Neal, Andrew – Meeting Comics #10

January 11, 2022

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Meeting Comics #10

That cover has a pretty big spoiler. Can you spot it? No, it’s not the slight white marks from where I accidentally gave the comic an elbow drop. Funny story! Anyway, the series has made it to double digits, and the fun thing about reading comics from the past is you can see dreams being broken in real time. Andrew has an announcement here that the collected edition was going to be coming out in February of 2020, and I’m sure he had cons and all sorts of other promotional activities planned. Sorry, but covid had other plans. This issue also had some sort of printing problem, as several strips were lighter than others, but everything is still legible, so don’t worry, you’ll still get all the jokes. What’s the story this time around? Val pays off a bet in which she has to shake out her hair like a sexy librarian, we meet Dolores (who’s been a temp for 14 years), Kevin does some just on the borderline of racist rapping, they learn that the new Fantastic Four will be a rap battle (and boy was I ever tempted to put that as the sample image, but it was just too good to ruin), the Ribbon Cutter goes on hiatus, and Kevin’s baby briefly goes missing. Much, much more, as always, and it’s not like Andrew lost his funny since the ninth issue, so you’ll get some solid laughs this time around too. Go on, buy a copy, help the poor guy make up for the accidentally terrible timing of his book release date. Actually, that book is probably the way to go, as it collects the first six issues. But if you’re not willing to risk it, exactly zero of these first 10 issues were terrible, so I like your chances. $5

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Posted by Kevin

Neal, Andrew – Meeting Comics #9

January 6, 2022

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Meeting Comics #9

Anybody else enough of a former Marvel comics geek that they tried to get a No-Prize, that joke prize for finding mistakes in comics that I sadly didn’t understand until I was an adult? Well, the inside cover for this one says it’s #8, but it’s actually #9! …do I win anything? I’ll just wait for my award in the mail. Speaking of Marvel, Andrew really messed up by not putting some version of “in this issue, someone dies!” on the front cover. Silhouettes of some of the characters, gravestone in shadow, that sort of thing. Because this one does start off with a death, even if it doesn’t mean all that much to the story. One of the horde of people at Kevin’s house, his father, starts the issue off by croaking. Spoiler, I guess, but it’s literally the first strip. Anyway, Kevin didn’t much like the guy, and and even when he passed away it didn’t exactly bring up a wellspring of emotions. At the funeral it quickly becomes clear that the feeling is widely shared, which is a nice and honest change of pace from the way deaths are usually handled in four panel gag strips. Unless deaths aren’t usually handled at all in such strips and I’m just making things up, which is entirely possible. Also the image of their baby going all emo after witnessing the death got a real laugh out loud from me, and I just realized that I just used “emo” in both reviews this week, despite probably never saying that word out loud. Huh. Other subjects in this here funny book include Gil hitting on the boss’s granddaughter, finding out what’s under the beard, finding out what’s under the hat, a real “oof” of a strip about adopting a cat while passing an ICE center, flex out a tiddy, how quickly an angry mob forms if a cartoon is rebooted with the lead character having a different race than the original, and the new girl. And lots more, of course; as usual I’m only mentioning roughly half of the strips. As always, check out a few samples on his website if you’re still on the fence, otherwise this is another solid issue. $5

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Posted by Kevin

Freiheit, Mike – Go Fuck Myself: The Fuckpendium

January 4, 2022

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Go Fuck Myself: The Fuckpendium

What a delightfully odd book! Forgive me for starting a review for a book with two “fuck”s in the title in such a prim and proper way, but I’m still processing. Also I just looked up his website and he has a book called “Monkey Chef” about his time in a South African monkey sanctuary, so you’re lucky I’m writing this at all and not running out to the closest comic shop to read that sucker. As for this one, I was bracing myself for mopey nonsense. Which doesn’t have to be a bad thing! But I was ready for shit to get real emo, real fast. Instead I found out that this is mostly a delightful romp through past and future versions of himself, both trying to survive and/or impress his lady by being a halfway decent caveman and trying to survive in a distant future where everybody has everything (except, much to his chagrin, the cure for baldness). All of that is somehow seamlessly tied together with his observations from his actual life. Yes, he does talk briefly about depression, but in such a hopeful and helpful way that I’d be hard pressed to call that mopey. This is a collection of all three issues of his series of the same name, but even if you are one of the people who grabbed the first two issues, this also has a third issue that is only available here, so you’re not getting out of this that easily. There’s also both a foreword and an afterward, both amazing in entirely different ways. And this might be a first, but no, I’m not even going to spoil those bits. I guess I should still try to write whatever it is that’s a regular review for me, so here goes. In this book Mike talks about the misery of running, life doing a real number on him, guesses as to what’s under his beard, a few fairly ridiculous questions for his wife that she apparently takes in stride (ain’t love grand?), fax cat, eye meat, a tree with a gun, dreams of the hairstyles he’d like to try and, of course, Sky Beast. You’ll notice that I didn’t get into the future or past stuff, because those are for you, dear reader! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and have no trouble at all saying y’all should give it a shot. Or maybe you should go for the Monkey Chef book first, because even without reading it I’m going to go ahead and call that one a masterpiece. $20

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Posted by Kevin

Robertson, David – Booze Ha Ha

December 31, 2021

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Booze Ha Ha

I realize that nothing is promised to anybody in this life, but it really feels like there needed to be at least one great drunken story in here. Alas! This is yet another really solid entry into David’s personal library, and he’s once again backed up by a solid crew of artists. They’re all listed in the tags and I’ll mention them when I talk about specific stories, so don’t fret. As always, you get your money’s worth and then some with his comics, as it also includes exhaustive end notes on the stories (which I always find fascinating) and a couple of interviews he’s done recently on top of a whole bunch of stories. Star Wars is covered again in a few different stories, as we see some of his doubts about the accuracy of Han’s demolition work in Return of the Jedi, see his brief meeting with Dave Prowse (the man in the Darth Vader costume), and see an alternate ending for RotJ where Obi Wan Kenobi finally gets to make some sense out of his cryptic final words. There’s also a brief bit about an interview he saw with Harrison Ford in 1990, where he was asked about working with somebody who was only 12 years older than him an playing his father in the third Indiana Jones movie. I had no idea as a child, but seeing it now it’s pretty obvious. I’m not going to go story by story here, what with my constant bias towards leaving some surprises in comics, but some subjects include how meaningless “now” gets after time travel has been invented, a lockdown fairy tale (with an appropriately ghoulish ending), how quaint Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” looks after 30 years of his generation not doing much of anything to fix things, the blending of binging with reality (art by Abi Wye), fighting with the internet to get a good description of why women get rejected (art by Ali Hodgson), taking lessons learned from teaching about how much students love stickers to realize how accurately it applies to internet adults today, reimagining Back to the Future with a time traveling Chuck D singing Fight the Power (and good lord would that be an amazing movie (art by Mike Sedakat)) and the thrill of getting the last one of something and the likelihood that you’re being scammed with that information (art by Zu Dominiak). And, as always with this man and his comics, much more! Maybe the David Robertsons of the world (and the Brian Caninis, Simon Hanselmanns, etc) should offer some motivational speaking for comic creators, some words of wisdom to keep them half as productive as they are. Hey, it might be worth a shot! As for this one, in case it isn’t already clear, yeah, it’s worth a look, it’s pretty great throughout. And if you do like it, you have a vast back catalog of his comics to look forward to!

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Posted by Kevin

Neal, Andrew – Meeting Comics #8

December 29, 2021

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Meeting Comics #8

I tell you what, I had some doubts about the wisdom of reviewing every single issue of this series (that Andrew was nice enough to send me) instead of just doing the collected edition and a few random issues. Seeing it all unfold this way is just ridiculously impressive, as this is not a collection of characters that I would have guessed would turn into a coherent story. And yet! So far he’s balancing the demands of the gag strip (and keeping them funny, which is incredibly easy to fail at over time) with developing these characters. Not since the days of Garfield has anybody… ah, just checking to see if anybody was still reading my usual rambling before the proper review thing. If you’re the type to start reading a series with #8, like maybe it’s your favorite number or you lost a bet, you’ll still be OK here, but you will be missing a whole lot of context. Subjects in this issue include trying to corner Val about her thoughts for the future, the best way to avoid going home, the Ribbon Cutter losing his battle with temptation (particularly with Lassoline), getting a head count of the people in Kevin’s house, a ska joke that killed with me (but your reaction may depend on your historical ska levels), ethically debating going to see another shoot ’em up movie, a date with god, having HR describe all the personal pronouns, and the ecstatic dance of the childless. Once again that’s about half of the strips, so once again you’ll have plenty to be surprised by here, and it’s not like the other descriptions were all that descriptive anyway. Vague blathering while pointing the readers in the direction of worthwhile comics, that’s the Optical Sloth promise! $5

