Comic Reviews: Week of Jan 27th

MARVEL:

Amazing Spider-Man #619:

This one should be picked up for the cover alone! Marcos Martin is an incredible artist, and I love how he’s been adapting the villains a little bit each issue. Mysterio looks almost the same, but there’s a slight change in his stature, one that makes him much more threatening. Again, Dan Slott moves between his three story lines, however, this read doesn’t feel as fluid as the last. But, I’m still curious as to what has happened to Aunt May. She’s turned from a sweet old lady into a crotchety old bitch. What I liked most in this issue was how Mysterio plays with Spider-Man’s biggest weakness: humanity. And I liked how, in the end, Peter was able to put all the pieces together. It looks like next issue is the last one with Mysterio, and I can’t wait to see what Peter does. Even I was pissed off at Mysterio while reading this. It’ll be nice to see Spider-Man pummel him.

Captain America Reborn #6:

So the series is over. And that thing you thought would happen did. I’m not quite sure how Steve Rogers returned because I was more distracted by the awful dialogue. I’m not a Brubaker fan, but I respect what he’s done for Captain America, and for the Marvel Universe. This issue, however, is peppered with corny, clichéd lines like “Let’s do it!” and “I will have my vengeance”, and lastly, “You insignificant gnat! How dare you!” While I love Bryan Hitch’s art (and his full and splash pages are phenomenal here!), it can’t make up for a poorly written conclusion. In the end, we’re introduced to a “new” Red Skull (sigh), and, more interestingly, a dismal future of the Marvel Universe that I think ties in with Siege. But we’ll have to wait and see. As for now, I’m curious to see how Brubaker will settle the issue of two Caps.

Spiderman Clone Saga #5: Oh, God, why am I still buying this?!? They didn’t get it right the first time, and they’re not succeeding the second time around either. At the end of the issue, I just didn’t care. I know I’ll buy the last issue because I want to see how this is concluded, but this proves that the Clone Saga was, and will continue to be, a bad idea.

Ultimate Enemy #1: Bendis writes this, and it’s a good issue not for its major plot line, but for how it introduces some other minor threads that I’m sure will be dealt with over the course of the series. It’s a promising issue, but it ends abruptly. What I like about the new Ultimate universe is that more attention is paid to the interconnectedness of the characters, so I’m sure when we find out who the “Enemy” is, the after effects will be felt through all the current Ultimate Comics out there. If you’re a fan of the Ultimate Universe, pick this up. It’s a fun read, and Rafa Sandoval does some pretty impressive art work, both in the single panels, and in the splash pages.

DC:

Superman Secret Origin #4:

Geoff Johns and Gary Frank together?! Buy this! Johns is retelling the origin of Superman because, I’m guessing, he wants to reestablish the status quo, as well as alter the timeline to make it more accessible to newer readers and newer writers. What we get here is the origin of the Parasite. It’s a bit . . . lazy . . . but it’s also pretty funny. One of my favorite things about the series is Frank’s art. In an interview in Wizard some months back, he talked about his character designs. Superman is, obviously, based on Christopher Reeve. Fans of the Superman movies or the Superman comics hold Reeve in their hearts for being the true embodiment of Superman and Clark. I can honestly (and a little sheepishly) say that when I saw the cover, I got a little teary-eyed. I loved Superman as a child, and I loved Christopher Reeve for what he represented. As he grew older, and even during his final years, I always saw him as Superman. Gary Frank also said, when creating Lois lane, that he felt she shouldn’t be buxom and sexy. Instead, he said she should have strong legs that can sneak her into a room, or help her storm out of one. We see that demonstrated in this issue, and Johns writes her as a strong lead, a great foil to Clark (and Lex for that matter), and one can see how she would be an award winning journalist. So, enough about Superman: Secret Origin. Go buy it. Johns is establishing a lucid world for new readers, and now would be the time to jump on board.

