The graphic novels loved by children and adults alike
Apr 7th, 2013, 8:27 am
Image


Title: Dinocorps (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Steve Horvath and Andy Briggs (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: David Tallerman (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" If you can find a single thing not to like there, you're probably a pod person. "

Review:
    Entombed for millennia, a team of combat dinosaurs is accidentally reanimated by 14-year-old Carl Heyward. While trying to keep them a secret, Carl discovers the evil Saurons have survived too. Responsible for the last mass extinction event, they’re planning to eradicate the human mammalian vermin with another extinction event. The race is on to save the planet… again. World shaking action-adventure in this all-ages story!

    You heard that, right? Combat dinosaurs! That means, dinosaurs with guns kicking ass. Everyone loves dinosaurs, right? I know I do. Although granted, not as much as when I was twelve, which I think is probably the perfect target age for Dinocorps. When I was twelve, I would have thought it was about the coolest thing imaginable. I would probably also have been a little troubled, in ways I couldn't quite put my finger on, by the slinky lady dinosaur, Lieutenant Kayla. Boy, I'm sure glad that stuff like that doesn't bother me anymore.

    Image

    Anyway, I obviously picked up Dinocorps for Bob's artwork and not for slinky dinosaur ladies. One of the fun things about working with artists is getting to watch them evolve, and Bob's done a whole lot of evolving since we first came across each other. He really does get better and better with every project he does, and it's a joy to watch. Plus, it means that the work he's doing right now on Endangered Weapon - and our other, secret mini-project - is his absolute best yet. Which, from my point of view, is pretty great news.

    So if you have a twelve year old to hand, or - like me - a significant portion of your brain that frequently forgets it isn't a twelve year old, why not give Dinocorps a go? It's a lovely-looking comic book about dinosaurs with guns kicking the crap out of each other. If you can find a single thing not to like there, you're probably a pod person.


Image

More info:
    Written by Steve Horvath and Andy Briggs
    Art by Bob Molesworth

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Apr 7th, 2013, 8:27 am
Apr 7th, 2013, 9:12 am
Image


Title: Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Malachai Nicolle (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Joey Esposito (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Bad Guy Earth is a must-own."

Review:
    Remember the days of playing with toys and creating absurd, nonsensical action scenes that had your Robocop fighting your Ninja Turtles? Imagine you had a comic book artist for an older brother to convert those inane ramblings into a comic book. What'd you'd get is Axe Cop.

    Started as a webcomic written by 6-year-old Malachai Nicolle and drawn by his 30-year-old brother Ethan, Axe Cop was picked up by Dark Horse Comics and given its own three issue mini-series, Bad Guy Earth, which is now collected into a trade paperback. To summarize the story is not only borderline impossible, but it'd be an injustice to you, the reader. Put it this way: Bad Guy Earth follows Axe Cop, his partner Dinosaur Soldier (yep, it's what it sounds like) and Wexter, a dinosaur with machine guns for arms that are on a mission to stop a giant planet that's formed in the sky that is filled with bad guys. Hence, Bad Guy Earth. It sounds juvenile, and it is. But that's where its charm comes in.

    There's something about the imagination of a six year old that, admittedly, is a refreshing look at storytelling. Nicolle doesn't have the jaded worldview or technical training to construct a solid narrative; he simply makes one work with logic that only a 6-year-old is capable of. Why can Axe Cop throw a bomb at the Normal Cops? Because they're faint bombs, obviously, meant for dumb good guys. While a professional writer would never even dare to pull off such a thing, it's so remarkably genuine that you can't help but be charmed by it.

    Image

    Enough about the deeper complexities of Axe Cop though; the real appeal is in the humor. Bad Guy Earth is page after page of laughs. Real, LOL-type laughs. The insane happenings, wacky characters and bizarre conundrums that the Nicolle brothers concoct are of the random variety, but so engaging that you can't help but read this book all in one sitting. Bad Guy Earth is the epitome of one of those "I could've made this" kind of projects. But you didn't, did you? The genius lies not only in the honest, 6-year-old humor, but also the sincerity in which it's presented.

    Ethan Nicolle's cartooning is stylistic and not unlike a Saturday morning cartoon. But the way he adapts his brother's story is what seals the deal. Rendered completely faithful to the asinine story, Nicolle's visuals play it straight which helps to underline the hilarity. There are impressive subtleties to his work, however, as it's not the easiest thing to make dinosaurs and Bear Cops emit real emotion, but he finds a way to do it through body language and composition. One can argue that I'm reading too deep into Axe Cop, but beyond the immediate appeal of childish humor is a solid comic book storytelling foundation.

    If You Already Own the Issues...

    Perhaps the most impressive bit of the Bad Guy Earth trade, which clocks in at a comparatively measly $12.99, is the amount of bonus content that Dark Horse delivers. Even with a plethora of free Axe Cop available online, this collection is absolutely worth the money thanks to the supplemental material. There are pages and pages of character sketches and early concept designs, page breakdowns with creator commentary, a great afterword by Ethan Nicolle, and even a behind-the-scenes look at Malachai Nicolle's toy collection that helps inspire his stories. It's all at once a nice look at the creative process for the two brothers and a continuation of the absurdity they excel in.

    If you hate fun, children, or simply can't sit back and enjoy a tale that doesn't take itself too seriously, then you'll find nothing to love in Axe Cop. For the rest of us, though, Bad Guy Earth is a must-own.

Image

More info:
    Writer: Malachai Nicolle
    Penciller: Ethan Nicolle
    Inker: various
    Genre: Humor

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Apr 7th, 2013, 9:12 am
Apr 7th, 2013, 9:44 am
Image


Title: Axe Cop: President of the World (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Malachai Nicolle (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Benjamin Bailey (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I'm just glad we live in a world where Axe Cop: President of the World exists."

Review:
    If you have ever read any Axe Cop, either online or in print, you probably know what to expect from Axe Cop: President of the World #1. It's crazy, goofy, and over the top. It's as entertaining as it is ridiculous. Basically, it's everything we love about Axe Cop.

