Tag Archives: Comics Reviews

April 26, 2016 · 3:00 pm

Review: OVER THE GARDEN WALL #1

“Over the Garden Wall,” is a new comics series from Boom! Studios imprint, KaBOOM! But it already has established a history over at Cartoon Network as a crazy popular show. It has the distinction of being Cartoon Network’s first-ever original animated miniseries. That said, this issue assumes some prior knowledge of the goings-on but it’s also totally newbie-friendly. The gist of it is that this is all set in a fantasy-type world. The characters are always on the lookout for the Beast and the land of the Unknown is not a good place to be. Alright, that’s plenty to work with already!

Well, let’s just to be clear and give credit where credit is due. The whole shebang originates with “Tome of the Unknown” a fantastic animated short by Pat McHale ((Adventure Time, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack). That’s what led to the ongoing animated series on Cartoon Network. Things just rolled from there. For instance, check out Pat’s limited series comic.

Okay, getting back to this new ongoing series, what grabbed me right away was the zippy quality to the panel-to-panel reading experience. There is an uncanny timing to things like when you have a frog belch, “Rorop!” That’s because the original team from the new ongoing animated series is working on this comic. Jim Campbell returns to join forces with fellow show writer Amalia Levari. Along with that talent, there is also writer Danielle Burgos; and, art-wise, you have Jim Campbell and Cara McGee. Well, it all adds up to some magical storytelling. No prior knowledge, indeed! All you need to do is observe, with a certain amount of glee, little boy Greg as he returns to Dreamland traipsing about, all Little Nemo-style.

Midway through, we make an abrupt switch in setting after Greg has had his adventure. We go back in the backstory to the land of the Unknown and follow the struggles of young Anna, the daughter of the Woodsman, as she must learn to survive in the woods on her own. Greg’s story, followed by Anna’s story, all makes for a nice mix of light and dark. This is a very engaging comic that will be worthwhile for any age.

Also included is a preview of a new Adventure Time title simply going by the name, “Adventure Time Comics.” This is a special opportunity to spread one’s wings and mix things up with brand-new “off-model” stories, as they say in the comics biz. That accounts for the story here involving the Pastry Princess and the Queen of Breakfast. These are most definitely not your regular characters from Adventure Time. I guess whenever I see some such character, like say, The Hamburger Prince, I should yell out, “Off-model!” Either that or I should make my way to my nearest fast food drive thru. Well, getting back to the story at hand, it is very cute and funny. Turns out that pastries are indeed a part of breakfast. Wonderful art and story by Katie Cook! You can expect to find the first issue of “Adventure Time Comics” to arrive this July.

“Over the Garden Wall #1” is available as of April 27th. For more details, visit Boom! Studios right here.

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Filed under animation, Boom! Studios, Cartoon Network, comic books, Comics, Comics Reviews

Tagged as Adventure Time, Animation, Boom! Studios, Cartoon Network, comic books, comics, Comics Reviews, Entertainment, graphic novels, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing

April 9, 2016 · 7:00 am

Review: THE FIX by Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber

Roy and Mac in THE FIX, published by Image Comics

Roy and Mac are your next favorite offbeat characters. They aren’t on Netflix or HBO yet. But that’s perfectly fine as the deadpan humor works quite well in its original form as comics. Welcome to “The Fix,” a new ongoing series published by Image Comics. These guys aren’t even smart enough to be true wise guys. The closer they get to those in power in the crime world, the more out of their league they show themselves to be. But, hey, you do what you gotta do.

Crime just doesn’t pay like it used to.

If you’re so inept at being a criminal, but you know it’s your calling, what do you do? You keep setting the bar lower until you reach your comfort zone. That may require setting the bar on the floor. That’s what Roy and Mac do when they decide to rob a retirement community. It had come to their attention that a certain elder hoodlum had a nice stash of old-fashioned cash just waiting to be stolen from his room. But first Roy and Mac must get over the shock of witnessing subpar playing of bingo. And just where is the supervisor, on some extended break?