Batman and Robin #7: I had no idea what the hell was happening for three quarters of this issue. There are characters I’ve never read about, and dialogue that felt, at times, very labored. I don’t like the “quick-fix” that’s shown in regards to Damien, and I’m not quite sure I buy Dick Grayson’s motivation in trying to bring Batman back from the dead. But, it’s Grant Morrison so I guess it’s not supposed to make a whole lot of sense. And on top of that, it’s Batman, and it features the return of Katherine Kane whom I believe was last seen in DC’s weekly series, 52. I’m glad DC took a chance on making a new Batman series without Bruce Wayne. Batman and Robin is definitely worth a read.

Superman #696:

I’m not going to bash James Robinson’s writing anymore because there’s no point to it. What I will focus on, instead, is Bernard Chang’s art in this issue. It’s sharp and gritty, and it reminds me of Lenil Yu’s art in Bendis’ New Avengers series (pre Secret Invasion). I just wish he was working on a series that would give him better exposure.

Green Lantern #50: I remember that I almost gave up reading the new Green Lantern series around issue #17. Johns was writing about the Star Sapphires, and I really didn’t care. Now, however, I’m glad I didn’t. There’s not much more praise I can heap on Geoff Johns. He knows how to write a tight, gripping story, and he doesn’t forsake a single character in this issue. The true hero of Green Lantern #50, however, is Doug Mahnke. Mahnke did some work on Morrison’s Superman: 3-D limited, as well as finishing the last two issues of Final Crisis. The writers and artists of the Green Lantern world (Green Lantern & Green Lantern Corps) should be celebrated for their consistently excellent work. I don’t know what to say except if you’re not reading Green Lantern, you’re missing out. Go out and read this series -- you won’t be disappointed.

MISC:

Irredeemable #9 (Boom): This issue mostly sets up what’s going to happen in the future. There’s some neat illustrations of the Plutonian when he’s a child (and the fright that appears constantly on his mother’s face), and Peter Krause should be commended for his work. The series is still running a bit flat, but I trust Mark Waid has a plan, and that in the end, all the readers will be rewarded.

The Walking Dead #69 (Image):

Recently, The Walking Dead was picked up by AMC (the wonderful channel that runs Mad Men) and I think it’s deserved. Kirkman has continuously pushed his characters to their limits, and seen them through some pretty horrific stuff. The preview for issue #70 shows a uniformed Rick strolling the zombie-free streets of a suburban neighborhood. But, seeing as how we’re counting down to issue #100, I’m sure that this is all part of Robert Kirkman’s big plan. And I can’t wait to see where it’s going. Read The Walking Dead.

Kick-Ass #8 (Icon): Mark Millar really pisses me off sometimes. He’s pretty full of himself, and he’s kind of a pervert. But he can write a hell of a story. John Romita perfectly captures the coarse and bloody world Millar has created, and you can see (and feel) the satisfaction of some of the more gory blows that take place. Just to give two quick ones: a man’s testicles are shot off, then he’s slammed in the head with a meat cleaver. Brutal, but beautiful. At the end of the issue we get a big “END OF BOOK ONE”, so we know there’s more coming. The problem is that Millar is so erratic with his work, we don’t know when we’ll see it. I hope soon because this series has lived up to it’s hype, and I hope the movie does it justice.

Buck Rogers #8 (Dynamite): Good, but not great. The best things about this issue, really, were the Green Hornet preview (written by Kevin Smith and illustrated by Jonathan Lau) and the preview for Garth Ennis’ The Boys. I like the short, two-part arc, but the story was a bit too Supervillain-esque. A group of underworld dwellers have their hands on some nuclear weapons and they want to shoot them off (using “Old Faithful” as a propellant) in order to block out the sun so they can return to the surface, free of the suns painful ultraviolet radiation. Whew! Again, not sure if I’m going to hang on here or just let it go. I could use the extra $3.50.