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Posted by Kevin

Pettinger, Josh – Goiter Comics #6

December 27, 2021

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Goiter Comics #6

Looks like I have a bit of a Goiter gap (I didn’t pick up #4 or 5) on this here website, proving once again that it’s not possible for one person to follow every single comic artist that’s worthwhile, or even most of them, or even more than a few of them. Once again, if there’s a single billionaire reading this that wants to give me a measly few million dollars to do all this full time until I drop, I’m ready at any time. Anyway! The earlier issues of Goiter were solid, but this seems like a leap up in quality. Several stories in here, in a comic that’s the size of a regular comic book, so the whole thing feels a bit nostalgic. Until you see the (perfectly reasonable) price tag of $8, which kills that nostalgia dead. Stories include a mopey man who learns quite a bit about the history of pilates, the terrifying feeling of watching your dog run away from you after they get off their leash and not knowing if you’ll ever see them again in one piece, the spectacularly questionable viewing habits of a young Josh and his mother, and finally the bulk of the comic. This one is grim, and just barely fiction, in that Black Mirror “if this isn’t happening exactly this way right now, just give it a few years” kind of way. Our hero is a worker drone in an Amazon warehouse (in all but name), where every aspect of his job and life are monitored. Sleep patterns, television habits, recreational activities, all are monitored and all are factored in whenever a dip in performance is detected. It’s hard to read because (outside of a few fantastical elements) Amazon is already doing at least half of this to their workers, and we’re all just waiting for confirmation that an Alexa in the house is basically a license to spy. Terrifying but engrossing, that’s what I’d call that story, and you might as well read up on it, as it’s the likely future for all of us. Unless climate change gets us first. On that cheery note, better wrap things up, so yes, I’d absolutely recommend this comic, and it doesn’t seem to be connected to past issues, so don’t worry about being lost. $8

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Posted by Kevin

Southworth, Barry – It Ends Badly #1

December 13, 2021

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It Ends Badly #1

So I always check online to find the current website for whoever I’m reviewing, and Barry’s first result was Optical Sloth. That is a man either without much web presence or, if he is around, a simple Google search is not going to get it done. For long time readers of the website, you may remember Barry from 2005 or so? I think that’s when he started sending me books, so he’s been around a while. Or it’s possible that this is Barry Jr., as this is dedicated to his father Barry Southworth, and it’s been long enough that this might be an entirely different person. Just wanted to throw that out there! This is a collection of stories, but basically it’s one long story (with more to come, if that ending and “#1” are any indication) with a few shorties. It’s all about the Forsaken, who are Rachel, Albert and Nic. Albert is the guy you see getting lit on fire in the sample image, so he’s off to a rough start in the series. Rachel has problems of her own when she goes after a serial killer, but I can’t say much more about that without spoilers. As for Nic, he’s the serial killer. So is he one of the Forsaken, or is he just included in the title? Unclear! But answers have been promised for the next installment, so we’ll see. The other stories are snippets of ideas and existential thoughts. What else can I say without giving away the whole thing if I try to review single page stories? It’s an engaging and intriguing main story, but most of the shorter bits left me cold, if I’m being honest. But Barry has long since proven that he can tell a compelling story, so I’m more than willing to see what’s next. Unless this is Barry Jr., that is, in which case all bets are off… $4

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Posted by Kevin

Mullins, Nick – Lounger

December 9, 2021

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Lounger

I’m sure everybody out there has had a drunken conversation or two involving how you’d handle yourself in the event of the apocalypse. Or, if you’re not a drinker, at least you’ve gamed it out a bit. Some see themselves as natural leaders, some would just find anything that seemed like a safe place to hunker down for the duration. And then there’s the occasional person who thinks that, all things considered, crawling into a bottle would be the best thing for all involved. If you’ve ever been curious about the “adventures” of this last type, you’re in luck! Nick has put out this thoroughly darkly entertaining look into a survivor who doesn’t give a shit whether or not he survives. As the book goes on we see more and more of the history of Jack (our hero!) and the three other survivors who basically drag him along with him (after threatening to take his booze away). Each of them have their own journeys, we see a few other people come across them as time goes on, and it’s clear that whatever has infected most people doesn’t affect animals, because they seem to be all over the place. Also, what does it say about me that I didn’t even think to link this to covid before one of them literally says “global pandemic”? Oh well. I don’t want to give much of anything away. I came into this blind, and I’d highly recommend that anybody reading this does the same. Which makes this review tricky, as I’d put this on any “best of 2021” list that I was putting together. Thoroughly engaging from start to finish, and most of the mysteries are revealed in a “show not tell” way that is essential for a story like this. Give it a shot, is what I have to say. $15