    This series is a direct sequel to Bad Guy Earth. If you read and enjoyed Bad Guy Earth Image (like we did), you love the hell out of this issue. If you didn't read Bad Guy Earth, don't fret. This isn't the kind of series that requires any intimate knowledge of continuity. Axe Cop is a cop that found an axe and he hates bad guys. That's pretty much all you need to know in order to fall in love with this book.

    There is a lot going on in this issue. Axe Cop is now the President of the World, as you have probably guessed from the title. All the bad guys of the world have died from poisonous poop. There's a new cop named Goo Cop. There's a gorilla with robotic gun fists and several races of bad guy aliens that have set their sights on Earth. Nearly every page made me laugh. Malachai Nicolle writes like an unrestrained 8-year-old, because, you know, he is. His imagination has always been the driving force of Axe Cop and in this issue, it's racing along at full speed.

    Image

    Ethan Nicolle's art is as playful as ever. Like every issue of Axe Cop, President of the World is requiring him to mash tons of information into each and every page. It's a credit to Ethan's art and storytelling skills that Axe Cop, and all the insanity that comes with it, always manages to run smoothly. I don't know why it took us so long to get a talking, bowtie-wearing gorilla with robotic gun fists in a comic book, but I'm glad Ethan Nicolle is the one drawing it. His art has grown a great deal throughout the Axe Cop series, and President of the World is some of his best work to date.

    If you are not reading Axe Cop, you need to fix that. It's unbridled madness and is quite possibly the most fun you can have while reading a comic. Every once and a while, when I mention Axe Cop to someone who has never read the series, they'll ask me what it's about. I'll tell them it's not really about anything, at all; it's just a good time.

    I'm just glad we live in a world where Axe Cop: President of the World exists.


Image

More info:
    Writer: Malachai Nicolle
    Artist: Ethan Nicolle
    Colorist: Erik Schulz
    Cover Artist: Ethan Nicolle
    Genre: Humor

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Apr 7th, 2013, 9:44 am
Apr 11th, 2013, 10:39 am
Image


Title: Django Unchained (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Quentin Tarantino (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Minhquan Nguyen (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" An adaptation that makes me want to see the original."

Review:
    The Story: It figures a dentist’s unflinching tolerance for pain makes him an ideal bounty hunter.

    The Review: I don’t have too many unreasonable prejudices—I don’t think—and the ones I do have I usually try to suppress whenever possible, but I’ve got to say: I am not a fan of adaptations of any kind, from any one medium to another medium. Almost always the original intent of the original author gets lost (see the Lord of the Rings films, or 2001: A Space Odyssey, the novel), even when the original author is involved.

    Still, I decided to give Django Unchained a shot. True, I’d never seen the movie (but then, none of us has at this point, presumably) and I really had no idea what the story was even about, but what the heck—live dangerously, I say, especially when the only thing it’ll cost you is three bucks. I figured an adaptation which basically lifts the original script and provides some nice visuals ought to have a pretty good chance of being as faithful as possible.

    From the get-go, you have to find Dr. King Schultz one of the more compelling figures in recent comics. This dapper, older gentleman with fancy manners and a no-nonsense edge proves an irresistible combination, basically stealing the scene wherever he shows up. In response to a redneck slave trader pulling out a gun on him, Schultz exclaims lightly, “My good man, did you simply get carried away with your dramatic gesture, or are you pointing that weapon at me with lethal intention…?” This is a few pages into the issue and you’ve seen nothing to support this belief, but immediately, you know it’s about turn ugly for some racist Southerners. That’s how strong an impression Schultz leaves on you.

    Image

    Schultz’s dramatics have the unfortunate effect of overshadowing the titular star of this series. We don’t really get much out of Django other than his grim history, and he spends most of the issue simply following Schultz’s lead with the perhaps instinctual obedience of a former slave. We know he has his own bones to pick with Schultz’s current targets, and we also see him increasingly asserting his own judgment calls, even against the mild advice of the man who freed him. We know from Schultz’s actions in the town of Daughtrey that he operates according to a meticulous plan; what kind of conflict should result if Django messes with that plan?

    Tarantino makes good use of the period. I’m no historian, but the pre-Civil War South that he gives us is unromantic, but complicated. Yes, the slave-owners are typically villainous, but it’s pretty easy to vilify such flippant subjugation of other human beings. What’s important is Tarantino doesn’t exploit his subject-matter gratuitously. I’m not bothered at all by the use of n-word or other racial epithets because that is natural to the story’s context. Overall, the scripting and dialogue has a kind of credibility and sophistication that puts all of All-Star Western’s attempts at dialect to shame.

    Several times throughout the issue, I had to flip back to the credits page just to make sure it was Guéra, not Cully Hamner, who drew the issue. Guéra definitely has a blocky approach to figures that evokes Hamner’s work, but more than that, he generates the same raw, exciting flair that Hamner often does in his art. This issue offers few action sequences, and brief ones at that, but they have a fleet intensity to them that resonates far longer than their own length. Brusco has always been one of the finest colorists at Vertigo, and she does Guéra and Latour right. Firelight in the night has never seemed so eerie and threatening, with characters often looking as if they manifest out of the darkness.

    Conclusion: An adaptation that makes me want to see the original—a pretty big achievement for any spin-off work.


Image

More info:
    Quentin Tarantino (story)
    R.M. Guéra & Jason Latour (art)
    Giulia Brusco (colors)

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Apr 11th, 2013, 10:39 am
Apr 13th, 2013, 8:31 am
Image


Title: The Secret Service (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mark Millar (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Johnny Destructo (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Pick this up, you'll high-five yourself later."

Review: THE SECRET SERVICE #1
    I hadn't the foggiest as to what this series was going to be about. All I had in the way of experience was the cover and my previous enjoyment of Millar's works. Whenever possible, I like to go into a new series with as little exposure as possible, for the same reason I try to avoid all the teasers and behind the scenes stuff for upcoming films. If I know everything ahead of time, I lose most of the experience of enjoying the ride.

