Graphic Novels Read in June 2014 Part III

And here’s how I ended the month of June.... (All works with a + are part of the ongoing SXSW 2014 Starter Pack review series.)

+ Scam (2013) Joe Mulvey (Comix Tribe)

The ComiXology description reads, SCAM is "X-Men meets Oceans 11″ and involves a team of super-powered grifters on the biggest con of their lives...taking down a Vegas casino and getting revenge on a former teammate who double-crossed them. "It's better to die a conman, than live like a mark!"

I love tales about con men, grifters and the like, so Scam certainly piqued my interest. The story gets a little confusing at times, mainly because some of the characters look a little too much alike. Oceans 11 is a good comparison, so if you liked those films, I’d recommend this 5-issue volume. 

3/5

Thief of Thieves, Vol. 1: “I Quit.” (2012) Robert Kirkman, Nick Spencer, Shawn Martinbrough (Image)

Conrad Paulson can steal anything, or I should say his alias “Redmond” can steal anything. Paulson would love nothing more than to quit his life of thievery, but his son wants to carry on his dad’s criminal tradition. Thief of Thieves is a fun series, but after reading a lot of Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips collaborations lately, it’s a little on the light side. 

3/5

Velvet, Vol. 1: Before the Living End (2014) Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting (Image)

See my review at The Comics Alternative podcast. 

5/5

Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse (J 2012) Nate Cosby, Chris Eliopoulos (Archaia)

You’ve never seen a bounty hunter quite like Cow Boy. He’s tough as nails, can shoot like nobody’s business, and might just put his entire family behind bars. You may find yourself laughing at many of Cow Boy’s situations, but don’t be surprised if you find a few sobering thoughts as well. One of the blurbs on the back cover suggests that Cow Boy is what would happen if Charles Schultz and Frank Miller collaborated. I’d say that’s fairly accurate. The book also includes short stories by Roger Langridge, Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener, Mike Mailhack and Colleen Coover. 

4/5

Basewood (2014) Alec Longstreth (Phase Seven)

Longstreth’s Kickstarter project is one of those quiet books that could easily slip past the attention of most people, but I don’t want that to happen. A man awakens in the woods with no memory of who or where he is. He meets an old hermit who lives in a treehouse with his dog, who constantly watch the skies for a deadly dragon. 

This is a wonderful book with gorgeous black-and-white art that deserves a wide readership. Derek and I will be discussing this book more on an upcoming interview with Longstreth on The Comics Alternative podcast, so stay tuned!

4/5

Criminal: The Deluxe Edition: Volume 2 (2012) Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips

There’s nobody doing crime noir quite like Brubaker and Phillips. Each of the three story arcs stands alone, yet they all contain interconnected characters, making for an entire Criminal universe that demands to be read as one large unit. If you haven’t read it, pick up the first deluxe edition. 

5/5 

Rachel Rising, Vol. 4: Winter Graves (2014) Terry Moore

I recently read that Terry Moore’s Rachel Rising will soon come to an end, which is disappointing, but inevitable, I suppose. Moore has the ability to write meaningful stories about people and relationships, as he did so superbly with Strangers in Paradise, but by adding in horror elements - and not just horror-for-horror’s-sake, but horror with a disturbing (yet sometimes comedic) impact - he’s created one of the best horror titles in years. 

4/5

Sibyl-Anne vs. Ratticus (1966-67/2011) R. Macherot (Fantagraphics)

All is well in the peaceful French countryside until the rat Ratticus decides to overthrow Sibyl-Anne’s quiet animal community. He enlists the help of a starving rat population, promising freedom and an unlimited food supply. Originally published in the 1960s in France and Belgium, Sibyl-Anne vs. Ratticus is one of those titles that can be enjoyed as a fun adventure romp and as political/cultural satire. Well worth a look. 

4/5

It's Wednesday... 7/2/14

Same as last week, I'm only looking at a few things this Wednesday. The only thing I definitely plan to snag is the one-shot Ditko Kirby Wood, a tribute to Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby and Wally Wood by Sergio Ponchione. 

Southern Bastards #3 continues what has to be one of the strongest titles of 2014. This is one you don't want to wait for in trade paperback. 

