[Zacharie]

Title: Lady Mechanika (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Joe Benitez (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Doug Zawisza (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Some of the best comics I've read in quite a while in terms of pure enjoyment of the four-color art form."
Review: Lady Mechanika #2

I'm one of the first to drop a book like a hot potato if it slides too long between issues. I surprised myself by picking this issue up this week. After all, it has been seven months since issue #1 and it is only the second issue. Walking away from a book with minimal investment (financially and chronologically) wouldn't be all bad, right?

Except this darn book hooked me with issue #1 and I've been waiting for another fix since then. I even stopped by the Aspen booth at C2E2 to get a status update, not as a reporter or critic, but as a fan who has been waiting for more.

I certainly got more in this exceptionally dense issue from Joe Benitez, Peter Steigerwald, and Josh Reed. This issue covers a broad range of locations, brings in a few characters, and continues to unfold the steampunk world that Joe Benitez is revealing. It all continues to build, adding depth, layers, and mystery. The mechanically enhanced young lady from the first issue gives Lady Mechanika the chance to explore new settings and test old foes in an organic way as it all comes together.

The art on this book had me flashing back to the earliest days of the Image brand, with stunning layouts and art that seemed to drive the story almost as much as it served itself. Benitez is definitely channeling that era, but this issue is loaded with story. There is a lengthy exchange between Lady Mechanika and Commander Winter that floods the pages with word balloons, but the imagery is crafted to accommodate those dialog bubbles quite nicely. As a matter of fact, the minimal use of imagery in the conversation is quite powerful and helps establish the range of differences between the two ladies.


The rest of the issue is lavishly textured with detail and pattern, allowing Benitez and Steigerwald to combine their strengths to deliver a hauntingly beautiful book. Reed's text is stunning and well conceived. The dialog boxes for Lady Mechanika and the setting boxes leave no doubt as to the era this book is set in.

My biggest gripe is the bombastic apparel that Lady Mechanika dresses in. Sure, bustiers are expected for a steampunk comic, but hip-hugger pants are certainly an odd choice. I'm no fashionista, nor am I a student of fashion history, but if a woman were to dress in pants during the early days of the Industrial Revolution, I'm pretty certain those pants would shade towards the high-wasted selection. Truly, however, that's not much of a gripe, but it does cover a blemish that I personally find in this book.

This book is only a pair of issues deep, but those two issues have been some of the best comics I've read in quite a while in terms of pure enjoyment of the four-color art form. Benitez is taking full advantage of everything a comic book can be and having a great deal of fun with it. This story packs in absurd comic science wrapped in a crunchy steampunk coating with a creamy mystery center. It's enjoyable, charming, and a grand reprieve from the event books I find myself reading more and more of each and every week. Do yourself a favor, take a break from the events and remind yourself how entertaining comics should be.

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Story by Joe Benitez
Art by Joe Benitez
Colors by Peter Steigerwald
Letters by Josh Reed
Cover by Joe Benitez, Peter Steigerwald, Alé Garza

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Aspen Showcase: Ember (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): David Schwartz (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: blakemp (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" It is a pretty big story for Aspen to tackle, and they handle it in an intelligent fashion."
Review:

Spinning out of the recently-completed Shrugged series, this one-shot delves into the backstory of Ember, a woman of the otherworldly land of Perspecta whose half-Elysian, half-Nefarian heritage nearly derails her political ambitions. When she decides to create an enemy to frighten the people of Perspecta back onto her side, she finds out exactly what she’s really capable of. The political allegories here are none-too-subtle, and are in fact so heavy handed that they take away from the enjoyment of the issue a bit. On the plus side, it is a pretty big story for Aspen to tackle, and they handle it in an intelligent fashion. The artwork, by Randy Green, is really good. The demons of the Nefarians look pretty good and balance well against the perfect little Elysians. It’s nice to know that Aspen hasn’t simply forgotten the Shrugged universe. I just hope there are more tales in that world planned for the future.

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Written by David Schwartz
Pencils by Randy Green

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Cromwell Stone (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Andreas Martens (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: WIN WIACEK (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This is a superb horror story from a criminally under-regarded creator."
Review:

To me the perfect comic strip begins with the humble line. The greatest drawing is always the versatility of black against white. Colour enhances but it doesn’t create.

Andreas Martens is a versatile East German artist (from a time when that meant another country not different location) whose work has appeared in Le 9e Rêve, and Tintin for which last he produced Udolfo and Rork (from 1978).

Andreas has adapted the works of Francois Rivière (collected as Révélations Posthumes in 1980) and produced a graphic edition of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre for Je Bouquine. Among his many original efforts are Raffington Detective, Cyrrus, Arq and a host of others. All his works are steeped in classical style and rich in visual tension. Many are thematically linked.