Yes, this is quirky crime fiction, the sort you find in an Elmore Leonard novel. But you also find it in comics like “Criminal,” by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips; as well as “100 Bullets,” by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso. For “The Fix,” writer Nick Spencer and artist Steve Lieber team up again since their days working on another title with quirky humor, “The Superior Foes of Spider-Man.” Notice all the nuanced touches like when Roy and Mac must confront Donovan, a bloodthirsty killer demanding the money they owe him. They repeatedly encounter a needle-scratching-record blank face response from him when they dare to bring up the subject of murder.

What are these two guys up to anyway? Well, they don’t really know. It’s more a go-with-the-flow plan they follow. They’re in law enforcement because, of course, that’s just a means to an end. Mostly, they avoid work and get away with whatever they possibly can. However, those unfocused carefree days are numbered. Enter a dog named Pretzels.

“The Fix” is available as of April 6th. For more details visit Image Comics right here.

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Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, ECCC, Emerald City Comicon, Image Comics, Nick Spencer, Steve Lieber

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April 6, 2016 · 12:45 pm

Review: BALTIMORE: EMPTY GRAVES #1 (of 5)

This new Baltimore story arc proves to be quite satisfying. This one finds Baltimore and his band of brothers telling tales while they dig graves. The graves aren’t all quite ready for use but these guys seem to know what they’re doing. I love the artwork by Peter Bergting who provides a sure-handed take on Mike Mignola’s style. The story, by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, kicks off with a reliable dose of droll and quirky narrative. Quite a number of things are set into motion not the least of which is Baltimore learning more about the whereabouts of the Blood Red Witch and seeing her handiwork firsthand.

I fall in with readers who decide now is a good time to step in. I think it is part of the fun to find your way into the big picture of plot and characters. For instance, I appreciate that I need to go back and read The Cult of the Red King, but that’s okay. This issue is engaging without prior knowledge. For one thing, it gives you some interesting hooks into Baltimore’s backstory such as his Indian guide, Harish. He saw some pretty dark stuff during his command of the Indian Expeditionary Force while on a mission in Tanganyika. Could have been destruction by zombies, you just never know.

The love for atmosphere and setting is definitely alive here as both artist Peter Bergting and colorist Dave Stewart add to and enhance the Mignolaverse. If you love steampunk, or just general exotica, you can’t go wrong with scenes set in such times and places as St. Petersburg, Russia, circa 1920. That’s pretty strange and weird, right? Well, not to a regular fan of the Mignolaverse. No, to a diehard fan, that’s as common as the 7-Eleven down on the corner. But have that very same fan try and get a chili dog in 1920s St. Petersburg, and he’s going to come back down to earth. You know, come to think of it, 7-Eleven should sell comic books. Bring back the spinner rack!

So, here is a solid issue to what looks to be a action-packed adventure. It fits right in with a busy next few months as Dark Horse Comics rolls out the conclusions to Hellboy in Hell, Abe Sapien, and Hell on Earth over the course of this summer. Also from Dark Horse this summer is the 384-page prose anthology, “Children of Lovecraft.” For such a recluse, Howard Phillips Lovecraft sure did leave behind a thriving literary progeny. Dark Horse Comics is part of that and this book is a shining example with work by Richard Kadrey, Brian Hodge, A. C. Wise, Siobhan Carroll, Orrin Grey, and many more. This item goes on sale August 31 with cover art by Mike Mignola.

Continuing with the subject of Mike Mignola, there is a new study of the Mignolaverse, “Hellboy’s World: Comics and Monsters on the Margins” by Scott Bukatman. This book is an insightful look at the influences on Hellboy, including H.P. Lovecraft. You’ll find a review for it here shortly. Well, with all that said, you will undoubtedly find something to enjoy from Dark Horse if you are a Hellboy fan or just someone who enjoys good horror and a good story.

BALTIMORE: EMPTY GRAVES #1 is available as of April 6, 2016. For more details, visit Dark Horse Comics right here.

