If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big (pixelated) surprise…
The bears have invaded. Hopped up on magic bacon, with the backing of BiIf you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big (pixelated) surprise…
The bears have invaded. Hopped up on magic bacon, with the backing of Big Toilet, they’re an unstoppable force of furious furriness – not even the army is a match for them! Only one man is naked enough to take them down, if he’ll come out of retirement for one last job: Shirtless Bear-Fighter!
This comic could’ve gone either way. It might’ve been way too crazy or not crazy enough but it turned to be juuuuust right! (Yup, that was a Goldilocks and the Three Bears pun – I’ll try to keep the bear puns in this review to the BEAR minimum but – ahhh! See!? I can’t help myself!)
Shirtless Bear-Fighter is a deliriously zany, over-the-top comedy about a naked mountain man who saves the world from bears. It’s utterly ridiculous but so very enjoyable as it’s crammed full of knowing action movie clichés and doesn’t even attempt to make sense most of the time. Its off-the-wall humour made me genuinely laugh many times too like the cop who’s always talking about his time in the military, either when he and Shirtless were in ‘Nam, WW2 or the Civil War, the bears’ message to Shirtless which was just a piece of paper with gibberish written on it, or the bear fighting montage where Shirtless takes on the Chicago Bears football team and a bunch of hairy gay dudes in San Francisco. And I love that his Kryptonite is clothes!
Nil Vendrell’s art strikes the perfect balance for the tone – it’s cartoony enough for the comedy but not overly so as to undermine the jacked-up melodrama – and it was an inspired choice to pixel out Shirtless’ many gratuitous full frontal scenes rather than tastefully position him out of shot. You’ll never see a manlier baby than in this book!
The story doesn’t totally hang comfortably together at times. I get that it’s a deliberately cheesy aspect of the plot but there were too many rushed flashbacks thrown at me which I found a bit much. Also a couple of characters – the Hillbilly Warlock and Silva, the female cop – were unnecessary additions with Silva’s origin flashback being especially pointless. Generally though writers Jody LeHeup and Sebastian Girner did a spectacular job crafting a highly entertaining and readable action comedy, particularly as they’re usually editing comics rather than writing them.
You might need to be in a certain mood to enjoy this book but then I read it tired at the end of a long day and wary of its intentionally wacky jokes and it still won me over so maybe not! Shirtless Bear-Fighter is a great laugh, very colourful and imaginative, bursting with plenty of amusing details, and a ton of fun to read – easily the best new title Image have published this year! ...more
Giant Days crosses over with another part of John Allison’s Scary Go Round-verse as Esther, Susan and Daisy visit Shelley Winters in London for a festGiant Days crosses over with another part of John Allison’s Scary Go Round-verse as Esther, Susan and Daisy visit Shelley Winters in London for a festive tribute to Love Actually (minus Hugh Grant’s dancing = huge positive)!
The Giant Days 2017 Holiday Special is a delightful bumper-edition of probably the greatest comic in the world, just like last year’s was. I love that this is an annual thing now too!
John Allison’s writing is as brilliant as ever and the light and silly romantic storyline, where the girls try to set up Shelley with a suitable beau, is fun. I remember Shelley from Allison’s previous comics That and Murder She Writes where she was a successful YA author so I’m not sure how she went from that to a government job and Allison doesn’t explain it here either, but I expect it has to do with making the Love Actually angle work? I’ve never seen the movie so I didn’t pick up on whatever references are sprinkled here!
It’s an Esther-centric story so Susan and Daisy don’t have much to do though Susan gleefully corrupts poor innocent Daisy by taking her into a sex shop! And the digs at Megabus (an ultra-cheap British intercity bus service) were amusing.
I didn’t love Jenn St-Onge’s art which definitely felt weird as I’m so used to seeing regular series artist Max Sarin’s. St-Onge’s character work is good but the backgrounds were very bare, unimpressive and kinda bland, which is a problem when the setting is a city as remarkable as London! The ending too is a bit abrupt.
That said, Giant Days 2017 Holiday Special is a very enjoyable, perfectly seasonal read for fans of this outstanding title. ...more
I never know what to expect with The Walking Dead because the quality ebbs and flows - two books in a row might stink but the next will be great, and I never know what to expect with The Walking Dead because the quality ebbs and flows - two books in a row might stink but the next will be great, and so on like that. So I’m delighted to say that Volume 28: A Certain Doom is not just one of the good ones but also one of the best additions to the series yet!
The biggest challenge Rick’s group has ever faced is upon them: a thousands-strong herd of zombies sent their way by the Whisperers. Even if they survive, some are bound to fall - but who?
From the first page to the last, Robert Kirkman keeps up the tension and suspense fantastically. Right away it’s all hands on deck as Rick and co. battle against an almost impossible number of zombies and it’s really exciting to see the various splinter groups trying different tactics to deal with them.
Negan in particular has a lot of great scenes. The conversation he has with Rick after they’re penned into a house by the herd revealed a lot about his worldview and gave his character more depth. I think I like him so much because he’s still such a wildcard. Even though he seems to be a good guy now, given that he’s done such fucked up shit in the past, I keep expecting him to turn back into the psycho villain he was when we first met him. He gives a brilliant speech at the end too but I also wouldn’t have been surprised if he had turned to Rick, sucker-punched him and walked off with a new group to raise hell once again.
But definitely the most memorable part was the death of a longtime major character. Of course I won’t spoil who it was here but I will say that Kirkman had me guessing the whole time as to who it was gonna be. You think it’s this one and then, nope, they’re safe, it’s gonna be someone else, nuh-uh, and then… The storytelling is absolutely gripping and surprising.
