Update for 8/2/23
New review today for Town & County #3 by Alex Nall, and a little advance notice for once: chances are there won’t be any reviews next week, as yet another election season is going to keep me working on things other than comics. So, if you live in Ohio and would prefer that you ever have a chance to question a decision from this state legislature again, I’d strongly advise voting “no” on the only issue on the August ballot. Unless you think they’re likely to get every decision right from now on, in which case do what you’d like. I should be back next week with more reviews, but this is also a solid chance for y’all to send along any review comics that you’ve been sitting on.
Nall, Alex – Town and County #3
Sometimes I wonder: do the details of these ongoing series (where I’m reading individual issues months or even years apart) fade out of my head because I read so many of these comics for reviews or fun that it’s impossible to keep them all straight, or is it because my brain is chock full of holes at this point in my life? Until we can find other test subjects who have been reviewing comics for 22+ years, I guess I’ll never know. Anyway, my point is that when #4 comes out in this series, it will be just about time for me to read the whole shebang again. So, now that I’ve warned you that my specifics on some of these characters are becoming hazy, what’s going on this time around? Things start off with a brief check-in with our favorite housekeeper, then we get a longer story about Lyle Downe and the time when he moved out of his parent’s house at 19 and into an apartment with a married couple. He had a big room but no bed, started to feel like he was getting to know his roommates and settling in to a good routine, when things started changing. First gradually, then quickly, and finally we catch up to him in the current day. We check back in with Suzy as she ruminates on the many bits of religious imagery around the house she’s currently cleaning, then we flash back to the absolutely sweet way that Sherm and Suzy got together (they knew each other vaguely in high school but rarely interacted). Finally we once again get several single page stories from Don’s perspective, which I’m leaving up to the readers to discover, as there’s a whole lot going on there and it does occasionally get grim. And, since it’s meant to depict a life, warts and all, that sort of thing is bound to happen. There are a few other shorties in here too (Alex is always going to give you plenty of story for your money), and once again I’m struck by the idea that this is going to be something genuinely special when it’s all said and done. I mean, unless the Avengers show in the next issue and completely change the vibe of the whole thing… $8
Update for 7/31/23
New review today for You Don’t Get There From Here #58 by Carrie McNinch. Yep, that number is accurate. That’s a lot of comics, but don’t fret, new comics creators! You can get there too!
McNinch, Carrie – You Don’t Get There From Here #58
You Don’t Get There From Here #58
This time around it’s all about Carrie’s trip to Japan in early 2019, so roughly a year before all travel got shut down over covid. Specifically she spent a lot of time in Hiroshima, which obviously conjures up all sorts of mental images, but there’s a lot of beauty there now, along with some seriously mixed emotions from all the reminders of the atomic bombing. As usual, Carrie’s comics are incredibly detailed and we see all sorts of aspects of tucked away areas of Japan that people wouldn’t normally see. Also, she ate a whole lot of ice cream on her trip. No shame at all, as that’s what a vacation is for, and if I was surrounded by that many interesting and exotic flavors I would have done the same thing. Without getting too far into specifics, other things covered in this comic are her efforts to get herself around in an unfamiliar area (luckily she had a solid guide for this), her ongoing quest to document the various types of manhole covers that she saw, getting over the cold that she got on the flight over and finally getting ready for the trip home. This part was a little depressing, as she had successfully put more than a few worries out of her head for her vacation, but the reality of her impending return pushed them all back to the forefront. I’m hoping it all worked out (the fact that it’s over 4 years since the events depicted in this issue and she’s still making comics is a good sign), but that’s one of the perils of reading diary comics. The creator is basically never going to catch up to now, although it looks like you can get pretty close if you subscribe to her Patreon. It’s another solid issue, and this time around you can vicariously take a trip to Japan. For free! Well, for the few bucks it takes to buy her comic, to be specific…
Update for 7/27/23
