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

Update for 2/9/21

December 9, 2021

New review today for Lounger by Nick Mullins. Which made me wonder: how annoying would it be to put together a “best of” 2021 list for graphic novels? Seems like a hassle, but hey, maybe it would be fun? Uh, not to give away the tone of this review or anything…

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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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Update for 12/7/21

December 7, 2021

New review today for Meeting Comics #7 by Andrew Neal, as the weekly reviews continue. Only 11ish more weeks left to go!

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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

Update for 12/3/21

December 3, 2021

New review today for Weak Magic by Will Schreitz. Happy weekend y’all!

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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

Update for 12/1/21

December 1, 2021

New review today for Meeting Comics #6 by Andrew Neal. Only 14 or so weeks to go for these weekly reviews!

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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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Update for 11/29/21

November 29, 2021

Yeah, I took Thanksgiving week off, but I have a good excuse: I was watching Fellini movies instead. New review today for Lemonade Tango by Henry Uhrik!

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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

Update for 11/19/21

November 19, 2021

New review today for Ruining Your Cat’s Life by Lauren Barnett, and this concludes the graphic novel sandwich. Happy weekend everybody!

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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

Update for 11/17/21

November 17, 2021

New review today for Meeting Comics #5 by Andrew Neal. That’s right, I’m still sticking to the weekly reviews.

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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

Update for 11/15/21

November 15, 2021

It’s a graphic novel sandwich of reviews this week! First up is Are Comic Books Real? by Alex Nall.

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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

Update for 11/11/21

November 11, 2021

New review today for The Domesticated Afterlife by Scott Finch. What, you never thought about it?

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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

Update for 11/9/21

November 9, 2021

Back from my extended working schedule (known around here as a “break” for some reason), so here’s a new review for Meeting Comics #4 by Andrew Neal. What’s this, two reviews in a row for the same person? Yep! Didn’t you see me mention that I’d be doing these weekly for a bit? What’s that? You assumed I would have flaked out by now? Historically, I get it. But not yet!

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Posted by Kevin

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