And full credit to Kirkman for his writing here. The plotting is perfect and so is the execution. Looking back to earlier clunkers in the series like the “WE are the walking dead” line (and he’s still dropping the occasional eye-roller here - “I’m too scared to be scared”), Kirkman’s clearly grown as a writer and realised that sometimes the most powerful thing a character can say is nothing at all. He handled the death scene masterfully, letting Charlie Adlard’s visuals say what his words can’t (and Adlard also does some of his best work in this book) making for an unexpectedly emotional but beautiful farewell for this character.
There’s more in this volume than just the herd and the death but I won’t give anything away here. Suffice it to say there’s a helluva lot going on in this one and the drama never lets up at any time. I loved it.
28 volumes in and, like its own unstoppable zombie herd, The Walking Dead still shows no sign of letting up. “There is still so much to do” says Rick. I may have a love/hate relationship with this title but so long as we continue to get books of this quality every so often I’m gonna keep reading to see what these characters do next! ...more
This comic. This fucking comic. Sex Crimz is back on form with the brilliantly titled Volume 4: Fourgy!
Story-wise there isn’t much happening and thatThis comic. This fucking comic. Sex Crimz is back on form with the brilliantly titled Volume 4: Fourgy!
Story-wise there isn’t much happening and that’s my only complaint about this book. Essentially it’s still Sex Criminals vs Sex Cops but there’s barely any conflict between them here. Kegelface fucks with Ana’s teaching job and… that’s it.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a slow read either because the character stuff is really good. Jon and Suzie’s relationship has its ups and downs and we learn more about Jon’s mental state. It doesn’t sound like much when I try to summarise it but it’s something else to read for yourself. The most satisfying aspect of this series is how convincingly and realistically Matt Fraction has captured their relationship.
There’s maybe a bit too much time devoted to the other couples in the series, Ana and Dave/Doug, and Rach and Robert – their stories feel superfluous – but they’re also pretty cool characters so it evens out.
A new character appears with a new sex power: the ability to bring fuck-Smurfs to life! The character was well-written and funny but I hope Sex Crimz doesn’t go the way of Chew where a new weirdo/superpower gets introduced in every book until it gets annoying. This dude’s a mobile hot-dog salesman whose “wide weiners” are popular with the kids - I feel like Fraction/Chip Zdarsky included him just so they could have a scene with kids yelling that they want wide weiners! And the wide weiners theme song is so amusingly silly.
I may not think much of his writing but Chip Zdarsky is an outstanding artist. There’s a Kegelface issue written and drawn in the style of Brubaker/Phillips and Zdarsky’s pastiche on Sean Phillips’ art is really quite accurate (as is Fraction’s take on Brubaker’s noirish, clipped writing style). The characters’ facial expressions are perfect throughout (heh, Zdarsky does good facials) and the page crammed full of panels showing Ana’s preparation for the porn-con was remarkably detailed. I love that panel in the restaurant when Dave/Doug gives a lengthy speech to Ana and the exposition literally knocks the background characters around – that playfulness and creativity is one of the best aspects of this title. And the Sexual Gary running gag is still funny.
The thing is that those jokes are memorable at the expense of an unmemorable story (why is Jon appearing in a Hulk parody play again??). I’m much more invested in Jon and Suzie’s relationship than the half-assed revenge(ish?) story being attempted between the cops and the crimz.
Still, Fourgy! is a very entertaining and fun read and there’s a lot here fans will love! ...more
By Cthulhu’s tentacled mug, there’s a lot of HP Lovecraft-themed comics around these days, eh? Weird Detective is yet another one but it’s one of the By Cthulhu’s tentacled mug, there’s a lot of HP Lovecraft-themed comics around these days, eh? Weird Detective is yet another one but it’s one of the better books out there and is also Fred Van Lente’s best work in years.
Previously a crooked Noo Yawk detective on the make, Sebastian Greene is now the vessel of an alien, here to stop the Old Ones from wreaking havoc on Earth. Greene picks up the trail after their victims start appearing around the city sucked dry of their innards like empty juice boxes!
The humour is what made Weird Detective stand out to me – the crime and horror is on point but also throwing in comedy? It’s unexpected and different yet the combo works particularly as the jokes are actually funny! Being an alien, Greene acts oddly but everyone shrugs it off with “He’s Canadian”, like everyone in Fawlty Towers did with Manuel – “He’s from Barcelona…”. Greene also utilises more senses than humans and talks telepathically with my favourite character, his sassy lil bastard of a cat, talking smack to his owner the whole time (though, as anyone who’s owned cats will tell you, they are very arrogant creatures so the characterisation is spot on!).
Guiu Vilanova’s art is decent and serviceable but nothing memorable or impressive. Though I did like how Greene, in researching his cover as a detective, dressed throughout like famous detectives from Sherlock Holmes to Bogie as Sam Spade to Miami Vice!
I wasn’t totally clear on Greene’s background/motivation. His race created the Old Ones… or something? They chose Earth to secretly invade… why? His race is under some kind of threat and he’s isolated for some reason…? It’s a little convoluted but didn’t really affect the overall story as that’s a fairly simple dichotomy: good aliens vs. evil aliens with the humans caught in between.
