Category Archives: Reviews
Reviews
Krumpholz, Karl Christian – The Lighthouse in the City Volume 11
The Lighthouse in the City Volume 11
The sample image below is for everybody who has a cat that got just a little too curious about the shower/bath that their owner was taken, resulting in a trail of wetness going through the house in a panicked fashion. Seems to be a thing that every cat needs to figure out for themselves. Oh hi, it’s time for a new volume of Karl’s autobiographical series! This one cover September 2022 through the end of the year, and (no spoilers, but kind of a spoiler, I suppose) this is the last volume he’s going to be doing for a while. Completely understandable, and he’s lasted longer than most who attempt the daily diary strip. I’m curious to see what he does with this new bounty of free time. So what’s this particular volume about, you ask? There are of course several adventures with Oola (both real and imagined), some strips about his time at a few conventions, more tragedy in his personal life (he was on a rough string of losing friends and family members for a while), observations from his walks around the neighborhood, getting through a rough cold (and still making comics through it), and so very much more. Which seems like a copout on the part of a “professional” reviewer, but the man has over 130 pages of strips in here and I’m not going to bloodlessly boil them down to their essences. This is the 11th volume, after all. The man is a hell of a storyteller (and an artist; the level of detail in these strips considering that they’re produced daily is staggering), so I’m guessing that you’re already on board for his comics at this point. If not, it would probably be kind of funny if you jumped on with the final volume of this three year journey. He was nice enough to send me his earlier volumes (that I hadn’t reviewed) a while back, so maybe I’ll review a couple of those randomly while I wait to see what he comes up with next. Will it be odd to talk about those, especially the BO (Before Oola) days? Yeah, probably. We’ll see. Meanwhile, this is yet another solid entry in this series, which you should be checking out already. $12
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
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…
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
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
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
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!
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)
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
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
Sergel, Robert – Satan’s Kingdom
Every once in a while, I can still manage to get a review up in a timely fashion. This time it’s maybe a little too timely, as this book is debuting at SPX in a few months, but consider this a general joyful noise that a new Robert Sergel book is coming out soon. Prepare yourselves! This takes my general reluctance to use spoilers to whole new levels, but I’ll ramble as best as I know how, OK? Oh, and a gentle reminder: if you don’t already have Space and Bald Knobber, his two previous books, maybe rectify that before the new one comes out? You won’t be disappointed. Like those books, this a collection of shorter stories, several of which have already appeared either in his own comic (Eschew) or different anthologies. But there are also a few new ones, so there’s something here for everybody. First up is the title story, Satan’s Kingdom, and boy howdy is this one going to be tricky. It starts off with a man taking an impromptu drive because he heard a podcast about a place called Satan’s Kingdom. He’s underwhelmed, but things take a serious turn when he finds a body. From there he notices that the body looks awfully familiar, followed by a man coming out of the forest who also looks awfully familiar, and what follows is a terrifyingly unnerving, mostly wordless chase. Other stories deal with various Spite houses (if you’re not familiar, and I wasn’t, these are oddly shaped houses that were built purely to mess with somebody and are still around today as oddities), childhood memories from the brother of Napoleon and his chance encounter with something else entirely, a casual tale of an uncle doing some babysitting (no, of course it doesn’t stay casual, but this one will remain a mystery), having a conversation with one of those “activate your power” type motivational speaker and taking his message to its logical conclusion, a male initiation ceremony from a tribe that’s now extinct, and Shit Photographer. I’d like you to take your best guess on that last one, and you can see for yourselves how close you got to it in a few months. All of his stories have this background of unrealized dread, where you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop, that’s difficult to quantify without showing you several more pages, or maybe a full story or two. I’m always thrilled to see a new book from this man, and he’s that rare kind of talent that still manages to surpass himself every time. This might be his best work, or maybe I just think that because it’s been a few years since I read his other books. Still, it’s absolutely worth checking out. $20
Robertson, David (editor) – That Comic Smell #2
