Wes Jones 7/8/17 Wes Jones 7/8/17

Interview: Emily B. Owen, Creator of Brain Shoodles

By Wes Jones

I reviewed Brain Shoodles earlier this week with a perfect score. Needless to say I really enjoyed it. Writer/Artist Emily B. Owen was nice enough to sit down and answer a few questions about herself and her new book.

Wes Jones 7/6/17 Wes Jones 7/6/17

Review: Brain Shoodles

By Wes Jones

Brain Shoodles isn’t much of a comic book in the traditional sense. It doesn’t really have a plot or character arc. Instead, it's a collection of doodles called “shoodles,” a portmanteau of “shit doodles” originally used by creator Emily B. Owen as a way of coping with her depression and anxiety. Emily represents herself and others with extremely minimal black and white doodles that, to me, most resemble a baby Tamagotchi or probably more appropriately, the little meringue-shaped figure from old Zoloft commercials.

Wes Jones 7/5/17 Wes Jones 7/5/17

Review: Mania #1 & 2

By Wes Jones

What if ADHD was the reason Quicksilver is so fast or dissociative identity disorder was the cause of Mystique’s shape-shifting abilities? MANIA presents us with a future where mentally ill tech mutants called ‘supermanics’ are the result of futuristic cybernetic tinkering. It’s 2052 in the completely automated city of New Renard, and all citizens are provided with a neural implant called the ARC. When the ARC is implanted into people with normal brain chemistry, it works as a sort of personal assistant with a HUD — think a fully-realized Microsoft HoloLens. Those with mental health issues, however, may cause the ARCs to malfunction and they end up with superpowers because comic books.

Wes Jones 6/28/17 Wes Jones 6/28/17

Review: Chaosphere

By Wes Jones

The Running Man, Rollerball, Smash TV, Mad Max, and now Chaosphere. This self-published title follows in the footsteps of beloved dystopian, sci-fi, deathsport fiction. Oh right, I almost forgot about Deathsport. While the premise of a post-apocalyptic society controlled by corporations and enthralled by a deadly spectator sport isn’t anything new, Chaosphere presents itself as a unique entry in the genre.

Wes Jones 6/26/17 Wes Jones 6/26/17

Review: Children of Saigo #1-3

By Wes Jones

Home is where the heart is… and the samurai swords. Mini-series Children of Saigo from publisher AAM-Markosia follows the remaining members of the Iwanaga clan, a family of modern samurai living in Chicago. Ben, Shiro, Zoe and Teron are the young adult children of police officer, Mike Iwanaga. The family are descendants of Koji Iwanaga, sole survivor of the Battle of Shiroyama. Koji was tasked by actual historical figure Saigō Takamori with the mission of retreating and ensuring the samurai way of life and Bushido code survive. The Iwanaga’s background comes at a price, however. Due to their unique pedigree, a yakuza boss’ daughter wants their heads as trophies. The cover and synopsis may lead you to believe this to be a testosterone-fueled, katana and handgun murder fest, and some of it is. It becomes clear in the first issue however, that family and tradition, not bloody revenge, are by far the most prevalent themes.

Wes Jones 6/20/17 Wes Jones 6/20/17

Review: Condo Heartbreak Disco

By Wes Jones

Eric Kostiuk Williams’ Condo Heartbreak Disco is a superhero book that feels very little like a superhero book. We’re introduced to our amorphous, genderfluid, ancient deity heroes Komio and The Willendorf Braid in a near future Toronto. The bizarre couple attempts to save their city from very real and timely villainous force: gentrification, unaffordable housing, and an increasing class divide.