New review today for Savage Beast by Ansis Purins! I never did get around to that best of list for the year, huh? Maybe I’ll put something together next week, or maybe I’ll forget all about it. Find out along with me!
Purins, Ansis – Savage Beast
December 31, 2025
Savage Beast
A new book from Ansis is always a treat, just to spare you any suspense regarding how this review is going to go. It was just last week that I was wearing my Zombre shirt to the gym and had the pleasure of watching a dude look at my shirt, silently mouth the word “Zombre” like it was a question, and go about his day. Too bad, as I would have had a grand old time explaining it to him if he’d asked. But hey, Zombre isn’t in this one, it’s all about cats! Do I always give comics about cats a positive review? Yeah, probably. And that’ll be true until I find the one comic about somebody being an asshole to a cat, at which point the streak will end. This one is a series of single page stories mostly about two cats (Skelly and Pip), with occasional guest cats thrown in. Ansis is also using occasional stickers and colors, mostly but not completely as part of his scanned images in the book (my cover had an actual sticker on it anyway), which made for an interesting look throughout. Side note: am I typing this while my cat Miles is literally cat yelling at me for closing the door while I’m doing this? Reader, you know it, so I’d better make this quick. Stories in here deal with the inevitable quest for quiet while you’re working (pretty on the nose for me today), the glorious dream of catching the mouse versus the reality of how much trouble it is, getting too worked up after watching a movie (cat edition), the sad origin story of Skelly (adopted as part of a bonded pair when the other half died only a week later, sadly I can relate to this one too), the tuna dance, and an unseen moment of cat peace. There are also stories about Ranger (it just never works to try to help a cat who seems too hot) and Cutlet (the shrieker) and Bob (awwww). I’m not seeing this on his website so it must be hot off the presses, but if you contact him through his website I’m thinking maybe $5 could get you a copy? I’m terrible about guessing prices so don’t quote me on that. He’s also putting out two new books next year, but for now… cats!
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/30/25
December 30, 2025Just in time to be slightly late for the holiday, the new review today is for Brandon Lehmann’s Stocking Stuffer Spectacular. Also I’m still waiting on my mysterious billionaire benefactor to 1. exist and 2. buy the rest of Brandon’s books and send them to me. Maybe for the new year!
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Posted by Kevin
Lehmann, Brandon – Stocking Stuffer Spectacular
December 30, 2025
I apologize for this being a few days late to be considered an actual Christmas review, but you know how life gets around the holidays. And hey, at least I’m getting this out during the weird holiday taint week. Can the holidays be funny, was the question I asked myself after seeing this arrive in the mail. Normally I’d think that the subject has been satirized to death by now, but then again I’d never seen Brandon take a crack at it. This one starts off with a Christmas song (with lyrics), so gather the family around the fire and give it a go! Next we get a mysterious tale of a secret Santa who keeps sending a single egg to their chosen person throughout the holidays, until we get the dramatic reveal at the end. Next we see the moments where the Home Alone bandits question their life choices before going into that McCallister house and have time to briefly ponder what might have been. I’m not even going to tell you what the next two stories are about (other than to tell you that Rudolph is a human this time around and Santana shows up for the holiday), because I believe in surprises for Christmas. Oh, and Meat Santa to wrap things up, another unopened present for you. Still, the bulk of this book is a Christmas Carol parody. You may think, like I did, that parodying that particular story has been done to death and that there’s no hidden sources of humor left in it. Again, you haven’t seen Brandon’s take yet. Scrooge has never been humbuggier, Tiny Tim has never been tinier, the ghosts have never been more downsized, and the true effects of Scrooge’s change of heart on a larger scale have never been more clearly and depressingly explained. Brandon’s single panel per page style makes using a sample image tricky for me (oh, the troubles I have), but he asks the important questions, so I had to include the question that’s been bothering historians for over a century. This one is packed full of funny bits and I couldn’t recommend it more highly, ESPECIALLY if you read it during the actual holiday season. $25
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/18/25
December 18, 2025New review today for Detours by Eli Bishop. Since I’m still short on review comics, maybe next week I’ll do some kind of a “best of” list? Eh, everybody else is doing it, so why not me?