In 1982 he crafted a chilling, moody pastiche of the fantasy works of August Derleth, William Hope Hodgson and H. P. Lovecraft that related the tale of a survivor of a mysterious maritime tragedy.

Years ago a mutiny aboard the ‘Leviticus’ led to thirteen survivors being abandoned in a lifeboat on the High Seas. Against all odds they reached land safely. Every year they hold a reunion, and every year there has been one less survivor at the table…

Now the last three are to meet again and Cromwell Stone feels that the mystery is coming to an end. He arrives in the small seaside town to prepare but is sucked into a swirling maelstrom of unease and anxiety…

And the horrors of an unimaginable world are waiting for him to misstep…

The art is a stark blend of early Berni Wrightson and classical woodcut prints in this suspenseful tale of the unknown. Compelling beyond belief this is a superb horror story from a criminally under-regarded creator. Hopefully some enterprising publisher will get the English language rights and bring this and all his other works to a greater public.

More info:

Written and illustrated by Andreas Martens
Covers also by Andreas Martens

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Aspen Showcase Kiani (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Marc Andreyko (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: ASPEN (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Combines some of today's finest creators"
Review:

Aspen's anthology series, ASPEN SHOWCASE, combines some of today's finest creators with several of comics best loved properties and characters. The fan favorite Fathom heroine Kiani takes center stage in her very own ASPEN SHOWCASE: KIANI. Journey back to the early days of her Elite Warrior training, alongside Siphon and Brande, Cannon and Casque and more! Never before seen secrets of the Elite Warriors, and of the deep and ultimately tragic friendship between Kiani, Brande, and Siphon are uncovered in this revealing look into their past. For Kiani and Fathom fans, this book is a can't-miss at a pivotal story arc relating to the entire Fathom universe! Brought to you by the incredible creative team of writer Marc Andreyko (of Torso and Manhunter fame!), longtime fan favorite artist Scott Clark, and Aspen's own colorist extraordinaire John Starr. Come along as they take you for a special look at one of Aspen Comic's most popular characters.

More info:

Written by: Marc Andreyko
Illustrated by Scott Clark

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Rork (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Andreas Martens (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: WIN WIACEK (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This series should be at the top of the publisher’s list of books to re-release…"
Review: Rork 3: the Graveyard of Cathedrals/Starlight

To me a great comic strip begins with the simple line. The greatest drawing is always about the power of black against white. Colour enhances but it seldom creates. For my money, one of the best line artists in the business is the modern fantasist Andreas.

Andreas Martens is an incredibly versatile artist born in East Germany (from a time when that meant another country not a different location), trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf and the Saint-Luc Institute in Brussels. His work has appeared in Le 9e Rêve, and Tintin where in conjunction with his teacher Eddie Paape he created the seminal Udolfo.

Andreas has adapted the works of Francois Rivière (collected as Révélations Posthumes in 1980) and produced a graphic edition of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre for Je Bouquine. Among his many original efforts are Raffington Detective, Cyrrus, Arq and a host of others. All his works are steeped in classical style, draped in period glamour and drenched in visual tension. Many are thematically linked. But before all these he created one of the most stylish and memorable “challengers of The Unknown” in horror fiction with the introduction and continuing adventures of the enigmatic psychic savant Rork.

His pale and moody hero, (who debuted in Pilote in 1978) draws on the tone and sometimes content of dark-fantasists August Derleth, H. P. Lovecraft and especially the Carnacki stories of William Hope Hodgson; traveling the world and the great beyond unraveling great mysteries and discovering startling wonders not for fame or glory but because he must…


In the early 1990s Dark Horse Comics serialized his adventures in their superb anthology of European comics Cheval Noir, and those translations formed the basis of a little seen or remarked upon series of albums from NBM. This volume is a particular favourite of mine (even if the spine and binding are less than robust), featuring two tales in a continuing story arc as the ethereal knowledge-seeker is returned to Earth from a Transcendent Realm to intervene in the inevitably grisly fate of a scientific expedition in the wilds of Central America.

Douglas Holbein was obsessed with the story of The Chavesians, an order of architectural mystics declared heretical by the Spanish Inquisition and banished to the New World by Queen Isabella. The centuries-old sect, which built the great churches of Christendom, did not die in the harsh jungles, but continued the craft, erecting monolithic buildings in the lush wilderness, ever-seeking to learn the secrets of God through their vast stone Faith Machines.

