August 15, 2012
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Oh Babies!
It’s possible that you could see that cover from a distance and think that this was a comic all about cute little old babies, which would quite possibly make you back away slowly, which would be a healthy reaction. Relax! Once you get a closer look at that cover and see the five o’clock shadow on one of the babies and their general shapes you should start to get a better sense of what you’re in for here. If you make it to the first page you’ll know for sure that this is not a preciously adorable comic, as there’s an all-out brawl going on between the babies and it’s pretty nasty. Hair pulling, using a chair as a weapon, spitting, they’re letting it all hang out. Things stop suddenly when a nurse wheels in a gigantic baby. They stop fighting when the nurse comes in, obviously, as otherwise she would know that something fishy was going on with all these tiny talking creatures. A plan is quickly devised to kill this new baby, and we get to see the industrious little critters at work. I’m in danger of saying too much about the plot already, but we learn more about these kids along the way, and things start to get really interesting when that sample page comes along. The rest of the book is a complicated plan to save that kid, even though they were trying to kill him earlier, and that discrepancy is never mentioned because hey, babies. Jeff can do very little wrong in my book and this is another fun comic from the man. Well, maybe “fun” isn’t the exact right word, but that dialogue is fantastic and that story could have only come out of a very special head. It’s worth a look, that’s what I’m telling you, unless babies in all forms just terrify you, in which case you probably have bigger problems to worry about than which comics you’re currently reading. The spinning random price wheel lands on… $4!
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Posted by Kevin
August 14, 2012
Website
Krunk #7
I should really start putting the “vol.” indicator up there, as the numbers from this series and the original Krunk series are starting to blur together. There’s also the small fact that this second series is called “Introduction,” but let’s not get bogged down in stuff like that. Anyway, last time around I was slightly confused by the lack of a recap after not reading the book for so many years, but this time it really didn’t matter at all. Why? Because damned near this entire issue takes place on a bus, and it’s all about the conversations that occur. That being said, I’m only going to give you the highlights, because this comic just flows all on its own, and it should be experienced by you folks who enjoy such things. There’s the slight shifting of your walk that you do when approaching somebody who you think is homeless to prevent any loose change from jangling (what, you never learned that trick?), the gold chains from the 70’s that laid worms into your chests to help with hair growth, the possibility of a ghost pen (followed by the best strategy for saving or not saving the pen for its rightful owner), sitting down against the rights of a person in a wheelchair, Hollywood’s continued quest for a perfect gruel of entertainment that nobody likes (but which also doesn’t offend anybody), getting married at 13, the “sin” of eating a eucharist when you don’t believe in that nonsense and the inevitable condemnation from the churchie on the bus. And that’s only the first half of the book! I particularly loved how that religious conversation ended which, once again, you’re going to have to read for yourself. Lots more good stuff in the second half of the book, including a fight scene if you demand such a thing, and why wouldn’t you? This is a hefty issue, so it’s $4, but it’s so packed with goodness that you’re still getting a deal. $4
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Posted by Kevin
August 13, 2012
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Star Pilot #8
So here’s one possible spoiler alert to start the review, although I’m not at all sure that it’s a spoiler: this issue is a prequel to the first issue in this series. I checked on his website and Frank has all of the past issues up for free, so it’s not as bad of an idea as I originally thought, but it would still help if that information was given out at the start of the issue. But hey, who am I to tell the man his business? This also means that I’ll have to go back and read the entire series now that I can see that he has a clear plan, but I don’t have the time at the moment, so consider this another half-assed review. Huzzah! Well, I will use my whole ass to review this particular issue, which sounds terrible, so let’s just forget that I said it. This is one of those rare cases where I used the first page as the sample page, so you can see how he starts things off. From there we meet Kid Sampson, see a calamity at an air show, learn the truth about the minotaur myth, have possibly the quickest saving of the world that I’ve ever seen (hey, it’s a prequel; it’s kind of a given that the world will be saved), and even get a very brief glimpse of the monkey. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the madcap charm of the issues of this series that I’ve read so far, and this one is slightly lacking in that department (which is bound to happen when the monkey and the rhino are absent), but their loss is allowed because now I can see that Frank is building something here. That wasn’t entirely clear to begin with, but it instantly makes to curious to see more. And to read the earlier issues, which you could do right now if the mood struck you. He has everything up there except for this one. No price, but a couple of bucks sounds reasonable.
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Posted by Kevin
August 7, 2012
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Other website
The Index #1
Caitlin manages to nail down the essential problem with so many of the angsty comics in the world in the first few pages: the authors of said comics have invariably had pretty damned good lives, which is itself the cause of all the angst. Lack of adversity can be a creativity killer for sure. This one starts off (after a damned funny but unrelated intro that you can discover for yourselves) with Susan (our heroine) arranging blank index cards on a shelf. Each blank card represented the sum total of the achievements in the lifetime of a single human, and she uses them to bask in her own insignificance. This worked for Susan just fine until her boyfriend John moves in, and he doesn’t like that constant reminder of the insignificance of his own life one bit. Things get a little tense from there, but why should I spoil all that for you? Caitlin does an impressive job with the art on this one, and I’m always up for a story that points out the inherent insignificance of our lives when put into any kind of context. And yes, it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, which makes that “prelude” thing on the cover a retroactively welcome sight. She has all kinds of other comics up at her website, if maybe you need more convincing, or if maybe you just like reading free comics online. As for me, I like the cut of her jib and I’m damned curious to see where she goes from here. No price, so the random price wheel today lands on… $3.25! Damn, that is random.
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Posted by Kevin
August 4, 2012
Website (Ted May)
Alternative Comics
Injury #4
Before I say a thing about this comic, I need to make a very important thing clear: this comic marks the return of Alternative Comics, as they’ve been absent for the last 4 years, and that is a damned good thing for small press comics. Not that this was 100% published by them, as Kickstarter and Ted were involved in the publication too, but an established company like them will make it easier to get these books out to a wider market. I have to admit right off the bat that I haven’t seen the first three issues of this series, but it doesn’t seem like they contain any crucial information for enjoying this one. The bulk of this comic deals with a group of boys getting stoned and having detention, and it has to be the most pitch perfect representation of such a thing that I’ve ever seen. Jeff (writer) and Ted (writer/artist) really let this piece breathe, as we get several pages of the kids silently passing a joint back and forth, reminiscing about an Iron Maiden concert, before they go inside to take their punishment. Once they all sit down for their enforced quiet time one of them realizes that he’s way too high and paranoid hijinx ensue. The other big story was “Blade of Grass,” and this one felt distinctly like a continuation of an older story (and it’s “to be continued” this time too). Still, it’s a fairly self-contained story about a party clean-up and a few conversations that were mostly lost on me. I’ve yet to see Ted make a bad comic and this one is no exception, but it may take a collected edition for this story to make sense to me. Still, it’s worth it for that main story alone. Buy this comic and support the rebirth of Alternative Comics! And the people who are making this comic, obviously, but you know what I mean. $6
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Posted by Kevin
August 4, 2012
Website
My Life in Records #2: Into My Heart
Who says that you need free time to make comics? Grant is an art teacher with two small kids and this is still his second full color comic produced within the last year (unemployed slackers with one comic out in the last three years, take note). He also apparently put his master’s thesis into comics form, although I don’t know if the world at large will ever see it. But enough about that, how’s the comic? The music is much less prevalent this time around, but it does effectively take over a scene when it is used. Things start off with Grant (age three) being annoyed that he’s been confined to the kiddie pool and taking matters into his own hands by jumping into the big pool. Where he proceeds to sink like a stone and is rescued by another swimmer (the details are still hazy for the guy). There’s an abrupt transition from this section to Grant remembering older Christian records that he listened to as a kid and the idea of a giant box of crayons, then comes the Jesus. The rest of the book deals with Grant trying to work up the nerve to get baptized after his near-drowning and gradually coming around to accepting Jesus. Which will always and forever be a little creepy to me when that “decision” is coming from a kid and not an adult, but that’s my own personal bugaboo and not something that should concern you or take away from this comic. This is another gorgeous book, and it will probably hit you spiritual types a bit harder than it hit me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an interesting story even for us cranky atheist types, but a journey to Jesus is probably most appreciated by other people who have journeyed to Jesus. Here’s hoping his schedule eases up a little bit (not likely with two small kids, but you never know), as I curious to keep reading the “origin story” of this man and how music factored into it. $6.50
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Posted by Kevin
August 2, 2012
Website
Quark #2: Dream Me A World
Well, so much for this being a regular Friday review. Instead I’ll just make it a regular weekly review until I regain something resembling a normal schedule. Last time around we were taken on a journey through the creation of everything, so naturally this time we go a little bit further. This all starts once the concept of “two” is introduced following patterns repeating themselves, which leads to a third variable, which… well, you get the idea. Then the concept of three dimensions gradually comes about, which leads to all of the stuff in those three dimensions, with much trial and error being done along the way. Not by the hand of a bearded man in the sky, mind you; these were basically tests to see which things/living beings worked best. Once again it’s a fascinating look at the way in which everything might have started, and this one ends on a cliffhanger of (spoilery spoilers) man building Eden. So yeah, I’m curious to see where they go next, and I’m thoroughly happy with how inventive it’s been so far. And yes, I do realize that it’s mildly ridiculous to have these reactions for mini comics that are 30 years old, but hey, it’s all new to me. $1
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Posted by Kevin
July 30, 2012
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The Fifty Flip Experiment #15
Dan has been doing this comic for 15 issues now (obviously, and huzzah) and he’s clearly getting tired of this one particular view of reality. This time around he’s mixing it up even more, throwing himself in a few times (and not obnoxiously; Dave Sim, take note), and generally treating the stories and panels as his playground. And why not? I’d say he’s been doing this long enough to have earned it. The very first strip with a drunken Pinocchio talking to Gepetto (I’m not giving away the punchline) should have been your first clue, as it’s always a good sign when the opening strip is fucking with you. From there we get a single page image of an attacking helicopter, Darth Vader getting blown/cut with an axe, somebody fleeing from a burning building, a giraffe, and a viking holding a bong. Next is the strip I sampled below, and from there it’s best if you peel the layers of this particular onion yourself. Subjects in some of these stories include funnies about Diogenes, a funny (in a New Yorker-ish kind of way) joke about slavery, pirate humor, a night at Perkin’s (this one may only make sense to people who live in Champaign, unless that place is a chain of some kind), creepy Dan and a woman trapped in her bed, the soul destroying powers of TGI Friday’s, and happily ever after. Dan seems to be taking more time between comics these days (no human could keep up the pace he was on when he started), but if the result is books like this then I’m all for it. Not that I hated his older comics by any stretch, but I’m all for packing as many layers in as possible. $4
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Posted by Kevin
July 25, 2012
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Zombies Attack!
Shouldn’t I be sick of zombies by now? Hell, shouldn’t everybody? But somehow I’m still not, and the country as a whole clearly is not, and seemingly won’t be any time soon. Then again, maybe werewolves are in for a turn as the newest big deal. Anyway, this comic is basically a series of trading cards put together into comics form, all dealing with various zombie attacks or methods of zombification. Or as Don puts it on the inside cover “the subjects are paradoxically entrenched in stereotype, genre and consumer culture; viewed through the warped lens of disposable media.” Oh, and there are also subliminal skulls in some of the images. As I’ve proven time and time again on this website, I just don’t have a lot to say about comics without a story, but I’d buy this if it was around as a set of trading cards. Or I would if I bought trading cards. Subjects in here include seeing a zombie while on acid, zombie Jesus, gold diggers taking their name too literally and paying for it, a zombie on a beach, a ninja on a zombie killing spree, a zombie running across a passed out drunk, and a zombie pirate against a shark. $2
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Posted by Kevin
July 24, 2012
Website
Blacked Out #1
I would never recommend that somebody buy a mini comic because it will eventually be worth something, as they suffer the same fate as most other comics: it takes decades, if that, before they’re worth more than the cover price, and even then you have to find somebody willing to buy them. That being said, if the sheer quality of Max’s comics doesn’t convince you (and there’s plenty of that in the two issues I’ve seen so far), this guy is so clearly going to be a big deal in comics someday that you’d be stupid not to buy these early minis. The technical term for his art is “crazy awesome fantastic,” he seems to be doing a nice job of building up his characters, and he also looks to have a long term plan for this one. I should probably talk about the plot at least a little bit and no, that ridiculous cover of his was not a fake-out. This comic starts with our hero waking up in a bar from being blackout drunk, only to discover that every biker in the bar has been either beaten senseless or killed (his friend says killed, but I think there may be a few more repercussions for something like that than are depicted here). They go back to their apartment, where we see that the two of them are roommates with a young lady who appears to be his concerned platonic friend. They tell him that the can’t hold his liquor, what a problem that is, and eventually wander off to a party with all the booze they can drink for $30. You’d think that you could see where this is going from here, but you’d be wrong. At this party our hero meets up with an older redneck man who’s been watching our hero, and he decides to impart his wisdom about being blackout drunk on the dude. It’s so brilliant that I don’t even want to give it away here, but kudos to Max simply for coming up with that idea. I’m really looking forward to future issues of this one, and you can always tell a book is a winner when it instantly raises your opinion of the past work of the artist. More, please! $3
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Posted by Kevin
July 22, 2012
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Bowman 2016
Is it condescending for me to say that it feels like Pat is now all grown up as an artist? Almost certainly, yes. But hey, I have been reviewing his comics for around 10 years and have nothing but respect for the sheer volume and increasing quality of his comics, so I’m going to say it anyway. And that’s with me not fully understanding everything that goes down in this comic, but that feels more like a failing on my part than on his. First off, giving the hero of the book a horse with the head of Garfield was brilliant. And yes, it does say/think various Garfield-like things throughout the book. Our hero is chasing down some creature/man, eventually catches up to it and savagely bashes its head in. After that he takes the leftover bits of uniform from the creature and puts them on (as detailed in the sample below, which is probably the simplest page of the comic). There are also a few flashbacks thrown into this book to show how our hero got to this point, although honestly they could have been made to look a bit more distinct from the rest of the book to avoid confusion. Anyway, our hero goes to a big city with his new uniform, and those few pages have more detail that most entire comics. I don’t think Pat left a bit of background blank in this entire book, and the result is a feeling of complete immersion in this world. Things get increasingly ridiculous (and I mean that in the best possible sense) from there, with space gods, giant monsters and huge battles going on all over the place. My only complaint is that I wish the translation for the letters of the alien language could have come at the start of the book instead of the end, but other than that my advice is to sit back, relax, and let this book wash over you. And then read it again, as you’re probably going to need to to put the whole story together. And then flip through it one more time, without reading anything, just to appreciate everything that he’s thrown into the backgrounds. So yeah, I’d say that’s worth $5.
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Posted by Kevin