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Posted by Kevin
Bishop, Eli – Detours
December 18, 2025
I’m going to stick with my lifelong habit of avoiding spoilers whenever possible, but the biggest story in here deals with a breakup, and I’m still blown away with how it happened. The details are left to the imagination, and they’re kind of irrelevant to my bafflement, which is: people really break up over text and THEN ask to meet up so they can explain it in person? I’ve seen the cowardly breaking up by text, I’ve seen breaking up in person, I’ve even seen breaking up in person in a public place to lessen the chance of any unpleasant blowups. But breaking up by text and getting into the details later? AND asking them to return a loaned book when you meet them? I’m in awe. That story is told as in a fever dream, which makes sense, and the surprisingly good news he gets while waiting at the park was a fantastic juxtaposition. I mean, the look that the bank manager gave when he realized that heartbroken Eli would be a terrible model for a photo op! Eh, that’ll all make sense when you read the story. Other stories in here include the secret conversations of hospital equipment (come on, you know you were wondering about them) and a crowd in the rain joining together to salvage some poorly placed road detour blocks during a torrential downpour. Also sprinkled throughout are some of Eli’s interpretations of headlines from a celebrity gossip magazine he saw and didn’t understand, and there’s some hilarious stuff in there. The joys of hitting middle age are sparse, but “I have no idea who these ‘famous’ people are and also don’t care” is definitely one of them. I’d recommend this for the breakup story alone, but there’s a lot of good stuff in here, so give it a shot why don’t you? $10
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/16/25
December 16, 2025New review today for Town & Country #4 by Alex Nall, making his welcome return to the website. Mostly because I misplaced this review copy a couple of years back, but still!
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Posted by Kevin
Nall, Alex – Town & Country #4
December 16, 2025
This one fell through the reviewing cracks somehow (Alex put this out a couple of years ago), which wouldn’t be all that notable except for the fact that his online store seems to be down completely and the only active link I can find for this issue goes to Birdcage Bottom Books. They’re great, don’t get me wrong, but the link shows as a security risk, so I’m using a different link that’s currently sold out. Maybe they’ll get more? Eh, I don’t know. Not the first time that I’ve reviewed something and wondered after the fact if a comics apocalypse happened while I wasn’t paying attention. Past me thought I’d be reading the previous three issues before trying to review this one, but current me is cranky and tired, so I’ll have to rely on my memory to keep these characters straight. Which isn’t as problematic as usual, since Alex put a brief synopsis at the start, and the theme of this issue is overall less about the people than it is about the town itself. The first half of this book is an oral history of the town given by one of its residents, and we don’t see any details about who or what’s happening until the end. This person goes through what the town used to be like, how the people used to interact, how sad it is that the younger generation can’t wait to get out, why they stick around, etc. If you come from a small town this one might hit you pretty hard, as it’s hard not to see some parallels to other places that I’ve lived. After a lovely centerfold depicting parts of the town (and a very brief story about Suzy), the rest of the book shows an outdoor wedding. Sure, Alex spends plenty of time with some character growth for several people (seriously, the number of things going on in the background makes me think that I still missed a few after reading this twice), but this is once again about the town and the various interpersonal dynamics happening. Also that ending didn’t involve any humans and it still got me. Here’s hoping that everything is OK in Alex’s world, as it’s odd not to see active links to his comics online. But if you can find this at a con or have better searching skills than me, give it a shot. It might not be the best single issue by itself, but it wouldn’t be possible without the character growth from the previous issues, and I’m still fascinated to see how it all comes together. $8
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/10/25
December 10, 2025New review today for Lauren Ipsum #32 by Charles Brubaker. What can I say, the man makes a lot of comics!