I hope Weird Detective becomes an ongoing as it’s a really fun title. While Van Lente sets up some story threads here that don’t go anywhere in this book (the rich and mysterious blonde-bearded chap up to no good), I’d be interested in seeing them play out especially as the cast are so enjoyable to read about. Even if it doesn’t go any further than this though, Weird Detective is still a really good and unique read with a solid story, characters and comedy wrapped up in a compelling Lovecraft-flavoured police procedural....more
Josie Schuller is the ultimate domestic goddess: loving wife, doting mother – brutal assassin?! While she outwardly plays the idealised 1960s housewifJosie Schuller is the ultimate domestic goddess: loving wife, doting mother – brutal assassin?! While she outwardly plays the idealised 1960s housewife, she’s secretly carrying out contract hits. If only disposal of the bodies wasn’t such a pain! Handily, a blast from her past reappears to offer his services. But Josie’s about to learn that being a small business manager has its pitfalls particularly when her sole employee doesn’t take being let go very well…
Bravo, Joelle Jones – Lady Killer 2 is a fantastic sequel! I was absolutely blown away once again by Jones’ outstanding art. The characters’ expressions are uncannily convincing and somehow she’s able to capture a sense of kinetic energy on the page. I loved the detailed ‘60s aesthetics from the architecture to the cars, the clothes and even the kids’ toys. This is also an extremely violent story so be prepared for some very graphic and bloody scenes! Great work from Michelle Madsen too for her gorgeous colours, bringing Jones’ drawings to life beautifully and in all its glorious horror.
Jones proves to be that rarest of combos: an artist who can also write! And she’s put together a compelling story here to match her remarkable artwork. The balancing act between Josie’s domestic and secret life continues to be interesting and her various hits were entertaining. Irving’s dark past from WW2 was both disturbing and morbidly compelling – it reminded me of the real-life case of 19th century serial killer HH Holmes, aka “the Beast of Chicago”.
That said, I felt a little underwhelmed after finishing the book. The main story seemed more like a subplot so I wasn’t totally satisfied. And we only get a small glimpse into Josie’s past that’ll hopefully be developed further on down the line. But it ends with a couple of tantalising cliffhangers that promises a more substantial third volume that I’ll definitely be back for.
Lady Killer continues to be a highly enjoyable series and Joelle Jones shows that she’s one helluva talented comics creator with this excellent second book – great fun, recommended! ...more
Following his daring raid on Bane’s island home of Santa Prisca, Batman has taken the Psycho Pirate back to restore Gotham Girl’s shattered mind. But Following his daring raid on Bane’s island home of Santa Prisca, Batman has taken the Psycho Pirate back to restore Gotham Girl’s shattered mind. But with Bane hot on his heels, will Batman be able to keep him occupied for five days - or will Bane break the Bat once and for all?
After two solid Batman books, I was worried that this would be the one where Tom King drops the ball (it happens to everyone eventually); thankfully, I worried in vain as I Am Bane is yet another brilliant Batman volume!
This one’s a pretty intense read - there’s a countdown timer with one issue per day, so it’s five issues for the arc - and I was surprised that things escalated as quickly as they did (that final page of the first chapter!). Before that though is an excellent scene between Batman and the Robins in a fast food joint called “Batburger”! I liked the change of scenery from the usual Wayne Manor/Batcave setting.
The banter between Dick, Jason and Damian was unexpectedly funny (Damian making fun of Jason’s receding hairline!) though I don’t know how they can all be solemn over Tim Drake’s recent “death” when, in a postmodern way, they were joking about their own “deaths” moments earlier - maybe King’s just being ironic?
The storyline is an inversion of Knightfall - instead of Batman having to go through a gauntlet of enemies to get to Bane, Bane must go through the gauntlet to get to Batman - and it’s a gripping read. I really enjoyed it, King writes it so well - the dialogue is suitably hard, the action is relentless and the story flows so smoothly.
I’m not surprised though that King went for the classic Bane storyline because the character is quite limited in what you do with him, even if King tried - and he did - to flesh him out more. And even though a certain level of stupidity has to be accepted when reading superhero comics, the overall story still undeniably felt a bit simplistic and silly. The finale is also a bit abrupt.
Still, that’s not to say that it lacks substance. King does a fine job in showing us just why Gotham Girl is so important to Batman, particularly in the epilogue where the two characters have an introspective and thoughtful talk about what it means to be a superhero. The theme of identity that’s been a part of all three books (the subtitle of all three being “I Am…”) comes together nicely as we see both Batman and Bane contrasted as two men who’ve led hard lives, striving for inner peace/happiness.
Their motivations not only make sense but Batman’s also segues beautifully into THAT unexpected scene with Catwoman - Batman taking the conclusion of his chat with Gotham Girl to heart. That said, I don’t think it’ll stick, particularly if DC are consistent with their stance for their characters on this sort of thing in the past. Not to mention the subtitle of that chapter: “Every Epilogue is a Prelude” - King’s got something up his sleeve for these two and I’m not convinced it’ll be as straightforward as all that.
I was delighted to see Ace the Bat-Hound make his Rebirth debut with an excellent origin. I also enjoyed noticing the little details King sprinkled throughout: naming parts of Arkham Asylum “Morrison Hall” and “McKean Clock Tower” (Grant Morrison and Dave McKean created the classic, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth), and “Nolan Alley”. David Finch draws yet more superb pages too - his work on this Batman is the best I’ve seen his art.
The Batman/Swamp Thing team-up, The Brave and the Mold (heh), was a bit dull. Appropriately though, for a comic dedicated to Swampy’s co-creator Bernie Wrightson who recently died, the story is about Alec’s parentage.