Finally, I'd love to see what crazy things Gilbert Hernandez does with noir in this collection of - oddly enough - color comics, collecting Grip: The Strange World of Men #1-5. Dark Horse slates today as the release date for Grip, but Amazon is silent on it. We shall see...

Interview with Zita the Spacegirl Creator Ben Hatke

Derek and I recently had a great time interviewing Ben Hatke, creator of the Zita the Spacegirl graphic novels over at The Comics Alternative. In this interview, you'll hear all about Zita, Hatke's creative process, his new picture book Julia's House for Lost Creatures, and more. Enjoy!

Graphic Novels Read in June 2014 Part II

June is looking to be a record-breaking month here at Graphic Novel Universe. Here’s the second part of what I’ve read this month. More to come!

(All works with a + are part of the ongoing SXSW 2014 Starter Pack review series.)

The Yellow “M” (1956) Edgar P. Jacobs (Cinebook)

Previously discussed here. 

4/5

Afterlife with Archie, Vol. 1: Escape from Riverdale (2014) Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Francesco Francavilla (Archie) 

Read my review at The Comics Alternative.

5/5

Black Science, Vol. 1: How to Fall Forever (2014) Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, Dean White (Image)

Scientist Grant McKay - with his research crew and family - discovers a way to travel to other dimensions through “black science” and, specifically, through a device known as the “pillar.” McKay is hoping to find the answers to all of man’s questions by traveling interdimensionally, but discovers each dimension is filled with further questions, danger, and sometimes death. 

In one way, Rememder is exploring and paying homage to some of the great classic science fiction ideas from sf history. In another, he’s touching on many elements of human nature, some that we’d maybe rather not be reminded of...

This was a quick read - perhaps too quick - and one I want to explore again. The art and coloring in this book are so incredible, you could literally stare at each panel and lose all track of time. Collects Black Science #1-6 for ten bucks. Trust me on this one - buy it. 

4.5/5

+ Chloe Noonan: Monster Hunter: Digital Omnibus (2012) Marc Ellerby (Great Beast) 

I like the concept of Chloe as sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer without any special powers. Chloe is also a real flake and most of the time isn’t really interested in saving the world at all, but would rather play keyboards in what appears to be a pretty lousy band. She’s grumpy and opinionated and hangs out with her friend Zoe, who is - of course - everything Chloe is not: beautiful, perky, and optimistic. The British humor works well enough, but gets old fast. A fun, whimsical read that I might explore further.

3/5

The Massive, Vol. 1: Black Pacific (2013) Brian Wood, Kristian Donaldson, Garry Brown (Dark Horse) (2x)

The first trade of The Massive was one of my favorite graphic novels of 2013. (You can read my full review here.)

5/5

The Massive, Vol. 2: Subcontinental (2013) Brian Wood, Garry Brown, Gary Erskine, Declan Shalvey, Danijel Žeželj (Dark Horse)

The second trade of The Massive really deflated much of the enthusiasm I had for the first volume. I can go along with the “ghost ship” concept for only so long, and at this point, my patience is wearing thin. Several believability issues emerge here that were not a problem in the first book, but the biggest disappointment with Subcontinental is its art with six collected issues drawn by four different artists. I’m not sure what’s going on with these changes, but I’m hoping for more consistency in art and less “ghost ship” plot points with Volume 3.  

3/5

The Nao of Brown (2012) Glyn Dillon (SelfMadeHero)

Nao Brown is a 28-year-old woman with OCD who lives in London and works at a toy shop. Nao has dreams of love and longing as well as extremely violent urges, often at the same time. Telling you more about the plot would be pointless. The Nao of Brown is something you have to experience for yourself. Besides the gorgeous watercolor artwork, Dillon has created a uniquely complex character that’s both surprising and touching. This is a very different graphic novel, one that’s very good and maybe even great. I’ll definitely read this one again. 

4.5/5

Adventure Time: Candy Capers (J 2014) (KaBOOM!)

Recently reviewed at The Comics Alternative.  

