Press Release 2/8/18 Press Release 2/8/18

Aspen Comics Releases First New Book of 2018 "Portal Bound"

Press Release

Aspen Comics is celebrating fifteen years of publishing in 2018, and the publisher will be releasing several all-new properties in addition to bringing back classic series from their vast library of titles. The first new series, available now, is Portal Bound, a fantasy action-adventure series from creators Mark Roslan and Gabe Carrasco. Solicitation copy for the debut zero issue reads:

Press Release 2/8/18 Press Release 2/8/18

TOKYOPOP Engages IDW International as Global Sales Agent

Press Release

IDW Publishing and TOKYOPOP announced that IDW’s international arm will be managing the TOKYOPOP foreign rights catalogue for non-English language markets. IDW International oversees all international licensing of the diverse IDW catalogue and its partners, which continues to grow year after year. TOKYOPOP’s foreign rights catalogue consists of over 100 manga and graphic novel IPs featuring a diverse range of characters and stories from talented creators worldwide.

Press Release 2/8/18 Press Release 2/8/18

All-New Series “Blackwood” From Multi-Eisner Winner Arrives May 2018

Press Release

From six-time Eisner Award winner Evan Dorkin (Beasts of Burden, Milk and Cheese, Dork) and artist Veronica Fish (Archie, Slam!, Spider-Gwen) comes Blackwood, a supernatural murder mystery set in a school of sorcery.

Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18

Review: Fire Punch vol. 1

By Dustin Cabeal

I judged Fire Punch by its cover… and the name. Even as a reviewer, as someone that’s constantly surprised by the things he reads, I still judge books by their cover. The thing I have going for me is that I don’t stop there, and still give it a shot. Sometimes I’m right; sometimes I’m wrong. I always want to be wrong, and I’m glad to say that in the case of Fire Punch, I was very wrong.

Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18

Review: Food Wars! vol. 20

By Dustin Cabeal

While the return of Erina’s father has provided some great moments, the overall story seems to be lacking a real overall cohesiveness. There have been plenty of loopholes for Soma and his gang to skid by, be it Erina’s father letting her stay at Polar Star or Soma’s challenges. It hasn’t been all bad, but there have been some languid moments.

Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18

Review: RWBY vol. 1

By Dustin Cabeal

RWBY is a straightforward concept. The title of the books is not only a combination of the main character’s names but also the colors that they wear. Did I mention it’s straightforward? Starting off as something from Rooster Teeth, RWBY has been one of, if not the only crossover hit to come from American and navigate its way into Japanese manga. The manga is made by Shirow Miwa and is adapted to the manga style both in its characters and the world.

Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18

Review: Zen Pencils - Creative Struggle

By Dustin Cabeal

There is no better way to describe Creative Struggle than to use the tagline. If I did that though, this would be an incredibly short review. Creative Struggle is a book of illustrations that take quotes, biographies, interviews and anything else that a famous creative person may have said and put them together.

Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18 Dustin Cabeal 2/8/18

Review: Reset (2017)

By Dustin Cabeal

Reset isn’t quite a time travel movie, and it isn’t quite a parallel earth movie, but it does find a way to be a little bit of both. The story follows a science team that is studying time travel. Unfortunately, for them, the American’s are interested in their research after failing on their own and ending up with a ton of people going crazy and dying.

Erika Suarez 2/8/18 Erika Suarez 2/8/18

Review: Terraformars - Season 1

By Erika Suarez

In Terra Formars, our creepy crawling friends that hide in our kitchen cabinets have turned into man-killing humanoids with killer abs and unsettles you in horrifying action when an international space team is sent to Terraform Mars and fight against them. The bloodbath battle brings all of this together in Blu-ray with uncut and uncensored agony.

Cat Wyatt 2/7/18 Cat Wyatt 2/7/18

Review: Asylum vol. 1: New Born

By Cat Wyatt

What immediately drew my attention to Asylum was the stunning cover. Have you ever taken a moment to browse through art history covers? I have, and this one immediately reminded me of a painting in the Romanticism Art Movement. Which is something I’ve never really seen applied to a graphic novel cover before. It’s hard to pass something so unique up, to say the least.