If you’ve enjoyed Tom King’s Batman run as much as I have, I Am Bane won’t let you down - this title remains the jewel in DC’s Rebirth crown. It’s also the best Bane book I’ve ever read (though that’s not saying much!). I really enjoyed it - Tom King’s Batman continues to impress and thoroughly entertain. ...more
Hurray! Matthew “The Oatmeal” Inman is back with another fantastic and funny pet-themed comic book, If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men.
The obsHurray! Matthew “The Oatmeal” Inman is back with another fantastic and funny pet-themed comic book, If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men.
The observations aren’t at all original and any dog owners will be familiar with them: freaking out when you leave, losing their shit when someone knocks on the door, playing with squeaky toys, and eating like slobs, to name a few.
But what makes this book special and uniquely hilarious is Matt’s dogs are envisioned as two fat old men: one who looks like Uncle Fester and one who looks like Ignatius J. Reilly!
Watching this pair of lunatics doing everyday doggy things is ludicrously funny - I was laughing the whole way through! Kudos to Matt for such an inspired concept. It helps that Matt is a super-talented cartoonist who knows how to perfectly sell the jokes in comics format.
At under 40 pages, this one’s a lot shorter than his other books but it’s an ideal gift book for dog owners and/or fans of The Oatmeal. As both of those things, I loved it - an excellent comedy read and highly recommended for anyone looking for a chuckle! ...more
The Unbelievable Gwenpool has nothing to do with Gwen Stacy or Deadpool; she is Gwen Poole, a Marvel fangirl from our world who has inexplicably woundThe Unbelievable Gwenpool has nothing to do with Gwen Stacy or Deadpool; she is Gwen Poole, a Marvel fangirl from our world who has inexplicably wound up in the Marvel Universe! Using her unique inside knowledge of Marvel comics, Gwen has survived the strange and dangerous superhero landscape by deposing the giant testicle with a face, MODOK, and becoming the new head of his criminal organisation. She also has a team-up with Ultimate Spider-Man himself, Miles Morales!
So Gwenpool is still one of Marvel’s best titles. It’s such a fun, playful, clever series that’s so very different from the bland stuff Marvel usually publishes. Whether you enjoy superheroes being satirised subversively or go in for imaginative approaches to this well-defined genre, I think this will appeal to readers outside of Marvel’s usual crowd as well as a number of True Believers as well - and that’s a great thing!
Gwen’s team-up with Miles is one of the best team-ups ever. I love that she told him about Secret Wars and the end of the Ultimates universe and his baffled reaction to that news. The meta angle is the most interesting thing about Gwen, that she’s aware that she’s in a comic talking to comic book characters - love me some fourth-wall breaking!
But she’s also unpredictable and weirdly villainous - she tries shooting a kid and later on shoots an old geezer in the face! Granted, they both turned out to be iffy but firing guns at people’s faces ain’t exactly heroic. I kinda like that she’s oddly evil-ish at times and, as an accidental head of a villainous group, bizarrely on the path to becoming a supervillain herself!
The other storyline wasn’t as good: the tentacle monsters from the first book return to have their revenge on Gwen and she meets her mysterious benefactor, “Vincent”. I kinda wish Christopher Hastings went after a fresher storyline especially as the way it plays out is a bit too generically superhero-y for my blood.
There’s still a lot to like though: Gwenpool putting a piglet in her outfit (Gwenpig?) to confuse the tentacle monsters, the Poole Boys, and I love that Batroc the Leaper, one of Captain America’s infamously absurd antagonists, is Gwen’s colleague! And Gurihuru and Irene Strychalski’s manga-esque art is really beautiful too. I know Chris Bachalo designed Gwenpool but Gurihuru does wonders with her character - I think Harley Quinn has some serious cosplay competition at future conventions!
Gwenpool, Volume 2: Head of MODOK is a really entertaining read and, in Hastings’ talented hands, Gwenpool continues to flourish as one of Marvel’s most original characters in years. Highly recommended, especially for readers looking for something a little different with their superhero comics. ...more
I’ve just emerged from the longest dry spell of reading any quality books I’d rate four stars or above in years - it’s been over a MONTH! So thank gooI’ve just emerged from the longest dry spell of reading any quality books I’d rate four stars or above in years - it’s been over a MONTH! So thank goodness that a new Giant Days arc drops just when I think I’ve got anhedonia. Seven - SEVEN! - books in and this title is still first class all the way. HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS, YOU MAD GENIUS JOHN ALLISON!!!?! Seriously, no other comics series I’ve read has been this consistently good.
In Volume 7, Susan goes back to Northampton at Christmastime to play matchmaker to her estranged parents, McGraw and Ed Gemmell are aghast to discover their insufferable housemate Dean Thompson has found love, Esther dabbles in protesting, and Daisy has her first relationship fight with Ingrid.
Every issue is a gem. I loved meeting Susan’s whole family and how she tried rallying all of her older sisters (she’s the youngest) to bring Big Geoff and her mum back together. I like how John Allison can be so funny but also throw in moments of stark pathos. Susan’s mum talks about how the estrangement happened - “Forty years of tiny crimes rattling round an empty house” - and it rings so true without seeming awkwardly placed amidst the comedy. And Big Geoff is always wunnerful!
Artist Max Sarin continues to draw everything perfectly. She takes us into Dean Thompson’s fantasy online game during his whirlwind romance story for an imaginative change of pace. Then she gives us a panel that stuck out to me for being so weirdly funny for some reason: McGraw eavesdropping on Dean’s chat with his lady friend with Allison quipping “She passed the Turing test”! The warped dreamtime panels when the girls set out to uncover the mystery of their locked garage was delightfully trippy too.