The Process: Featuring Onezumi

by Peter Hammarberg

How would you describe your style of art/writing?

I guess "cute and scary" would be a good way to describe my Illustrations. They can be adorable, but I'm too cynical to just let that happen by itself. It's kind of like what would happen if an elf crapped in your spaghetti. The humor of Stupid and Insane Defenders Against Chaos is inspired by pop culture, horror films, H.P. Lovecraft, and my own bizarre thoughts. My Annoying Life is inspired by various office jobs I've had over the years. It's kind of like Dilbert with Tentacles.

When I blog, I just blog as if I'm talking to my friends. I'm really grateful to be able to do what I do, so I think of my readers that way anyhow.

Could you tell me the secret origin of your comic-creator persona? What transformed you into ONEZUMI-AWESOME-COMIC-CREATOR? A radioactive web-comic bite?

One day I got tired of feeling sorry for myself and made a conscious decision to do something so that I could do what I wanted to do - help other people. I was actually abandoned by my birth mother when I was not even 1 year old. It was annoying. I know what it's like to not be able to afford basics. I managed to pay my way through college, but I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I was a Junior.

A few friends suggested that maybe I should do a comic. I had always wanted to make comics, but I had written it off because I never thought I would have the money and connections to get involved in the industry. I started Onezumi.com in 2003 and never looked back.

The overall goal is to be able to get enough revenue going that I can start some programs to teach art and Real Life survival. I know I sure could have used the help when I was 17. So far I've done really well. The best thing is that it also translated into skills that I've been able to use during the day at my office job. I work in Management [for a company] before 5. After 5 I work in Management for my own company.

What the inspiration for your characters and stories?

A lot of it comes from real life things that Harknell and I do. Some of it comes from our desire to poke fun at things. Sometimes it is just a day for a lot of funny monkeys and his Horned Pixie with Pink Manties. I really do think of these things all the time. You have no idea how much stuff *doesn't* make it in the comic. You can thank Harknell for editing some of those out.

What other creative outlets do you...let...out?

I'm a Black Belt in a mixture of Okinawan Kempo, Thai Kickboxing, and police self defense. Before the comic I was planning on being a Pro Boxer or Pro Wrestler. Now I just exercise every day and call it even.

I also sing. I have studied Opera technique since High School, but I usually sing in a Pop or Broadway style.

I realize that "Amusement Parks" is not exactly an art, but trust me, I'm so into them that it qualifies. Hee hee.

What's the process you go through to create “STUPID & INSANE DEFENDERS AGAINST CHAOS” and “MY ANNOYING LIFE”?

The scripts are written in Google Documents. Harknell will look them over and let me know if something looks really wrong. He also suggests bits from the news that I may want to write about. SaIDAC is drawn directly into the computer with a Wacom Intuous tablet. I then digitally ink over it with the Photoshop Pen Tool. I actually just made a tutorial here about how that is done on my new art tutorial site. For the Deathside "watercolor" art, I just use a hard brush on a 15% opacity and build up the colors. I also have a library of stock images that I have created that I can draw from. I learned this technique when I worked for The Disney Channel.

My Annoying Life follows the same process, except that I reuse all of the character artwork and just change the expressions. It's supposed to be a quick bonus comic, so I had to keep it simple in order to meet all of my deadlines.

Does the "idea well" ever dry? What do you do when you

just...can't...think...of...*grunt*...anything?

Oh yeah, all the time. When it gets to that point I just have to get up, walk away, and go out somewhere or watch something on TV. The more pressure I feel to finish something, the less it will happen.

Any new works in the works?

Actually yes, something really huge is going to be announced in the next several weeks. Unfortunately, NDAs are involved and I can't talk about it yet. 2010 is going to be the best year yet.

If I wanted to start making web comics, what advice could you give me?

That depends on if you want art advice or business advice. It also depends on if it were just for fun or as a professional business.

For art advice I'd point you toward Drawpocalypse, ConceptArt.org and Computer Arts.co.uk to start.