New review today for Nod Away Volume 2 by Joshua W. Cotter, and I’m curious about something. Does this website have any juice at all? By that I mean that Joshua is going to need money to complete all 7 volumes of this series, and since it has the potential to be a high water mark for comics, it surely would be great if that happened. So if I put up a link to his fundraiser, are there any people reading this who could spare even $5 or $10 for the man? I’ll check it in a few weeks and see if that needle has budged. It’s always possible that I’ve been shouting into the void for 22 (!) years, I am well aware of that…
Cotter, Joshua W. – Nod Away Volume 2
(Sorry about that crappy scan, but I don’t want to break the spine of this book to get a better one. Too much information!) So you know that thing I said (and other, smarter people have been saying it too) about how this might end up being one of the better comics series ever after it’s all said and done? Well, after two volumes, I have to say that that instinct was correct. Once again, I say that you, person reading this who loves comics, should buy this right away, knowing as little as possible about it. Once again, if you need more convincing, I’ll try to hit some of the high points without ruining too much. Things start off with the squiggly lines that were so prevalent in the first volume (and which get a lot more context this time around) zooming in to a busy airport. This isn’t particularly relevant to the story, but it helps to know what kind of an artist Joshua is. A whole lot of people would show a vaguely busy scene with the main characters in focus and just leave everybody else in the image as blurry faces. Not this man; everybody has an expressive face, you can tell from the posture and expressions of these people exactly what they’re each going through at that moment, and there are instantly recognizable clues that tie back to the first volume (signs of the innernet). Again, not particularly relevant to the overall story, but it was impressive enough to stop me in my tracks. Then we see that this plane is in the air during the events at the end of the first volume, meaning everybody gets that awful feedback from the innernet at the same time, which is not at all a good thing to happen on an aircraft. From there we’re taken back in time to see a young bearded dude who looks a bit like the mystery man from the last volume, but in this case he’s living in a big city. His marriage has fallen apart and he meets a young French woman who’s intense but irresistible to him, and she’ll also be pretty damned familiar to everybody who read the last book. They both go about their lives, we get a few more of the silent flashes to the bearded man trying to navigate a strange land, and eventually our hero ends up on his family farm after his dad passes away unexpectedly. He gets into this sudden change in his lifestyle, but eventually Eva (the French lady) comes for a visit, which is when he gets a clearer picture of the mental issues she’s going through. It’s probably appropriate for a trigger warning here, because it’s some pretty brutal stuff, and it somehow manages to escalate throughout the book as he’s increasingly unable to help her. Eventually he’s offered an experimental treatment to help and, since he can’t afford anything else, he gives in. The rest of the book is them both dealing with the consequences of this decision before eventually getting back to the events at the end of the last volume. Again, it’s riveting stuff, and this is definitely one of those series where I’ll be reading each volume again for every new one that comes out, because they’re both packed with tiny details. Is it a bad sign if those squiggly lines have started making an audible sound in my head when I see them on the page? Yeah, I imagine it it. Anyway, I can’t recommend this book highly enough, and if you have a few bucks to help him on his way to 7 volumes, just throw $5 or $10 bucks at the guy, would you? The world needs this entire series in it. $30
Update for 7/25/23
Sorry about the unplanned week off, but things are getting busy at work again with this ridiculous August election coming up. If you live in Ohio and think maybe the state legislature will ever make a mistake again, meaning you’d like the chance to correct it at the ballot box with 50% + 1 of the vote rather than 60% of the vote, you should vote “no” on the only issue on the ballot. You’ll be in and out in no time, and early voting is happening now. Oh, and there’s a new review today for Santos Sisters #4 by Greg and Fake Petre. Probably should have mentioned that first, but this election is bugging me. I hide it well, I know…
Petre, Greg & Fake – Santos Sisters #4