It’s another fantabulous anthology comic from David and friends, and once again it seems like this one must have slipped to the bottom of one of my perilous piles of review comics, as it looks like he’s already hard at work on #3. Eh, it’s timeless anyway, right? Granted, I don’t see it for sale on his website, but let’s just move on. I’m sure that contacting the man will end up with you getting a copy of it. The list of contributors on the back inside cover is incomplete (and/or he uses nicknames), so if I missed a name and you know it, send me an email and I’ll add a tag with their name. Seems minor, I know, but you’d be amazed what you can find here if you click on various names in those tags. Anyway, there’s a comic here, and it’s a pretty damned good one. Sure, there’s the occasional “meh” story, as is the case for every anthology ever, but they’re few and far between. Stories include a fully fictionalized account of Jeff Lynne explaining Xanadu by David (that sentence will need explaining to most of you, but trust me, it’s a funny story), Loki “helping” a young girl who saved his pet my Mike Sedakat, an absolutely hilarious parody of the “Taken” movies by David (unless it’s a faithful retelling, as I haven’t seen any of them, and if that’s the case I have to see all those movies immediately), letting the intern loose on the advice column questions by ? (see, this is why I prefer artist’s names to be on their pages in anthologies, or at least clearly marked somewhere), a more than slightly trippy bit on how we all perceive colors by another ?, how Muhammad Ali was thrown out of the British Magic Circle by yet another mystery artist, and an owl and a cat in outer space by David. Several other shorties too that I’m not mentioning because I like surprises, of course. There’s one story that’s a little problematic, depending on where you fall on the “how often should we be talking about Kobe Bryant, considering the whole rape thing” spectrum. If you’re interested in a faithful retelling of his various accomplishments by a guy who was actual friends with Kobe from a young age (Nando), then there’s a lot to like about the piece. If you think, like I do, that you have to at least mention the rape thing in a story about his life, it’s maybe a little lacking. Oh, why did I save that for last? Who wants to end a review of an overwhelmingly funny/insightful anthology with something like that? My apologies. Yes, David still knows what he’s doing with this anthology/comics business, and yes, you should absolutely check this out.
Cotter, Joshua W. – Nod Away Volume 1
Full disclosure time: I didn’t have any idea that Joshua was working on this series until I saw a depressing Twitter thread about it. His second volume (which I’ll be reviewing toot sweet after the ending of this one) came out right around the time the pandemic started, which severely impacted his ability to promote it, to the extent that it sold something like 4 copies. Not a typo, sadly. I remembered his work from Skyscrapers of the Midwest, a fantastic series I reviewed in the early days of the website, and bought copies of the first two volumes of this series immediately. Quick spoiler-free review: you should too! Or at least the first one, because that’s all I’ve read so far. If you read his stuff back in the day, or if you’ve kept up with his career better than I have, go into this as blind as possible. For the rest of you, I’ll talk some specifics. Things start off abstract, with a series of words turning into sentences, jumbles and finally a person. It’s an unnamed dude that we follow sporadically throughout the book, but the specifics of his purpose are left a mystery. Unless I missed something, which is always and forever a possibility in my reviews. The bulk of the story deals with something called an innernet, which I originally thought was a play on the regular internet, but it’s so much more. A certain percentage (I think it was around 60%) of the population is able to get an implant that lets them keep constantly connected to what is basically a hive mind. The specifics are vague at first, but eventually (keep in mind what I said about spoilers; you can always stop now) we learn that it’s hosted by a young girl who’s kept under constant supervision. Once that comes out the group redoubles their efforts to find a more humane and universal method for keeping people connected, which is when their troubles begin. But that’s towards the end of the book, so I’m keeping that vague. Before then we spend most of our time with Dr. McCabe, a woman who’s taken a job on what is rather casually revealed to be the space station that houses the young woman who hosts the innernet. Dr. McCabe is trying to keep up a long distance relationship, so we gradually watch that fall apart as she tries to keep up with her work. There are bureaucratic troubles galore, we see her get to know the rest of the staff, and things stay more or less calm (with a steady undercurrent of menace) until their big attempt to activate another way to host the innernet. The southern general who speaks at that thing, by the way, is one of my new favorite characters in comics, and I hope we end up getting more of this man that I would never want to meet in real life. I can’t emphasize enough how full of plot and potential this thing is, despite being compellingly readable throughout. Joshua is planning 7 volumes, and from what I’ve seen I can already say that the comics world would be a poorer place if he doesn’t make it. Buy his book, it’s your duty as a comics fan! If that doesn’t work, he’s also doing a fundraiser so he can get through 7 volumes, and he’s only about 1/3 of the way to his goal as of this review, so at least throw some money at the guy. $25
Yinug, Marino (Editor) & Various Artists – Barfology #1
Website (Twitter)
So every once in a while I do one of these “here are some basics that I’m putting out there as a public service announcement” kind of reviews. I’ll get to the contents, obviously, but I’ve been doing this for 22ish years by now (I know, I can’t believe it either) and see the same basic errors pop up often enough that I figure they deserve a reminder every now and then. What’s the trouble with this anthology? Well, they do put a table of contents in the back, which is something some anthologies forget altogether, so they get points for that. But they forget to list the page numbers on the actual pages, so if, say, I’m trying to figure out which piece Lily Reyes or Brian Kennedy did, I have to go back and manually count the pages. That’s something I don’t have much patience for as a reviewer, so I can’t imagine the average reader has much more, especially in an anthology like this where several of the art styles are fairly similar. Basically in anthologies: ideally put the artist’s name somewhere highly visible on the page, if not you really need page numbers. OK, lecture over, and remember that it’s coming from a place of love. What’s this one about? As you may have guessed from the cover, wacky mayhem plays a big part in it. Several of the styles are very reminiscent of Ren & Stimpy (one piece even has them in it), so if you’re at all familiar you have a baseline. But it does wander on several occasions, giving it variety, which is the trickiest thing to manage for anthologies. Stories in here include an ice cream pun, finding the perfect way to defeat (legally not) Skeletor, trying everything to get lettuce out of your teeth, overthinking an outfit before going out, going too mainstream with music, giving too much to a beggar, making up a story about getting beat up to cover something embarrassing, a contemplative moment spotting somebody in the gym, and several more silent panels and gags. It’s pretty engaging overall, with a few low spots, as is almost always the case for anthologies. There’s also a QR code on the back with a link to their first animated show, which was also pretty funny. Check it out if you’re in the mood for mayhem! $10
McNinch, Carrie, You Don’t Get There From Here #57
You Don’t Get There From Here #57
Note: the link in the comic title is actually to her Patreon, as I don’t see a simple way to order her comics online. Get in touch with her and offer her some cash, I reckon you’ll wind up with some comics. So hey, it’s the return of Carrie! Not that she went anywhere, I just haven’t reviewed an issue of her series for 20 issues or so. Once again, I plead with a benevolent billionaire to give me enough money to hire an assistant, so that I have any chance at all of keeping up with all mini comics series in the world. So what’s she been up to in the interim? Well, things haven’t been going great in her life. These strips are all from early 2019, just for context. She talks a few times in these strips about putting the finishing touches on #48, which means she’s really been cranking these out. She’s obviously dealing with some severe depression in several of these strips, so keep in that mind if it’s triggering. She’s back living with her mom, has two sick cats she’s trying to keep alive through various medicines and methods, can’t seem to get a job she likes (and usually ends up cat or dog sitting) and at one point even ends up getting home and biting into what’s actually a beef burrito. For somebody who’s been a vegetarian as long as she has, believe me, that’s devastating. About halfway through the comic, just when it seems like she’s at her lowest, it’s time for a long planned trip to Japan. This really picks her spirits up, even though she does manage to get a cold on the long flight. She wanders from place to place and seems to have a fantastic time, culminating in the Penis Festival that’s mentioned below. Do the statues and decorations get even more outlandish as it goes on? Reader, you know they do. As always, her comics are a treat, although I do hope her luck has picked up a bit over the last few years. No price listed, but she was talking about the harsh reality that she’s have to raise her prices soon, so maybe $5.
Petre, Greg & Fake – Santos Sisters #3
It’s more fun with those lovable Santos Sisters, who are in serious danger of becoming bit characters in their own comic. Not that that’s always a bad thing; in this case it’s mostly because the background characters are clearly demanding more time on the page. This one has a few different stories in it. First up is one about Crazy Eightball dealing with an ex in a less than rational manner. Hey, her name has “crazy” in it! Todd (everybody remembers Todd from past issues) had apparently complimented her outfit, which led her to believe that he was complimenting her, which all ends up in a brawl at the local Oliver Garden. Then there’s the tale of the football players who were kicked off the team for steroids, their plan for revenge, and a real life demonstration on how the Santos Sisters use their swords for weapons without ending up just murdering everybody. There’s also silent (and all-ages!) piece about getting outskated and then getting even, and finally a trip to the zoo that ends in a massive animal breakout and a brief fracas with that dude on the cover who’s holding a sword and barely wearing any clothes. Another funny issue with, like I said, a cast of characters who’s rapidly taking things over. Issue #4 just came out (which prompted this review; keeping up with all of the comics in the world is a tough business), and #5 is also coming soon, so now’s the perfect time to get yourself a pile of their comics. $5
Forker, Nick – Eyeland #10