Usually I can’t stand the kind of smug, self-satisfied idiots who protest but Allison turned Esther into one for an issue and still made me love her - that’s how bonkers talented this writer is!
I think the day I stop enjoying Giant Days is the day I give up comics for good. If you’re stuck amidst mediocrity to read, find these beautiful books of brilliance to briefly brighten up your brain! Like the other six Giant Days volumes, Volume 7 is a home-run. I can’t recommend this title more - it’s the full package! ...more
John Flood is the survivor of a covert experiment to eliminate sleep in the organisation’s operatives. It worked – John hasn’t slept in over a decade!John Flood is the survivor of a covert experiment to eliminate sleep in the organisation’s operatives. It worked – John hasn’t slept in over a decade! – but the sleep deprivation has made him a bit… strange. Though while he sees things that aren’t there, his permanently altered brain chemistry has also given him a distorted way of thinking and unique world perspective that’s turned him into a brilliant private investigator. So when a psychopathic mass murderer’s on the loose, John knows just how to catch him: he needs to find a missing cat…
Justin Jordan and Jorge Coelho’s John Flood was a really fun read! The story had shades of Jordan’s Luther Strode with the human experiments/ultra-violence aspects, while John himself is an amusing cross between Marvel’s Legion and Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently – all to the good!
John is a great character and the most enjoyable part of this comic. It reads like Jordan had a blast writing him. He’s this warped, eccentric, Willy Wonka-esque personality who’s off his rocker but also way ahead of everyone else, like he’s playing the 4D chess Trump’s supporters claim the President is currently playing (sure he is guys)! I liked that he had to carry a camcorder around with him because his hallucinations have become so pervasive he can’t trust his own eyes to show him what’s actually in front of him anymore! There are also a couple of scenes where his antics genuinely made me laugh. The dialogue especially is quite sharp – Warren Ellis fans will appreciate it the most. John made the book for me.
The story is well-written, inventive and full of great action and unpredictable twists. It reads a lot like a Tom and Jerry cartoon but for an adult audience with John as Jerry and Randall Tate, the murdering lunatic, as Tom. Jorge Coelho’s art is very accomplished and he brings skill, vision and energy to the page whether he’s drawing blood-soaked action or slapstick comedy.
The ending is a bit rushed and abrupt – it’s obviously setting up a sequel which unfortunately didn’t happen because I’m guessing not enough people bought this title - but otherwise there’s a lot to love about this one. John Flood is for anyone after a charming and unusual buddy cop comic with a lovable, freewheeling lead – recommended! ...more
Derek Ouelette is a has-been hockey goon. Thrown out of professional hockey for allowing his rage to get the better of him, Derek lives in a small CanDerek Ouelette is a has-been hockey goon. Thrown out of professional hockey for allowing his rage to get the better of him, Derek lives in a small Canadian town spending most of his time surly drunk and picking fights with anybody. When his estranged junkie sister Bethy drops by, pregnant and addicted with a shiner from her drug-dealing boyfriend, the two must confront their shared past trauma together to find their future.
Yeah, fucking grim, eh? Roughneck is also Jeff Lemire’s best book in years.
Lemire entered comics with a fine debut in Lost Dogs but rightly made his name with the Essex County trilogy, a series of quietly compelling slice-of-life dramas strongly imbued with the character of his native Canada. They’re still my favourite Lemire comics and, after many years since then working for Marvel, DC and Image producing books of, ahem, varying quality (“Extraordinary X-Men” – what an ironic title!), I’m delighted that he’s returned to the style and genre of storytelling that he’s best at so successfully with this book. It’s probably because Roughneck could easily be a lost chapter to Essex County that I enjoyed it so much. That said, you needn’t have read anything by this guy before to appreciate it by itself – Roughneck is a standalone.
Lemire slowly peels back the layers of the story masterfully, introducing us to our thug protagonist and then showing us how he came to be, gradually making him a real and sympathetic person. Taken by themselves, the story is full of dramatic clichés – the deadbeat father, the drinking, the regret, the strained family relationships, abuse of many kinds – but Lemire skilfully combines these aspects, reconstituting them into something unique here. The beats of the story, the juggling between the past and the present, is brilliantly handled, effortlessly draws you in, holds the attention and is never boring.
I really liked the two small ambiguities subtly woven into the narrative that are left up to the reader’s interpretation: the dog who seems to haunt Derek could simply be a wild dog but could also represent his dead mother’s spirit, his spirit animal (he’s half-First Nation Aborigine), or something else – a representative of his true self? And the ending: did he die after all that or did he survive? The beauty of that ending though is that it doesn’t really matter; either way Derek found peace at last.
Roughneck also has some of Lemire’s finest art yet. The book is full of splash pages of gorgeous rural landscapes filled with moody, piercing watercolours that perfectly complement the tale, switching to full colour for the vivid flashbacks to match their intensity.
I loved it. It’s a sad but wholly satisfying and unputdownable read by an enormously gifted creator at the top of his game. Whatever my opinions on his work-for-hire, when it comes to his own books like Roughneck it’s undisputable that Jeff Lemire is a true master of the art-form, a powerfully original and singular voice and one of the most talented storytellers working in comics today. Roughneck is his latest masterpiece and easily one of the best comics of the year....more
Fante Bukowski was one of my favourite comics of 2015 so I’m delighted that Noah Van Sciver has returned to the character for another brilliant book. Fante Bukowski was one of my favourite comics of 2015 so I’m delighted that Noah Van Sciver has returned to the character for another brilliant book.