Now Holbein’s team have found the site of the ‘Graveyard of Cathedrals’ they accidentally disrupt a centuries-old truce between the sect’s last adherents with potentially catastrophic consequences and only the reality-shocked Rork can save them…

Following his harrowing return Rork is summoned to the deserts of Mexico by mysterious means to aid an old friend atoning for her past sins in an isolated and ancient pueblo. Increasingly endangered by a jealous Medicine Man, the woman called Low Valley cares for the Indians of the settlement as she awaits a certain lunar conjunction. The swift-approaching night when ‘Starlight’ again rains down on the people promises – or perhaps warns of – radical transformation when the heavens flare again. But the impoverished and desperate people must be made to remember that not all change is good…

Exotic, chilling and lyrically beguiling, the classical mysticism and otherwordly dread of these tales is a continuously heady and captivating brew, especially with the intense, linear illustration and stark design of Andreas to mesmerize and shock your widened eyes. This series should be at the top of the publisher’s list of books to re-release…

More info:

Story: Andreas Martens
Colors: Anne Delobel
Original title: Rork
Original language: French

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Astonishing Tales (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): C.B. Cebulski (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Troy Stith (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Disappointing, Marvel. Very disappointing. "
Review: Astonishing Tales #1

When I first read that Marvel was going to do this anthology, I was actually excited, but once I learned that it contained two Iron Man stories out of the four stories offered, I was confused and disappointed at the same time. Why would Marvel waste the space in the first issue on two Iron Man stories? It doesn't make sense, and both stories were boring at best. Not to mention, that the Arno Stark story is "to be continued" like two of the other stories in the anthology.

The serial aspect of the book was a huge disappointment. Doesn't Marvel undertand that anthologies are usually self-contained stories that don't require any commitment to pick up the book the following month? Instead, they're treating this anthology as a series that forces the reader to buy the next issue if they want the answers from this issue. One word sums up that decision: boo! Just another ploy to sell books the Marvel way.


Marvel can thank C.B. Cebulski and Kenneth Roquefort for the two bullets that this anthology received from me. If it weren't for their Wolverine and Punisher story, I'm afraid to think of the rating I would've given this anthology. I loved Roquefort's art and the starter pages of this tale are intriguing, even though I think it's ridiculous that the tale couldn't be completely told in this one issue. Go ahead and give Roquefort and Cebulski a full issue one shot to tell the tale, or make them come up with a self-contained story for Logan and Frank.

Even though I liked the art of the Mojoworld story, the storyline itself is lackluster and the characters that were chosen are mundane when considering the Marvel universe.

I'll go ahead and stop this review here, since I'm afraid what else will come out if I keep going. I was sorry to see this anthology bomb as badly as it did in my eyes. Even though I liked the start of the Punisher/Wolverine story, it isn't enough for me to go back next month. The other "to be continued" stories aren't intriguing enough for a next months viewing. Disappointing, Marvel. Very disappointing.

More info:

Written by C.B. Cebulski
Art by Kenneth Roquefort

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Bouncer (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Alexandro Jodorowsky (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Reviewer (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" A harsher reality of an American era, one that is more violent, but possibly more accurate. "
Review: Bouncer: Cain's Eye

French artists Jodorowsky (Technopriests, Son of the Gun) and Boucq (La Femme du Magicien) have depicted an American west more tormented than wild, filled with looting, rape and blood. The story follows three brothers and their mother, Aunty Lola, ""the wildest whore in the West"" through the South at the close of the Civil War. The story opens with Ralton, the second son, a captain in the Confederate army and leader of a large group of renegade Confederate soldiers who refuse to believe that the South has fallen. In need of money to fund his gang, Ralton returns to the West in search of a large diamond, the Eye of Cain, which Lola hid. The diamond eventually leads to her demise as well as the dissolution of the family. Blake, the oldest, grows up as a killer and turns to God. The youngest grows up to disown his name and refer to himself as ""Bouncer."" When Ralton kills Blake in his search for the diamond, Blake's son seeks out Bouncer for answers. It may be the French understanding of the American West or it may be the translation, but the language in the book is stilted and forced, lacking rhythm. The story lacks cohesion, and Jodorowsky's characters don't interact, talking at one another not to each other. Boucq's art is detailed and graphic, portraying a violent and bloody world but also panoramic scenes of the Old West's deep canyons and lush greens. He draws the dust and grit of the era with a deft hand. His characters bear the leathery skin and sun impressed wrinkles of a dry, chapped life filled with work and whiskey. For its faults, Bouncer, while shying away from John Wayne Americana, shows a harsher reality of an American era, one that is more violent, but possibly more accurate.

More info:

Written by Alexandro Jodorowsky
Illustrated by Francois Boucq

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Chronicles Of The Dark Moon (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): François Froideval (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: N.Diremdjian (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Few surprises on the album are not enough to make it indispensable."
Review: 12 La Porte des Enfers (The Door to Hell, 2005)

Finally! Wismerhill meets his real father he believed dead, killed by the army of emperor Hagendorf. This death, which decided the commitment of the half-elf and his friends along with the Dark Moon, here it is alive and well with a lot of information. Handled from the beginning, Wismerhill decided to turn it around and be an actor as much as possible of its destiny. The sword turned against her so perfect!