Smrithi S 2/7/18 Smrithi S 2/7/18

Review: Any One Of Us #2

By Thea Srinivasan

Adrestia has come back into the picture with even more action and an extra dose of humanity ironically enough. But I cannot go any further with this review without a warning. For anyone who has not read the first comic, please do not read this review. This is your only spoiler warning for this review. Turn back now if you DON’T want spoilers. Also, this particular issue will contain very triggering, graphic content in terms of murder, rape, and PTSD. For these reasons, I highly do not recommend this particular comic for anyone who cannot handle such macabre content

Kelly Gaines 2/7/18 Kelly Gaines 2/7/18

Review: Fantomah #4

By Kelly Gaines

To begin honestly, I was drawn to the Fantomah title because I recognized the name from Jon Morris’ The League of Regrettable Superheroes. Regrettable superhero is not a nomenclature any writer wants attached to their character, but If you’ve been following The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, you’ll notice another “regrettable” character (Madame Satan) has made quite the come back in her modern incarnation. So with Madame Satan’s blessing, I was eager to see how her fellow regrettable was faring in her current title.

Cat Wyatt 2/7/18 Cat Wyatt 2/7/18

Review: Not Alone

By Cat Wyatt

Not Alone is a really interesting new series. I actually had to sit down and think for a while before writing my review for it. It both is and isn’t a story; which sounds strange, but bear with me. It all starts out in the middle of a story, and it ends in the middle too (though I suspect there will be another volume, so that isn’t exactly true). That means the focus is more on the characters than on what is happening around them.

Smrithi S 2/7/18 Smrithi S 2/7/18

Review: The Mercenary #1

By Thea Srinivasan

Although this comic was written over several years ago, its charm and beautiful scenery, art, and logic to the world makes it worth so much in the present. I will have to give a viewer discretion for this particular comic as features naked women and violence. This is my only warning for a viewer’s discretion before I go on.

James Anders II 2/7/18 James Anders II 2/7/18

Review: Swamp Thing Winter Special #1

By James Anders II

In my lifelong love of the comic book medium, Swamp Thing has been one of my favorites. Ever since I picked up an issue of Saga of the Swamp Thing in the early 80s, I have forever been transfixed on the character and the series through all of the ups and downs of the story. I’ve been there for the good (Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Nancy A. Collins, Brian K. Vaughn, Scott Snyder, Charles Soule). I’ve been through the bad (Andy Diggle, Joshua Dysart). I’ve been through the “meh” (Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, pre-fallout). And I’ve been through the ugly (Doug Wheeler, God bless him). Through it all, I have seen in Swampy the story of a man, a monster, life, death, and rebirth. Like the changes of the seasons, the Swamp Thing character has had periods of great life and growth, decline, and regrowth. It has all been very fitting for a character whose very essence is that of nature.

Cat Wyatt 2/7/18 Cat Wyatt 2/7/18

Review: Solar Flare - Season 1: Fort Myers

By Cat Wyatt

Solar Flare is described as the Walking Dead, but with science (and without zombies, but given the title that’s probably obvious). It’s a dystopian graphic novel, bordering on the post-apocalyptic side (sounds all doom and gloom, I know). It ponders the question; what would happen to the human race if we suddenly lost access to all forms of power and electricity? Could we survive without our precious electronics? Or would society collapse?

Cat Wyatt 2/7/18 Cat Wyatt 2/7/18

Review: Mindbender #1-5

By Cat Wyatt

Do you ever wonder how you’d handle everything in your life changing, in the blink of an eye? Alex doesn’t have to wonder, he’s already been there. He’s the main character in a new series, Mindbender, by Scout Comics, and it’s safe to say that he’s had more than his fair share of trauma.

Benjamin Snyder 2/7/18 Benjamin Snyder 2/7/18

Review: Niourl

By Ben Snyder

Niourk would be hard to describe to anyone. It starts off extremely simple, telling the tale of seemingly Stone Age tribe outcast and his struggles to get back home; but then it becomes so much more and expansive. In theory, this seems great, but too often Niourk seemed to meander and waste time, leading up to an ending that can seem out of nowhere and uninspired. There are also some characters that are underdeveloped and themes that once again seem ungrounded. But Niourk isn’t entirely bad, as the first chapters of the book offer an interesting take on a familiar story and the art can be gruesome and exceptionally cool.

Cat Wyatt 2/7/18 Cat Wyatt 2/7/18

Review: Harley Quinn #37

By Cat Wyatt

After the ending of the last issue, I was concerned about where Harley was going to go next, and what was going to end up happening. As it turns out, I had a right to be concerned. Running away from home and running late-night ads for your vigilante business (paid, of course) does not strike me as something an emotionally stable person would do. But then again, we’re talking about Harley here.

Cat Wyatt 2/7/18 Cat Wyatt 2/7/18

Review: No. 1 With a Bullet #4

By Cat Wyatt

No. 1 With a Bullet #4 starts out in a surprising manner; with Jad Davies admitting to the other board members of the business that he did, in fact, sleep with Nash and film her without her knowledge (or consent). Now, admitting this to two guys in a locked office is completely different from admitting it on the news, but it’s a start, right?