Harry, the bartender, reveals his early days in the house in the company of Abel (and Goldie!) in a piece illustrated by Henry Flint (Haunted Tank).

I really love the way writer Matthew Sturges makes the smaller scenes interesting to read. I’m sure that they add up to a bigger picture (if I remembered everything from earlier issues, which I don’t) or provide interesting hints to future revelations, but even not grasping either of those, I still stay involved in them due to the dialogue and the characters. And then there’s the humor, like catching nightmares in a Bundt pan. (Well, why not?)

I know I’ll like this more when I read it in bigger chunks, so I can better follow the overall storyline of what actually is going on with the house, but it’s still one of the very few comics I get monthly because I appreciate the skill with which it’s told. I’m not left feeling left out, which is sadly rare these days.

I can appreciate that there’s an argument to be made that soldiers in war speak vilely, with profanity and vulgar concepts abounding, but I don’t want to wade through it. Especially when the interesting parts about the story are raised but not explored.

For example, Jamal Stuart gives JEB hell about slavery and the toll it took, condemning the Southern culture the ghost embodies. The next page, we’re back to talking about lineage without any response from Stuart on whether he did support that cause of the war.

Stuart rejects the idea that he’s a descendant and tells the ghost to get lost but later seems to have no problem with his help when he needs it and even accepts the presence of a Confederate flag. If I’m being generous, I can assume that he’s incredibly expedient in the face of life-or-death battle, but it feels like I have to provide too much of the explanation that’s not on the page.

I’m not familiar with the work of writer Frank Marraffino, but artist Henry Flint does a good job with the figures. The storytelling was a bit confusing at times, with the wordless battle panels, but I’m willing to attribute that to the havoc of war.

I came out of this issue liking JEB the best of any character. He’s got the most clearly developed sense of morality (even if it’s wrong), he’s defined briefly but strongly, and he’s visually compelling. I don’t think that was the intended response.

I’d love to see this fantasy concept used to explore the nature of militarism, unjust war, and racism in the military, but I don’t trust that, with only four more issues to go, that they’ll be approached in any depth. Especially after reading this uneven debut.

Plus, the press release that accompanied this complimentary copy had some awfully mixed messages. It’s captioned “the top reasons you should review Haunted Tank”, and the first one is

The first issue is entitled Shock and Awesome! Need I say more?

If you don’t need to say anything else, why are there five more bullets following? It also calls the ghost “silly” while trying to push the topicality and edginess of the comic, a somewhat confusing approach. That sums up the conflict here: they want to revamp a concept some find cool and others ludicrous into something more meaningful, but the question arises whether this is the best vehicle for realistic depictions of war.

In other reviews, Timothy Callahan loved it, Tom Spurgeon is apathetic, and Chris Sims loves the original concept. He also reminds us of Kurt Busiek’s attempt to recreate the idea in 2003’s Power Company, with a female soldier.

Last year, I recommended Gina Biggs’ Love of Sausage. The links are now broken at that post because she’s revamped the minicomic into a full-sized comic by adding another story and some bonus strips.

The first story is about how a couple gets used to a new dachshund puppy that has a tendency to hurt people in the cutest accidental ways. The way Biggs draws dogs doesn’t really resemble the actual pets, but they’re adorable little lumps.

The second story tells of a second dog and her unfortunate fate. It captures how the two pets relate to each other, and some of the struggles of pet owning, all abbreviated into too short a space. (That’s not an artist’s choice but a reflection of the events.) Given the pain, I’d have rather seen more of the short strips, although Biggs needs to work on her punchlines.

My favorite part was the final line of one of the bonuses: “Just shut up while I finish this comic about how much I love you!” That frustration is part and parcel of being a pet owner.

Hexed Cover B (OCT08 3925)
by Joe Pekar

It’s the story of Lucifer, shown on the cover, a young thief who deals in the enchanted, such as stealing a pair of angel’s wings. She’s double-crossed a bad guy, a previous client who wants his revenge by making her obtain something impossible for him. That showdown scene strongly reminded me of a similar one in Joss Whedon’s Fray, but it’s a convention of the genre, where the protagonist gets put into the conflict situation by facing off bravely against someone who seems to have more power and control, a villain she will eventually defeat. There’s also a mentor/boss/surrogate mother figure, an older woman with a smart wit.

(The previous doublecross happened in Clarksville, so every time someone mentioned it, I was thrown from the underworld to a mental picture of four happy lads in matching shirts singing and playing guitars.)

Hexed Cover A (OCT08 3924)
by Emma Rios

Some of it tries too hard — like the precious name given to the main character. More significantly, much of the issue is told through internal monologue, and I didn’t believe that Lucifer would be that chatty with anyone, even herself. If she’s that into self-analysis, it doesn’t match up with the type she’s shown to be through her actions. Instead, it comes across as a quick way to dump lots of background and exposition on the reader. A thief that skilled shouldn’t need to explain her techniques to herself, but it does help out someone new to this world.

The art is well-suited for the character. It’s easy to read but slightly edgy. The neon colors, by Cris Peter, all deep pinks and aquas, give an appropriately sickly, unnatural look that works for both demons and the underworld. The storyline’s familiar, but the magic gives it a fresh coat of paint. Four issues is probably just long enough for this caper: a couple more issues of plot and counterplot, and then the wrapup.

There’s an eight-page preview running along with an interview with the creators conducted by Boom! Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid at Newsarama. It’s interesting to hear the artist talk about her European influences; you can see them through her settings and sense of place in her drawings. Both the writer and artist talk about horror, violence, and disgusting things, but I didn’t see too much of it in this issue. Maybe it’s still to come. (A complimentary online copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

Love and Capes

Ah, this makes me happy. Issue #8 is more great romantic superhero comedy. I was laughing from the cover, where Darkblade shakes down the artist to get featured on the cover. As the issue opens, Abby is having a hard time letting her sister Charlotte go study in Paris. Abby’s got her own concerns, though, as she’s planning her wedding to Mark, aka the Crusader.

It’s the little things that make this so funny to me. Like Mark telling Abby she should wear dresses more often, while she has to cope with the wind gusts his rapid flying departures cause. It’s those details of life with a superhero that the comedy stems from. And you can tell Thom Zahler has a deep knowledge of and fondness for the hero type, or he wouldn’t be able to highlight these details so effectively. Or come up with such a twist on a classic cliffhanger. (I have to wait until January for more?!?)

Mostly, though, the appeal for me is how realistic Abby and Mark’s relationship is. They act like two adults deeply in love and figuring out how to make their lives work together, with friends and family and occupations. I love it.

Find out more at loveandcapes.com.

Perhapanauts

Issue #3 has, within a framing sequence, three short stories featuring some of the best characters in the series — but then I realize that most of the characters are interesting to me, and I want to know more about all of them. So anyway… regular artist Craig Rousseau (Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane) draws the first one, about what sasquatch-man Big does on his week off. He’s accompanied this time by water-sprite Merrow, whom I don’t recall seeing before but quickly came to love, due to her quiet confidence and calm demeanor.

Kelly Yates then draws an origin story for her, a short but touching romantic piece that evokes ancient tales. That’s followed by comedy drawn by Tad Stones. Choopie, amusing in his own right, has been selected as king by a race of gremlins for no known reason. By the end, they turn out to have their own catchphrase and potential utility to the team. Funny, emotional, and significant, all in one issue, all written by Todd Dezago.

Issue #4 sets up the next issue conclusion of the first major storyline, as Arisa and MG get closer before the whole place bugs out. There’s more than one villain trying to destory the team, and a cliffhanger, of course, plus an action-packed backup with art by Jason Armstrong. It’s gonna be really hard to wait for #5.

Find out more at perhapanauts.com.

Supernatural Law

Issue #45 guest-stars the Toxic Avenger in a Tromaville comic crossover. I’ve never seen those movies, so I can’t speak to how faithful it is, but with “Toxie” on trial for being a public nuisance, the two properties blend well. After being a town hero, Toxie finds that the people have turned on him in a story narrated by “Judge” Lloyd Kaufman (real-life Troma President and jack-of-all-trades). Turns out that it’s really all a plot by an evil developer wanting to repossess his junkyard. So it becomes an almost-superhero tale, although with a different kind of fight for justice than usual.

Find out more at exhibitapress.com.

The 3 Geeks

I was stunned to see a special Baltimore Comic-Con edition of this title by Rich Koslowski, since I last saw an issue of it back in 2001. I’d enjoyed his humor about stereotypical comic fans, but he’s even funnier in public (and very nice to boot). This issue takes on the madness of CGC collectors, those who seal their precious comics up in little plastic slabs. The image of fanboy Allen building himself a kind of igloo out of all his slabbed comics was hilarious. And then it takes a more fantastic turn, to be continued…

Find out more at richkoslowski.com.

Page one features a naked man, for a nice, eye-catching change of pace. (See a preview at the publisher’s website that shows what I’m talking about.) He’s the President’s son, and he demands to be locked up before he changes into an animal.

The main character is Charlotte Springs, a UFO investigator who often ticks off the government. She recruits a lovable group of misfits and losers — a Vegas psychic, her tagalong younger sister, a geeky grad student — to rescue the son and find out what’s really going on.

The Fraim’s art can be stiff, and the writers are shoving way too much text into every panel, but I like this comic. The panel that won me over was the one where the straight-ass government guy tells the blonde sister, “I thought you weren’t paying attention.” She responds, rolling her eyes and making air quotes, “It’s called ‘multi-tasking’.”

The writing is dense, with plenty of wisecracks, which sometimes fit, sometimes don’t, and the exposition occurs in great lumps. The characters are inviting, though, and I want to know what’s up with the bee-woman (a striking visual). Plus, when the funny works, it makes me laugh.

It’s also refreshing to be complaining about too much going on in a comic instead of nothing much. It’s pretty clearly a movie/TV pilot in comic form, but I’d like to read more. The Fraims have more information at their website.

Papercutter #7

Papercutter #7

by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill, $4 US, Tugboat Press

Most of this anthology is taken up by “Americus”, a story about a boy preparing to graduate middle school. It’s stylishly drawn in a simplified approach that suits the way the story functions based on essentials many of us are familiar with — Neil doesn’t fit in, he doesn’t have many friends, others laugh at him, he’d rather be reading than go to the school dance.

This doesn’t tread new ground, but it covers the basics well. The dialogue’s realistic yet entertaining (without being bogged down in the mundane) with an eye for the appropriate moment. I liked the way this wasn’t totally him vs. the world — he’s not right and everyone else wrong. You can sympathize with his discomfort, but they have their own lives, which might be just as valid. He makes his own choices, even though they make him miserable.

After a one-pager by Aron Nels Steinke, there’s a woodcut-looking adaptation of a Hans Christian Andersen story by Andy Hartzell (Fox Bunny Funny). I hadn’t heard this tale before; it’s reassuring, and Hartzell’s pantomine escape of a shepherdess statue, complete with handing off the sheep to her partner, is amusing.

Recalcitrant Jones and the Dead Beats

Recalcitrant Jones
and the Dead Beats

by Terry Cronin and J. Chris Campbell, $2.95 US, 3 Boys Productions

This Comic Convention Special is a spin-off of the Students of the Unusual anthology, which you may have seen at a con near you. I still haven’t read any issues of that series, but this was a goofy light read.

Jones has sold his soul for a rock band full of dead stars. He gets the usual — Elvis, Janis Jimi — plus two unexpected additions that made me giggle: drummer Keith Moon and Lawrence Welk. This kind of humor is summed up by the character introduction page, in which each one gets a head shot and a cause of death, which as a list reads drug overdose, drug overdose, drug overdose, drug overdose, old age. (No, I don’t know why Welk was included, that’s never explained or referred to again.)

The art is bright and distinctive, with no black lines. (You can get a good idea from the look of the cover.) The result is candy-colored corpses. There’s no action, just heads talking to each other. The plot, such as it is, involves the touch of the band bringing other dead back to life. (Paging Pushing Daisies.) The story-telling is rather “and then this happened”, jumping madly from point to point, with the narration papering things over and over-familiar elements like a trip to Hell and an angel guide. It’s disjointed and ultimately forgettable, but mildly entertaining while you’re in it.

(One note: their miserable website design needs major improvement. They have a huge static image at the top. When you click a navigation link, only the bottom of the page changes — which was off the screen on my laptop, so at first, I thought nothing was happening.

They have a history of unique promotions to get readers involved, with the latest being a “create your own story” contest. Great idea! Unfortunately, the postcards they gave out at cons this season have no details about deadlines or how to enter, instead saying “check the website”. I couldn’t find any mention of the promotion at the site, which at this time of writing, hasn’t been updated in three months.

I know small publishers have a hard time balancing all the many tasks involved in successfully getting comics out, so the web sometimes falls behind. But if you make promises that you’ll have information there, you should follow through.)