Business is a bit more ethereal. Success is learning how to not take things personally. Everyone gets rejected regardless of talent, trade, or social position. The Beatles got rejected many times if you can believe that. The winner is the person who can get through those first few thousand rejections and still keep going. It's kind of like Douchebag Surfing You have to get through those dumbass waves to find the people who are your target market. Not everyone will like you. Be OK and cowabunga with that.

Network with others in the field as a friend - not as a competitor. You are only as strong as your network, so don't treat other comics like enemies. I really can't stand it when comics do that. It's a surefire way to kill your career. Comics are like apples and oranges. No one is going to read my comic and decide that they no longer have to read Penny Arcade. We aren't selling Big Macs here.

The most important piece of advice is to stay true to what you believe in. I don't think I could do what I do if I didn't love it. I consider myself very lucky to know all of the comic creators that I do and I really love hanging out at conventions with comics fans, too.

Are you a “journey” or a “destination” kinda person?

I should be a "journey" person. It's a lot healthier way to think and probably easier. Sadly, I am not like that. I can be impatient. I drink a lot of coffee. Once I wrote a marriage proposal to Starbucks and sent it to them via email. They replied thanking me for my email. A year later I emailed because I got a bad scone and was disappointed. I found out that they actually have a file on me in their office somewhere. I don't know if this was good or bad, but they were able to send me my free drink coupons faster than I could reply with my address.

Random question: What style of martial arts do you practice? I Heart Martial Arts.

Oops! I didn't realize you were going to ask this, so I answered above. I'll turn it into a question about what I'd like to do in the future.

I'd like to try Kung Fu because it's so different from the brutal police style I learned. I'm not practicing anything now because New Jersey law makes it very hard for schools to operate in this state. The ones that do operate don't usually do contact sparring. Contact sparring is a necessity for me, so I never was able to study very long in NJ.

Speaking of opening cans of whoop-ass, who would win in a throw-down

no-holds-barred engagement of fisticuffs:

H.P Lovecraft or Steven King?

It depends on if they can invoke monsters from their books or not.

John Stamos or Sailor Moon? (trick question)

Rebecca Romijin.

Cthulhu or Nyarlathotep? (mind you, the former was taken down by a boat

once)

Both!

Shameless Plug Time:

AWESOME LIST:

Comics:

Read Stupid and Insane Defenders

Against Chaos / My Annoying Life

Art Tutorials: @ Drawpocalypse

Oni's Personal Blog: @ Onezumiverse

Comic Reviews: Week of Jan 20th

VERTIGO:

Joe The Barbarian #1:

This new comic is penned by super scribe Grant Morrison. I’ve read All-Star Superman, Final Crisis, most of Batman R.I.P., and I’ve been enjoying the hell out of Batman and Robin. My comic shop guy recommended this to me, and I bought it based on the title alone. I’m a sucker for clever word devices that play off of more exoteric ones. While I have almost no idea about what’s going on, I was struck by Sean Murphy’s art. It’s sharp, but emotional. There’s a three and a half page sequence, sans dialogue, that communicates a depth of sadness about the character. I’m hooked. I’m trying to move away from the major comic companies to the lesser ones that can take more chances on characters. Now, Morrison has a tendency to be extremely convoluted, so I’m weary about where this is going to go. But the character is the intriguing part about the story. There’s a lot going on here.

DC:

Green Lantern Corps #44:

Peter Tomasi gives life to Mogo. He actually speaks -- somewhat -- in this issue. Mogo’s revealed as probably the most powerful Green Lantern in the universe for his ability to . . . purge. The issue with Guy Gardiner hasn’t been solved yet, and there’s a cool part where two lanterns question taking the red ring off of Guy because with it on, he’s killing the Black Lanterns by the thousands. What I’m more intrigued about is how there are several characters in this series who have the power to wield two rings. With only two more issues of “Blackest Night” left, it’ll be interesting to see how this is all tied together.