I confess, although I think Greg and Fake have this business figured out by now, the pessimist in me wonders with every issue whether or not they can keep up this pace. Funny, innovative, and never the same thing twice, all while using the same characters? With every issue? Well, this issue is probably the best one yet, so maybe I should cut it out with the doubts, huh? Once again, the big picture stuff (the stories) are engrossing and hilarious, and once again there are enough little touches that make it feel like these comics would get even better with repeat readings (“Robert Liefeldteeth” got a legit chuckle out of me). There are a few stories again this time around, and while overall we maybe get less of the actual Santos Sisters than ever before, the bits we see of them shed a whole lot of light on their lives outside of the costumes. First up is the story of a gang of car thieves, meaning we get several scenes of innovative ways to steal cars before the Santos Sisters finally get involved. That one is “to be continued,” but since the next issue is coming out literally a few weeks after this review, it seems like a safe bet that they’ll wrap things up. Next is the story of Antz-Man, which is appropriately horrific, considering the subject matter. Odd how Marvel never digs into this aspect of ants for their movies! Finally the ladies are just trying to get a burger (and working through an early morning hangover) when they find out that the president is visiting their preferred burger joint. Does everything go smoothly for our heroes, and can they just get a burger in peace? Well, there wouldn’t be much of a story if that happened, now would there? I feel like I should frame an issue of this series to point to for the few remaining humans who still judge books by their covers. Sure, this might seem like a standard super hero comic to a casual observer of covers, but there are at least a few hints on this cover that should make anybody question that assumption. Like I said, the next issue is coming out very soon, and they have a Halloween special coming out shortly after that. I’m assuming these two still find time to sleep, but three cheers for keeping up this pace. The world needs more Santos Sisters! $5
Update for 7/13/23
New review today for the last of the SPX previews (for now?): Shadow Hills by Sean Ford. Three out of three were amazing, so if you’re on the fence about trying to make the show, I’ve given you at least three solid reasons…
Ford, Sean – Shadow Hills
Shadow Hills (you can buy the book through this link when it comes out in September 2023)
What’s that you say, Secret Acres? You have a sneak preview of a book coming out at SPX this year from the guy who made Only Skin, one of my favorite small press series of the last decade or so? Why yes, I am interested in reading it! Getting this book also made me realize that I probably never did read the ending for that series, since I got it issue by issue, but that’s a me problem. As for Shadow Hills, there’s a whole lot going on in this one, with a wide cast of characters. Things start off with a young boy walking through a wasteland, until finally passing out after he sees a nearby town. A young girl finds him and brings him home to help him, discovering that he can’t (or won’t) talk. We also learn her name, which is a clue I missed the first time around (even though it’s clearly meant to be obvious, making me a dummy), so keep an eye out. From there we jump to today (as “today” is usually defined in books), as a young woman named Anne goes through town and meets several of the residents. One other resident is missing, and towards the end of the first chapter we see her trying to make her way back to town as a mysterious black goo is enveloping her, seemingly from the inside out. From there the cops get involved, we meet several more townspeople, occasionally flash back again to Dana and the mysterious silent boy, and the menace of the goo steadily ramps up. That’s one thing that Sean has done spectacularly well here: the pacing. We get plenty of time with the town, seeing how it’s supposed to run in an average day, before things start spinning out of control. We learn about years old rivalries, best friends, what happens to Anne and her mother after her sister disappears as a child, along with the slow but steady drumbeat of a feeling that there’s just not going to be a way to solve this problem. Do they manage it? Well, the answer to that is a long time coming, and you’re not going to hear it from me. This book is a terrifying masterpiece, and yet another chance to wish that I had a pile of money that I could give to artists like Sean so they could spend as much time as they wanted making art like this. Or whatever they’d like, really, but you get my meaning. I don’t do ratings for my reviews, but this one gets my super duper fantabulous ranking, and you know what that means! …it means you should check it out when it comes out. Obviously! $23.95
Update for 7/11/23
New review today for Odd Clods #2 by Steve Steiner, and hey, if you’re in Ohio, early voting starts today for that sneaky August election that Republicans snuck in to try to override the November election before it even happens. Vote accordingly!