I’m breaking one of my usual “rules” to review #10 long before I review #3-9. Why would I do such a thing? Well, Eyeland isn’t (at least so far) a linear story, and I needed some help in deciding whether or not to go back and review the rest of the series. So after reading the latest issue, my conclusion is… yeah, maybe, if I have time! Riveting stuff, I know. So what’s this comic about? Nick was going through a move in New York while he was trying to put this issue together, which was going to make sticking to his monthly schedule difficult, to say the least. So he pulled together various sketchbook pages and stories about his experiences together to meet his deadline. I’m always and forever impressed with anybody who keeps up a monthly schedule (Dave Sim, for all of his MANY other faults, kept it up for decades, which actually may not be the best endorsement for the schedule considering what happened to his brain, so never mind), but it looks like he’s dialed it back a bit since, as there’s only one new issue out so far in 2023. My mind is clearly all over the place for this one, so let’s finally just get to the comic, shall we? There are several short pieces (anywhere from a panel to a couple of pages) about every aspect of moving, and since we’ve all been there to some degree, there’s some relatable and funny stuff in here. Also he said he’s moved 30 times in New York City, which maybe earns this man some sort of medal? He also talks about finally giving up coffee, giving up on screens for books, and finally ends up with a piece about how he’s done standing in his own way and is going to “take the path of liberation for all beings.” But a lot more complicated and nuanced than that, as I’m trying to summarize rather than plagiarize. It’s probably required reading if you’re ever planning on moving to New York, and even if you’re not there’s still plenty to like in here, as always. Aw, what the heck. I’ll review #3 in a few weeks and see where that takes me. $5
Neal, Andrew – Gone Ghost: A Val Cannon Mystery
Gone Ghost: A Val Cannon Mystery
Should Meeting Comics change into nothing but Val solving mysteries? I mean, I like the rest of the cast too much to wish for that to happen completely (this comic flashes back to 1996, so only one other member of the modern crew is still around), but I certainly wouldn’t mind if it became a regular thing. This is set a few months after the events of Val’s last mystery (Where the Rent Went), and it’s at a Halloween party, which is a setting that’s always just full of possibilities. The mystery itself takes several pages to get going, but before that we get the joy of seeing Val’s roommates set boundaries with her (the five of them want Val all to themselves; she had been going outside the house for sex and agrees to go “steady” with them only) and an incident with a raccoon in an attic. It also nicely sets up an issue-long problem, one that is rare for a sex machine like Val: she’s blocked from sex at every turn, by an increasingly ridiculous series of events, in the funniest bit of the comic. Eventually we find out (through a cop stopping by her Halloween party) that there’s a missing woman and he’s hoping she can help out, since she’s famous from her last successful solving of a mystery. As always, this issue is packed with details, from the various costumes sprinkled throughout (some time sensitive to the 90’s, some not) to the fun of trying to spot the missing woman in the background. Here’s as close to a spoiler as I’ll get: she was at the party all along! Andrew was also nice enough to send along his “making of” zine for this issue, and if you’re interested in his process, I can’t recommend it enough. Bits that didn’t fit, his artistic process, a comic from him in 1996 about a story that took place at the house that inspired Val’s old house with all the roommates, just a fascinating pile of information. If you’re wondering if I’m recommending this, it should be obvious by now, but yeah, it’s not like Andrew suddenly lost his touch since the last issue. And it’s self-contained, so you don’t have to read all the older issues of Meeting Comics (even though you should, assuming you like to laugh). Maybe get Val’s two mystery issues, and if you like those, branch off from there to the rest of the series. $7
Yeater, Adam – Blood Desert #1
When somebody sends me a pile of comics, I like to go back to the beginning and review that first. Makes sense, right? Well, I also have to include the caveat that the vast majority of artists improve as they make more comics, so anything I say about #1 was most likely already fixed by #26. Yep, according to his website, he’s already up to #26, and this one was released three years ago, making him incredibly prolific. I mentioned in my last review of his work that I’d read an interview with him where he mentioned his grindhouse and gore influences, and this one seems right in line with those sensibilities. Our hero (?), or at least the guy on the cover, is wandering around a post-apocalyptic landscape and stumbles across a military base. He finds a CD player, which distracts him from the gigantic monster that’s creeping up behind him. The rest of the issue is a mostly silent tale of him trying to get away from the creature, with a nuke thrown in, as you may have guessed from the title. It’s… fine. I’m at a place where I need either a bit more substance in a comic or a whole lot more mayhem, and this one didn’t land on either axis. I’m also assuming the chaos ratchets up in future issues, so maybe I’ll skip ahead to issue #10 or so for the next review, especially as it doesn’t seem like I have to worry about keeping up with any long, complex narrative. This particular issue was so-so for me, but if you like his general aesthetic, there is a whole lot more of it out there in the world, so you’re in luck! $5