The Chronicles of the Dark Moon, cult for a generation of game-of-gamers, endlessly wither (euphemism!) Over the volumes. If one recalls with nostalgia his own parts of Dungeon and Dragons by browsing through these pages, one can only regret the paucity of scenarios that have lost battles over increasingly titanic or multiple resurrections of characters principal.


Of course, there was also a change of artist (Cyril Pontet in place of Olivier Ledroit) from Volume 6 which some are the beginning of the decline of the series. It would be very unfair to Pontet: just to be convinced to take a look at the first volume of the series where Ledroit was not at the top of his art, it's the least we can say ! No, the responsibility lies with the writer François Froideval. Full of imagination it's hard to completely control, it is one of the most prolific authors of the comic, but its only series to go beyond the first volume, for want of an audience.

That said, The Gate of Hell at least has the merit of the last heartbeat before pulling the curtain: it rekindles the flame of a little old veteran gamer, attached to the cast of characters who have crossed the Chronicles of the Dark Moon. Despite this, few surprises on the album are not enough to make it indispensable.

Twelve volumes just to get there, it is too. The series is expected to close in the fourteenth, hopefully a final full of panache.

(Translated with Google)

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# Writer: François Froideval
# Art: Cyril Pontet,
# Colors: Yves Lencot,

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: The Books of Magic (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Neil Gaiman (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Rodney Meek (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This volume is exceedingly enjoyable to any DC readers who have been fascinated with the magic-oriented superheroes"
Review:

Particularly after the success of Alan Moore's "The Watchmen " and Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns ", graphic novels have soared in popularity. Indeed, it now seems that the market is inundated with them, and practically every Vertigo title from DC is regularly recapitulated every seven or eight issues in collected paperback form. With such an increasingly large selection from which to choose, the more casual reader might be baffled as to where to start. This volume probably wouldn't be the wisest choice.

While it is of the highest quality, it really has its best payoff for those who have at least a passing acquaintance with DC's occult universe and its myriad figures. So many of these pop up within the story (in a profusion not seen since the struggle for the North Slope of Heaven in the pages of "Swamp Thing" a few years ago) that it can be daunting to the neophyte. Even many of the more experienced comics readers might have a hard time placing two of the four major magical protagonists, Mister E and Doctor Occult (who actually is one of DC's oldest characters, having been created many decades ago before slipping into obscurity). In fact, so very many exceptionally minor characters pop up in the margins that it's necessary to hit the Internet to find annotations to explain their background and significance.

In large part, this collection is an attempt to codify and explain the chaotic history of the DC occult universe. Gaiman has an intimate knowledge of apparently every title ever produced over the last 30 or 40 years, and he induldges himself somewhat showily in dragging in every two-bit mage and witch for a fleeting guest appearance. Often, this is done for purposes of historical revisionism, which is for the good, since the accretion of rank silliness and sloppily conceived plots in the thousands of DC comics over the years has resulted in many mutually contradictory character origins and universal histories, not to mention a lot of gross stupidity. (Such an opportunity for widescale housecleaning was one of the few appeals of DC's "Crisis on Infinite Earths", which gave the writers permission to ruthlessly slaughter dozens of idiotic characters and to destroy the countless alternate dimensions and the "it was just a dream" Earths. But I digress.)


Be that as it may, the heart of the story, which served to launch the ongoing "Books of Magic" series and its various mini-series spinoffs, is the realization by the mightiest of the occult powers that Timothy Hunter, a young lad in the UK, is destined to become the most powerful magician ever known, should he actively choose to walk that path. Accordingly, Doctor Occult, Mister E, the Phantom Stranger (always one of DC's coolest and most enigmatic characters, often thought to be a repentant fallen angel), and John Constantine (even cooler than the Phantom Stranger, although much scummier and devoid of nearly any useful powers) band together as the so-called Trenchcoat Brigade to show Tim what could lie in wait for him if he embraces a future of magic.

In its most basic form, this is of course a classic quest story, wherein a young man has to undertake a journey to discover his destiny, and along the way will discover mentors, guides, companions, and foes. In Tim's case, he's actually taken to the past and the future, and given an introduction to many of the occult players of the present. He also takes a fateful trip to Faerie, a mystical land which has long been of fascination to Gaiman (see his "Stardust", which also shares artist Charles Vess, for another treatment of the fey world).

The segment in Faerie is actually the strongest, largely because of the fantastic and dream-like nature of the setting and because of the art by the award-winning Vess, whose distinctive and delicate style suggests a naughty opium-addicted Victorian illustrator. Also of special interest are any of the scenes featuring the dissolute and disreputable yet popular John Constantine (who anchors his own series, the long-running "Hellblazer", itself a spinoff from "Swamp Thing"), a favorite Gaiman character. (I've noticed that all hip English characters in the comics have to share a loathing of the perceived horrors of Thatcherism, which arguably was the economic salvation of the UK, but again I digress.) Constantine is one of the most feared occult characters in the DC universe, even though he's actually one of the weakest. He gets by on bluff, style, and charm, and also because of his resemblance to a more dangerous and less eco-friendly Sting (tantric powers included).

At this early stage in the game, Tim remains mostly a cipher, since it's his job largely to merely bear witness to all that is being displayed to him. He has to make certain critical choices, but to a large degree he's overshadowed by the more strongly delineated members of the Trenchcoat Brigade. Even so, he plays an active enough role in his quest.

The character of Tim Hunter proves to be promising enough, and any Constantine appearance is welcome. Doctor Occult turns out to be so interesting that one wants to learn more (although very little has subsequently been done with this character). This volume is exceedingly enjoyable to any DC readers who have been fascinated with the magic-oriented superheroes, but can be intimidating to the less avid. Nevertheless, even for the more timid, the Vess artwork alone is worth the price of admission.

More info:

Writer: Neil Gaiman
Illustrators: John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, Paul Johnson
Introduction: Roger Zelazny
Letters: Todd Klein

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Dan Dare Pilot of the Future (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Frank Hampson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Craig Johnson (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" A hugely impressive volume then, well presented, well designed, and well drawn."
Review: Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future: Voyage To Venus, Part One

Fifty-four years ago, perhaps the most famous British comics launched, introducing possibly the most famous British comics character. The former was The Eagle; the latter, of course, Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future. Set in an unspecified near-future date, Colonel Daniel MacGregor Dare is a well-known and experienced Space Pilot for the Interplanet Space Fleet. In this future, Earth is ruled by a unified World Government, poverty has been eradicated, diseases eradicated, people all do the jobs they want to do and only have to work ten hours a week. Of course, this means the population of Earth has exploded (cutely it’s said to be in the “millions” – I guess millions was seen as being a phenomenally vast number in 1950) and food is running out. People’s diets are rationed heavily, and subsidised via a vitamin tablet with each meal; which is ok for essential vitamins and minerals, but not nutritious, not very good for the body over a long period of time. Food riots threaten, a real crisis is brewing, so mankind has to look for alternate sources of food…

(An aside at this point, very prescient of Hampson to tie extending lifespan into exploding population into global starvation – a few Golden Age SF stories looked at similar concepts, but this is the first time it was looked at in comics form (and in a supposed “kids” comics, as well…))

Mankind has landed on Mars, it’s desolate, there’s no hope there – so attention is turned to Venus, and this is where we join the first episode of the series, during a mission to the second planet … is there food there for mankind to take back to solve the crisis on Earth? Can it be cultivated if not? If the planet is actually inhabited, can an arrangement be made before Earth erupts into violence? Big questions (and, of course, you have to detach modern sensibilities about Venus and its environment to enjoy fully) demanding answers, and it’s not helped by spaceships exploding as they draw near the planet.


Dare experiences an epiphany about why this is happening, and leads a further mission – virtually a last-gasp hope – of three more ships to the planet to find answers. Of course, we modern readers know the Mekon comes from Venus and that he’ll rear his head before too long, but for those of you impressed with modern storytelling techniques of decompression, of taking six issues to develop the storyline via dialogue and extended plots, the Mekon doesn’t actually appear until three-quarters of the way through the book. There’s a lot of setup first, a lot of adventures to go through, and his appearance (to modern eyes) forms the climax of the adventure (yet there’s a whole other book to go to finish the storyline).

The first forty episodes are reprinted here, in this oversized volume. It’s slightly wider and taller than Marvel’s hardcovers, and presented to an even higher standard as regards paper quality. The size isn’t just standard comics pages blown up twice as big, the original printing was at a large size, and each page therefore is roughly equivalent to two or three modern comics pages, extending the read considerably. As you can imagine, the full-page shots are few and far between, yet are immense when they do appear. The extras in the book are numerous: as well as the obligatory character bios of people in the strip, there’s a Dan Dare timeline listing the first nineteen years of Dare adventures, an extensive Dave Gibbons introduction, and a six-page in-depth feature on the creation of Dare, and some of the ephemera associated with him – toys, sweets, rare design sheets by Hampson.

A hugely impressive volume then, well presented, well designed, and well drawn. The plot suffers from one or two slight hiccups – the bad guys seem unable to decide what to do when they capture our heroes, and are taken in rather too easily; the scientific anomalies begin to grate after a while; and I really don’t like the way the baddies call our heroes by their titles “well, Colonel Dare, come with us” begins one of his captors when a “you human scumbag, get here” would seem more logical. A product of its time in places, for sure, but the fact it still has much to say to modern audiences, that it’s still a great read, speaks volumes for the future of this series.

Thoroughly recommended.

More info:

Writer/Artist: Frank Hampson

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Hybrid Bastards (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Tom Pinchuk (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Christina Myers (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This comic did not disappoint. It definitely lived up to what I’d expected to find"
Review:

I’m a huge fan of mythology of all kinds, so when the opportunity to review a comic rooted in Greek mythology arose, I had to do it. The summary of Hybrid Bastards alone hooked me; the idea of Zeus having a bunch of hybrid offspring running around was amusing. The fact that those hybrids are the result of Zeus getting it on with inanimate objects made it hilarious.

The comic begins eighteen years ago with a couple driving down the road. All of a sudden the bumper of the car blows off! Stopping to see what the problem is, something unexpected happens. The car gives birth. Yes, that is indeed what I’d intended to type. The car pushes a very interesting looking creature right out of its tailpipe. I couldn’t stop laughing at the woman’s declaration of “I smell placenta!” The image was awesome. The “baby” even had an umbilical cord!

Now we come to the present day and the real fun begins. Everyone knows that Zeus is a ladies’ man and his poor wife Hera is stuck putting up with his cheating heart (or body, rather). It seems like he’ll bang anything that moves and finally she’s gotten tired of it. It’s time for revenge! With the help of Hypnos, she put a spell on him that for one night caused the great and powerful Zeus to be uncontrollably attracted to inanimate objects, making him happy to bang things that don’t move too. Just the very idea is awesome. Eighteen years have passed since that night he can’t remember and Hera tells him all about it and the results, a mess of children that are, well, a mess.

Zeus has a reputation to keep up so he has to do something. No one can know about his humiliating offspring. What would they think of a god screwing things like a brick wall and a car? Not good thoughts, that’s for sure. So Zeus orders for all his misfit children to be dealt with, and quick. Too bad Zeus’s henchmen are all absolute idiots.


Meanwhile, Panos, the most human looking of the misfits, has decided that his father has to pay for his and every other misfit’s suffering. He forms a ragtag band of brothers and together they try to make dear old Dad’s life a living hell. I love the hybrids. There’s Walter, half brick wall; Cotton, who’s made of miscellaneous swatches of fabric; Carmine, the half car; and Corey, a very depressed apple. Does the idea of Zeus humping an apple make anyone else laugh uncontrollably?

They go through several plans, Zeus fighting them all the way, and I loved every minute of it. The art is reminiscent of ancient Greek pottery, which just adds to the fun. It’s a little difficult sometimes to figure out what parts of the hybrids are which, but then they don’t look too normal so that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Following the main comic is another, shorter bit about the hybrids where Hypnos explains the Greek gods’ family tree and introduces some of the other hybrids we didn’t get to meet. I loved this part because I was very curious what other inanimate objects Zeus had gotten funky with that fateful night. Why am I so interested in his intimate activities?! Also included are sketches of the main hybrids, where you can see them much more clearly, images of the hybrids done by other artists, and a great short comic about the common cold called Cure for the Common Foe.

This comic did not disappoint. It definitely lived up to what I’d expected to find, if not better, and I don’t think I’ll ever look at Zeus the same way again!

More info:

Writer: Tom Pinchuk
Artist: Kate Glasheen
Letterer: Shawn DePasquale
Cover: Kate Glasheen
Publisher: Archaia Comics

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: The Metabarons (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Alexandro Jodorowsky (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Rob Vollmar (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Every issue of the Metabarons leaves me in an increasingly more tangled knot of nerves..."
Review: The Metabarons #6

Plot: Aghnar faces his final obstacle in becoming the Metabaron and begins his revenge against the Shabda-Oud.

Alexandro Jodorowsky, in his other persona as Euro film director extraordinaire, many years ago attempted to put Frank Herbert’s novel, Dune, upon the silver screen, intending to base the set design on the work of H.R. Geiger. Though history now shows that it was David Lynch who would ultimately bear that cross, Jodorowsky still seems fascinated with the themes that made the saga of House Atreides so irresistible because they appear throughout the Saga of the Metabarons, but driven to breathless extremes by his madness.

The concepts central to this sixth issue are typical of the series overall. We begin with a Freudian battle between father and son for ascension, a conflict based in proving Aghnar’s worthiness to avenge his mother’s sacrifice. Amidst the ancient archetypes, Jodorowsky tosses in spurts of impossible futurism, with everyone in the cast loading their already mangled bodies with bombs to show their willingness to die. This is a bleak, soulless future/past that these characters inhabit that still resonates as human, though endlessly tragic. Though the cast is driven, on an issue by issue basis, through the most horrible of circumstances (believe me, I am wondering exactly how many Metabarons we are to meet because it appears to be a brutal short life for most of them), their emotional suffering remains very human and continues to affect me deeply.

The difficult part of the Metabarons, at this point, is the viscosity of the gender conflicts, with the guys pretty much firmly against the girls. The Shabda-Oud are Jodorowsky’s version of the Bene Gesserit witches, a powerful and clandestine clan of meta-females who seek to produce a Messiah, in this case an androgyne, to rule the Universe for them. It has often been suggested that Dune was a careful and metaphoric exploration of the male psyche and its images and symbols, like in the Metabarons, have always come off to me as being, necessarily, distorted for that very reason.

Every issue of the Metabarons leaves me in an increasingly more tangled knot of nerves, but, for $2.95 every thirty days (guaranteed…it’s already finished), I think it’s a great deal. The Metabarons #6 ranks at about eight on the ten scale of utter insanity for this series, at least, and will pretty much decimate anything else you might stack up next to it in terms of quality. In Europe and South America, the name Alexandro Jodorowsky means innovative, cutting-edge, avant-garde and carries a standard of excellence that few would dispute. We, here in the Far West, are now lucky enough to find out what the fuss is all about and I, for one, am all ears.


The question then remains whether or not Jodorowsky (or Herbert for that matter) is using this landscape to ultimately judge or justify the foibles of the animus, with the reader’s response dictating to the individual whether this is in good taste or not. My assessment at this time is that Jodorowsky has been dynamic enough so far to justify a belief that something positive will yet blossom from this dark soil. Regardless, there is enough depth going on in plenty of other places in the Metabarons that I can overlook ideological differences that I may share with Jodorowsky, as long as they don’t overwhelm the plot.

Issue 6 is the series highlight, thus far, for artist Juan Gimenez, whose gorgeous watercolor over ink illustration are called upon to render, perhaps, the most fantastic scenes yet. Immensity of scale is a repeating motif in the Metabarons and, here, we are treated to giant floating apes who hover near the peak of a one hundred fifty foot mushroom for the bulk of their nasty lives. Aghnar, human and diminished without his legs and hands, moves like a speck among them and tames them to his service, much like Paul stood atop the worm and commanded the Fremen to their eventual glory. It’s pretty moving, with Gimenez’ exquisite artwork supercharging the battle scenes with a din of gore.

With Gimenez in complete control of the coloring, it becomes an integral and fused gear in this well-oiled engine. The moody purples and grays, especially in the flattened watercolor finish, screams Heavy Metal, though this story is much better than any I remember from the day. It is obvious to me that Jose Ladronn’s recent work in the Inhumans is heavily influenced by Gimenez and, hopefully, this detail-heavy style will continue to make inroads in the Anglophone market.

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Writer: Alexandro Jodorowsky
Artist: Juan Gimenez

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: 400 BC – The Story Of The Ten Thousand (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Lewis Helfand (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: TheCountofMonteCristo (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" This is a really superb reading experience, and I can not praise it more."
Review:

Having read other Campfire originals, I plumped to buy 400BC and another title called Space Race. 400BC charts the journey of an army that is seeking to dethrone the King of Persia. However, things do not go as planned and the hunters become the hunted.

This book from Campfire, just like Dusk Society and Photo Booth, is an absolute cracker. It is exciting (crammed with battle scenes), and you really care about the characters and what will happen to them. You could easily compare this book to 300 , but whilst it has a similar theme - 400BC is very different.

The story is basically a take on office politics. If you've spent any time working in an office then there are a lot of characters you will recognise: Xenophon is the hardest working member of the team who is never praised but often blamed when things go wrong, Cyrus seems to be the one who is worshipped in the office but doesn't seem to think things through, then there is Sisyphus (an appropriate name)who spreads gossip, whines, stabs others in the back and even goes behind his commander's back to turn the army against him. Half the fun of 400BC is spotting these characters that have been neatly threaded through the plot.

Another thing you notice about this graphic novel is the amount of text, there is a LOT of text. But that is what makes the story far deeper and more engaging than other graphic novels. You could really almost emphasize the word 'novel' with this book.

With a story that is based partly on a real event, 400BC leaves you feeling like you've travelled mountainous terrain, fought battles, trampled through the snow and cut across country after country. This is a really superb reading experience, and I can not praise it more. A+

Thoroughly recommended.

