Sam King 5/16/18 Sam King 5/16/18

Review: Nuclear Winter

By Sam King

Nuclear Winter is an original graphic novel that was written by Cab, who also did the art. It is an interesting slice of life story with a twist on it, that takes place in Canada. Serious themes like the ones present in X-Men, with a mix of Chernobyl, meets a plucky heroine carrying out a routine job in really bad weather. It is fun and entertaining, without being dark, dreary, and bleak despite the radiation.

Sam King 5/10/18 Sam King 5/10/18

Review: Sheets

By Sam King

Sheets is what you get when you take a lonely girl, a dead boy, and a financially threatened laundromat, and put it all on a spin cycle. It is adorable, thought-provoking, and imaginative all at once. The artwork is clean and smooth, like freshly laundered linens. All laundry puns aside, it is a good read that has some deep themes hidden underneath a mostly domestic setting.

Sam King 5/1/18 Sam King 5/1/18

Review: Luisa: Now and Then

Luisa: Now and Then is a story in which a girl is able to simultaneously see who she once was, who she has become, and possibly discover who she could be in the middle of it all. It is a coming of age story, a story of a sort of midlife crisis, and a story of identity. It is a graphic novel that really focuses on why you need to be yourself and accept who you are, despite the judgment you may get from others.

Sam King 5/1/18 Sam King 5/1/18

Review: A Girl in the Himalayas

By Sam King

This graphic novel is charming and pleasant to look at. I love its exotic location, the fantastical elements, and the way it is simultaneously simplistic and complex. It addresses major themes and abstract concepts in a spectacular way. This one really struck some chords with me, and I found myself thinking about it and making connections between elements within it long after I finished reading it.

Sam King 5/1/18 Sam King 5/1/18

Review: Crossroad Blues

When I was studying literature in undergrad, I took a course on detective fiction and had to read several novels for it. We talked about the elements of the genre and examined how authors did things differently as far as openings and reveals of clues go. I’m not a stranger to the genre in general, but this one just did not do a very effective job at providing a good story. I’m also not a blues connoisseur so maybe that is part of it.

Sam King 5/1/18 Sam King 5/1/18

Review: Son of Hitler

Son of Hitler is an original graphic novel. The copy I read is an advanced uncorrected proof. Therefore, I can’t say much for pages 116-183 as far as artwork goes as it is unfinished compared to the rest. I can tell what is happening, it just doesn't have the same nice finish as the rest of the book. From the rest of the story though, I’d bet that once published, it will look pretty damn good.

Justin McCarty 9/20/17 Justin McCarty 9/20/17

Review: The Shattered

By Justin McCarty

MD Penman’s second story in his Eimurian Tales is a story of a young boy, Malwynn. He lives in the shadow of his abusive father, a storied soldier. In an effort to escape his wrath he stumbles upon a fissure that could bring back war to the area. Out of that fissure, Malwynn befriends an elf - shadir in the setting of the story. It is very much a hero’s journey. He must overcome his guilt, his father has made him believe it was his fault his mother died. He must stand up to his father.

Dustin Cabeal 9/15/17 Dustin Cabeal 9/15/17

Review: Sisco vol. 1 – Shoot When You’re Told

By Dustin Cabeal

When I was instantly drawn to the covers for Sisco while looking through izneo’s catalog of titles; something about the covers just kept me coming back to them. I didn’t read what Sisco was about because I don’t ever do that. I blindly read anything and everything as a reviewer because it allows me to see if the story’s plot comes through on its own rather than through a synopsis supplied by a publisher.

Dustin Cabeal 7/10/17 Dustin Cabeal 7/10/17

Review: Shattered Warrior

By Dustin Cabeal

Shattered Warrior was a pleasant surprise to read. On the one hand, it’s fairly predictable with its story, but on the other hand… I couldn’t put it down. What Shattered Warrior does best is creating a believable world, but one with a deep history. At first glance, the story seems like it’s taking place on earth after it’s been colonized by aliens. These aliens are ruthless, and while they haven’t quite enslaved the entire planet, they have taken all their liberties and changed the social landscape of the entire planet.

Press Release 6/22/17 Press Release 6/22/17

Oni Announces "My Boyfriends is a Bear"

Dustin Cabeal 2/22/17 Dustin Cabeal 2/22/17

Review: The Big Bad Fox

By Dustin Cabeal

The Big Bad Fox was everything I thought it would be. I called the ending by the tenth page, but I also realized that it didn’t matter that I knew how it was going to end. What mattered was whether the story could still be good despite me knowing where it was going. I’m happy to say, that it was better than good, it was great.

Mike Badilla 10/12/16 Mike Badilla 10/12/16

Review: Fight Club 2: Library Edition HC

By Mike Badilla

Fight Club: You've probably seen the movie, you've possibly read the book, you can definitely quote that line about what not to talk about. Here is the sequel to that story. The original was obviously well received and is a cult classic, so making a part 2 in a comic book format is odd. However, if you've read or watched anything from Chuck Palahniuk, you know that's the kind of thing you should come to expect from him and his work: odd, violent, funny, philosophical, odd. Whatever happened to everyone's favorite nobody with the split personality and his kooky love life? Find out here.

Laramie Martinez 9/26/16 Laramie Martinez 9/26/16

Review: Troll Bridge

By Laramie Martinez

I first read Neil Gaiman’s “Troll Bridge” in college. I was waiting in a friend of a friend’s house, and while I silently judged my new acquaintance based upon the titles on their bookshelf, I noticed a copy of “Smoke and Mirrors” off in a corner. It turns out she had found it on the street and was happy to give it to me. This gesture greatly improved my opinion of her. Looking back, I remember the “Troll Bridge” as one of the stories that stuck in my head well after I had finished devouring the collection. I was in my early 20’s and had just tasted my first feelings of true regret and isolation. I remember relating to the narrator in a way that was almost uncomfortable.

Dustin Cabeal 9/21/16 Dustin Cabeal 9/21/16

Review: The Undertaking of Lily Chen

Dustin Cabeal 9/8/16 Dustin Cabeal 9/8/16

Review: Worry Doll

Patrick Larose 8/31/16 Patrick Larose 8/31/16

Review: Marie Antoinette Phantom Queen

Robert Larson 8/29/16 Robert Larson 8/29/16

Review: The World of Edena

By Robert Larson

The World of Edena is the latest collection of Jean “Moebius” Giraud’s surreal sci-fi stories. They began as a promotional comic for the French car manufacturer Citroën and soon turned into a six-volume series. While the easy-on-the-eye simplicity of the art might trick you into thinking that the series is a children’s story, nothing could be further from the truth. Giraud invested this story with themes of living with nature, the destructive effects of technology, sexuality, and spirituality.