3/5

It's Wednesday... 6/25/14

Full disclosure: I’m getting ready to buy a new computer, so I probably won’t be hitting my favorite comic shop in the world, Third Eye Comics, for a few weeks, but if I were to somehow accidentally wind up there, and if dollars started falling from the sky, here’s what I’d be picking up:

The Mercenary Sea #5

I loved the first issue of this title and have been debating whether to buy it in individual issues or just wait for the trade. If you haven’t read it, this is simply a great adventure in the vein of Jonny Quest (only without kids) with wonderful artwork by Mathew Reynolds. 

Mind MGMT #23

Matt Kindt is simply amazing. This is another series I began buying as individuals issues, then waited for the trades, but since Kindt adds so many extras to the floppies (extras which never make it into the collected editions), I might just start picking the single issues up again. Haven’t read Mind MGMT? If you like spy stories, adventure, suspense, action, or just good stories (and who doesn’t?), pick up Mind MGMT. 

Rachel Rising #23

I do buy Rachel Rising, but usually only in collected editions. If you like horror and you’re not reading this title, you should correct that oversight immediately. 

As far as trade/collected editions go, the only thing that really grabs me this week is Brian Wood’s The Massive, Vol. 3: Longship. While Vol. 1: Black Pacific was an exceptional introduction to the world of The Massive, Vol. 2: Subcontinental was a largely disappointing venture with a revolving door of artists. I have high hopes, however, for Longship. 

Be sure to tell me what you plan to pick up today.

Adventure Time: Candy Capers (J 2014)

The Comics Alternative just published my review of Adventure Time: Candy Capers. As you can see from the review, talking about different formats (In this case, television vs. graphic novel) can be problematic, especially if you're talking about the graphic novel format to someone who has only seen - or never seen - the TV show. That's a topic I hope to explore soon here at Graphic Novel Universe. 

SXSW 2014 Starter Pack Review Part II

Back in March, I purchased the SXSW 2014 Submit Starter Pack, 100 digital comics/graphic novels for 10 bucks. I thought it would be fun to review the entire bundle..... slowly, ten titles at a time. This is going to take several weeks months, so bear with me here. 

My rules: if it’s a more-or-less standard individual issue (roughly 32 pages), it gets a one-sentence review. If it’s a graphic novel or longer work, I’m allowed to write more. I’ll start each entry with the title and creators, the copy in italics as it appeared on ComiXology, followed by my review. Here we go - hope you enjoy it.

(Part I can be found here.)

Evil Inc Monthly Vol. 7 

Brad Guigar

Captain Heroic faces his daddy issues, and the Real Housewives of Transylvania are introduced in a special, two-week Halloween story. Also included in this edition is "Tales from the Evil Inc Archive!" This trip into the Evil Inc vault re-lives the death of an old nemesis, Mister Shiver -- but not before one of the best intro sequences in Evil Inc history!

The opening story - that of a superhero dad and his adult superhero son trying to express their love for each other - has some good moments, but the remainder of the stories are filled with well-worn puns/wordplay, and not very funny plots.

2/5

Nathan Sorry Vol. 1 

Rich Barrett 

Nathan Sorry did not die on 9/11. He ran. A missed flight saves Nathan Sorry from being in his office in the World Trade Center on the morning of 9/11 and leaves him with an inadvertently stolen laptop that contains the key to $20 million and a new identity. Two months later, Nathan is hiding out in a small town, calling himself “James Goode”, and is slowly losing his grasp of who he really is and what he's really running from.

See my full review. 

3/5

Footprints Vol. 1

Joey Esposito, Jonathan Moore

Bigfoot and his gang of cryptozoological deviants enter a crime noir world full of mystery, horror, monsters and conspiracy. When Foot’s estranged brother Yeti is murdered in the Arctic, Foot reunites his old team of Jersey Devil, Nessy, and Megaldon for one last case that spans back to their very long history together.

Footprints is one of those graphic novels that simply should not work at all. I mean, come on, Bigfoot as a hardboiled detective looking for the murderer of his brother Yeti? And Bigfoot’s buddies helping him on the case - The Jersey Devil, Loch Ness Monster, and Megaldon? How in the world could this work on any level?

I’m not sure, but it does. Esposito provides just the right amount of humor in this gritty noir tale and Jonathan Moore’s art is somewhat reminiscent of that of Sean Phillips. Worth a look.

