This issue picks up with them back on the trail of the fugitives retracing old worlds and revisiting familiar characters. Brian K. Vaughan is a master at humor and he definitely plays that up between the two reporters. Upsher and Doff have the back and forth repertoire of any classic buddy couple. With Upsher being the more excited, free-willed partner and Doff being more restrained and strict. The reporters do a great job and follow clues about their subjects but they are clues that have been revealed in previous issues, interviewing the dingy housewife Ginny, who formed a bond with the fugitives. This scene works because we know so much about the dramatic storyline thus far and it’s utterly hilarious to have it be summed up by a busy body yet good-hearted housewife. This is the type of levity that makes the story work.
As always Fiona Staples dazzles with her unique depiction of the exotic worlds. We end up seeing a lot more of the reptilian-like reporters than expected during a particular talkative sex scene. Spoiler: Their webbed-feet don’t curl.
It’s clear that time was taken to tell this story for a reason. Upsher and Doff both have a desire to regain prominence in the media world but as the issue goes on you begin to realize that they are more than just two-dimensional characters. If you’ve read Saga up to this point you know that everything alien in the world of Saga is strangely familiar to our own. We delve into their personal romantic relationship which brings up the politics of homophobia and parenthood. Are they likable characters? Sure. In a world where Saga has so many other more likable characters they don’t really stand out. The redeeming quality that ties into the main story is that these lovers realize the innocents involved in their article and that protecting them is more important than a byline. The one highlight of the issue is the triumphant return of a fan favorite character who’s taken on a disturbing change in appearance. Suddenly the levity of the issue comes to a screeching halt and we are reminded how dangerous the trail of the main characters is.
The problem with this issue is that it severely derails the confrontation that we’ve been waiting for. Sometimes these side-stories can build up anticipation until we get back to the main story and in this case it was successful. Although this issue wasn’t the best showcase of the dynamic characters introduced it does set them up to be part of an endgame which I hope happens very, very soon.
Score: 3/5
Saga #33 Writer: Brian K. Vaughan Artist: Fiona Staples Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 1/27/16 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital