Monthly Archives: September 2011
Brown, Bryan G. – The Bride of Hellatron
The Bride of Hellatron
Since all these reviews are starting off with me complaining these days, I wonder if there’s any particular reason why this comic wasn’t stapled. Maybe it’s just a review comic thing, but I hope he isn’t selling them like this. By the time you put them in a bag and get them home they’d be all jumbled up. Now that I have my bitching out of the way, this was an enjoyable enough story, although if you’re not a fan of ball-busting wives in comics you’d probably be OK moving on to something else. The first half of the comic is introducing the reader to Hellatron, who is basically the scourge of the galaxy. The second half of the book deals with Hellatron being late for a dinner date with her wife and her friends, which turns even uglier when it is revealed that he accidentally ate the planet of her friends. It has a few laughs and the punchline was funny, even if you could see it coming. The art suited the story too (I particularly enjoyed the image of Hellatron slurping up a planet). Worth a look, although I’m mostly looking forward to the next issue of his First Fight series, which also came with this but I picked this one to review instead. Why? It made sense at the time…Â $2
Update for 9/27/11
New review for Werefore Teach Comics? by Rio Aubry Taylor. Hey Boston Red Sox, any chance of you guys not completely choking for the last two games of the season like you have for the rest of September? I would be ever so grateful.
Taylor, Rio Aubry – Werefore Teach Comics?
Werefore Teach Comics?
I was all set to praise this thing before I noticed the glaring typo in the title. In the freaking title, by a person who teaches students about how to make comics! This isn’t the first time that I’ve wondered if there was a class on spelling at The Center for Cartoon Studies. They do fantastic work in every other area (as far as I’ve been able to tell), but that title alone may well have scared me off if I saw this sitting on a shelf in a store. So anyway, this is a tiny mini and the title basically says it all. Rio praises her teacher Alec Longstreth and gives some of his pearls of wisdom, then goes on to feature a few students who talked about what they learned in class. Like I said, it’s short (six pages of story), and the content was fantastic and thought-provoking. Still, I’ll be the guy yelling on street corners in 20 years about spelling errors when the rest of the world has given up, so don’t think my annoyance about that title will do a thing to dim your enjoyment of the book. Rio also sent along longer comics that I look forward to digging into (rushed for time today, so that pretty much always means I’m reviewing a mini comic), and I’ll go ahead and give her the benefit of the doubt on that typo. Hey, why not? There’s nothing about this comic on her website, but you could probably get a copy for a dollar.
Update for 9/26/11
New review for Jay’s Brain #1 by Jason Viola. Not to be missed for fans of funny things or orange comic covers!
Viola, Jason – Jay’s Brain #1
Jay’s Brain #1
Jason Viola seems to be on a quest to convince me to stop hating the weekly (or, Jeebus forbid, daily) comics. Granted, these comics weren’t produced for a weekly magazine or (as far as I can tell) on any kind of a timed basis. So no, I have no idea if he could physically pull off a weekly comic. There’s also the tiny fact that weekly comic artists seem to be a dying breed, so the guy almost certainly couldn’t make a living at it. Still, his comics have convinced me that he’d be perfect for it, and if I ever get this time machine working I’d be happy to send him back a couple of decades where he could have made a great living by being genuinely funny on a regular basis. Jason is the man responsible for Herman the Manatee (which he says he’s wrapping up) and Amy Amoeba, so yeah, he’s funny. Pretty much my only concern when getting a new book from somebody I already know is funny is “OK, so are they going serious (and, if so, can they pull it off)” or “can they still be funny with a new title?” That second thought is rarely a real concern, but it pops into this cynical brain of mine anyway. No worries at all for this comic. As you can tell from that cover, it’s all about Jay and his brain. I’m not sure if this is 100% autobiographical stuff, but Jason mentions on his website that it’s the most personal comic he’s made yet. Anyway, these are generally six panel strips, often with the last panel being some kind of a laugh line or an “oh you!” type finisher. And there isn’t a shitty one in the bunch, except for maybe the Twitter comic, which I didn’t understand enough to comment on either way. Topics in here (often in a roundabout way) are insomnia, guilt, going blank at the worst moments, being unable to stop thinking during sex, only having the good story ideas at inopportune times, drugs, hoarding, and thinking of himself as a fraud. That’s the first half of the book anyway, the rest is up to you. Your best bet is to just buy a bunch of his books, as he currently has the four issues of Herman the Manatee available for $10 total. $3
Update for 9/23/11
New review today for The Lost Works of Georges Melies – Film 1: The Twins by Charles Ellis. If you hurry you may still be able to catch the last bits of the big Top Shelf Comix sale. It ends today!
Ellis, Charles – The Lost Works of Georges Melies – Film 1: The Twins
The Lost Works of Georges Melies – Film 1: The Twins
Hooray, another comic where I don’t understand the context. Georges Melies is, according to the always reliable Wikipedia, one of the earliest French filmmakers who innovated in all sorts of revolutionary directing techniques. You probably need more of an understanding of the guy than I have to fully enjoy this comic, or maybe it’s just me. This is the story of two women who are both trying to become queens. The women are related (hence “The Twins”) and the younger one seems to have her father (who seems to be the king) on her side. The other woman seems to be locked away, and she escapes through a trick between the panels. Either that or I just missed it completely, and frankly I’d bet on that second option if I was you. Oh, and the one who was trying to become queen also made a deal with the devil of some kind, although it sure seemed to be an especially lopsided deal, as she didn’t get a damned thing out of it. I enjoyed the way that Charles played around with the panels, leading to some interesting movie-like effects. As for the rest of it, I clearly haven’t watched enough old French films to really know what the hell I just read. So if you fit in that microscopic sub-group that enjoys mini comics AND the films of Georges Melies, you’re in luck! For the rest of us philistines, it’s possible to enjoy the technical aspects of this and some of the imagery, but as a whole I just didn’t get it. Are reviewers supposed to admit that? Oh crap. I mean that of course I did get it, but that I chose to keep an ironic distance so that I could berate the comic. Sure, that must be it. But hey, at least it’s only $1, right?
Update for 9/22/11
New review for Some Stories #1 by Desmond Reed. Don’t forget the Top Shelf Comix cheap comics sale! You only have until tomorrow to stock up…
Reed, Desmond – Some Stories #1
Some Stories #1
Is it just me or are some people not even trying with their comic titles? In the past Desmond has come up with some clever, sparse titles that usually got even funnier after you’ve read the story. This one? Pfft. That being said, I did enjoy the content a whole lot, which is the point of these funny books. “Some Stories” in this case refers to two stories. Why not just call it that? OK, I’ll shut up on that subject now. The first one is called “4 O’Clock” and deals with the untimely death of a guinea pig just as it’s about to get a nice, juicy carrot. He chats with god (well, the god of the guinea pigs) and finally learns of a deal he can make with the devil to be brought back to life and finish up any lingering tasks. He wants that carrot so he makes the deal, but this is the devil we’re talking about here and yes, that title does come back in a pretty damned funny way. The second story is either a masterpiece of an homage to Memento or a direct rip-off of Memento, depending on your perspective. Like Memento we start at the end, but in this case it’s a heartwarming scene of two fish falling in love. The idea is that fish have such tiny brains that they’re constantly forgetting what’s happening to them, so as we go back in time we watch the awkward courting process, keep seeing signs referring to a “Todd,” a singing crab, and if I say another word I’ll start to spoil too much. Once again the ending is a thing of beauty, but in this case it also makes the entire comic that much better. If you were afraid to try his previous comics because they were too tiny, this one is perfect for you. Two whole stories, one lazy title, $3.50!
Update for 9/21/11
New review for Gaylord Phoenix #4 by Edie Fake, and I’ll try to make up the missed review from yesterday during the week. I did mention that this computer is on its last legs, right? Yeah, that’s screwing me up more than a little. Hey, buy some comics from Top Shelf Comix during the sale, will you? This is their big funding push for the year and they have a ton of great stuff available for very cheap until Friday. How about a copy of Alec: The Years Have Pants of your very own? It is impossible to be disappointed with that book.