3.5/5

Kung Fu Skratch! #1

Adrian Thomas Engmann, Erwin Prasetva

Fifteen year old Jason Stonewall and his father, Raymond Stonewall return to the American town of Brickhaven after a year long training sojourn overseas in the East. Now the young martial arts prodigy must deal with his first day as a freshman in high school, b-boy bullies, girls, Brickhaven High's most notorious gang, the SHO'GUNNZ and their menacing leader, the Banchō Gangsta - - FA'SHO!

Fairly engaging tale of sibling rivalry amidst a kung fu background, but since I’m not really a fan of kung fu, I found this one fairly slight.  

2.5/5

Armarauders #1

Dan Taylor, Don Figuerca

Humanity was on the brink of extinction when an alien race brought remarkable technology in the form of massive weapons of war. As mankind stepped into the galactic arena, they encountered the WASTERS, a threat unlike any seen before. In a final mission on a distant world, a squadron of mecha pilots get cut off from reinforcements and have to battle against all odds for survival as they discover dark secrets about their allies... secrets that could alter the balance of power in the universe!

Transformers fans will probably dig this for the action and visuals, but there’s not enough plot for me to continue the series.   

2/5

The Antler Boy and Other Stories

Jake Parker

Flying whales, giant imaginary pink bunnies, friendly robots, curious aliens, space explorers, and adventures all find a home between the covers of this book. The Antler Boy and Other Stories collects ten short stories written and illustrated by Jake Parker, New York Times bestselling illustrator and creator of the Missile Mouse graphic novel series from Scholastic.

Nice collection of stories from Jake Parker, many of them previously published in Flight, Flight Explorer and other publications. The most famous character in this collection is undoubtedly Missle Mouse, but the collection also includes two stories each featuring Hugo Earhart and Lucy Nova, as well as several other gems. (My favorites are "The Robot and the Sparrow" and "The Antler Boy.") 

Many of these stories are sweet and touching (maybe too much so at times), yet Parker's imagination is the star of this volume, reflected in some excellent artwork. 

4/5

Chloe Noonan: Monster Hunter: Digital Omnibus

Marc Ellerby

Chloe Noonan is a monster hunter, but she doesn't have any powers. She can't beat up bad guys, she can't run without getting a stitch. She's kinda flakey and really not bothered about saving the world. Especially when she has to get the bus everywhere. Set in the fictional British town of Ravensdale, this ongoing series of comics and short stories sees our eponymous hero Chloe Noonan team up with a government led squad of Monster Hunters to solve the ever growing monster problem. This digital omnibus collects every Chloe Noonan story to date in full colour and comes complete with a cover illustration gallery, fan art section and a look into creator Marc (Ellerbisms, Love The Way You Love) Ellerby's sketchbook designs.

I like the concept of Chloe as sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer without any special powers. The humor - very British - works well enough, but gets old fast. A fun read that I might explore further.

3/5

Scam #1

Joe Mulvey

SCAM is "X-Men meets Oceans 11″ and involves a team of super-powered grifters on the biggest con of their lives...taking down a Vegas casino and getting revenge on a former teammate who double-crossed them. "It's better to die a conman, than live like a mark!"

I love tales about con men, grifters and the like, so Scam certainly piqued my interest. The story gets a little confusing at times, mainly because some of the characters look a little too much alike. Oceans 11 is a good comparison, so if you liked those films, I’d recommend this 5-issue volume. 

3/5

Anathema #1

Rachel Deering, Christopher Mooneyham

When her world is turned upside down and she is stripped of everything she loves, Mercy must take on dark powers to help save the soul of her beloved Sarah.

Anathema has a great visual style, similar to Mike Mignola’s, with a story by Rachel Deering - who knows a thing or two about horror - that’s both culturally relevant and chilling. 

4/5

The Mire

Becky Cloonan

On the eve of a great battle, a humble squire is tasked with delivering a letter to a seemingly abandoned castle at the heart of an ill-famed swamp. Met with mysterious apparitions on the way, he slowly unveils the truth behind his journey as his past is re-written over the course of the story.

Cloonan makes the most of a fairly simple premise with wonderfully detailed illustrations and several wordless panels that allow the reader to pause and reflect upon this tale that showcases Cloonan’s amazing storytelling/illustrating abilities. 

5/5