Blog Archives
Jackson, Rob – Random Journeys #3
Random Journeys #3
Here it is, the exciting conclusion, and the whole issue is dedicated to the story this time. Who gets to keep that dagger? Is the Professor’s daughter going to get killed for it? This is told from the perspective of the Professor giving a lecture, so we know some of the things that aren’t going to happen right away. Let’s see, how should I talk about this stuff without giving anything away… Well, it’s the end of the series, so things are wrapped up in a more or less satisfactory way. We get to see one of the actual people in the Professor’s fantastic version of events, and he’s not happy with the way he’s portrayed. Oh, and a group of guards in the jungle are tricked into eating some psychedelic mushrooms. I thought things were wrapped up nicely, with the possibility of more in the future, but not so much that things are left dangling here. I’m liking the art more and more, and I love Rob’s version of sweaty nervousness. Worth a look for those of you who like archaeological stories mixed in with plenty of human errors.
Jackson, Rob – Random Journeys #2
Random Journeys #2
Well, this should put to rest any doubts I had about this being an actual continuing series. The story of the archaeologists continues in this issue, and it’s even going to bleed over into the next one (at least). The team finds themselves trapped in an ancient ruin (although the escape is fairly anticlimactic), then run into another team that is even less ethical than they are. I enjoyed the characters more last time around; I guess at this point they’re supposed to be established so it shouldn’t bug me, but the character of Professor’s daughter seems almost wafer thin in this one. Still overall a good story, and it ends on another cliffhanger. Then there’s a wordless story called “The Swirling Vortex Of Doom” about, oddly enough, a swirling vortex of doom. We see the destruction rage through an underground cavern and suck up everything in its path, so if you like some good mayhem, well, here you go. Finally there’s a science fiction shortie that’s my favorite of the bunch. A man goes to a remote satellite to focus on his writing, and of course space madness sets in from there… or does it? I loved the subtle touches to make this seem otherworldly, like the pleasure planet (that looked kind of creepy) and the fact that the alien on the satellite drags around a cart filled with snouts and cakes. Another solid issue, and yet another case when I’m not sure how the currency settles into American dollars. $3 maybe? Let’s go with that…
Jackson, Rob – Random Journeys #1
Random Journeys #1
Could it be that this is actually the start of an ongoing series? I hope so, for one simple reason: Rob is one of those rare people who does autobio comics that actually travels all over the place. Meaning, essentially, that there are always good stories to tell. The first half of this book is the story of an explorer, his daughter and a crew of vagabonds (which I say mostly because I wanted to use the word “vagabonds”) who go to try and find a lost city that was indicated on an old lost map. Great job here, as everybody has an established personality in the few pages they’re allowed and it even ends on an excellent cliffhanger, to be continued in #2, unless of course he’s just kidding about the whole continuing series idea. Also included in this are the strip I sampled about the birds, the story of Rob’s first day or work in South Korea and various tales told by various folks on allotments. Again, kudos on keeping the autobio stuff interesting (far better than plenty of the navel gazing stuff from this country) and art seems to be improving by the issue.