Fake, Edie – Gaylord Phoenix #4
Gaylord Phoenix #4
Full disclosure time: I haven’t read the previous three issues of this series and it looks like Secret Acres is putting together a collection of this series in the near future. That implies to me that this is most likely meant to be read consecutively, which is something that I haven’t done, so a good chunk of my comments on this comic could safely be considered bullshit. Not that that means that I’m going to get all complainy up in here, but I did want to make that fact clear. In this hefty, disquieting, mesmerizing, gorgeous and relentlessly compelling book (that, again, I didn’t fully understand) we have the birth of the Gaylord Phoenix. Or at least his birth in his present form, or at least his birth in this particular area. Gaylord is looking for his other self, which resides within him, but getting that self out proves to be tricky. From there we get a rebirth, some mutilations (but all for a good cause) and some generally drastic actions in the other half and the attempts to purify Gaylord. This issue makes me all kinds of curious about past issues and how this whole thing holds together. Visually this issue is stunning, but I needed more of a connection to what was going on here to completely love the story all out here by itself. No price or a place to buy his comics online that I can see (why, comics artists, why?), but you can send him an e-mail from his website.
Update for 9/19/11
New review today for The Black Project #1 by Gareth Brookes. That cheap Top Shelf sale is going on until Friday, and I’d happily post a link here if my computer didn’t have a horrible virus where most Google searches go to blind links. Google “Top Shelf Comix,” I think you can find it for yourself.
Brookes, Gareth – The Black Project #1
The Black Project #1
I never know what to expect with Gareth, and that is a wonderful thing. Between the Man Man books and some other assorted comics it was already made clear that he has a real knack for genuinely funny stuff. This one, on the other hand, takes another turn entirely. This is the story of a young boy and his obsessive quest to “create” a girl. I don’t think it’s ever spelled out how young the boy is. I’d guess somewhere around 12, as he’s still in school and rarely gets much time away from his parents. Anyway, he manages to assemble a monstrosity called Laura, but a friend notices an arm, a fight ensues, and the boy has to dismantle it in a hurry. That’s enough creepiness for one comic, but Gareth is just getting started. Our hero decides to make another girl, and this time he’s going to do it right. Naturally it isn’t going to be as easy as all that, and the boy is eventually found out, but I’m in danger of spilling too many beans here. I’ll just say that (according to the message at the end) this story is going to be continued, and I’m a big fan of the new direction. Well, maybe not if this is going to be 100% of his focus, as the world needs a new Man Man comic every year or so, but this book succeeded on just about every level. It’s set up with large chunks of text with illustrations filling in some gaps, but it’s not like a lot of text-heavy comics that seem to rely almost completely on the words. Those pictures are crucial and add to the horror of this “girl” that he’s constructing. Once or twice the words got a little too small (I’m guessing he had to shrink things down for the comic size), but that’s the only negative thing I have to say about this. If you have a hollow spot where your funny bone used to be, buy this for your first introduction to Gareth’s work. Or if you just like a good, unnerving as fuck comic. No price as always, but I’ll guess $5.
Update for 9/16/11
New review for Poit! #1 by Brian John Mitchell & Dave Sim. See, it wasn’t really that hard for me to get 5 reviews up. Remember when I was doing two a day and holding down a full time job? Madness. Also, good news for the weekend: Jeff Zwirek’s fundraiser for a collected edition of Burning Building Comix was a rousing success! I had my doubts when he was only halfway there with about a week to go, but it turns out that sometimes the good guys do win. Happy weekend!