MARVEL:

Amazing Spider-Man #618:

Dan Slott is fast becoming my new favorite writer. His Spider-Man stories are spectacular, and as “The Gauntlet” continues, this time it’s Mysterio who takes center stage. There’s three separate plot lines that are introduced in this issue, and they are superbly balanced. I’m urging people to read Amazing Spider-Man. While One More Day and Brand New Day weren’t the greatest ideas, at least it led to this kind of story construction. I just hope they can keep up this type of pacing and storytelling!

Dark Avengers #13: I have no idea what Bendis is getting at in this issue, but it’s Sentry-centric, and it references the biblical story of Moses. Mike Deodato shows some incredible pencil work in this issue through a backstory of the Sentry through his wife’s eyes. I’ve said before that I love the way Bendis writes The Sentry, and this is further proof of that. What I enjoy even more is that while this issue has the “Siege” banner, it has nothing to do with “Siege,” at least not that I can see immediately. I’m not sure if Bendis is rewriting the history of Sentry (similar to how Geoff Johns rewrote the history of Braniac), or if he’s using Bob’s background as a catalyst in the end result of “Siege,” but it’s a great comic, and Bendis is a great writer.

BOOM:

Incorruptible #2:

Mark Waid continues his story of Max Damage (I know, I know) and his chance at repentance in the wake of the Plutonian’s rampage in Waid’s other comic, Irredeemable. The series is . . . okay so far, but not great. I’m interested to see how it ties in with Irredeemable, but this writing is as great as some of Waid’s other stories.

Comic Reviews: Week of Jan 13th

MARVEL:

Amazing Spider-Man #617:

“The Gauntlet” story continues, this time with Rhino. There’s a nice twist in this issue, one that I didn’t see coming. Joe Kelly’s dialogue can be a bit flat at times and a little too clever at others, but he’s written a solid story with a “man behind the mask” type theme. Plus, the Rhino gets what I think is a much needed upgrade, and I look forward to seeing how he’ll appear in later stories. Plus, it’s pretty evident that the Amazing Spider-Man writers are building to something big. Next up: Mysterio. I’m looking forward to seeing this one play out.

DC:

Adventure Comics #6:

I already love Geoff Johns, so I knew before I read this issue that I was going to enjoy it. Johns has a great handle on villains (as seen in his take on the Flash Rogues Gallery during the “Final Crisis” run). For the entire arc, he’s been pitting Connor Kent, aka Superboy, against his “father,” Lex Luthor. In this issue, Luthor uses Connor to achieve something great. Then, in a pretty horrific move, he takes away the gift he’s given. His reasoning? “Because I’m Lex Luthor, and I can.” It’s pretty chilling. Also, going back to Johns’ run on Action Comics, he re-imagined Braniac as a cold, heartless alien whose only value in life is knowledge. That Braniac appears in this issue too, albeit at the end, but the conclusion opens the door to a much more interesting story. My only problem is that now, Johns is handing over the writing reigns to Tony Bedard and, eventually, James Robinson. So it looks like this will be the last issue of Adventure Comics I ever read, which is unfortunate because the story was a blast, and I loved Francis Manapul’s art. Alas!

Batman: The Widening Gyre #4: I don’t enjoy seeing Batman’s “girlfriend” hanging out in the batcave, wearing his Batman shirt like it’s a football jersey. In addition, I’m always frustrated by comic covers that hint at something that never occurs. But, I trust Kevin Smith has a plan, and all will be revealed eventually. I was also introduced to Crazy Quilt, an oddball villain with the ability to distort people using colors. So, it’s evident that Smith knows his Batman history. What’s not evident is the purpose of the “The Widening Gyre.” At least, not yet.