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Posted by Kevin

Neal, Andrew – Meeting Comics #7

December 7, 2021

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Meeting Comics #7

You’ve beaten me, Meeting Comics. I almost always stick to my usual formula of only using one sample image, but this time I just could not do it. I got a solid, literal “laugh out loud” moment from both the first and last strips of this issue, so after a few minutes trying to choose, I gave up. Go ahead, read ’em for yourself! If neither one gets a chuckle out of you, your humor glands may have atrophied completely. I’m thinking about printing up copies of that second strip just to hand out the next time somebody says the “I’m not racist but” magic words. Other than that, there were plenty of other strips in here, but what about those, huh? Maybe I only laughed the two times. Nope! Other subjects include the Ribbon Cutter getting renamed against his will, turning into a real super hero (and you’d be amazed at the variety of villains who can be defeated by a pair of scissors), and trying to come to grips with his undeniable costumed sex appeal. And that’s just for the Ribbon Cutter! There’s also another vague clue into the origins of Val, therapy, some solid rocking, a remake of Back to the Future, picking the interim manager, and talking about the war. Yes, it’s still funny, which is a good thing, as I’d look pretty damned silly doing weekly reviews of a mediocre comic. And there’s enough of a backstory going on for several characters that I’d even recommend a solid chunk of time binging the whole thing (or at least the whole thing through the seventh issue). Do we still say binging for comics? Eh, reading a bunch of them in a row, then. It’s hilarious, and if you haven’t read any of it yet, buy an issue or two! And if you’re too poor even for that, there are plenty of free samples on his website. As if the two I put below this review haven’t already convinced everybody… $5

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Posted by Kevin

Schreitz, Will – Weak Magic

December 3, 2021

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Weak Magic

New artist alert! Maybe I shouldn’t have given that away, but since he mentioned it in his letter I felt like I should point it out. Also just as an excuse for me to post this periodic reminder to new artists who may be influenced by a negative review, sometimes to the point of quitting entirely: don’t. Don’t take my opinion or the opinion of anybody else as the final word on YOUR art. Take the constructive nuggets from the reviews that you can use, if there are any, and move on to your next comic. Speaking for myself, I’ve reviewed more than a few times when I’m not in the best of moods. I try not to let that influence anything, honest I do! But sometimes it seeps through anyway. It’s also a mistake to think any reviewer is all-knowing, or smart, or sometimes anything other than a stupid doo-doo head. Look, now I got all worked up. Anyway! Reviewing comics, for me, is a way for me to highlight new comics or artists to people who might not have otherwise seen them, along with steering them away from the really rough ones. Which I see rarely, and even then I try to point out the good bits. Enough about reviewing, how about this comic? Well, he posted a few of these stories on his website, so you could skip the rest of my babbling entirely if you’d like and check out his work for yourself. This is a collection of several short stories and, as is always the case with several short stories, I liked some more than others. For a new artist I didn’t see any obvious typos or misspellings, which already puts Will above several other artists in their early works. There were a couple of times when it felt like he was cramming too much into a page (the Bashful Babe strip was hilarious, but cramped, for example), but overall it’s a book full of ideas, which is always welcome. So, for anybody who’s managed to stick with the review this long, what’s in the actual comic? Subjects include how people can change, the diner, a longer piece about the frog guys on a spiritual journey, kids today, the dangers of staring too long, a story about a high speed chase (this one is probably the heart of the book and it’s “too be continued”), how Bruce came to be, an ancient Egyptian artifact, and several single page strips that I’ll leave for you to discover. Hey wait a minute, I just went to his website to check on the price of this thing and he has two other comics listed! Sold out, sure, but it looks like this isn’t his first book after all. Well, I feel like a real heel now, but maybe somebody can get something useful out of this ramble. Bottom line, the good ideas far outweigh the ones that made me say “meh,” and I’m curious to see what else is rattling around in that brain of his. Which means yes, this is worth a look and you should give it a shot. $5

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Posted by Kevin

Neal, Andrew – Meeting Comics #6

December 1, 2021

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Meeting Comics #6

See? I knew it was going to end up making sense reviewing these comics weekly, as this time we’re treated to an ongoing hero or villain (depending on whether or not you’re the Mayor): the Ribbon Cutter! We’re also treated to an origin story, so I won’t spoil anything here, except to say: is this the end of the Ribbon Cutter? No, I didn’t HAVE to say that, but if you think about it, I kind of did. Before I get into it, can I just suggest that anybody who’s sick of right wingers always using the exact same MLK quote without a hint of context maybe save the sample image below and give each and every one of them you meet a copy? Granted, there are better and/or more appropriate quotes for situations, but I am spectacularly tired of people thinking that the man only said one thing in his life. Moving on! So, what’s this one all about? The Ribbon Cutter plays a big role in things, obviously. Val and Rob have something increasingly freaky going on and Buddy (which may or may not be his name but that’s the only thing anybody calls him in this issue and I honestly couldn’t remember if it was correct) has several new family members and their polyamorous group move in with him in two ongoing threads. Other than that we see the dangers of knowing exactly what your employees are looking up online at all times, finding out what sparks joy, job interviews, casual Friday, and the one thing that terrifies Val. It’s another solid issue and several ongoing stories have been firmly established, so yes, it’s sure looking like it’s a better idea to read the single issues instead of just going for the collection, if you were curious. $5

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Posted by Kevin

Uhrik, Henry – Lemonade Tango #1

November 29, 2021

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Lemonade Tango #1

I have to be the last person who reads comics and even notices things like this, but maybe people shouldn’t bother putting “#1” on their books at all and just start with “#2” if they make it to a second issue. Aw, why am I starting this out by being all cynical? This comic was a delight. It’s just that I’m entering (or I’ve been there for years, depending on your perspective) old crank status as a small press comics reader, and boy howdy could I ever show you a giant stack of comics that never made it past the first issue. Still, this one has an ongoing story and a call for reader’s letters on the back inside cover, so I’m going to smother my cynicism and say that this one will definitely continue. Besides, he has a number of other comics on his website, so he’s stuck on this comics crazy train with the rest of us. So anyway, what’s this one about? Two main stories, and one single page story that I went ahead and used as a sample image. What, nobody out there can relate to that story? First up is the ongoing story, and it starts off with Rick trying to get Martha out of the house for their planned trip to Paris. Martha is not going, and she has one heck of a story as to why that’s the case, but I’m not going to tell you about it. Then there’s the l’il story, followed by a Thanksgiving poem (hey, timely! Future readers, this review came out the week after Thanksgiving 2021. Even farther future readers, Thanksgiving used to be a holiday before we all realized what a ghastly thing that whole idea was to celebrate). This poem is all about the robot who’s cooking and serving a family for the holiday, along with his terrible decision to follow the advice of a drunken uncle. The inside back cover was pretty funny too, as we get a peek into the mind of Henry as he decides what to do with the inside back cover. Meta, I know, but also hilarious. Like I said, I enjoyed it, and if he hasn’t written himself into a corner already I’m looking forwards to seeing what happens next. Which is the whole point of a #1, right? $6.99

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Posted by Kevin

Barnett, Lauren – Ruining Your Cat’s Life

November 19, 2021

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Ruining Your Cat’s Life

I found it! It’s the best graphic novel to come out of the pandemic! Go ahead, other comics artists, just try to top this. As you can tell from the title, a lot of this is about Lauren’s cat, but even more of it is about navigating pandemic life. And, just to throw this out there, it had me laughing so much that my sides are still hurting as I type this. A first in my reviewing days? Eh, maybe. Either way, it’s hard to pay a funny graphic novel a higher complement. Where do I even begin with this majestic beast of a book? Well, for one thing, it reminded me that I’ve missed a couple of her books, so I’m going to fix that toot sweet. But what about this specific book? It’s made up of either single page strips or l’il stories. The single page strips are either about the pandemic, her cat or fighting off depression because of the pandemic or her cat. We’re talking picking out a pandemic outfit, the cat’s perspective on the humans suddenly never leaving, the drop-off from ambition to actuality in making breakfast, and so many other things that I’m not even going to ruin even a bit of it. I’ve already said that this is my favorite pandemical book so far, so I’m basically just filling space here for the few of you who haven’t already rushed off to buy a copy or the others who have given up because they have no joy in their lives and can’t understand “funny.” For the rest of you, a bonus! Longer stories deal with sweatpants, the snackmaster, kids’ party games in the time of covid, how to deal with assholes not wearing masks as you’re trying to take a walk, the differences in the lives of indoor cats and outdoor cats, doing the chores that the cat allows, and how to live life as a cat. I feel obligated to mention that I just chuckled writing the last bit of that sentence, as even the MEMORY of that story is enough to make me laugh. That’s some concentrated funny right there. If you need some joy in your life and have already tried drugs and booze, the answer is right here! It’s this particular graphic novel. Buy it and learn to laugh again! $20

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Posted by Kevin

Neal, Andrew – Meeting Comics #5

November 17, 2021

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Meeting Comics #5

Good news everyone! The brief lull in quality from the last issue (that was almost certainly more about what was going on in my own life and not the actual quality of the comic) has ended! Yeah, I was probably just in a lousy mood. Which is bound to happen when you review as many comics as I do, and it’s not like I’m able to go back and re-review everything I read when a good mood hits me. Life is finite and all that. Anyway, this is another comic that had me literally laughing out loud several times, so all is right with the world of Meeting Comics. What happens in this one? More importantly, can I tell you about in a vague enough way to get you intrigued without going overboard and having you lost interest because I’ve spoiled it all? Join me out on this tight rope and let’s find out! Subjects in here include Val on Black Friday, trying to find the answer to “what the fuck did he do this time” on NPR, an unfortunate gender reveal party, fun visits at the nursing home, getting permission to celebrate Thanksgiving, Don in Nam, finding the key to Val’s heart, Jay settling for the corporate life, and being visited by three ghosts. Vague but enticing? Here’s hoping! It says a lot for a series when you can pretty much pop in, buy whichever issue you’d like and still be safe in hoping for some solid laughs. So try that, why don’t you? $5

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Posted by Kevin

Nall, Alex – Are Comic Books Real?

November 15, 2021

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Are Comic Books Real?

It just occurred to me that some of you may be reading this without already being familiar with any of Alex’s previous comics, so I’ll just get this out of the way: no, this is not a lengthy graphic novel about that nature of existence and whether or not anything we experience is actually reality. The title comes from close to the end of the book, when a student in Alex’s class asks him that literal question. From there it turns into as philosophical a discussion you can get when dealing with… third graders maybe? I don’t recall the exact grade he teaches. It’s also questions that he’s asked himself, which leads to some serious introspection when he’s home. Oh, you were probably also curious about the book in general, right? Let me start again. Alex has been chronicling his time as a teacher for several years now, and this one is maybe the best of the bunch. Full disclosure: I have no kids and all I know about school is based on my memories, but I do think that his book would be an excellent start for any teacher out there who’s looking to get their students interested in art. This was done in the pre-covid world; I’m really curious how he and his students handled things a couple of years after this book. It’s also a peek into the highlights and lowlights of a school year, so the stories can wander a bit. I mean that in the best possible way! Subjects include finding the source of that terrible smell (and handling it as diplomatically as possible), how he’ll be remembered by his students, accidentally making fun of Luigi, the bestest climber, trying to help students with their math problems when he was a terrible math student, learning from his students, trying to keep them focused while not shorting their recess time, making a class play, and getting schooled about where polar bears hang out. There were also a couple of short pieces that referenced how he wasn’t able to call Halloween by name to his students, which is just bizarre to me. Maybe he teaches at a religious school? Even so, that’s an unstoppable juggernaut to kids and you’re not going to make them forget about dressing up and getting free candy just by leaving the name out. Not his fault, as he’s just following the rules, but wow, what a fantastically stupid rule. Anyway, this has a lot to offer students who are interested in comics, and there are enough stories told from his grown-up angle that any adult can get a lot out of it too. Also I just lifted the book, so clearly comics are real. Duh! $20

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Posted by Kevin

Finch, Scott – The Domesticated Afterlife

November 11, 2021

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The Domesticated Afterlife

What a journey! I thought I had it, turns out I did not have it, I had the “it” more or less explained to me so that I went into the tail of this having it, and then it veered in another direction and I didn’t have it again. Was that sentence too much for you? It all makes sense if you think about it, but if that effort felt like too much work, maybe this one isn’t for you. Not that I’m saying you’re stupid, I would never! It’s just that this is a dense, sometimes meandering exploration of the afterlife as experienced by pets and other animals. Does it make a difference whether or not you were ever domesticated? You bet it does. What’s the hierarchy like around here? Well, don’t mess with the cats, but REALLY don’t mess with the chickens. Hey, what are they doing here? Don’t all kinds of creatures eat chickens? And cats were actively worshiped for centuries, how does that fit in? I’ll get into it a bit more, but to simplify for those of you who are on the fence: do you enjoy philosophical discussions about the afterlife? About sentences? About the words in those sentences? How about the letters in those words? How far are you willing to go in these debates before you go rushing back to the familiar to avoid the feeling of losing your mind entirely? If you’re always up for a good discussion I couldn’t recommend this highly enough. I feel like I got about 1/4 of what he was going for on the first read. Having said that, how do I know that it’s a worthwhile endeavor and not meaningless, made-up claptrap with vague philosophical trappings? Because I thoroughly enjoyed and/or wanted to read more about the parts that I did get, and even the bits that kind of flew by me still gave me enough bread crumbs to be intrigued. What else… this is a dense brick of a book, I’m guessing around 250 pages (but it’s not numbered, so all you’re getting is a guess), with images and symbols that I’m still trying to unpack. Things start off with a cat helping a dog into the afterlife. Or is it a human? Whose hands are those? The dog then tries to understand the rules while also trying to fight his own dog instincts. But why are they all doing chores? And what happens when those instincts are directly confronted with a challenge? Oof, I really can’t say much without giving lots away. The story does come together eventually, more or less, which gives greater clarity to things that you might not fully comprehend while reading them. Still, as I said, this is one heck of a ride, and unlike any other graphic novel that I’ve read. Any day I can say that and mean it is a good day in my book. $18

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Posted by Kevin

Neal, Andrew – Meeting Comics #4

November 9, 2021

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Meeting Comics #4

I spent most of the last two weeks stuck in an office (including 18 hours on election day, which is sadly about the historical norm for me), and still the first comic I’m reviewing after all that is a series of funny strips mostly about office life. I even held a meeting myself! Granted, it was short, there was a point, and I didn’t bother with visual aids, but still. I’m becoming one of the baddies! Sorry, where was I? Yeah, it’s a new issue of Meeting Comics! Well, an old issue, as I’m still more than a dozen issues behind. New to me, and I don’t see anybody else writing this review. Honestly, this issue is where the funny started wearing off a bit for me. Don’t ask me to explain it; I flipped back through the book in an effort to nail down this vague feeling and found myself laughing again at several strips. Is it because more of it deals with things other than office life this time around? Or is it my own general exhaustion from working so much lately where, all things considered, I’d rather be vegging out in front of the television? One of those little unknowable mysteries, I guess. Subjects this time around (after a great introduction from Barrett Stanley, and if Andrew is able to get intros for each of his comics he’s clearly doing something right) include hurricane coverage, visiting the family, happy birthday, what people are willing to put up with to get anything resembling a babysitter, seeing the protests you used to participate in on your way to work at the place being protested, threesome rules, the inevitability of straight white men to break bad, sharing a bed at a conference, the “can’t get with it” room, and dripping your whole life. Once again that’s only about half of the strips, and once again I gave you very little useful information. After looking through the book yet again I’m even more convinced that it’s my general malaise and not the quality of the book that has me feeling “meh” about it overall, but hey, we’ll find out next week after I review #5. What’s more likely: a book that’s at #18 and counting as we speak got significantly worse after the third issue, or it’s more something on my end? I’m voting for the second option. $5

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Posted by Kevin

Neal, Andrew – Meeting Comics #3

October 28, 2021

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Meeting Comics #3

More Meeting Comics, more of me still laughing out loud! So the answer to “are you starting to get sick of these comics yet?” is still a resounding “no.” Can he keep this up for another dozen issues or so? I have no idea, but we’ll find out together. This time around I’ll just get right into it, OK? It starts off again with letters from readers, and once again they’re comedy gold. Then we see “Kevin throughout the years,” which seems like a waste of time since the comic had only been produced in 2018 at this point, but one look at those images shows you that it was indeed a worthy feature. How about those strips? Subjects include motherly love, getting your steps in (and every office in the world really does have at least one of those), Valerie’s type (which makes absolutely perfect sense), inviting your work buddies to your punk rock show, a meeting in roast format, hiring for a sociopath, the existential angst of joining management, the sin of even trying to bring up Dilbert, group beards, and trying to understand the youth. That’s only the first half of the book, and it’s more than I usually describe, what with my ongoing hatred of spoilers and all. That’s where these reviews for this one comic are going to get repetitive, right? When I talk about how I don’t really want to review them in depth because it’ll spoil the funny bits? Hm. Now I just have to find some way not to mention that again. Eh, the point is that these comics are funny as hell and that you should try them out if you enjoy funny things. It’s as true for #3 as it was for #1. More so, maybe. So check it out! $5

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Posted by Kevin

Van Sciver, Noah – My Hot Date (And Other Embarrassments)

October 26, 2021

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My Hot Date (And Other Embarrassments)

For anybody who gets everything Noah puts out (which isn’t a terrible idea, as the man is awfully good at making comics) this is NOT the same as the previous edition of “My Hot Date.” I reviewed that one already, so I’d recommend reading it before digging into this review. It’s one of my old reviews that I can read without cringing, so it looks like I was having a good day. Ah, memories! The bottom line is that I thoroughly enjoyed the story, although this second time around his 90’s dialogue was almost completely unbearable. Historically accurate, from what I remember, but just unbearable. But still, it’s not like he’d bother putting this out again without some new material, which is why it’s still worth a review. Besides, Noah is maybe the most prolific guy out there (outside of Brian Canini maybe), so if anybody is entitled to poof up an old story a bit while adding new short pieces, it’s him. This one starts with a short piece about how poor he was back in the day and how hard it was for him to get Star Wars action figures (he made his own Millenium Falcon), and about how the whole “playing with toys” bit fails to impress other people right around the time you turn 14. Then there’s the main story, and I honestly can’t tell if he added any new material to it. Maybe? Check around the internet, I’m sure somebody out there knows. I don’t think “Lemon Juice in the Sun” (where he believes his sister when she tells him that lemon juice in his hair, along with sitting in the sun, will lighten his hair before his date) was in the previous edition, but I could be wrong. If I could ever be bothered to organize these mounds o’ comics I could check on things like that. He also included his top albums at the time (which are mostly cringe-worthy new, but not entirely), a depressing “where are they now” about a few of his old friends, and finally a comic called Holly Hill. This story is one hell of a bonus story, as it could easily be expanded into its own graphic novel based on what I’ve read. It’s the story of him trying to find ways to avoid becoming a “real” adult after leaving home, and it involves an extended stay in Florida along with some other couch surfing. How he manages to make things grim yet hilarious is always a wonder to behold, and this one is no exception. I just checked and saw that the original edition is sold out, so this is the only way left to get the story. And the extra bits more than make it worthwhile even if you do have a copy of the older comic. Why don’t you give that dusty old thing to a friend and get yourself of the new and improved version? $12

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Posted by Kevin

Delliquanti, Blue – O Human Star Volume Two

October 21, 2021

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O Human Star Volume Two

Just in case you don’t like suspense in your reviews, this is the graphic novel I was most looking forward to getting at Cartoon Crossroads in Columbus this year (before I found out the hard way that there wouldn’t be any in-person distributors), and it fully lived up to my expectations. For once I actually remembered to order the book from the artist instead of just saying that that was something I should do in a review. I also got the third volume, and as I’m already sneaking glances at the cover, chances are the review for that one should be up in the next week or so. Or maybe the day after this one, if I just give in completely. Anyway! I’m assuming you’ve already read the first volume, as it would be very odd to jump right in with a review of the second of three volumes. Most of the lingering mysteries from the previous volume are still left lingering when this one is over, which is fine, and the story has moved along nicely. We get to see significantly more context in regards to just how Alastair died and his relationship with Brendan at the time. Blue also dedicates some serious time and space to exploring their professional past, their relationships with other inventors and what gave them the ability to really get their big idea off the ground. We also see a significant progression in Sulla’s character, as she gets to spend more time her potential love interest (who still has no idea that she’s a synthetic being). There’s also an incredibly relevant short story in the back from an anthology that shows the moment when Sulla decided to transition, and even though it’s not technically part of the story proper I do hope that it sticks around in any future editions of the series. What else can I say without giving too much away… Brendan crosses several names off his list of the possible suspects who may have brought Alastair back without him knowing about it. We get to see significantly more of the apparently robust robot culture, and their reaction at seeing the man who they’ve always thought of as the father of robotics. And, while this may not be as important, the glimpse into Al’s “negotiating skills” was absolutely hilarious. It’s a thoroughly engrossing read with a compelling mystery and it deals with several questions involving identity seemingly effortlessly. I’d call it one of the best comics series of the year, and there’s a serious chance I’ll upgrade that to THE best series after the third volume. Either way, if you like comics, you’re only hurting yourself by not giving this a shot. $25

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