Steiner, Steve – Odd Clods #2
More newspaper mayhem from Steve, who really might have found his niche with this format. That’s odd to say about somebody whose work I’ve been enjoying for quite a few years now, but the oversized format really lets him show off his artwork, and the ability to print this in full color makes the whole thing gorgeous. If you’re new to the world of Odd Clods, these issues are collections of short pieces, using a variety of subjects. There’s actually a continuing story in this one (starting with the sample page), dealing with a giant lizard monster that keeps attacking a fried chicken restaurant and the increasingly desperate lengths the owner goes to to try and keep his chicken safe. Other subjects include Ninja Human Resources (it’s trickier than you’d think!), the grand bee joust (and all of the dangers that would be associated with such a thing), the eternal struggle between mittens and gloves (and the ultimate sacrifice one side must make to keep their people safe), a fricking hilarious guided tour through a rich people habitat with their various eccentricities joyfully mocked, the options on day one for every new president, being intrigued by an offer that sure sounded creepy at the time, and the pros and cons of using the old timey computer game Oregon Trail (or Pioneer Wagon here) to brainwash the youth, and one other strip that I’m leaving just for you. Yeah, I’m a mensch like that. I think this is the last of his newspaper comics that I grabbed at the last con, and after reviewing each of them I have to say that a solid rule of thumb is that if you see Steve at a convention, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Give the man his $10 and get ready to laugh!
Update for 7/5/23
New review today for I Am Only A Foreigner Because You Do Not Understand by L. Nichols. Which is coming out at SPX in early September, so if you’re looking for sneak previews of the show, I’ve got at least one more review for an SPX debut soon…
Nichols, L. – I Am Only A Foreigner Because You Do Not Understand
I Am Only A Foreigner Because You Do Not Understand
Programming note: this book is debuting at SPX in a couple of months, so while the link at the title does not lead to their new book yet, it will soon. And now, allow me to wander into the review, where I will also wander with my words. L. has been a favorite at this here website for many years. Jumbly Junkery, Unrequited Monsters, and of course Flocks (which should have won all the awards), so you’d better believe that this one moved to the top of the review pile (which is more of a precarious mound at this point than a pile, but you get my meaning). The only drawback to always topping yourself is that it leads to heightened expectations, and I’m happy to report that L. managed to somehow get even better this time around. There have been several changes in their life since Flocks, and this is a collection of several short pieces that depict some of them. Where to even begin? In the big picture, L. is still coming to terms with several events from their life, and some of them will always be haunting. They’re also better off in a lot of ways than they have been in years, which is a persistent undercurrent running through even the most difficult stories. Subjects in here include trying to put into words just what it’s like feeling like your body has never been quite yours, getting through covid, learning to accept their excess skin after losing a lot of weight, a happy memory of their mother just before we learn how rare such a thing really was in their childhood, being alarmed about seeing their mother’s face in the mirror whenever they shave, trying to imagine exactly the body they wanted, learning to live with what was taken out during gender reassignment surgery (and having to pay for nipples because insurance apparently deemed them “optional”), the bittersweet reality of seeing so many younger trans people being so comfortable with who they are so quickly when it was always difficult for L., and one good thing about having to share custody of their kids. And much more, obviously, but it seems silly to dig too deeply into the specifics months before it even comes out. To anybody who’s trans or questioning, this is once again required reading, as is just about anything L. does, because their books as a whole tell quite the story over the years. And if you’re not trans or questioning but just enjoy a great, if occasionally heartbreaking series of stories, I’d call this mandatory for you too. $15.95 (out in early September 2023)
Update for 7/3/23
New review today for Blirps #4 by Brian Canini, as the eternal quest to keep up with his comics continues.