IDW:

Weekly World News Comics #1:

I picked this up because Bat Boy was on the cover. It’s the story of Ed Anger, a stereotype of the conservative male in America, one who hates liberals, Democrats and foreigners. The actual title is the “Irredemption of Ed Anger.” This was a cover pick. I loved seeing Bat Boy on the cover of the comic as I remembered my introduction to Bat Boy was through my cousin Tim, the moderator of this website, who had a cover of the Weekly World News tacked on his wall. On it was the original picture of Bat Boy with the exclamation, “Bat Boy Found In Cave!” So, when I saw him appearing in comics, I had to buy it. In this comic, Aliens, an Ape with a PhD., and a guy with anger issues all work together in a weird, not futuristic but odd take on humanity. The Alien keeps referencing some apocalyptic disaster, so I may have to see this series through. Plus, I’d definitely read a comic where the Bat Boy appears as a superhero. One more note -- he swears in the president and dances with his wife. Worth the buy? Not really. Worth a look? Definitely. Sneak a peek at your local shop.

Articles

INDIE CLUB:
Nathan Schreiber's POWER OUT review by Timothy Mucci
Josh Jenkins' PLAN B review by Kurt Christenson
Write Club's MoCCA review by Timothy Mucci
3 Coolest Things I Found at MoCCA by Johnny Gatts
Discovering the Voice by Jayme Roxann Wright
Emily Wernet's MOONLIGHTING review by Kurt Christenson
KGB Bar Live Comics Reading Review - Fall '10 by Kurt Christenson













GIRLS CLUB:
Living With Your Comics Fan by Stacey Barlow Hills
Making Minis With Lauren Barnett
Breaking Into Comics As A Female by Jayme Roxann Wright
Writer Spotlight: SmartGrrrl aka Michelle Weiner
Learning to Love Comics by Christina Oppold
Top 5 Feminists in Comics by Josh Jenkins













The Process by Peter Hammarberg
Colleen Harris - Poet
Joe Iadanza - Folk Musician
Dr. Joseph Suglia - Author/Scriptwriter
Mallory C. Hodgkin - Artist













HOW I F@#%ED UP by Josh Jenkins
A Comic Script Is Not A Movie Script
Pay Your Artist
Don't Get Your Artist Off DeviantArt
Get An Editor













FIVE CHOICE BOOKS OF SMALL PRESS EXPO by Max Evry
Book 1: Woman King
Book 2: Food/Fall
Book 3: Secret Science Alliance
Book 4: Motro
Book 5: Boxcar Joe

Comic Reviews: Dec 23 - Jan 6

I know it's been a while, and I apologize. This is a long post because I wasn't able to post two weeks back, plus last week was a non-comic-delivery week, so that set me back seven more days. So, while this is extensive, I hope it's enjoyed.

MARVEL:

Amazing Spider-Man #616: I’m really enjoying these two story arcs. It forces the writers to drop extraneous plot or dialogue and therefore create a pretty spartan story. I’m enjoying “The Gauntlet” so far, and I hope Marvel keeps it up.

Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face #2:

David Hine takes the idea of a mad scientist and uses it well with Doctor Octopus. The scary thing about Otto is that he’s convinced he’s doing the right thing. I won’t go into detail, but it’s similar to eugenics. I’m still enjoying this series, and can’t wait to see where else they take it.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #6: Bendis brings back the Spider Slayers, however, they’re controlled by Mysterio this time. I’m still lamenting LaFuente’s art, but it’s not as distracting as it was.

Dark Tower: Battle of Jericho Hill #2: I’m buying this series only because of my loyalty to Stephen King, but I still find it to be colorful landscapes and deflated writing.

Siege #1:

This is Marvel’s latest "event." I’m glad that it’s only four issues though because I hate how a big event will then become a universe wide event with multiple tie-ins that try to sell more comics rather than build decent story lines. Siege is promising, plus it’s going to lead to the return of Marvel’s "Big Three." My only complaint is that the editors of the series didn’t check with Brubaker on his Captain America series. After reading this issue, you really won’t need to read Captain America: Reborn because the ending is already given here.