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Filed under comic books, Comics, Comics Reviews, Dark Horse Comics, Hellboy, Mike Mignola

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March 30, 2016 · 7:30 pm

Review: POWER LINES #1

POWER LINES is one of the surprise hits for 2016 with its inventive plot and vivid characters. I have to hand it to the trifecta talent of Jimmie Robinson who draws, writes, letters, and colors this comic. Wait, that’s more than a trifecta. This guy is an Orson Welles of comics. He does it all and he does it well. Very trippy magical realism at play here.

Our story involves some ley lines going back many thousands of years. Oh yeah, I am hip to ley lines. They are only referred to as power lines here but all the better for the double meaning. Basically, when the planet and humans were still in sync with, say, supernatural elements, people could find themselves charged with formidable energy in a time of crisis. But, as we humans trampled upon the earth and each other, that magic was lost. It seemed like it was always to elude us. Until now.

In a wonderfully rendered style using pencil, Robinson brings to life a story of struggle, a struggle for power amongst those who might be disenfranchised or vulnerable in some way. I think the softer and smoother quality of these pencil lines helps to bring us closer to this quirky tale so full of emotion and humanity.

For this first issue, Robinson provides us with a fascinating cast of characters from diverse backgrounds. We meet a group of friends eager to make their mark on the world. They are African-American, lower income, and sensitive to feeling marginalized in society. While they may be tough, they have dreams of their own too. Then we have an Anglo-American family with a misguided matriarch ready to blame all her problems on the Other, whoever that might be. Finally, we get a teasing look at a mysterious Native American who is hip to the re-emergence of the mighty power lines. So, lots to take in for a first issue and Robinson delivers at every turn. This is an impressive debut and I am ready for more.

POWER LINES #1 is available as of March 30, 2016 and is published by Image Comics.

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February 16, 2016 · 8:50 pm

Review: SNOWFALL #1

Screenwriter/director Adam McKay, known for “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights,” and now, “The Big Short,” was asked recently, in an interview with The Wrap, what subject he’d like to tackle next. Without hesitation, he said that subject would be climate change. He said, by far, it is the biggest story to tell today. The creators of this new comic, published by Image Comics, would definitely agree. SNOWFALL (story by Joe Harris; art by Martin Morazzo) is about an Earth so harmed that it is no long capable of naturally creating snow. To add further insult to injury, corporations have found a way to profit from the fact there is no longer any natural snow!

Like an invigorating winter morning, this is one crisp and poetic comic. This will appeal not only to the Bernie Sanders contingent (which is growing by the hour) but to a wide spectrum of readers who may disagree on the details but who can feel in their gut that things have been steadily going south. Our story is set in the not-too-distant future. 2045, to be exact. Is that not-too-distant enough for you? I think it’s a good sweet spot, just far enough away. Corporations took over once the damage to the environment had gotten over the heads of government. In fact, the Hazeltyne Corporation oversees the “Cooperative States of America.”

To be sure, a tragic scene like this needs at least one hero and we get one in the White Wizard. He is a loner, part genius, part crazed zealot. What we get here is a dazzling opener of a first issue with the White Wizard lurking around in the background like some folklore legend. But one rebel can lead to another and so it goes with a college student that has plans of his own. Those plans include the White Wizard. However, the White Wizard did not get the memo.

SNOWFALL #1 is available as of February 17th. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

Review: JONESY #1 (of 4)

High school is a pretty crazy time: either you don’t fit in or, even if you do, you always wonder if you could fit in better. Lots of confusion. It’s a wonder that anything ever gets done with all these emotional fluctuations and raging hormones. Enter a pint-sized Hispanic girl named, Jonesy. She could have had it all, friends, admirers, lovers, but she chose to be weird. Not really an intentional thing on her part. But, as you can see in the first issue of this limited series comic book, Jonesy is a girl on a flight path all her own.