Mitchell, Brian John & Sim, Dave – Poit!#1
Poit! #1
This all wrapped up so nicely that I almost didn’t include the “#1” (it might be meaningless anyway, as even some comics that are meant to stand alone sometimes come with a “#1” marking). Still, that’s not my call to make. Dave Sim again! Despite the fact that just saying/typing his name is bound get somebody annoyed, I do miss having a monthly comic of his to look forward to. Few comics have ever given you as much bang for your buck as Cerebus. For $2.25 (and he kept it at that price for years even though he had long since stopped making money on the individual issues) you’d have a chunk of the ongoing story, an introduction, letters from some of the smartest people around, and for the last 100 issues or so either an ongoing conversation (his multi-issue conversation with Alan Moore was a thing of brilliance; I wonder if that was ever reprinted?) or a lengthy screed on different subjects. I remember having a two hour gap between classes at the time and once a month I would spend the whole time reading a single issue of Cerebus. OK, nostalgia corner is now closed. How about this comic? Well, for one thing Dave’s art couldn’t be simpler. It’s all stick figures and sound effects (and I know “poit” probably didn’t start with Cerebus, but that’s what immediately popped into my mind). The story deals with a man who is popping in and out of time in a variety of situations. There’s an angry moment, trying to figure out the year, peaceful time in bed with a woman, and the constant presence of a pier. OK, sure, it’s entirely possible that this could be a compelling series if it continues, but it really does feel like it wrapped up nicely here if this is all there is. It’s the usual $1, and somehow that scan is bigger than the actual size of the comic.
Update for 9/15/11
New reviews today for Mongoloid Revenge by Josh Burggraf and Slither #7 by Kelly Froh. Hey, I promised five reviews this week and I had workers in here yesterday so I couldn’t get an update in. I’m trying over here…
Froh, Kelly – Slither #7
Slither #7
Hey, Slither! It’s been ages. For people who don’t follow the website or Kelly’s work, that’s not to say that she’s been slacking for years, that after starting Slither 8-10 years ago (at a pure guess) she’s just been coasting. She’s done plenty of other mini comics, and at least a few of them that referred to this period in her life. Anyway, this one is all about her last year of art school in Vancouver and her falling in love with her current boyfriend (it always feels stupid to call somebody that when they’re over 30, but I’ve never been able to come up with a good alternative either. “Significant other” is just odd). The introduction mentions that she intended to finish this in 2006, so I guess you could call it late, but it fits right in with the other issues of Slither. Stories include her little section of Vancouver (and how her friends and everything that mattered was within walking distance), her awful experiences with her printmaking teacher, her boyfriend coming to visit and that developing into a situation where he was soon moving in, various activities around town, spending time in Georgia, her bad movie club (wasn’t Larry Drake, the “mentally challenged” character from L.A Law, in The Dentist too?), mice in her apartment, and finally graduation. It’s another solid mix of short pieces that leads up to her life during that years and, as always, I think you should buy it. What can I say, I remain biased towards the good stuff. Oh, and one more thing as a general reminder to people who send review comics: if I don’t review your comic within a few months of you sending it (depends entirely on how much of a backlog I have to get through), then that means either it got lost in the mail or it got lost here. Mounds of mini comics are not a good organizing system, but maybe the second decade of this site is when I’ll finally get that shit organized. For everybody who doesn’t send me review comics, please disregard that entirely and just buy her comic already. $2
Burggraf, Josh – Mongoloid Revenge
Mongoloid Revenge
I keep trying to get past my confusion on the title, but it’s a sticking point so it’s best to mention it. What the mongoloid goes through in this issue is the exact opposite of revenge, or at least it is from his perspective. Josh starts off with a brief recap of the previous issue (every lazy comics person in the world who doesn’t bother doing this, take note), and it turns out that a walking, talking moose blames the mongoloid for several troubles. It’s never made clear if he has a good reason to blame him for his troubles, but that’s irrelevant to the story. Things start off with the Moose putting himself in serious danger in his efforts to get revenge. Things seem to turn out OK for him, judging by the epilogue, but it’s left at a dicey moment. About halfway through the book we get our first glimpse of the mongoloid, as he wanders around the apartment innocently. The revenge bit kicks up shortly after that, as a crew of monsters seems to be living in his house after having seduced his wife. Things get even uglier from there, and that epilogue really shows him at his lowest. All in all it’s a bit bleak, but it’s a fun ride getting there and Josh has an excellent eye for the bizarre. Worth a look, and it’s most likely required reading for anybody who read a copy of the previous issue, Mongoloid Diner. $2 (?)
Update for 9/13/11
New review today for My Life in Records by Grant Thomas. That’s one thing about having to use the backup computer: it’s also the only one that lets the scanner work, which makes it MUCH easier to scan new stuff. Everything else about it is a decided step down, but hey, silver linings and all that.