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Posted by Kevin
Brubaker, Charles – Lauren Ipsum
December 10, 2025
Lauren Ipsum #32
It’s been a little while since I’ve reviewed a comic from Charles (the pace he puts these things out at puts even Brian Canini to shame, and if I were to review everything he makes this would become a Charles Brubaker exclusive website in a hurry), but I do like to check in occasionally to see how things are going. Big picture: yeah, the guy is still pretty funny, even battering his way past my natural indifference to the four panel gag structure to get a few genuine laughs out of me every time. That’s no small task! Smaller picture, or a review of the actual comic: yep, he’s still getting laughs out of me. I’m genuinely astonished that this is the first issue of Lauren Ipsum I’ve reviewed here, especially since it’s #32 (!!!). I was also curious about how far he’s gotten with his various other series, and was mildly baffled to see that the only books he has listed for sale are his graphic novel collections of these (and other) minis. I’m guessing that you can contact the man and ask for specific issues, but that’s just a guess. This issue has a few stories running through it, all neatly wrapped up by the end. There’s an ongoing (and hilarious) story about a man and his sidekick who go house to house, stealing used books, in one of the more unrealistic get rich quick schemes I’ve ever heard. As a man who just tried to sell two very full paper grocery bags of books/graphic novels and was pleasantly surprised to end up with $60 in trade-in value… let’s just say that it’s a very funny premise for a thief. There are a few assorted strips in the middle dealing with Lauren as an author and her general inability to relax, and the last chunk of the comic deals with Lauren summoning the spirit of Zeus, which gives Charles the opportunity to have a whole lot of fun with Zeus as a sex creep who can’t even help pestering inanimate objects. Some genuinely funny stuff here, even more so if you’re familiar with the myths. So yeah, the man still puts out comics that are well worth checking out. If you’re just a little bit curious I’d suggest checking with him to see if you could get a grab bag of minis, if you’re willing to dive right in maybe start with his Ask a Cat omnibus and go from there? $2 (probably)
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/8/25
December 8, 2025New review today for Watch Your Tone!! by Gren. Did I pick this one up at Cartoon Crossroads this year or did it somehow just shift it’s way up to the top of a review pile of older comics? Lost to history, I’m afraid.
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Posted by Kevin
Gren – Watch Your Tone!!
December 8, 2025
First off, don’t let my inability to properly size a scanned image fool you: this comic is tiny, maybe 1/10th the size of how the scan appears. It’s also roughly 800% more informative and educational than you may have guessed from the cover. Aren’t numbers fun! This comic explains several different types of toning that were used from the early days of comics to today. If you’re an artist and/or are wondering about specifics, those types of tones are halftone, benday, craftint, acetate and zip-a-tone. The comic lays out when they were invented, when they were used, which comics benefited the most from them, etc. There’s also some fun historical facts in the back; I had no idea that EC comics used 64 colors decades before DC comics did. So like I said, informative and fun. What more can you ask for out of a teeny tiny mini comic like this? $4 (on sale for $2.40 as I write this review, so act fast if you’re curious)
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/4/25
December 4, 2025New review today for The Bible Drawings Part Two by John Minkoff. And hey, I’m also throwing out a general mention that the comics I have left to review from Cartoon Crossroads are getting sparse, so why not send me some of your books to review? I’m getting perilously close to doing this for 25 years, so chances are pretty solid that I won’t just steal your comics and run. Unless it was YOUR comics I was waiting for before instituting my nefarious master plan…
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Posted by Kevin
Minkoff, John – The Bible Drawings Part Two
December 4, 2025
After reading the first issue of John’s bible drawings I was very curious to see how he’d progress, and this one is if anything even more engaging than the first issue. If you’re not familiar with the book, or only familiar in the sense that it’s been in the culture for just about forever and you’re bound to learn a few things about it, don’t fret. John goes into great detail in his notes after the comics about the sources he uses, his basis for shifting to opinion a few times, even the debates about which translation is best. So yeah, even if you barely know anything about the bible, you’ll know a lot more about it after reading his notes. This one (no big shocker here) starts off right after the stories in the first issue, which John rightly refers to as the “patriarchal/matriarchal tales” of the first section of the bible. And, as those of us who have read the book know (it was ages ago, yes I read the whole thing, ask me about it sometime), those stories get problematic in a hurry. They’re also very much about the characters and/or actual historical figures, so expect to learn a lot about mistresses, kidnappings, exiles, sexual assaults, etc. Yes, including stories that involve some of the biggest names that are still revered today. It makes you think, and explains why so many of these stories were barely ever mentioned in church or Sunday school. It’s fascinating stuff, and his art really makes these dusty old stories come alive. I’d recommend checking both issues out, but if you can only afford one I’d suggest this one. $15
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/2/25
December 2, 2025New review today for Sleepless Sights by Dane Georges, a Cartoon Crossroads comic that almost snuck into a pile of other comics and was lost forever. Not this time!
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Posted by Kevin
Georges, Dane – Sleepless Sights
December 2, 2025
Now that was one heck of a comic. It all starts off casually enough, as our (unnamed) hero has insomnia, wakes up at 3am and decides to take a walk. I’d submit that nothing good in human history has ever happened after deciding to take a walk at 3am, but our hero obviously doesn’t subscribe to that theory. As he’s leaving his cat runs out the open door. Cat owners know the terror involved in that situation (remind me to tell you about the time I chased my very indoors cat through an open courtyard during, yes, the early morning hours with nobody around). Which maybe wouldn’t be that bad, as he lives in an apartment building and the cat is just loose in the hallway, but then the elevator door opens and the cat runs inside, leading to a whole thing. I’m not sure how much to give away here, but that sample image below, of our hero finally getting onto an elevator? If you can take one look at that other guy and think that situation ends well, do I ever have some bad news for you! From there it’s a steady escalation, as it turns out that there’s quite a lot of activity happening in that apartment building at 3am, along with the extremely disquieting sense that you’re never completely sure how real any of what’s happening actually is. It’s a thoroughly entertaining and more than slightly creepy book, so of course I think you should check it out. $5
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 11/26/25
November 26, 2025Just when you were thinking that this year has been entirely terrible, at least there’s a new King Cat (#84) by John Porcellino out in the world!
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Posted by Kevin
Porcellino, John – King Cat #84
November 26, 2025
Have I run out of words to talk about King Cat? No! But I must confess, I’m currently spending a lot more time sitting here and thinking about the comic that I am writing about it. And if you were looking at a sped up recording of me typing this review (you creep), then you’d see me getting up and puttering around the house a bit rather than my usual business of madly typing until all of the thoughts are out of my head. Um, a peek behind the curtain there, I guess. Maybe it’s because these books are rare and I’m trying to savor it? Probably, because if you think this is the issue where I’m finally going to stop recommending this book, you are completely mistaken. There’s a lot of death this time around, as John’s mother, cat and one of his best friends have all passed away since the last issue. He’s as open as it’s possible for a person to be while talking about these events, and I doubt very much that you’ll be able to get through this comic without crying a few times. But there’s funny stuff in here too, so don’t go thinking it’s entirely grim. Other stories in here deal with John trying to get woodchucks to stop pecking holes in his gutters (in hilariously cartoonish fashion), tasting the dog, unwelcome visits from the cat while sitting on the toilet, how many geese are in the picture, trying to make the ultimate pattern for a dream machine, things left on the nightstand, remembering a trip to the circus and how Zorro fit into it, learning the Dewey Decimal System from a nun while having class outside, a few Buddhist stories, and several more quiet pieces. Of course there’s also his top 40 (and at this point I’d genuinely have to read all of his old comics again to see if it was ever actually exactly 40), several pages of brief synopses of dreams, how he picked out his dog Gretel, and several pages of letters. Look, his comics are a whole mood, and mine instantly improves any time I see a new issue in the mail or at a comics shop. If you’ve somehow made it this far if life without reading any of his comics, fix that already! $7
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 11/24/25
November 24, 2025New review today for Mach the Hedgehog by Stephen Pellnat. Oh, and today almost everything at Fantagraphics is 40% off. So if you’re reading this on the day it’s released, you’re in luck!
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Posted by Kevin
Pellnat, Stephen – Mach the Hedgehog
November 24, 2025
Is there a word for the feeling you get when you realize that the comic that you randomly bought from an artist at a comics convention was, in hindsight, probably not the best choice out of their available work? Eh, probably not. It’s just that in looking up Stephen’s info for this review, his Upstate series seems like it’s much more my type of thing, especially since I have no attachment to Sonic, or even enough knowledge of the characters to get what I’m pretty sure are most of the jokes in this comic. Still, I had a good time reading it, and that ending got a legit chuckle out of me. As you may have guessed, this is kinda sorta a parody of Sonic the Hedgehog, the lead character of a series of games, comics and cartoons, but set in the far future. Sonic (Mach in this book; if there’s a character actually named Mach and I’m getting this all wrong, I’m OK with that level of ignorance) starts off this comic in a grand fight with the evil Professor, and we’re quickly made aware that this is a flashback and Mach is actually an elderly hedgehog who’s being cared for by a robot. The rest of the book is an appreciation dinner for Mach (that he wants no part in), Mach catching up with an old enemy and, like I said, one fantastic ending. If you’ve got a lot of love for this character/series I’m sure there’s plenty here that I missed, but if you’re going into it fairly new like me there’s still funny stuff in here. $7
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Posted by Kevin