JONESY is brought to you by Boom! Studios and brings together the comic talents of writer Sam Humphries and artist Caitlin Rose Boyle with colors by Mickey Quinn and letters by Corey Breen. This comic will appeal not only to fans of Bryan Lee O’Malley, what with his outspoken characters in poppy shenanigans, but also to that broader demographic: anyone who survived high school. Jonesy has found a way to not only survive but to thrive: she has magic powers! Well, some might say that’s a cop out to have a kid on the margins rely upon her super powers. And that’s okay. Her super powers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

As you’ll find out in this hilarious first issue, Jonesy appears to have the power to make people fall in love. What will she do with such power? It seems like she should be able to rule the school as she parades around with whoever she casts under her spell. Not so easy. Much like everything else in high school, Jonesy’s control of her powers is awkward and emerging, at best. This first issue offers up an original and lively comic that will be fun to keep up with. I think Jonesy has won me over and she didn’t have to cast a spell on me either.

JONESY is available now. For more details, visit our friends at Boom! Studios right here.

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Filed under Boom! Studios, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Comics, Comics Reviews, Sam Humphries

Tagged as Boom! Studios, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Caitlin Rose Boyle, comic books, comics, Comics Reviews, Entertainment, graphic novels, Media, Pop Culture, Sam Humphries

February 7, 2016 · 8:15 pm

Review: MIRROR by Emma Ríos and Hwei Lim

MIRROR is a real beauty of a comic with such an effortless way about it. The work, both the writing by Emma Ríos and artwork by Hwei Lim, dance upon the page.

Very graceful use of space. You get that sketchbook feeling of uninhibited freshness.

All you really need to know is that this is a strange and mysterious world. And some exotic and majestic animals are being held captive to further the ends of an evil entity.

All in all, one of the most magical comics you will find right now.

The first issue of this new ongoing series is available now. For more details on MIRROR, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

Review: IDW’s THE SHRINKING MAN

IDW’s graphic novel adaption of Richard Matheson’s classic 1956 novel, “The Shrinking Man,” holds up very well. Ted Adams, IDW’s CEO and Publisher, has written a script that is faithful to the novel and to the unique pace of comics. Mark Torres (Judge Dredd) provides artwork that zones right into the stifled suburban living of 1950s America. Our main character, Scott Carey, cannot cope with his environment in an extraordinary way: Scott is regressing, reverting, literally shrinking away! No more life as husband, father, breadwinner, and symbol of masculinity. He is going, going, gone. Adams says it was a thrill to bring the novel to the comics page and it shows.

Richard Matheson is an exceptionally vivid writer. He has you experiencing every detail, whether it is a man attempting to survive a vampire apocalyse as in “I Am Legned” or a man confronting a demented truck driver as in “Duel.” Whatever it is, you will believe and be on the edge of your seat as you read it. In this case, the Matheson meticulous attention to detail is focused upon Scott Carey, reducing in size by 1/7” per day. The story alternates between the early stages of Carey’s condition and once he’s near the end, stuck in a cellar, and easily food for a spider.

This book includes an introduction by Peter Straub and an afterword by David Morrell. I read the singles which included Morrell’s afterword which explores the novel’s existential underpinnings. Morrell discusses the 1942 philosophical essay, “The Myth of Sisyphus,” where Camus compares daily life to eternally pushing a boulder around a dial. The essay was translated into English in 1955 and Morrell considers if Matheson may have read it. If not, then perhaps it was one of those concepts in the air. And, most certainly, existential ideas were not foreign to Matheson.

I believe that Matheson did not care for being labeled a genre writer at all because of how the term is lobbed at writers in a pejorative sense. What the Morrell afterward makes clear is that Matheson was working at a sophisticated level no matter what you call his writing. According to Morrell, Matheson was breaking new ground by including existential themes in a mainstream novel. On top of that, Matheson’s narrative structure, with its flashbacks within flashbacks, predates widespread use of metafiction techniques by some thirty years.

I believe that to label Matheson as a genre writer is very problematic. The actual writing in the 1956 novel, “The Shrinking Man,” is not particularly elegant, per se, but that can be said of any number of so-called “serious” writers. That said, even at this early stage of his career, Matheson does reach lyrical heights. In fact, Matheson reaches a perfect hard-boiled, yet metaphysical, pitch with this novel. Ultimately, as IDW’s Ted Adams states, reading Richard Matheson is time well spent.