DC COMICS:

The Mighty #12: I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series. I’m disappointed that it’s not a clear ending because it leaves room for more story. Now I worry that DC will end up beating the characters to death. But I think it shows that people can create new characters with interesting back stories and a well developed supporting cast.

Blackest Night #6:

This is consistently the best comic out there. While I loathe "events," I’m enjoying the hell out of this series. Ivan Reis best captures Geoff Johns’ expansive imagination, and he creates some of the most incredible splash pages. (Steve McNiven is also adept at this.) I urge you to buy this comic!! I don’t want to give away anything, but I’ll just tell you that Geoff Johns has found a way to incorporate both Lex Luthor and The Scarecrow into the Green Lantern universe. And the results are spectacular.

Superman #695: James Robinson has hit an all time low. I’ll only give you one snippet. After sleeping with the Daxamite Mon-El, a woman says "Once you go Dax, you never go back." Yeah. Don’t buy this.

Green Lantern #49: Geoff Johns hasn’t forgotten about his supporting cast and he devotes an entire issue to John Stewart. It’s fun to read, and gives more depth to an already deep character. Plus, since Hal Jordan’s return, John Stewart has really gotten the shaft. I’m glad to see him in the spotlight again.

Red Robin #8: Okay, so I know I dumped on Chris Yost last time I talked about Red Robin, but I have to admit that I made a mistake. The ending of the arc ties everything together nicely as well as introducing some interesting new threads to follow. While I’m not completely devoted to this title yet, I’m going to stick with it to see what happens next.

BOOM:

Irredeemable #9:

I feel like we’re in stasis with this title. It started out promising, but has moved into a dull period. I feel like it’s building to something, so I’m going to stick with it, but I don’t see how Mark Waid can keep this series going for too long.

Incorruptible #1: Incorruptible is Mark Waid’s answer to Irredeemable -- a superhero who was bad and now goes good. The first issue is good. It hints at its future, and I have to admit that I’m intrigued, so I’m going to follow it for a while. But as with Irredeemable, I don’t see this as a stellar continuing series once its established what makes the villain go good.

IDW:

Ghostbusters: Displaced Aggression #4: Somebody wrote a Ghostbusters comic. And I read it. And I won’t get my money back.

DYNAMITE:

Buck Rogers #7: I loved this series when it started, but now it feels like its dragging. Not sure how much longer I’ll stick with this.

Cover Picks:

I picked up a few comics this week because of the cover art. I didn’t want to continuously report on the main comics I follow, so I’m going to try, every week, to pick up a comic or two based on the cover. These are my first choices.

Sweet Tooth #5:

Published by Vertigo and written by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth is the story of a satyr boy who, in the latest issue, was given to a farm owner to keep in captivity. The man who traded him off, I’m guessing, was a somewhat trusted figure who, in the end, looks pretty conflicted. I think I’m going to have to go back and pick up the earlier issues to catch up because this was enough to get me hooked. There’s some neat art construction, and well written sequences. I’ve never read or seen Sweet Tooth before, but I immediately felt for the character. I think I’ll follow this.

Dingo #1 & #2: I picked this up partially because of the cover, and partially because of the title. I’ve only heard of Dingos eating babies, so I was curious to see how they approached this idea. Michael Alan Nelson constructs a story of a man, Dingo, who is chasing down a mysterious box because of some secret hidden inside of it. The book is bloody, graphic, and has a huge black dog named Cerberus. There are more mythological ideas peppered throughout the book, plus it’s printed on regular paper, not the glossy, expensive, jack-up-the-price-of-the-comic-one-dollar paper. Again, I’m intrigued. I can see this story going on for a while.

I'd also ask that if anyone wants me to read and review any other comics, let me know. I'll see if I can get my hands on them.

Write Club Funnies: Happy Birthday Edition!

Write Club Funnies!