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]Written by Lewis Helfand
Illustrated by Lalit Singh

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Routes Des Maisons Rouges (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Giuliano Monni (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: puyaybusto (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" Give this one a try I highly enjoyed it and I hope you do too."
Review: Route Des Maisons Rouges #1

“The first part of the four issue Italian sensation, Route is the sexy and surreal satire set in a fantasy Parisian neighborhood that’s quite crowded with five brothels competing for control. The tenants are hot and hot-headed, and are caught up in in a five-way battle to make their maison the most powerful of all. Yet it’s all fun and games until the slimy mayor enters the picture… and then the girls might have found a common enemy big enough for them to forget their differences and work together.“

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5
Stand up and shout! 3 for 3 on the amazing artwork from our friends at GG Studio in Italy. The world of Route Des Maisons Rouges is a gore-geous one, that borders on the line of a mature cartoon you would see on t.v. To me it was one of those books that when I go to remember what happened it actually plays itself out as a cartoon in my head. The art works well with the story, in that it is as playful and humorous as what is written. However please note that this is a mature book. Nudity is not found but look at the cover and expect to see what you think you will.

Story: 4.0 out of 5
Like I touched on at the end of the art section, make sure that cartoon style book stays in the hands of adults. The subject matter is on the mature side of things, but going from page 1 to page 28 I was presented with a book that made me laugh while still staying intrigued in the storyline. The jokes translate very well, and I applaud the translators for the overall great job that they did. The issue reads great and ends on a high note making me know I will have to grab issue #2 to find out what is coming next.

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
So I won’t dive into my whole imported comics rock routine, but they really do. This is the third great book in a row by the Italian publisher and I just want everyone, of age, to take a look at this. I know that the American audience may initially dismiss the book based on the cover or the subject matter, but within these pages lay a lot of fun that is told to us by a different culture in regards to morals and what is acceptable subject matter. This book never crosses the line of an ADULT XXX comic, so it can appeal to most who are willing to take a chance. So once again looking for something new? A fan of Skydoll, Daffodil, Heavy Metal or just something different in comics? Give this one a try I highly enjoyed it and I hope you do too.

More info:

Plot/Environment: Giuliano Monni
Story: Giuliano Monni
Pencils: Vincenzo Cucca
Colors: Barbara Ciardo
English Translation: Andrea Plazzi, Adam McGovern
Letters: Studio Blue
Editor/President: Giuliano Monni

Publisher:

[Zacharie]

Title: Lucky Luke (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Morris and Gosciny (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Roger Shingler (Don't click it, read the review here... )

" The Oklahoma Land Rush is an amusing and attractive comics album, and a great throwaway read for small kids and big kids alike.
"
Review: Lucky Luke: The Oklahoma Land Rush

René Goscinny, best known outside of his native France for his phenomenally popular 'Asterix' series, is largely responsible for changing prevailing European attitudes to the comic strip medium, upgrading their status from scorned examples of 'low' culture to that of recognised art form with his memorable (if sometimes dubiously stereotyped) characterisation and trademark sophisticated wit. Working with the cream of Franco-Belgian comics artists, such as Albert Uderzo, Jean Tabary and, as in this case, Maurice de Bevere (Morris), Goscinny carved a niche in wacky historical comedy-adventure strips that has seen worldwide sales of his books exceed 50 million, making him one of the most-read French authors in the world.

The Oklahoma Land Rush (Cinebooks) is the 20th 'Lucky Luke' album to be reprinted in English; testament to the enduring appeal of "the man who shoots faster than his own shadow", despite criticisms of racist stereotyping and the perceived promotion of cigarette smoking in the books. As in the other albums in the series, the story centres round real events in the history of the American West, in this case the Oklahoma land run of 1889, Luke being a hired gun brought in to arrest bandits and looters.


With an affectionately irreverent take on the myth of the old West, Goscinny parodies, across the whole of the 'Lucky Luke' canon, the many overblown and self-important figures of America's formative past and, here, it is the settlers themselves who come under fire from the author's good-natured ego-pricking and he ends the story in gleefully revisionist fashion by having them fail, go home and hand back the land to the Native Americans, who subsequently strike oil and make it rich.

Despite his sympathy — indeed, bias — towards the indigenous people of America (to whom he refers as "Indians") Goscinny has been criticised for milking racist stereotypes for cheap laughs. However, this is probably as much to do with the prevailing attitudes and cultural norms of the times in which many of the tales were written (the first was published in 1946) than with Goscinny's own political leanings and these tendencies have been gradually filtered out of the series over the years.

The Oklahoma Land Rush is an amusing and attractive comics album, and a great throwaway read for small kids and big kids alike. It could also be useful in stimulating interesting debate among younger readers around the continual revision of attitudes towards race and stereotyping, and the representation of historical 'fact' in popular culture.

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Written and drawn by Morris and Gosciny

Publisher: