April 23, 2010
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Only Skin #4
Here we have a fine example of the perils of a continuing small press series. This is the first issue in about two years (well, the first update of this page in two years anyway, I don’t know exactly when this came out) and it is an “in between” issue. That means that in the course of a longer series, this sort of an issue is absolutely necessary. When it’s the only issue in two years, it’s at least mildly maddening. Things are certainly getting closer to a resolution this time around with Paul still out searching for Albert, Clay learning that the ghost he’s seeing wants to die (without either of them having a clue how to make such a thing happen), Cassie taking the survivor out to search for her brother, and the survivor telling the tale of how she got away. We also see (and this can’t possibly be a spoiler if you can see it on the cover) the a large chunk of the forest is dead, but we still don’t know why. The pacing is pitch perfect, as everybody in their own little adventure is coming to a place of realization, but damn it if I’m not a little bit impatient. Human nature, I suppose, and I’m sure it’ll all fit together perfectly eventually. For now, and I’m probably starting to sound like a broken record on this page, this comic should be required reading for everybody who reads these things. $4
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Only Skin #3
Looking at this page, it just now occurred to me that I’m only using samples involving Clay and the ghost. Not sure why that is, as they only take up a little sliver of the storyline. It could be because I don’t want to give away a hint of the complex, sprawling story in these reviews and so pick only the images that’ll have the fewest “spoilers”. Or it could simply be because I love that little ghost. Either way, another issue of my new favorite comic is here and yes, if there was any doubt, Sean knows exactly what he’s doing here. The young woman in the hospital gown (and how she fits into the picture), just what that ghost is after, Paul trying to find Albert, everything takes a hefty leap forward. I’ll well aware of the fact that I praise books a little too easily around here, and so maybe don’t get taken seriously when I say a series is tremendous, one of the best I’ve seen, but… I have been reading comics for 20+ years and, in every measurable aspect of these things, this is one of the best series that I’ve ever seen. Anybody who stops by the site to check out quality comics and hasn’t looked at this yet is missing out, plain and simple. $4
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Only Skin #2
Well, this might be a new record in the comics world. This is the second issue of the series and I already unreservedly love it. The timing of the slow revelations, the art, the genuine sense of slow, constant terror that hangs over the whole town, everything is absolutely pitch perfect. Any sense of “well, I’ll give this a chance for a few more issues” is gone, replaced by a sudden and rabid devotion. It would take the literary equivalent of a Paris Hilton guest appearance to drive me away, and even then I might find a way to rationalize it. So what’s this particular issue about? Without giving anything away, because everybody deserves to unravel this for themselves, this one deals with the mysterious girl from the last issue, a news conference in the town, Albert having a really bad idea, Clay (Cassie’s brother) getting a few more answers out of the floating ghost, and another missing person. I’m gushing more than a little bit here so I’ll wrap it up, but anybody who loves comics that is passing this up for some reason is only hurting themselves. $4
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Only Skin #1
Every time I even start to think I’m getting sick of doing this website, a comic like this comes along that reminds me how lucky I am. I mean, I get random comics in the mail all the time, from all over the world (OK, mostly from the U.S., but still). Bitching about any of it makes no sense at all when I look at it that way. What’s so great about this comic? It’s obviously the start of something much bigger, which always piques my interest because it means the author has big plans. And when those plans are laid out as expertly as they are here, well, he automatically has a grace period of a few more issues even if those suddenly somehow drop off in quality after this one. This is the story of a small town in the middle of nowhere that just so happens to have people disappearing at a pretty steady rate. Cassie and her young brother come to town to help run the family gas station after their father disappears. Things get off to an awkward start when they show up at the gas station and find the police, trying to figure out why there are fingers lying on the ground. Everything is a slow build from there, with the little boy running into a ghostly figure that may or may not be his father (or may have escaped from a Pacman game), Cassie trying to get settled in and the townspeople slowly coming to a boil over all the disappearances. There’s much still to be discovered here, and I can’t wait to see it. The art is fantastic, the pacing is perfect for a mystery like this and it looks (from his website anyway) that this may be his first comic. Great stuff, and a bargain at $4 for something this big.
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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You Can’t Tuna Fish
I think I mentioned in my other review how the trio of Cricket, Frankenstein and Bill (the talking duck) bugged me. Well, that was for that other story, and that was for reasons that didn’t repeat themselves here. OK? This time around it was a delightful romp, as they say. Cricket and Bill go out and catch a giant tuna fish, but what’s Bill to do when they leave to get wasabi and he’s stuck alone with a giant tuna fish and giant tub of mayonnaise? Hilarity, obviously, ensues. The rest of the book is random stuff, like memories of his art school days (which apparently weren’t too long ago), life at his job at an art supply store, and remembering old girlfriends. This was all apparently on his website, but I always prefer a comic collection of things like that, because I’m too old-fashioned to ever have a website, but here I am! Deal with the inherent conflict! This is a measly $1 and has plenty of stuff to make you laugh/think, so send the man an e-mail! Sorry for all the yelling…
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Don’t Eat the Electric Sheep #2
There are more than a few things to like about this one, as well as a few things to dislike. Let’s talk about the good stuff first. The main part of this story (#1 and this issue) is about a robot who is partially cloned that has an itchy shirt. Vague enough for you? Honestly, two issues in, I’m not entirely sure what every plot point is, but I’m interested. This robot/clone is in what appears to be an asylum and his dreams are flooded with images of a past life and his apparent attempt to kill himself and his girlfriend. Medication and mechanical doodads in puke add to the confusion/intrigue and make me wonder where this is going next. I wasn’t a big fan of the main back-up of the book, involving a team of folks (Frankenstein, a talking duck and a girl named Cricket) fighting alligators. It was fun at times, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that comics that constantly refer back to the creator of the strip, the number of the panels left in the story or how silly the plot is bugs me. It doesn’t happen too much in here, just enough for me to notice and be annoyed. Check out the website for some samples and new comics. Overall there’s enough good here for me to recommend this, in case anybody was curious…
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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The Comic of Brotherly Love
Now THIS one is funny. No reservations about it. By the way, if you’re ever lost at the start of these reviews, chances are I’m just continuing a point I made in another review on the page, often from months ago. Make sense? Oh well, it doesn’t make that much of a difference. Anyway, there are two stories in this one, both involving two brothers sitting around. One brother is bored, and seems to be a lot dumber than the other brother. The smarter brother is reading a book in both of these stories. The dumber brother is bored, and in both cases decides that he would like to play whatever the other brother is reading. In this case, it’s either a book about Harry Houdini or Mummies. So they decide to play Mummies in one story and Houdini in another story and… I’m about to give the whole thing away. It’s more or less the same gag, sure, but it’s a funny gag, and what more do you want out of a funny comic than that? $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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The Genius of Stand Up Squid (with Colin Hurd)
OK, picture a squid doing comedy before an audience of Buddhist monks. If you think that could be funny, you’ll probably love this comic. If you don’t, well, there are probably better things in the world for you to spend your money on. To me it had a few funny moments, even with my longstanding war against puns. Also in here is a “choose your own pun” for a joke with three variants and a brief bit of Comedy 101. So: tiny book, sometimes funny, probably not going to change the planet as we know it. Oh, and I liked the art, even though I only saw anything resembling a facial expression on one page…
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Happy Town Vs. Neil Jam
If you have “vs.” right in the title, doesn’t that mean that there has to be some sort of an epic battle in the book? Maybe I’ve just read too many superhero comics when I was a kid, but having a “vs.” in the title just screams out for mayhem. Not so much with the mayhem here, as it’s mostly about the some of the main characters from either creator (Justin Madson with Happy Town And Neil Fitzpatrick from Neil Jam) trying either to spend some alone time with the girlfriend or just getting away from it all. It turns into a giant web of deceit and lies, and proves once again that the best thing might not be getting what you want. I thought it was a fun little book, but only essential if you were already big fans of both books, for the sheer “gee whiz” factor of seeing these worlds crammed together. If you’ve never heard of one or both of these series, please remove yourself from your cave and check them out, as they’re both consistently wonderful. Then come back to check this out so you can see what it’s like when they’re all in one place. Contact info is around here somewhere, Justin Madson has a page on this website if you want to learn more about the man, and this one is oh, let’s say $3.
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
Website
Neil Jam Invasion
I hate to say it, as I was very prepared to gush about this book, but… well, it’s boring. The main story, anyway, I found to be dull. It was OK, and maybe I’m being too simple here, but where’s the violence? It’s funny when Willis says things like “Time for some man medicine” before kicking his friend (which actually happens later in this book, just not in the main story). It’s funny when random characters are thrown in and hijinx ensue. Maybe it’s the fact that a story that probably could have fit in a mini got expanded to 68 pages, I don’t know. Listen, if you wonder about my opinions about Neil, check out any of the other reviews on this page. I think he’s a “rising star”, as they say, and I think he has big things ahead of him. He’s doing a daily strip on his website that’s pretty great, from what I’ve seen, and the rest of this book is good too. The main story is about Willis running into another female (!) and her friend Swifty, a talking bee. The whole thing is about him trying a little to interact with the new female, then learning that she’s going to kidnap his friend. In the back there are tributes from Justin Madson and Tony Brandl. It’s always neat to see someone’s work adapted by somebody else, and these are worth looking at. Get some of the minis or check out the daily strip, but the bulk of this book is kind of dull.
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam abc’s
OK, this one you can skip if you really want to. I liked it and thought it was a good idea, but there’s no story at all. Still worth it in my book for his version of various comic and video game characters, but $2 is maybe too steep. Scroll up to the top to see where you send your money, but I’ll link his e-mail address again just in case.
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #15
It’s odd to me how the issues focusing on the “lesser” characters seem so much more… well, “coherent” is too strong a word, but they seem to have a little more flow than the other issues. Whether or not that’s a good thing is entirely up to you, as a lot of the charm of Neil Jam is seeing all the random characters interact with one another. Still, there were two main stories going on in this issue and, while they did meet other random characters along the way, the drive of the issue was clear. There’s a new ghost in town who’s going around asking people if it’s OK that he haunts them, and there’s Fenwin and the reactions he’s getting from everybody else. As usual, Neil nails it, as it was hilarious to watch that ghost learn what it’s supposed to be doing, and the sheer terror Fenwin inspires by being different (in a world of oddities) is a wonderful thing. There are also a few pages at the end of the “regular” issue dealing with all the main characters, just in case you were starting to miss them after almost two full issues with the new and/or rarely used characters. Oh, and have I ever mentioned that the insides of the front and back covers of these issues invariably have famous characters from all sorts of places with giant black Neil Jam eyes? You get your money’s worth with these issues, that’s for sure, and you have the extra added benefit of being haunted by those huge black eyes for days. What’s not to love? $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #14
Finally, some quality time with the lesser characters of Neil Jam. This issue and #15 are both dedicated to the characters we may not see quite enough of, and with this issue Neil Jam has officially taken over the planet. The stories in this issue are longer than your typical pieces as well, with Caroline (the talking carrot) taking the bulk of the issue to grow a new friend, as she’d really rather not be seen with Cotton, the rabbit who’s in love with her. Cotton gets a new outfit to cheer himself up, then kicks a Tot into somebody’s face (not sure of the name, he looks like the anti-Willis), which has the desired effect. Other highlights among many include Bat Jam (in which “Batman” runs away from beauty), the Sleep Sheep’s ongoing quest to sleep with Willis, and the introduction of Fenwin, Caroline’s new friend. Well, as Neil Jam has officially taken over the planet with this issue the man doesn’t need any words of encouragement from me, but this has remained a delightfully disturbing book for years and years, so kudos to the guy for that. And for giving the fans what they want, namely more time with the odd characters that we don’t see nearly enough of. $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #13
Ah SPACE, land of the new Neil Jams. Three new ones this time around, so expect to see a few more updates in the coming weeks. My only regret is that I forgot to go back and get that color print of Neil Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Sigh, maybe next year. This issue introduces the Tots, although I’d swear I’ve seen them in these pages before. Jerry continues his efforts to fly (this time with a clear sign from above), Ona and Willis keep their “romance” going, a rabbit falls in love with a giant carrot, and King Tot has his revenge for all the little tots. As always with the Neil Jam books, it’ll take me a few minutes to stop seeing everything in the world with those giant black eyes, and that’s a good thing in my book. $2
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #12
Why isn’t Neil Jam a weekly strip in alternative (do they still even use that word?) newspapers? Seriously, he has an established cast of characters, those giant black eyes make everything adorable as hell (or unbelievably creepy, depending on your point of view), and he seems to be able to put these things out on a regular basis. Either I’m just missing it where I live or there’s a giant untapped market waiting to be filled with Neil Jams. This comic is more of the same from Neil, which is a wonderful thing indeed. There’s the increasingly creepy Sleep Sheep, kicking the bird, a ghost that isn’t scary, a mean dinosaur, and being a loser (by Justin Madson). About the only complaint I have about Neil Jam is that some of the punch lines aren’t funny, but isn’t that true of punch lines by nature? You’re only hurting yourself if you don’t read these, you know…
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #11
Looks like Neil has mostly gone back to doing the issues himself (see the review for the last issue if you’re lost), which is fine by me. I do think he should keep up with the idea of Neil Jam as a franchise done by other people though. Maybe Neil Jam Jam, a “spinoff”? Anyway, this is another solid issue. The cast of characters seems to be expanding all the time. In here you have the eternal struggle of Willis trying to impress Ona, the other eternal struggle of Jerry trying to get up the nerve to fly, a very insistent little guy called Sleep Sheep, an insulted vegetable, Willis as pimp, a giant adorable bunny-like creature, and another Neil Jam story by Justin Madson. Oh, and a wonderfully fantastic back page featuring versions of Neil from various artists, the best one far and away Kurt Wolfgang’s theory of just what’s behind those giant eyes see. Look, you all know by now that Neil Jam is required reading for decent people everywhere, right? Good. There’s more than enough to convince the stray newcomer out there to check out this issue as their first, but the rest of you should already know all about this comic by now…
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #10
Man, check out that cover! His stuff is looking better and better all the time, or maybe it’s just the fact that I have a new scanner now and it all just looks better. Regardless, it had been far too long since I had read an issue of Neil Jam and I was happy to see some new stuff at SPACE this year (2005). He’s working on making Neil Jam a franchise, so a lot of this issue was done by other people. He still has the website going strong with his strips, so if you absolutely have to see more of Neil’s work you can always go there (it’s linked on this page, don’t worry, you can find it), but I liked having a variety of hands interpreting this world. Neil does the first few stories, which were a dream about a duplicate, a tribute to the Peanuts comic strip and a Nintendo Jam, where he’s obviously played way too much of Super Mario Bros. 2 and couldn’t get it out of his head, so onto paper it went. Still, a cute little story. Then you have Justin Madson (who does Happy Town) giving his spin on the Neil Jam universe, as one of his main characters end up there in a dream and hilarity ensues! Finally there’s a story by Jesse McManus, whose silent take on things makes the whole world seem a whole lot creepier somehow. Good stuff all around, a ton of variety, not really much to complain about here. Let’s say $3, contact info is around here somewhere…
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #9
The ninth issue of Neil Jam was split up into three minis. One is talking shit about Batman, one is all about kicking and has a great last panel (not to give anything away), and one is about dinosaurs bugging people. $3, and have I mentioned yet that these are all incredible? The only thing I can think of that it reminds me of even a little would be Steven by Doug Allen, but I’m not sure what my reasoning is behind that.
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #8
A huge issue with super Willis and regular Willis competing for the affection of Ona. I can seewhy they’d be fighting, as Ona appears to be the only female in the world of Neil. $2.50
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Posted by Kevin
April 23, 2010
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Neil Jam #7
A great silent issue and it’s the first time you get to see Willis as a superhero. You really don’t need words with those huge eyes… $2
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Posted by Kevin