Set one year later, the pretentious, talentless fuck-up/wannabe “great writer” poseur Fante Bukowski is still on skid row plying his terrible words for no money. Besides dodging his heroin-addicted slumlord in his peephole-ridden den, Fante discovers zines (photocopied pamphlets) - decades after they were a thing! - and we catch up with how Audrey’s career as a novelist is doing too.
I love Van Sciver’s character because he’s such a mega-twat. It’s so entertaining watching this grouchy, pathetic knob trying and failing to make any kind of dent on the literary scene with his terrible ideas while living how his favourite writers did (copious booze, crappy rented rooms, no money) despite having a credit card from Mommy! The heroin addict slumlord and the hooker to the literary stars who pities him are two great new characters and all the scenes in the dingy motel were hilarious.
It was nice to catch up with Audrey but I felt like she got too many pages, especially when her storyline and character were fairly one-note and uninteresting after a time. Noah draws himself into the story too as her flaky, fame-hungry boyfriend for some reason - I guess the self-loathing must’ve taken over?
It’s also not as funny as the first book but I still enjoyed catching up with more of Fante Bukowski’s hopeless exploits. Recommended to indie comics/Noah Van Sciver/Fante Bukowski fans - here’s hoping Van Sciver continues returning to this character in the future! ...more
A humble street cleaner, Herman has a startling secret: at night he transforms into an imposing cloaked figure who wanders the city narrating his actiA humble street cleaner, Herman has a startling secret: at night he transforms into an imposing cloaked figure who wanders the city narrating his actions and thoughts aloud! When indie film director Mio chooses to film her next project in Herman’s town, he decides to audition for a part, revealing his secret side for the first time. Herman’s life is about to change…
Chris W. Kim’s debut comic book Herman By Trade is really good! I liked how unusual the story was. Some indie artists can get a bit carried away with making their story too Avant-garde and therefore inaccessible but Kim manages to keep his story both coherent and pleasingly unusual.
It’s an unpredictable read because it’s completely original - I’ve never read anything like it before. There’s also this weird sense of unease throughout that drew me on, possibly because of Herman’s strange powers. The book definitely has a dream-like quality to it, walking the line between realism and fantasy. Kim’s wiry pencils are superb as well, complementing the unreal atmosphere with imaginative imagery, contrasting flagrant pageantry with an increasing, vague sense of doom and chaos.
The story also has a great, if slightly banal, point about identity: that there’s more to people than their appearances. Herman can imitate everyone but, in portraying everyone, the end product loses its zest; individuality and personality is lost in the process as Herman can only portray the surface, and not the soul, of a person. At least, that’s what I made of it. The finale itself is a little weak and forgettable.
Herman By Trade was a very enjoyable book and a promising start by this talented new creator. Definitely worth a look for any indie comics fans. ...more
DRAGON BALL IS BACK DRAGON BALL IS BACK DRAGON BALL IS BAAAAAACK!!!!
The Dragon Ball saga ended in 1995 with Dragon Ball Z after 42 volumes. Akira ToriDRAGON BALL IS BACK DRAGON BALL IS BACK DRAGON BALL IS BAAAAAACK!!!!
The Dragon Ball saga ended in 1995 with Dragon Ball Z after 42 volumes. Akira Toriyama’s bestselling title left behind a legacy as one of the most original, popular, influential and genre-defining comics in the world. Since then it’s only gotten more fans through the anime, the movies, and computer games, showing that there’s still an appetite for these characters and their stories.
Now, 22 years later, the official sequel and continuation of the saga was published this week: Dragon Ball Super, Volume 1. (I know Viz was publishing the English translation chapters on their site for free last year but I hate their format - the text and pictures are too scrunchy - so I waited for the collected edition instead.) Toriyama is no longer drawing it, having hired a new artist in Toyotarou, but he’s still in the driving seat, writing the storylines. And I’m pleased to say he’s still got it - Dragon Ball Super IS super!
Some time has passed since Son Goku defeated Boo and saved Earth. But a new threat has emerged: Beerus, the God of Destruction, who brings with him new knowledge of a multiverse, new Dragon Balls, and a new level of Saiyan power: Super Saiyan God! Now, Goku, as well as the rest of the Dragon Ball cast, find themselves in a new tournament, battling against an array of new powerful foes for the fate of the multiverse!
It’s worth noting that the original Dragon Ball series was first a manga and then got adapted into an anime; this time around Dragon Ball Super started out as an anime and has been adapted into a manga. And this is my only problem with the book: I haven’t ever watched any of the Dragon Ball anime, it’s never appealed to me; my love of Dragon Ball stems purely from the comics - I know I’m in the minority on this one. But I think that’s why the story in the early part of the book is rushed in places. Some of the scenes are a bit choppy with notes from the editor saying things like “Check out the Battle of the Gods movie to see how we got here”. What?! I don’t want to have to watch a movie to see what happened from one scene to the next - that should all be in the book! Anyway, that’s my only criticism.
I loved seeing all the characters again: Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Bulma, etc. and the expansion of the Dragon Ball universe with new universes, new Dragon Balls (the size of planets!), and new power levels was excellent. The new villains are cool - Beerus and his brother Champa look like Ancient Egyptian cat gods - and I like that there are new Saiyans, a new Freeza-type challenger, and I can’t wait to see what Mr Monaka - apparently the only fighter in the universe more powerful than Son Goku - can do.
Toriyama may not be drawing it this time around but if no-one told me that I wouldn’t have noticed - Toyotarou’s art is identical to Toriyama’s! The charming, familiar humour is there - Bulma’s meeting with new character Lord Zuno was funny as was the universe anthem, Beerus and Champa’s food battle and the IQ test all the fighters had to pass before the tournament (poor Majin Boo!) - and the story structure is similar with the hunt for the Dragon Balls and the tournament. The fight scenes remain the centrepieces of the story - Dragon Ball is at its best when it comes to the fight scenes because at its core it’s a martial arts comic and no other title does it better. In all the ways that matter, this is definitely and recognisably Dragon Ball.
A must read for all Dragon Ball fans, as well as martial arts comics fans and anyone looking for a great manga, Dragon Ball Super is a very welcome return for this classic title. I really enjoyed it and I’m delighted we’re getting new Dragon Ball comics for a new 21st century audience as well as long-time fans - looking forward to more!
Batman needs Psycho Pirate to undo the mental damage he inflicted on Gotham Girl – except he’s holed up on the island prison of Santa Prisca, Bane’s dBatman needs Psycho Pirate to undo the mental damage he inflicted on Gotham Girl – except he’s holed up on the island prison of Santa Prisca, Bane’s domain! For his daring kidnap mission, Batman must assemble his own Suicide Squad, an unlikely assortment of characters including the Ventriloquist, Bronze Tiger, Jewelee and Punchee, and Catwoman. Will he succeed or will Bane once more break the Bat?
Rebirth has been a stream of disappointments except for Tom King’s Batman so I’m pleased to say that the second volume continues the title’s high quality, going from strength to strength.
I’m impressed with how King is taking really obscure DC characters and bringing them to the forefront of their flagship title. The continuing focus on Psycho Pirate? That dude’s never had this much attention or respect before! But also deep cuts like Silver Age characters Jewelee and Punchee (sorta like Joker and Harley decades before they were a thing) and Bronze Tiger – whaaat?? But they fit perfectly with Batman’s heist plan. I also like how Bane’s different in this one: no mask, no tights, no Venom, and he’s still super-menacing and deadly.
Like his first Batman book, King knows how to grab the reader’s attention right from the start and deliver on their expectations for what a Batman book should be with lots of big-screen action from the aerial dogfighting going into Santa Prisca to Batman taking on scores of Bane’s armed guards. The heist itself was a pleasant surprise in that King seemed to be going down a fairly standard route and then turned it around unexpectedly at the end – I love when my guesses turn out to be wrong! Each team member has a part to play and everything clicks superbly. Batman’s plans should be this complex and unpredictable – full marks to Tom King for his excellent plotting!
I have some minor critiques. Jewelee and Punchee’s inane chatterbox dialogue was quite annoying – I can see why they never remained a permanent fixture! The inner reflective, at times ponderous, nature of the narration between Batman and Catwoman felt a bit sludgy, a bit slow, particularly in contrast to the often fast-paced action. And the script is a little repetitive at times, one character echoing another in the same conversation, which feels mindless rather than suave. They’re definitely minor criticisms though and all the important things like characters and story hit the spot.
I didn’t expect King to focus so much on Batman and Catwoman’s complicated relationship either (and I was a little wary too, not being a huge fan of romance in Batman which is almost always corny as fuuuck) but it turned out to be one of the best parts of the book. I liked how King played on the dark side of Catwoman - she’s on Death Row for allegedly killing 237 people! – which seemed possible because she’s always walked the line between good and evil and might go full-villain under the right circumstances. Like the heist, King keeps the reader guessing with what really happened.
While most readers can guess the answer to whether or not Catwoman’s going to Blackgate forever, King still manages to make the story seem strangely poignant, almost convincing you that this is the final chapter in Batman and Catwoman’s story, selling the tragic lovers angle completely. Even the stuff about the sky and diamonds shining sounds silly and sentimental on paper but really works in the moment. This is one of the few times I can remember where romance in a Batman comic felt believable.
This book also has the best art I’ve seen yet from both Mikel Janin and Mitch Gerads. Janin’s art on the Bane story was very dramatic, gothic even, possibly because it reminded me a lot of Jae Lee’s spooky art, while Gerads’ twilit pages and focus on Bruce and Selina’s faces during their “last” chase across the rooftops was beautiful.
Tom King’s Batman remains THE Rebirth title to be reading and Volume 2: I Am Suicide is a great continuation of his increasingly epic storyline. It easily captured and held my attention for the entire book and I found it to be a really entertaining read – and I say that as a picky reader in general but especially when it comes to Batman! Highly recommended to any and all Batman fans. I Am Satisfied – more! ...more
Spinning off from Warren Ellis’ James Bond series, creators Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida take 007 on a new adventure in Hammerhead. A villain calSpinning off from Warren Ellis’ James Bond series, creators Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida take 007 on a new adventure in Hammerhead. A villain called Kraken is targeting Britain’s nuclear arsenal with plans to wipe out London - here comes Bond to save the day! Bah da bah baah, bah da daah!
This was great! Diggle ticks all the Bond boxes with effortless style and panache: dramatically-named villain and evil organisation, exotic locations, lots of violence involving guns and death, dry martinis, sexy times with a bombshell, sharks, and a flashy car with gadgets. It’s also a very entertaining action thriller that’s fast-paced and exciting to read. Newcomer Luca Casalanguida’s art is excellent too - I’m sure he’ll get more gigs off the back of his impressive work in this book.
The only flaw for me was Kraken’s endgame to blow up London. I just don’t get how that’s good for their business or makes Britain “great again” (an obvious slight against Trumpy). Targeting London with a nuke and using Hammerhead, a giant railgun, to blow up the nuke before it hits, yes, but the plan was to just nuke London and then they’d make loads of money…? Sorry, that’s just dumb. Everything else worked for me but Diggle couldn’t stick the villain’s motivation.
Otherwise, James Bond: Hammerhead is a stonking good comic that fans of Bond or great action comics in general will definitely enjoy. It’s also good to know that with Warren Ellis now off Bond, there’s at least one writer like Andy Diggle around to keep up the new quality line of Bond comics. ...more
In Giant Days Volume 6, the girls deal with a burglary, a disastrous dinner party and a cranky old neighbour. Also, Susan gets sick and is nursed backIn Giant Days Volume 6, the girls deal with a burglary, a disastrous dinner party and a cranky old neighbour. Also, Susan gets sick and is nursed back to health by her pops Big Geoff, Esther gets a job at the local comics shop, and Daisy gets her first girlfriend, the wild and crazy German student Ingrid!
I didn’t think I could love Giant Days more but then, during the burglary story, a David Caruso from CSI: Miami lookalike appeared and bumped up my adoration to the next level! If you don’t know why that’s amazing, Caruso’s character, in the cold opening of an episode, notoriously started a sentence… put on his sunglasses… then finished his sentence immediately followed by the CSI intro which kicks off with a YEAAAAHHHH!!! rock song. Here’s a link to a supercut of those gloriously cheesy moments - I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that video but it never fails to make me laugh. Massive kudos to John Allison for putting that into his comic!
I love all the characters but Daisy gets the most attention in this volume which is great as she usually gets the least. We discover her sad secret origin revealing her parents’ fate and the turbulent courtship of Ingrid commences. Her character really grows in this book – she’s blossoming into a woman of the world!
Big Geoff is an awesome character too and I loved how infantilised Susan instantly got when her dad showed up to do all the cooking, etc. Even the heavier material with their elderly neighbour was superbly handled and engrossing. And Max Sarin - I’ve said everything I can say about her art in previous reviews, but: perfection as always, Max!
I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read a comic that’s as consistently high quality as Giant Days. Even beloved titles like Scalped and Dragon Ball had minor flaws in their first six volumes but Giant Days is something else. John Allison is just a ridiculously talented writer. “Despair o’clock” as a caption for Ed Gemmell’s house? Majestic. Like the previous five volumes, Giant Days Volume 6 is flawless.
Giant Days might be… (puts on sunglasses)… the greatest comic the world’s ever seen! (YEAAAAHHHH!!!)...more
Jimmy can demonically possess anyone he’s near when the current body he’s in dies - he’s essentially immortal! Despite being the most wanted man in AmJimmy can demonically possess anyone he’s near when the current body he’s in dies - he’s essentially immortal! Despite being the most wanted man in America, he decides to use his new powers to get revenge on the drunk driver who killed his wife and daughter. And then he makes a shocking discovery: his little girl is still alive - and in prison?!
Jason Shiga’s Demon might be my favourite comic around at the moment. I loved the first volume and I loved the second too, which ups the ante of the craziness Jimmy gets into - and it’s awesome!
It starts a bit slow with Jimmy experimenting with his powers, trying to figure out what the rules of demon possession are, and, later on in the story, the info dumps on the demon background are a bit tedious to get through. But the rest of the book more than makes up for these plodding moments as to make them negligible complaints.
The prison break scene was absolutely smashing as Jimmy goes up against a Kill Bill-style phalanx of guards. The train rescue was even better and the incredible plane sequence that closes out the book was even better than that - they’re all utterly gripping and exciting set-pieces.
I think the fact that Shiga is a maths graduate is partly why the series is so brilliant as the ingenious plot development really feels like watching someone set up and solve an increasingly complicated maths problem. But he’s also a superbly talented storyteller who knows how to make it read well too.
Demon Volume 2, like Volume 1, shows that this title is one of the most imaginative, original, clever, inspired, and purely fun comics out there. I had a blast reading it and I’d recommend this series to all comics fans. Unless he’s already turned them down, I don’t know why DC/Marvel aren’t fighting to sign this guy up! ...more
A corrupt town like LA needs inspiring, hard-working and honourable law enforcement officials to clean it up. Roy and Mac are not those dudes. They’reA corrupt town like LA needs inspiring, hard-working and honourable law enforcement officials to clean it up. Roy and Mac are not those dudes. They’re a pair of detectives as corrupt, if not more, as the criminals they deal with! Their boss - not the chief of police but a psychotic gangster - needs them to make LAX safe for him to transport goods through. And then Roy gets into more shit when the teen actress he’s meant to be protecting gets shot dead by burglars!
Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber’s The Fix gets even better with Volume 2 - I love this series! The overall story is a little vague and it’s definitely the most plot-driven title, but it’s basically about two fuck-ups getting into silly, stupid scrapes and on that level it consistently delivers.
In this second book we meet the Millennial Mayor of LA, a secret stoner and an utter twat who just wants to play video games and smoke weed; Meth-Head Matty, star of Meth Addict Fight Club; and Deal, psycho Josh’s man with the plan at LAX. Donovan, the mental movie producer, is still around and still mental, Josh continues doing fucked up shit, and Pretzels the Beagle is still adorbs. Pretzels’ origins were so daaaawwwwwww!
Spencer’s dialogue and the stuff he puts Roy and Mac through is too funny while Lieber’s art is the perfect accompaniment to the script, brilliantly selling the comedy. This is easily the best thing Nick Spencer’s writing at the moment and one of the must-read Image titles being published now. I can’t get enough of it and recommend it to fans of this creative team’s last collaboration, The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, as well as anyone who’s looking for a highly entertaining contemporary crime caper comedy. ...more