THE SHRINKING MAN has recently been collected into a 104-page trade paperback, priced at $17.99. For more details, visit our friends at IDW right here.

You can also get the complete 4-part series through Amazon right here.

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Filed under Comics, Comics Reviews, IDW Publishing, Richard Matheson, writers, writing

Tagged as comic books, comics, Comics Reviews, Entertainment, graphic novels, IDW Publishing, Media, Movies, Pop Culture, Publishing, Richard Matheson, Writers, Writing

November 25, 2015 · 10:00 am

Review: RINGSIDE #1, published by Image Comics

“Kayfabe” is the unspoken understanding between the audience and pro wrestlers to suspend disbelief. You never have to question what goes on in the ring. But what pact do pro wrestlers make amongst themselves and each other? This is part of what is going on in RINGSIDE, a new comic published by Image Comics, by writer Joe Keatinge (SHUTTER) and artist Nick Barber. Rounding out the creative team is colorist Simon Gough and letterer Ariana Maher. This is a unique behind-the-scenes look at the world of pro wrestling in the form of a noir tale which kicks off, in this first issue, with our getting to know ex-champ Dan “The Minotaur” Knossos.

In the spirit of a shaggy dog gritty story by Ed Brubaker, Joe Keatinge’s script begins with Dan as he makes his way to right some past wrongs. He’s like on a mission from God; nothing will stop him. We see him uproot himself from a relatively good position in Japan hellbent for San Francisco. Dan is now of a certain age. At this point in his career, he is best served if he was a mentor or, even better, if he just gracefully walked away. But this is a messy situation that is only going to get messier. Just what we want.

Nick Barber has a very accessible style. It reminds me a bit of Box Brown’s approach: pared down to the basics. Brown especially comes to mind since he did a tremendous book on pro wrestling a few years back. His tribute to Andre the Giant set the gold standard as far as I’m concerned. You can read my review of ANDRE THE GIANT: LIFE AND LEGEND right here. Barber has that same energy running throughout RINGSIDE.

This is a comic with a cinematic quality keeping to a steady pace. I especially enjoy the conversations here that involve some creative back and forth between poses and background and never gets caught in the rut of talking heads. The dialogue and composition won’t allow for that. This first issue offers a lot of intriguing possibilities. Dan is clearly a cut above the typical aging ex-wrestler. And he is also clearly over his head with what he plans to do next.

RINGSIDE #1 is available as of November 25. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

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November 11, 2015 · 10:35 am

Review: The Goddamned #1 – Before the Flood Part One

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagining of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

–Genesis 6:5-6

THE GODDAMNED is a bold comic indeed, a Biblical noir series from the creative team that brought you SCALPED, writer Jason Aaron and artist R. M. Guéra, with the addition of artist Giulia Brusco.

It is 1600 years after Eden and the world has gone the way of Mad Max. An Adonis emerges, nude and unmarked, from a pond of shit. A little maundering boy peppers him with questions about why he has no scars and how he could survive violent torture. The young man, who turns out to be Cain, just keeps walking, all the way back to his tormentors, the Bone Boys. Off to a very good start.

The artwork is eye-poppingly good, all gritty Western noir. What happens next is that we find that Cain makes for a great, maybe even better, Conan. Although I can imagine Biblical devotees perhaps scratching their heads and waiting to see if things go too far. Well all these things considered, this looks to be a refreshing tale that no one should seriously have a problem with. It may be set in a Biblical landscape, but from there it takes off into its own world.

True to all the promotion for this comic, THE GODDAMNED delivers a satisfying read. There’s a good portion of it that is wordless and that makes for some perfect extended scenes. You’ll find some of the best compositions depicting action here. And I put it mildly when I say, action. Cain knows how to kick ass.

THE GODDAMNED is available as of November 11th. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.