    However, even AFTER reading issue one of THE SECRET SERVICE, I wasn't entirely sure of where this series was going to go, so curiosity piqued, I headed to the nearest information superhighway to do some digging. This led me to make two discoveries:

      A. The series is basically about how a wayward, arsed-up kid eventually turns into a James Bond-esque superspy.
      B. I wish I hadn't made the first discovery.

    It isn't that I don't like what the essence of the story is; it's just that I was really enjoying the mystery. I had a very satisfying initial read that left me with questions, and I missed that feeling after I did my research--much like trying to find the hidden Christmas presents, finding them, and then realizing that I'd ruined the surprise for myself. All of this is to say that I really dug this first issue, so much so that I wish I just enjoyed the ride like when I was a kid and had to read comic books WITHOUT the internet.

    That isn't to say that I didn't have my doubts. In the first page, we are introduced to special guest star Mark Hamill. And not just a guy similarly named, but the actual actor, whom you probably know best from his stellar work in JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK as the astounding Cock-Blocker. He's done some other work here and there, but it was all pretty small potatoes when compared to JASBSB. I opened the issue and realized what was happening and thought "well, this isn't off to the best start." It seemed sort of lame at first, but by the time that scene was over, I was IN.

    Image

    With the big entrance out of the way, we start to get into the meat of the story, and from here on in, it never once feels like a typical Mark Millar story. It feels...adult? I realize that may sound a touch insulting, but I've always enjoyed how Millar stories talk to the action movie lover in me--the kid who sometimes just loves things because they seem cool or fun or bad-ass. The kid who loves the original “Total Recall” and “The Matrix” (or...you know...superhero comics). Whereas a good portion of Millar's works are really great sugary snacks, this issue felt like a well-proportioned, filling meal.

    And the art. Good god, the art. How is it possible that Dave Gibbons has gotten even BETTER than he was on WATCHMEN? Unbelievable, even moreso that it was done digitally.

    Jack London is a respectable government agent who is constantly called upon to get his sister's troublesome kid Gary out of, well, trouble. The poor bastard is a wastrel, a nogoodnik, a ne'erdowell, and Jack has had about enough, and decides to call in a favor. There is a real world vibe to this that I haven't experienced in a Millar book that I can recall. Maybe that's what I meant earlier when I said it feels more adult. This series has more in common with LUTHER than MISFITS. (If you've never heard of LUTHER OR MISFITS, do yourself a favor and do some googling, and then watch both series. Amazing stuff.)

    And even if you don't usually enjoy Millar's work, pick this up, you'll high-five yourself later.


Image

More info:
    Writers: Mark Millar
    co-plotter: Matthew Vaughn
    Art: Dave Gibbons
    Colors: Angus McKie

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Apr 13th, 2013, 8:31 am
Jun 4th, 2013, 10:40 am
Image


Title: The Littlest Zombie (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Fred Perry (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Decapitated Dan (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" For those of you looking for a fun little book to pick up this is it."

Review: The Littlest Zombie #1
    “In the madness of the Zombie Apocalypse, amid the throngs of living dead and terrified victims, the littlest zombie roams. He’s just an inquisitive chap filled with curiosity about the world on fire around him. Pushed around by his fellow undead (who always get to the brains first), and positively frowned upon by the remaining living citizens, the poor little guy just wants a friend. And maybe something to chew on. Like your face.“

    Artwork: 4.0 out of 5
      FUN FUN FUN!!! This issues looks like nothing but fun!!. When I first read the Littlest Zombie short in A Very Zombie Christmas I knew that this was a great looking character. This issue just builds on what the universe looks like, and shows us some more gore. All around what I expected to see. Make it known that it is Anime/Manga style artwork so it may not appeal to everyone, but it appeals to me.

    Image

    Story: 3.5 out of 5
      Just like the art the story is right on pace for a great time. If I had one draw back though it would be that I wanted more focus on our main character. It kinda felt like a split between the “food” and our little buddy, however all it does is add to the story and nothing is lost. Fun dialogue as you witness his struggles to survive in a world of larger zombies, and a great secondary story with he victims.

    Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
      I got two great ways to sum this one up. First Casper meets the Walking Dead, it’s just that playful and serious all in one. Second, oh I lost it, no wait what was it I said above? Oh yeah, FUN, FUN, FUN! I knew when I read that short in A Very Zombie Christmas that I wanted more and they gave it to me. So guess what Mr. Perry, I WANT MORE!! Give me a mini or a quarterly, give me something! I like serious zombie books as much as everyone else, but when you can pull off a fun little adventure like this one, it just makes me want more and more. So for those of you looking for a fun little book to pick up this is it.

Image

More info:
    Story & Art: Fred Perry

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Jun 4th, 2013, 10:40 am
Jun 10th, 2013, 1:25 pm
Image


Title: Girl (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Peter Milligan (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Shadow Gallery (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Blondes have more Fun"

Review:
    Is there anybody going to listen to my story
    All about the girl...

    John Lennon & Paul McCartney - Girl


    Be warned that if you are going to listen to my story, you may learn things about Milligan and Fegredo's Girl that are best learned from the comic itself. So if you haven't read it yet, stop and do so now, or advance at your own risk.

    Image

    Simone lives in Ballsdon, a depressed industrial town somewhere (or everywhere) in England, with its factory, its rubbish tip and its crematorium. She calls it Bollockstown, a name she justifies by a pseudo-historical derivation, and she isn't far wrong. By way of entertainment, Bollockstown offers its young people discos at the Hippodrome, or riding up and down in the lifts of its tower blocks. Going up? Going down? Going nowhere Simone is isolated at school, where she is bullied to the point of slashing her wrists, until she is withdrawn from the school and given home tuition; but she is also isolated at home, out of sympathy with her wife-battering father and Valium-sedated mother - not to mention her pregnant sister who (according to Simone) is always tryn tget er twear a bitter warpaint. Maker look more femnin.

    Sounds pretty grim, doesn't it? And it's pretty grim visually as well, dominated by dark colours: grey concrete, black shadows, purple night, drab clothes, rainy skies and only a liberal amount of blood and fire to brighten things up. With the exception of Simone herself, people are almost cartoon figures, their faces vacant and depressed, with no intelligence and no inner life, and as if to emphasise this, we hardly ever see their eyes. Their speech is the same, drab and colourless or - and this applies particularly to Simone's family - worn down until the words are only half there, and the reader struggles to decipher what is being said, reading the cryptic speeches half aloud, emerging triumphant with a phonetic rendition of what is being said. The picture is truthful, but not realistic: it is Simone's bleak assessment of her surroundings and her class My ignorant, ugly, dead-end, racist, sexist, wallowing-in-its-own-uneducated-filth class. And this is what she says when she decides to be a communist or a liberal at least (!) and to stop being ashamed of her class.

    Image

    For Simone herself is not a cartoon character, but a rounded, believable person. Her eyes are open, and she is the opposite of inarticulate. She is telling the story we are reading, maintaining a control of the narrative which goes beyond the mere choice of words. Chapter II of her story My life as a corpse is a bravura demonstration of Simone's unreliability as a narrator: it is a black comedy in which she commits suicide, and then observes her own wake, at which her bereaved family neglect her to watch the draw of the national lottery. But she has her revenge, for her corpse explodes, destroying the winning lottery ticket. The whole episode is grotesque, very funny but quite surreal, and it is no surprise when Simone admits You may notice that I let my mind wander sometimes. Some people say I live in a dream world. I say to them, so do you. The only difference is, my dream worlds are more real. We all want to escape. That's the thing. Everyone around here is dreaming of escape, even if they don't know it. So you can't claim that you haven't been warned: the challenge for the reader is not so much to discover what happens next, but to establish which of the things we see have "really" happened. Did Simone really meet her blonde alter ego on the rubbish tip? Who really killed John Paul? And for that matter, how did Simone's father come to fall out of the window? Who is Polly?

    That last one isn't difficult at all: unless you have read so much fantasy that you are absolutely determined to believe in the objective reality of the mysterious stranger, the guardian angel no-one else can see, you can't really miss the clues: You're me as a blonde says Simone on their first encounter, and this is the literal truth. Polly is the glamorous, confident person Simone would like to be, and knows she has it in herself to be. You show them you're not a victim anymore Simone admires her, seeing her as an escape route from bullying and sexual insecurity, but she has nothing to offer that does not come from Simone herself. So her remedy for bullying is to pull a knife on the aggressor - and her enjoyment of the sensation when she draws blood suggests that she could easily change sides, and become the bully rather than the victim, but it doesn't actually dismantle the pattern of bullying. Her remedy for Simone's fearful fascination with sex is to know thine enemy which Simone eventually does with a business studies student she picks up at a dance. The experience is both quick and embarrassing, which isn't really the best sex has to offer. Finally, Polly appears in the form of a fly and persuades Simone to confess to killing John Paul. This is the last time Simone accepts Polly's advice, and the form of the conversation suggests that she has already accepted that Polly has no separate existence, even before their cathartic last meeting.

    Image

    In Girl, Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo offer a brilliant and convincing summary of the situation of their intelligent working-class teenage heroine; but having got her into this mess, how good are they at getting her out of it? Not very, I think, but the fault is not in the created work but in reality: people in Simone's situation are extremely unlikely to find a way out. Girl doesn't lecture, it is an elusive and subtle text, so what follows is pure interpretation, but I have already indicated that Polly's intervention in Simone's life is, as you would expect from the manifestation of Simone's own disturbance, pretty disastrous, culminating in her attempt to get herself charged with murder. The factory: the lottery-card capital of EuropeThe rain which washes out her attempt to blow up the factory also washes away this period of her life, and the story (like John Fowles's The French Lieutenant's Woman) closes on not one but two endings. The more realistic allows Simone a degree of reconciliation with her life, back at school, getting on well enough with the girls (and quite a few of the boys), offering reasonable (which means, limited) aspirations to the careers advisor, and responding neutrally to sexual aggression: It's not that I want it. It's not that I don't care. It's somewhere in between. This isn't just her attitude to sex, it's pretty much her attitude to life itself. It isn't that she wants more from life, it isn't that she doesn't care: but what careers advisor is going to obtain that better life for her? No, the only hope is the lottery, ridiculed and hated throughout three issues as the opium of the people - and on the last page, Simone and her mother have won the lottery and are on their way to a better life. So the story has an upbeat ending, after all, and if you want to believe that it cancels out all that has gone before, you can - but if that's the sort of thing you want to believe, you're probably not the sort of person who would enjoy this comic anyway. If, on the other hand, this last cynical twist makes you laugh yet again, you won't need me to tell you that Girl is the most fun a really downbeat comic can be. And if that's the sort of degenerate you are, you will probably also enjoy visiting The League of the Green Lizard and Kangaroo Curry.


Image

More info:
    Written by Peter Milligan
    Artist: Duncan Fegredo
    Colorist: Nathan Eyring
    Letterer: Ellie de Ville
    Editor: Shelly Roeberg

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Jun 10th, 2013, 1:25 pm
Jun 12th, 2013, 12:03 pm
Image


Title: Eddy Current (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Ted McKeever (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Timothy Callahan (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" It's a superhero story that doesn't want to admit it's a superhero story..."

Review:
    A comic like Eddy Current feels like it should start with a bang, and it almost does. The explosion comes soon enough, with a lightning strike and loose power cables jammed into an exposed outlet and a Dynamic Fusion Suit that goes "zam!" Eddy Current, the comic, and Eddy Current, the title character, begin the adventure supercharged, and everything goes haywire from there.

    Originally published in 1987 by Mad Dog Graphics and most recently collected into small, thick hardcover as part of Image Comics' "Ted McKeever Library" series, Eddy Current wasn't Ted McKeever's first work but it was definitely his first major work. And at twelve issues, it remains his longest work ever as a writer/artist. If it reads like a work of comic book improvisation, it should: McKeever mentions in the Afterword that he wasn't limited by any outside industry forces or even any self-imposed constraints in the overall storytelling: "The only three actual limitations were the amount of pages per issue, that the story be in black and white, and that I had to meet the monthly deadline. Everything else was wide open for whatever the hell my head would allow."

    "I let this crazy bastard, Eddy, run wild all over my imagination as I documented his adventure," McKeever says. It's as simple, or complex, as that.

    Image

    The marketing for the 2008 Eddy Current collection describes the protagonist as "A Don Quixote for the 21st century," but that's not quite right. Like Quixote, Eddy aspires to become a great hero. And like Quixote, he heads out into the world to do what he thinks is right. But while Quixote's delusions lead him into a parody of a noble quest, Eddy Current can see the world how it really is. He may seem crazy -- crazy enough to be institutionalized with Nurse '"Rat-sh*t" as his keeper, in an allusion to that most famous of madhouse melodramas -- but when he breaks loose and ventures into the city, Eddy's the one who knows right from wrong and good from evil. He's the voice of reason in a pit of vile corruption.

    McKeever may have been making it all up as he went along, or channeling the Eddy Current running through his brain, but he did have a template to follow, or perhaps a formula to reject, in the form of the traditional superhero narrative. As much as Eddy Current is sort of a modern day Don Quixote, it's definitely a superhero origin story, even if it mocks its own forebears.

    Image

    In the book, the institutionalized Eddy Current dreams of the arrival of his Dynamic Fusion suit which will give him powers like his hero, the Amazing Broccoli. If that sounds like the premise -- and terminology -- of a young reader's comic drawn in the style of The Powerpuff Girls or Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, then you haven't seen Ted McKeever's work. McKeever is no cutesy artist. His comics kick the concept of charming in the teeth. And spit on such an idea. McKeever's work -- and Eddy Current is an early but strongly representative example -- is a harsh and ugly and angular and dark. At first he looks to be influenced by Keith Giffen by way of José Muñoz. But while Giffen dabbled with the expressively black Muñoz style in the 1980s, McKeever committed to it and expanded it in his own direction. Eddy Current is an angry-looking, often abstract comic. About a guy with an electrified power suit inspired by a comic book about the Amazing Broccoli.

    McKeever's depiction of Eddy's Dynamic Fusion Suit is emblematic of the approach the writer/artist takes to the superhero genre: it's definitely not a heroic-looking costume, and it may not even really work. It's iconic, in its own way. And symbolic of the inner strength Eddy often summons to continue on his adventure, but it's not a transistor-powered Iron Man suit or streamlined spandex outerwear. It's an asymmetrical bunch of straps and wires, partially covering one leg and some of his arms, with a power source hooked onto the front of a pair of exposed undershorts. The bands that cross in the middle of Eddy's chest like a pathetic X give the Dynamic Fusion Suit the look of a sad masochist or a pervert on the loose. It doesn't help that he also wears a trench coat and pair of meticulously-drawn Converse All-Stars. Eddy Current is no comic book superhero, except that he is, by default, because he's the hero of this comic book.

    Image

    Eddy's wild exploits -- detailed with chronological precision, with each issue equaling one hour of his escape from the asylum before the power returns and he will once again return to his padded cell -- set him into the streets of the city known not-so-ominously as Chad, where he runs across vicious murderers, a hulking and devoted nun companion, and a plot to manipulate the populace via the already-relatively-obsolete mass-medium of radio. Eddy and the nun named Nun fight with furious abandon and sacrifice themselves for the good of an uncaring populace.

    It's a superhero story that doesn't want to admit it's a superhero story because superhero stories are silly. But in the hands of Ted McKeever they aren't. They are grotesque and exciting and vicious and darkly comic and inspiring. Not everything is clear in Eddy Current, and sometimes it's a challenge to figure out what exactly is happening during some of the more chaotic sequences, but it's the story of a madman pretending to be a superhero and succeeding, so a bit of swirling chaos is part of the fun.

    In the real world, "eddy current" refers to a kind of magnetic force. It's one that is sometimes used to stop railroad cars or, more appropriately, roller coasters. That's the feeling that this comic gives at the end. The ride is over, and it's a complete one, but you can't help but be a little queasy as you step away, even as your heart pounds with the lingering thrill of the experience.


Image

More info:
    Written and drawn by Ted McKeever
    Cover by Ted McKeever

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Jun 12th, 2013, 12:03 pm
Jul 4th, 2013, 10:47 am
Image


Title: Tricked (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Alex Robinson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: garbonzo (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Tricked is a fantastic read that is difficult to put down."

Review:
    Released in 2005, Alex Robinson’s Tricked won both the Harvey and the Ingnatz award for graphic novel of the year. **Unfortunately for me, I was too wrapped up in my own interests and superhero reading habits to notice this book. *Luckily for me, the book has been re-released by Top Shelf so even people slow to the game (like me) have an opportunity to “discover” this book.

    I’m actually pretty slow to the Alex Robinson experience. *My first Alex Robinson book was 2008’s Too Cool To Be Forgotten. *It was a fun yarn that kept me occupied and pushed the visual envelope of storytelling. *So, when I saw that he had a “new” book coming out, I had to pick it up.

    Tricked follows “a waitress, washed up rock star, an office temp, a counterfeiter, a high school girl and an obsessed fan” as their lives are slowly drawn together. *Some of the connections are made quickly (the rock-star and the office temp), while some of the others take a little while to figure out how they will be brought in to play (the counterfeiter). *The relaxed pacing gives Robinson a chance to develop each character individually instead of immediately trying to place them in the larger picture. *None of the characters feel weak or poorly thought out. *Each character has a definite reason for being in the story, even if it is not immediately apparent.

    Even though the pacing is relaxed (the book weighs in at a hefty 350 pages), the tension incrementally increases through Robinson’s use of chapter numbering. *The book starts with chapter 49 and steadily counts down to some unknown confluence of characters and events. *Subconsciously, the reader knows that the book is building to something important and life shattering. *But even when the moment is reached, Robinson manages to twist it so that it is a surprise to both the characters and the reader.

    Image

    As the title implies, each of the characters is either the victim or the perpetrator of some sort of deception; in many cases characters are both. *What Robinson avoids, however, is any type of blame associated with these deceptions. *Instead, he gives each character a real reason for his or her trickery:

    Caprice: The Waitress. *Lying to the nice guy because she is so used to being treated like crap, she figures it is best to dump him before she gets hurt.

    Ray: The Rock Star. *Lying to everyone, including himself, that his life and career are somehow headed somewhere.

    Lily: The Temp. *Her day starts with counterfeiting and ends up with her living a life that is full of fake names, and double crosses.

    Nick: The Counterfeiter. *Lying to his wife, his boss, and his clients. *He’s so caught up in the lies, he starts lying to himself that he can get away with it all.

    Phoebe: The High School Girl. **Lying to her mother abut going to visit cousins while she is on a cross-country trip in search of some answers about her past.

    Steve: The Obsessed Fan. *Listening to the voice in his head that is feeding him lies.

    Even the supporting characters are both driven and defined by the lies they tell or have told. *In the end, the reader is left with the feeling that everyone on the planet is a liar.
    But then again, who among us has not perpetrated some ruse or another, believing it was the right thing to do at the time?

    Tricked is a fantastic read that is difficult to put down. *Several times I walked away, only to find myself making excuses to go back to the book. *Instead of spiraling out of control and in to a place of despair and hopelessness, Tricked ends with a renewed sense of faith. *It is well worth lying to your boss so you can take an afternoon off to head to your LCS to find a copy for yourself!


Image

More info:
    Writings and art by Alex Robinson
    Cover by Matt Kindt
Publisher:
    Image

Image
Jul 4th, 2013, 10:47 am
Jul 4th, 2013, 1:52 pm
Image


Title: Box Office Poison (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Alex Robinson (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: marjee (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I really could not wait to finish this book once I got around to picking it up. "

Review:
    The first book I picked up at SPX this year was Box Office Poison, because the man staffing the Top Shelf table totally knew how to sell to me. I forgot what he said, I just know that I quickly parted with my cash and resigned myself to toting this massive tome through the tiny, crowded space that somehow becomes more massive as each second goes by for the rest of a long, exhausting, and exciting day.

    When I brought it home, it was time for triage: limited time, scads of books, which ones must I read, lest I parish. BOP failed several rounds of triage because the general specs were not looking good: a novel about writers (groan)? Living in New York (double groan)? Trying to make it in this crazy world? Oh, and look on the cover…we get it from the perspective of three men! Fantastic! I’m dying to read about the plight of male writers. Wonder which one of the writers the one hot chick on the cover is sleeping with? I guess I’ll just have to wait six months to find out, because just thinking about it is forcing me to yawn myself to death.

    Image

    I was right about the hot chick, but in all other respects, Mr. Robinson made me eat my words because I really could not wait to finish this book once I got around to picking it up. It is a story about people, coming of age, growing up, etc., But the characters are so well fleshed out you will recognize them as individuals from your own life. Everyone is flawed but earnestly doing the very best he or she can. No bad guys, no good guys, and super heros exist only in the imagination of permanently aspiring writers.

    The best part of the book for me was the fact that Mr. Robinson could really write from the perspective of women. It’s tragically rare to see this in any medium, quite frankly, and graphic novels are no exception. However, the women in BOP come in various shapes and sizes and are treated with the same respect and nuance that male characters typically enjoy. Robinson does not use drinking, sex, or ambition as tropes with which to indicate “this is a bad girl”. Women on the heavier-side are not used for ridicule or comedic footballs.


Image

More info:
    Writings and art by Alex Robinson

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Jul 4th, 2013, 1:52 pm
Jul 5th, 2013, 10:45 am
Image


Title: Absolution (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Christos Gage (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Chad Nevett (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" “Absolution” has a lot of promise..."

Review: Absolution #1
    The concept and world of “Absolution” is more interesting than the comic itself. John Dusk is a vigilante police officer -- one of several -- and, after years on the job, he’s begun killing suspects. The zero issue released two months ago set this up, while this first issue goes back to explain how Dusk went from law enforcer to serial killer, albeit of criminals.

    To Christos Gage’s credit, Dusk’s transition is an understandable and believable one that begins with a superpowered skinhead that nearly kills Dusk until Dusk uses his powers -- a dark aura, sort of like smoke/energy he controls -- to cut off the perp’s arms and free himself. While he initially uses his aura to prevent the criminal from dying from blood loss, he stops when he sees the two women, only one still alive, that the skinhead has tied up and has been raping. He just allows the skinhead to die and claims that it was a result of the beating and being out of proximity —- and everyone believes him, because he’s a good cop and the dead body is a murdering, raping skinhead.

    Gage also builds on Dusk’s career to date, suggesting that the horrors he’s seen -— and we get in brief flashes -— are beginning to take their toll on him. Again, all understandable. However, something about Dusk’s shift doesn’t feel entirely organic, as if his path is predetermined, and he must become what Gage wants him to be. His first step in that direction made sense, but little follow-up to Dusk’s feelings on what he did make his next murder, at the end of the issue, ring a little hollow.

    Image

    Surrounding Dusk are two other superpowered officers and their take down of a meth lab is brutal and amusing, particularly the follow-up where a fellow officer simply says, “So... barbecue at my house?” after a great deal of emphasis was placed on preventing a pyrokinetic from blowing up the house. With the other police officers, Gage goes too far with the freedom Avatar provides, suffering from that initial instinct a lot of comic writers suffer from when the shackles of Marvel and DC are removed, and they can let the expletives fly. While these characters would no doubt use these words (and I am no stranger to them myself), the sheer amount is unbelievable and stinks of a forced level of ‘adultness’ on Gage’s part.

    Dusk’s inner turmoil is also hindered by Roberto Viacava’s art, which isn’t developed enough to depict the level of subtle emotion Gage is requesting. Viacava does great work on the action scenes and nails Dusk’s vacant gaze when he’s out of costume, but can’t deliver the necessary facial expressions otherwise. His art often goes too far, making reactions overblown when something more subdued would be far more effective. If previous novice Avatar artists are any indication, though, by the end of this series, he will have improved quite a bit.

    “Absolution” has a lot of promise and may very well turn out to be a great examination of the effects that being a superhero can have on a character over an extended period of time. The ideas are there, but the execution just doesn’t match them yet


Image

More info:
    Story by Christos Gage
    Art by Roberto Viacava
    Colors by Andres Mossa
    Cover by Jacen Burrows, Paul Duffield, Juan Jose Ryp, ...

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Jul 5th, 2013, 10:45 am
Aug 4th, 2013, 10:13 am
Image


Title: Mesmo Delivery (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Rafael Grampá (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Paul Montgomery (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Mesmo Delivery is a grizzly, grindhouse slobberknocker of a book that's every bit as depraved as it is breathtakingly gorgeous."

Review:
    Back in August, Ron offered a tantalizing show-and-tell with his discovery of up-and-coming Brazilian artist Rafael Grampá. The sampling of cover art and pinups showcased an incredible talent with a style unlike anything else on the racks. We've been looking forward to seeing more of the guy's work ever since. With Dark Horse's new printing of the graphic novella Mesmo Delivery, we finally have a complete course of Grampá's work as a sequential artist.

    And it's gonna make your toes fan out.

    Mesmo Delivery is a grizzly, grindhouse slobberknocker of a book that's every bit as depraved as it is breathtakingly gorgeous. Imagine Tarantino's take on a truckstop squabble between Popeye and Bluto. Imagine Queequeg's body art slinking off his flesh and running you to the ground. It's intensely violent and often crude, so it's not for everybody. Even so, there's much more going on here. So if you can stomach the gut punches and evisceration, Mesmo Delivery offers some exceptional artistry, and I urge you to give it a look.

    This is the sordid short story of two strangers on the road. A wily little micro Elvis called Sangrecco and his driver, a big burly ex-boxer named Rufo. They're shooting the shit in the mysterious Mesmo Delivery truck, out on Rufo's first job. When they stop at a down and dirty cantina for a pit stop, Rufo has a run-in with some inhospitable locals and the fists start flying. The setup seems simple enough, but expect a few of those holy socks moments you got from the first Scott Pilgrim book. Things get hairy right quick and you get to wondering whether Rufo pulled in to a dirty spoon at the edge of the Twilight Zone. Emphasis is on the Sam Peckinpah savagery, but the brain to brawn ratio balances out just right.

    Image

    Visually, Grampá's channeling something primal here, but in a very thoughtful way. Guy's eating his Wheaties. With the pared down color scheme (cream, crimsons, slate grays) and the route 66 Americana, theres a bit of a vintage Sailor Jerry vibe. Like classic tattoos. But he's also drawing on an Asian influence. Typically when we talk about comic artists taking inspiration from Japan, we have manga or anime in mind. But with Grampá it's Japanese fine art. Ukiyo-e. And when Rufo takes a punch and starts seeing stars, the hallucinations look like Max Fleischer cartoons. Big Betty Boop eyes and Koko the Clown grins. Throw in some fully tactile textures, fish-eye lenses, and all the hyperviolence, and you're looking at a really complex and sophisticated view on the world. A total melting pot of influences from around the world and throughout the history of comics and animation. Combined, it's a disturbing. comical. exhilarating romp.

    Whether you're looking for something sinister and twisted or rich and refreshing, hitch your wagon to the Mesmo Delivery truck. It's worth the trip.


Image

More info:
    Writer: Rafael Grampá
    Artist: Rafael Grampá, Marcus Penna
    Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Aug 4th, 2013, 10:13 am
Aug 4th, 2013, 4:54 pm
Image


Title: R.I.P.D. – City of the Damned (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jeremy Barlow (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Russ Pirozek (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Excellent Writing, Terrific Artwork"

Review: R.I.P.D.: City Of The Damned #3
    The second to last issue of the comic book prequel to the upcoming R.I.P.D. film has arrived, and the adventure of Roy Pulsipher and Crispin Mather is really beginning to heat up, both literally and figuratively. Over the last two issues, Roy and Crispin have had their hands full after Roy’s enlistment into the Rest In Peace Department. From their battle with Lucifuge to the disaster in Black Pool (tentacles monsters, brainwashed townspeople, the usual), Roy and Crispin have had their share of trouble. When, on the brink of destruction, Lucifuge returns, the story really begins to take an interesting turn. The duo has been separated, and with an emerging character coming in with ill intentions, all of the loose ends will be coming to a head very soon. While the issue as a whole is very well done, there are a few issues. The fast pace made it seem as though the issue was far too short, with huge action sequences taking up quite a bit of space, making the plot development seem a bit too rushed.

    Writer Jeremy Barlow has really turned this into an exciting series, with three issues full of supernatural thrills and witty dialog. While the first two issues were mainly building up, this series has hit a major tipping point and with the final issue looming, there is a ton of action on the horizon. With Lucifuge’s plan to recapture the soul of an incredibly vile criminal named Sterling well underway, things are beginning to change drastically, and Barlow has set things up beautifully for a stunning conclusion.

    Image

    Artist Tony Parker has definitely stepped up the artwork in issue, especially during some of the more complex action scenes. There are a lot of moving parts (not to mention demons and other forms of craziness) in this issue, which means a lot of work from Parker and colorist Michelle Madsen. Both do an excellent job on the issue, however, with Roy and Crispin looking well-formed and gritty, and the supernatural elements looking especially scary. Action sequences look great as well, with explosions and insane sequences featured heavily.

    With the way that the series has been going so far, the finale looks to be an incredibly exciting. Lucifuge’s plan has taken an unexpected turn, and a new foe has entered the fray, confronting one of our heroes and making a rather bold statement. Now that the major plot point has been introduced, the conclusion looks as though it will be unforgettable.

    Summary: With one more issue remaining, this series is picking up in a big way. With Roy and Crispin separated and the demon Lucifuge stepping in, the R.I..P.D. is having a bit more trouble than they originally expected on Roy’s first assignment. The writing is excellent in this issue, and the artwork has stepped up to match. This series is meant to be a ramp up for the film, and if this series is any indication, the movie is going to be a major hit.

    The Good: Excellent Writing, Terrific Artwork

    The Bad: Fast Pace Takes Some Getting Used To

    The Ugly: N/A


Image

More info:
    Writer: Jeremy Barlow, Peter Lenkov
    Artist: Tony Parker
    Colorist: Michelle Madsen
    Cover Artist: Dave Wilkins
    Genre: Fantasy, Crime, Action/Adventure

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Aug 4th, 2013, 4:54 pm
Aug 6th, 2013, 7:48 am
Image


Title: B.P.R.D. Night Train (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Geoff Johns (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Geoff Hoppe (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Worth the money? Heck yeah. Buy it."

Review:
    The two most interesting characters in Hellboy (besides Hellboy) get the focus they deserve in this entertaining one-shot.

    Scott Kolins is a penciler. This alone is reason enough to ditch the talentless Guy Davis and give Mr. Kolins the head artist job on the ongoing BPRD series. Accessible without being sloppy, dramatic but still able to yield humor, and admirably well-detailed, Kolins’ draftsmanship is reason alone to pay the whopping three dollars this back issue would cost you. His rendition of Lobster Johnson, as well, captures the spirit of pulp adventure that Mike Mignola’s work is all about.

    Image

    Thank the lord for Geoff Johns. He’s quickly becoming the new Brian Michael Bendis, a phenomenally talented yet overworked writer whose imprimatur sells like a two-for-one at Sizzler when Overeaters Anonymous rides into town. Night Train is no exception. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mike Mignola—but he’s far better at creating mythology and designing plots than he is at actually scripting them. Mignola rightly deserves the title “visionary—” but visionaries don’t always know how to attend to details. One always feels there’s an element missing from the plot of Mignola’s stories. Geoff Johns, the man who finally got D.C. past the “HAL JORDAN IS EVIL SPOOOOOKY” nonsense, leaves the reader with something Mignola doesn’t always provide: a feeling of satisfaction.

    Worth the money? Heck yeah. Buy it.


Image

More info:
    Writer: Geoff Johns & Scott Kolins
    Artist: Scott Kolins & Dave Stewart
    Letterer: Pat Brosseau
    Editor: Scott Allie
    Designer: Lia Ribacchi
    Cover Artist: Scott Kolins & Dave Stewart
    Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Aug 6th, 2013, 7:48 am
Aug 6th, 2013, 1:27 pm
Image


Title: Buzzard (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Eric Powell (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Iann Robinson (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Powell manages to present, humanize and generate real sympathy for a grotesque corpse eating man..."

Review: Buzzard #1
    Eric Powell’s fan favorite character from The Goon gets his own mini-series!

    Having never invested much time into The Goon, I’m a novice when it comes to the writing of Eric Powell. I picked up Buzzard #1 not really knowing his work and put it down as somebody whose interest is peeked. Powell can tell a story and that’s something strongly missing in comics right now. His ability comes through here not in one but two separate stories that are extremely different. Buzzard is a mystical, supernatural western while Billy The Kid’s Old Time Oddities feels like a combination of Creepy and Weird Western Tales.

    Powell exerts his writers muscle first with Buzzard, a character from The Goon who ran afoul of a Zombie Priest and ended up a decaying, creepy looking old man with a hunger for dead flesh. This story opens after Buzzard has found out the curse that turned him into what he is cannot be lifted, that he has grown past it into something even the Zombie Priest doesn’t understand. From there the journey Buzzard goes on is bizarre but interesting, ending when he agrees to help a town against a God turning the men into hairy beasts that eat flesh.

    What makes the journey so wonderful is that Powell manages to present, humanize and generate real sympathy for a grotesque corpse eating man for those not familiar with Buzzard while still maintaining a solid story for those who know the tale. Powell’s Buzzard is never sentimental, just tired of living life under this curse. Striking the same chord as the Saint Of Killers from Preacher, Powell does a fantastic job of writing a true western anti-hero.

    Image

    The second story, Billy The Kid’s Old Time Oddities, is more of a mini story that keeps hold of the western theme. It focuses on a group of gunslingers who run upon a slaughtered Gypsy camp and the one soul survivor. While Buzzard was a serious story Billy The Kid is more comical, almost Mad Magazine-like in its execution. Again Powell’s story is excellent, even switching gears from the Buzzard story.

    The art in this issue comes from two very different extremes. Doing the pencils himself, Powell attacks Buzzard in a much more ethereal way using a combination of what look like watercolor paintings and his normal artwork. The combination works well within the story. The same holds true with Billy The Kid, which is illustrated with the same Mad Magazine sensibility.

    Eric Powell is mostly known for his unusual characters and art style. What struck me with Buzzard #1 was how good his storytelling is with two very different western yarns. At the end of Buzzard #1 I was not only compelled to pick up the second issue but also go back and find out all I could about Buzzard himself. No amount of stylized art can do that alone, it takes great storytelling, an ability Powell seems to have in spades.


Image

More info:
    Writer: Eric Powell
    Artist: Eric Powell, Kyle Hotz
    Colorist: Dave Stewart
    Cover Artist: Richard Corben
    Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure

Publisher:
    Image

Image
Aug 6th, 2013, 1:27 pm