Canini, Brain – Blirps #4
A peek behind the curtain: I was planning on getting back into Plastic People, as it’s a bad idea to get too far behind in any series Brian is doing, but I seem to have a gap between #9-12. I’ll get it sorted (CXC in Columbus is only a few months away, after all), but it’s not like I ever have a shortage of his books to review. Blirps is more self-contained than his other series, or at least it seems that way after reading #2 and #4. It’s a series of four panel strips, and in this issue each strip starts off with an insecurity of the main character as they try to work their way through it. Subjects include indecisiveness, false hope, trying to put yourself out there, standing out in a crowd, self-doubt, going out on a limb, and getting way too far into your own head. And a couple more, which I leave (as always) for the reader to discover. Honestly, at this point I’m a bigger fan of his ongoing series or his autobiographical work, but the benefits of somebody like him putting out so many quality comics is that I could end up flipping that opinion with a few more issues of this series. It has its moments, is what I’m saying, and if you’d like a flavor of Brian’s work without diving in to a series, this is your best bet for fiction (and Slice of Life is probably your best bet for autobio comics). Or, like I always say, just send him a pile of money and ask him for a grab bag of comics. One of these days I should probably ask Brian if anybody has ever actually done that… $1.99
Update for 6/29/23
New review today for The Amazing Camel Toe by Claire Duplan. Was this another accidental international week, as Andrew is in Australia and Claire is in France? Yep, looks like it…
Duplan, Claire – The Amazing Camel Toe
Can I just say that if I was giving out awards for best title, that one would win running away? This is somehow Claire’s first graphic novel, despite it feeling like it comes from somebody who’s been doing this for years and is completely assured in their own skills. The story itself bounces back and forth from the life of Constance (a young illustrator who’s beyond fed up at the countless attacks, big and small, suffered by women every day) and the hero of the comic she just started, Camel Toe. This hero has the power to make every man who harasses a woman picture that woman as their mother, which is a spectacularly appropriate punishment. Constance, meanwhile, feels better about herself and the world the further she gets into the stories of Camel Toe, but those stories are starting to freak out some of the companies that had been hiring her for illustration jobs. Her long term boyfriend, despite being generally supportive, also has trouble having her back on the subject, which really leaves Constance feeling alone in this struggle. If your “preachy” sense is going off right now, and you’re afraid that you’d be in for a humorless diatribe if you read this, I’m hoping the sample page alone will be enough to convince you otherwise. That story goes on for several more pages, and would solve a whole lot of harassment issues if it was implemented as a law. The Camel Toe stories are consistently funny (this is one of those books where I could have used several pages as sample pages, if that wasn’t, you know, unethical), and everybody at least knows somebody like Constance, assuming you’re not a lot like her yourself. I also think this deserves mentioning: the slogan for Camel Toe is “defender of gals and fucker of the patriarchy.” Why is she watering her plants with period blood on the cover? Sorry friends, you’ll have to read the book to solve that mystery. I’m scratching the surface on the details here, granted, but this is something that everybody should read and discover for themselves. Here’s hoping we see a lot more out of Claire, because this is one hell of a debut. $25 ($10 for the pdf)
Pilkington, Andrew – Mole #9
In case you’re curious what “trichotillomania” means, but you’re not curious enough to Google it, it refers to a disorder that compels people to pull out their own hair. It’s also a pretty solid hint about where the comic is going. This is the first issue of Mole that I’ve read where it’s all just one big story (granted, I’ve only read about 1/3 of these), and it works pretty damned well. Things start off with the horrific scene of a young woman cowering on the bathroom floor, blood everywhere, with an unseen man holding a bloody hairbrush. From there we flash back to how this all happened, and it all started at a drunken party. Two friends were trying to set another friend (Jimmy) up with the only lady at their party (Samantha), but they’d been trying for awhile and couldn’t get him to make a move. So after she passed out they decided to play a little prank on Jimmy, and things gradually spiraled out of control from there. She called him the next morning to hang out, but little did she know that Jimmy could not say no to… the hair. Vague enough for you? Good. It’s rare to see a genuinely new concept that still feels like it’s heading to one inescapable conclusion, even if it’s a conclusion you’ve never considered, but Andrew nails that feeling here. Yes, I may have made up that whole concept, but it’s true nonetheless. Some of his other books are definitely funnier than this one, but there are still laughs to be had here, and this is really more of a horror comic anyway. In my opinion, as the guy who guesses wrong about this stuff all the time, but you should know that by now. Anybody with any insecurities about your hair, give this one a shot. You’ll see that you could always have it worse! $10