The Red Star: Sword of Lies #3

The Red Star: Sword of Lies #3

by Christian Gossett and others, $10 US, Archangel Studios

I had no idea that this series was still going on. I remember recommending the first, oversized Red Star collection several website iterations ago (it was released in 2001). It was beautiful to look at, but as a war epic, it moved slowly. (I think that’s a characteristic of the genre.) With the huge scope and lots of characters, I didn’t feel like I learned enough about them to truly develop a relationship before the story moved on to others (and the ones I liked we never seemed to get back to), so I dropped the series a long while ago.

Now, this new series is promising the “origin story of the Red Star saga”. It’s as gorgeously illustrated as ever (it’s promoted as “colored by Peter Jackson’s Weta Workshop”, to grab some reflected stardom), and larger than many comics at 64 pages, but they haven’t resolved the timeliness issues. There was one issue last year, and one so far this year. (Then again, that seems to be all they aim for, so they’re meeting their goals.)

But if you’re buying it for the astoundingly attractive art, the story and its pacing doesn’t really matter. So long as you remember which ones are the good guys and which the bad, you can always pick up on a war story. The lovely windswept sorceresses, the Russian iconography, the industrial fantasy, it’s all still there. This issue is debuting at the San Diego Con and will ship to comic shops in September. The graphic novel collecting #1-3 is scheduled for the end of the year.

Rose and Isabel

Rose and Isabel

by Ted Mathot, $8 US, Self-Published

Right up my alley, this is the story of two young, determined women during the Civil War. Their soldier brothers have disappeared, so Rose and Isabel set off to find them, discovering along the way their family’s heritage of women warriors. Since Mathot is a story supervisor at Pixar, it should surprise no one that it’s skillfully told, with just the right choices for panels to give a strong sense of flow and movement and distinctive character designs.

It’s a simple story, but involving, with impressive vistas and emotional high points. Rose is a combination of Amazon and berserker when needed, while Isabel tries to steady her. This volume also includes a sketchbook section, showing the artistic development of the concept.

The story concludes in a second volume (which is twice the size of this 64-pager.) Mathot has also done a followup, Cora, about Isabel’s daughter that reveals more about these two characters as well.

Septic Isle

Septic Isle

by Andy Winter and Mick Trimble, $5.95 US, Moonface Press

A retired secret agent returns to battle neo-Nazi terrorists. There are lots of buzzwords in the plot, and the dialogue is flat and leaden. The wisecracks are repulsive instead of jocular. Everything happens too abruptly.

The art is about what I expect from mediocre self-published comics, by which I mean, standard poses and faces that differ in quality depending on how easy the perspective is. Heads sometimes appear as though they’ve been squashed in a vise. Characters supposedly standing next to each other look like they’ve been stacked, like paper dolls, on top of each other.

When they told me they were aiming at fans of work like James Bond and Queen & Country, I was interested, but I couldn’t make myself finish this.

The 52-page squarebound comic will be available in Previews next month for shipment in October.

Television

by Ryan Alexander-Tanner, $3 US, Self-Published

This Xeric Grant-winner is a single-author anthology of short pop culture-influenced strips. The drawing is clear and streamlined; based on his website, I believe the author has commercial illustration experience, which is visible in the way the panels are structured as single, stand-alone pictures.

I think the concept is supposed to be channel-surfing, but it didn’t really come through for me. The pieces include a Bible-style story about James Brown, one where boy meets girl (but not really) on a bridge in 60s drag (with an ending you suspect long before you get there), and a black Dracula.

The one that struck me most was an interview with Kato Kaelin, just a series of pictures of Kato sitting in a diner talking about his life. It was different, something I hadn’t seen before, and A-T did a good job of capturing his poses and attitudes. The other pieces could have easily fit into any similar artist anthology by a young creator who has more pop culture knowledge than life experience. So in short, I like his non-fiction better than the more creative works.

Seriously, his strength is drawing regular people in abnormal situations, and that’s the case here. Bug aliens invaded the earth. That’s standard sci-fi. What’s unusual is that this story picks up afterwards — the aliens have gone home, and the humans are venturing back out from underground to see what’s left of their world. People are still scared, posturing, aggressive, fearful, but as a reader, there’s a sense of really not knowing what’s going to happen to next. That’s truly rare in serial comics, and refreshing. It’s a new world in more ways than one.

I especially felt for Sara, setting out to see her son. There’s one page where she’s drawn as a static head shot, no eyes, just pools of shadow, while the background changes behind her to show her determination as she just keeps moving toward her goal. It’s a subtle technique but all the more powerful for it.

The setting still allows for creepy creatures and necessary violent acts, staples of science-fiction adventure, but it’s the strong sense of character that will bring me back. Aside from Sara’s road quest, there’s a scientist with a captured alien left behind, and political black humor with the denizens of the White House (currently housed at Mount Weather, the huge underground bunker).

Sara’s search is resolved promptly, a pleasant surprise in comparison to so many first issues that are all setup, but in a shocking way that demonstrates Guggenheim knows what he’s doing. In addition to setting up a dynamite premise and immediately involving characters, he’s also a master of the “where’s the next issue already?” cliffhanger.

Read a preview of the first issue at Oni’s website, and then look for the next four issues, already out (because I am slow). They get even better.

Captain Action

Captain Action #0

Written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Mark Sparacio, $1.99 US, Captain Action, Moonstone

There’s story promise in this 16-page teaser issue, and stunning photo-realistic art colored over pencils, but any new series has a huge hurdle to overcome with readers who want consistently good entertainment on a reliable basis. Today’s readers have short attention spans and few chances to catch their eye and keep their attention.

Since this came out in April, there’s also been a one-shot issue called First Mission, Last Day, only that’s not comics, it’s an “illustrated novella”. It’s a flashback to Captain Action’s first mission in the 1960s. The actual comic series is due in August. Until then, you can buy shirts, models, hats, bags, mugs, stickers, magnets, mousepads, and even throw pillows with the Captain Action logo. I’d have rather seen the series start more quickly.

Comic-wise, I have to admire a revamped 60s property that in the backstory calls itself an anachronism. Apparently, the original Captain Atom is dead (but still narrating), while his son is going to take on the mantle. The idea, I’m guessing, is that we watch him grow into the hero he can become. Although all we see of him in the first story is him passed out drunk and naked in bed with two women. (A second story has more action. Not that kind.) This teaser also includes a two-page text feature on the character’s history written by Michael Eury, who also wrote an entire book on the franchise.

Code Name: Hunter

Code Name Hunter #0.1

By Matt (co-writer) and Darcy (writer/artist) Sowers, $3.50 US, RCSI Publishing

I liked the webcomic, but I like it even better in colorful print. The animal characters are so vibrant! Issues #0.1-0.3 make up a prologue that establishes a world where magic has been banned, only to reappear during wartime in 1940 London. An employee of MI5 meets a pixie who speaks music with a crush on him, and the two have to figure out how to restore the order of things. The result is the establishment of a Torchwood-like agency to regulate magic.

Issue #1.1 jumps ahead to to near-modern day, with Agent Hunter and his partner setting out on additional investigations, but I enjoyed the WWII issues more, with the blending of fantasy and historical fiction. Read more online.

Diary of Night

Written by Will Allred, art by Gene Gonzales, $2.99 US, Bloodfire Studios

Gonzales’ art is always clean and lovely, making this vampire comic more attractive than many. Catherine is one, but she doesn’t fit in with others of her kind. The plot is more mysterious than it needs to be in the first issue, but she and another are looking for a third who’s disappeared.

What I found different were the little touches, such as a counseling session for new vampires that coincidentally tells the reader what particular rules of the mythology the writer is using. Catherine is obviously older and more jaded than many, making her relatable (at least for me). There’s a welcome sense of humor underlying these familiar elements, especially with tough girl Anne. I liked it enough to keep reading.

Issue #2 flashes back to her creation while establishing the series conflict. The balance of the remaining two issues of the miniseries sways more towards pointless chasing around than significant plot development for my taste, but overall, I’d like to see more of these characters. Maybe with a bit more depth next time.

Holy Scrolls

Holy Scrolls

Story by Dr. Pam Fox Kuhlken and Brett Burner, written by Burner, art by Diego Candia, $6 US, Lamp Post Publications

A young boy, bored at the museum, is educated by an old man he bumps into. (This read a little creepy to me, that this stranger with a cane starts talking to a kid, but I think that’s an unfortunate side effect of a close-up panel by the artist that’s overly exaggerated.) Much of the comic is an illustration of the history the kid’s being told.

Don’t be misled by the publisher calling this a “graphic novel” — it’s a 32-page black-and-white comic. And it’s didactic, due to its purpose: to educate kids about the history of the Dead Sea Scrolls. There’s no story, just a frame for the instruction, but it’s a more interesting way to learn about these artifacts than most, if that’s your goal. Like most material produced with education in mind, that purpose overwhelms everything else about it.

The Hookah Girl and Other True Stories

The Hookah Girl and Other True Stories

By Marguerite Dabaie, $5 US, Self-Published

This anthology collects short stories about growing up as a Christian Palestinian girl in America. The opening sequence, which immediately won me over, shows that she’s pulling no punches. It’s a series of paper dolls, illustrating how Palestinian women are seen: the choices are Muslim, revolutionary, harem dancing girl, martyr, or herself, the starving artist. It’s a pointed yet funny way of skewering stereotypes.

The other entries are short, reportorial pieces about culture and her observations, whether visiting a festival, making grape leaves, the lives of her grandparents, or women’s roles. I really appreciated the opportunity to inhabit another viewpoint, however briefly. Dabaie has an educated eye for the perfect detail to sum up a setting or moment. This book is over much too soon — I hope she follows through on her plans to make additional volumes.

Johnny Hiro

Johnny Hiro #1

By Fred Chao, $2.95 US, AdHouse Books

Slacker adventure = crazy fun, as a T Rex attacking the apartment of Johnny and his girlfriend Mayumi. Like Street Angel, this is a straightforward almost-superhero story by a talented indie artist. It’s well-drawn, with great storytelling flow, and weird pop culture references. I liked it a lot. Chao creates a distinctive world with characters I want to know better.

Here are some preview pages, here’s an interview, and here’s another review that goes into more detail about why this is good.

Like That

Like That

By Patrick Rills, inked by Allen Gladfelter, $6 US, Icon Studios

A modern romance explores how a relationship developed but not where it goes next, because college student Ryan can’t commit or make up his mind. He’s more concerned with how he’s going to describe their relationship to others instead of enjoying or participating in it.

The art’s realistic in terms of character poses because it’s based on photos, and the cast is even credited. I wish he’d followed the 180-degree rule more, though; if this was a movie, the camera would be spinning through most scenes. And the photos make the scenes that are supposed to demonstrate motion very stiff and frozen-looking.

The male characters all have the same voice; since they’re all in the same place in life, maybe that’s plausible, although it makes it difficult to keep the characters straight. We also don’t get a great idea of what these two people see in each other, which makes it hard to figure out what ending the author was trying to suggest. The lack of resolution seems like a copout.

However, this is a darn sight better than many other comics that attempt similar subjects. I’m pointing out these things because it’s good and it could have been better.

Making Rain

Making Rain

By Ursula Murray Husted, $10 US, Self-Published

A wonderful meditation on loss as a young girl copes with her grandmother’s passing. She attends the funeral, family members visit, and then she has to return to school.

The thick brush-looking linework makes the figures rough-edged, as though their raw emotions are visible. The blue tones and brown ink on cream paper are an unusual but very effective choice.

Husted does a beautiful job of capturing how a child sees the world. The adult reader will recognize the impact of what young Rosie hears while Rosie herself doesn’t. Husted trusts the reader to fill in necessary gaps, as when the teacher reads the note from her mother; we don’t see it, but we know exactly what it says.

You can read the whole thing online yourself, which I recommend.

Duel #1

by Seth Wolfshorndl, Three Trees Studios, $2.95 in print or free online

Two kids have a sketch battle, coming up with new characters to defeat each other’s creations. Originally a 24-hour comic, this simple story is well-suited to online display, which makes the creator’s decision to put it on WOWIO a smart one. (Once you register at that site, you can download free PDF comics with ads included.) It’s imaginative and faithful to its characters, and I enjoyed reading it (in large part because of its innocence), but I don’t see any need to own it. Loved the ending, and it really gave me the feeling of hanging out for an afternoon with two eight-year-olds who love their monsters.

Rook City #1

by Seth Wolfshorndl, Three Trees Studios, $2.95 in print or free online

Same author, same release setup, but this one’s a bit more ambitious, the story of a college student who’s the only normal one in a city of weirdos. In various short stories, we see an ancient vigilante in a nursing home; a gang of vampire wannabes called the Vlad Squad; a stolen museum piece; and fake superheroes. If you’re at all interested in any of these concepts, you’ve likely seen better done before. There’s more time spent on setups than perhaps the gags require, and the stories just peter out, as though the author didn’t know how or when to end on something punchy.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

by Barry Deutsch, www.hereville.com, $15 in print or $5 for an e-copy or free online (but at a rate of only one page a week, to complete in December)

There are many webcomic creators who are publishing their works a page at a time, with thoughts of eventual collection, but Deutsch is doing it the other way around: he’s already done the story, all 57 pages of it, and now he’s doling it out online. If you don’t want to wait, you have two options for getting the entire story now, a somewhat expensive print version (but with a print run of only 100, you don’t get any economies of scale) or an electronic version. I think his prices are too high for the generally accepted ranges of such things, but if he can get it, more power to him.

Deutsch describes his series as a quirky fantasy adventure comic for fans of Bone or Courtney Crumrin — I’d add Amy Unbounded to that list as well. I reviewed the CBZ version, and I found the lettering full of personality but hard to read on a small screen. (I use a laptop, which keeps me from reading lots of online comics, especially the page-based ones.) There’s lots of dialogue, unfortunately for me, since that’s where the humor and meaningful characterization comes in.

Mirka, our heroine, is a willful young girl resenting having to learn feminine stuff like knitting. She’d rather be slaying dragons. In the meantime, her argument-loving stepmother (a hoot!) is a burden to her and her younger brother humors her wishes until she gets a chance to actually act on them.

It’s a charming story, with lots of good feeling and attention to tradition, made all the more unusual by its Orthodox Jewish background (in a fantasy world, yet — that’s something very rare), but I sure can’t see reading it only a page at a time. Too much of the energy and flow would be lost. Oh, and Deutsch promises to do more “Hereville” stories after this one concludes at the end of the year; he’ll publish them after he’s completed them.

Since this is #1, the cryptozoology characters are reintroduced in unique fashion. First, ghost Molly welcomes us in and catches us up. The team plus Karl the Mothman have been traveling through time, and Karl’s people aren’t too pleased about it. That leads to a creatively told section that’s made up of both insight and hints. Instead of giving each character an origin flashback, we get glimpses into their possible futures, which show what each dreams/fears.

I love seeing Arisa’s leadership. She always seems very human, trying to figure out what’s best for her and her team, but she’s still someone who comes through in times of trouble and can always be relied upon to protect her people. She’s a real hero, but not a cardboard one, and still sympathetic.

New in this series are short backup stories by different artists. In this issue, Dave Tata and Bob Almond illustrate a piece about Choopie in church. Also included are the pencils for Art Adams’ alternate cover and a pinup by Matt Wieringo featuring a giant shark.

If you enjoy this, look for the Annual and the collections of the first two series. The website has character profiles for more on specific team members. A five-page preview is available online. A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the creators, whom I’m proud to consider friends.

It comes through. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously, even while keeping you hooked with the mystery of why Doug doesn’t die. He’s not your typical laconic gunslinger, either. He’s a former schoolteacher who was hired to give the boy some schooling, even before the tragedy that struck the family. There’s a strong sense of companionship between the two characters essential to demonstrating their growing bond. And the dialogue’s Western-style, for a strong sense of setting, without being laughable.

mpMann, the artist, has previously illustrated several other titles for Archaia, including The Lone and Level Sands and Inanna’s Tears. (That one was written by CWR contributor Rob Vollmar.) I don’t know how to describe his work. It’s easy to read, the key determinant, but distinctive, with an edge. He can draw both emotive closeups and the bare horizon of the West. There are previews at all of the links so you can see for yourself. I don’t recommend reading too much about the book’s description, though, because it’s more entertaining the less you know.

You can order #1 with Diamond code FEB08 3472. The first issue is setup, mostly establishing the two’s relationship and their quest for justice, but I’ve had the pleasure of reading the whole thing. All the typical Western conventions — the gunfight, the hanging, the importance of one’s hat — make an appearance, but they’re funny. Not slapstick, not too-clever sarcasm, just honest humor. (An online preview for this review was provided by the creator.)

Mavis #5

In this story, “Weird Eye for the Normal Guy”, three ghosts are being sued. They promised to teach someone how to be scary, and he’s dissatisfied with the results. But the real story is how Mavis is going to balance her support of the case, the chance to get some long-delayed time with her boyfriend, and the obligation to attend a friend’s birthday party. By the end, the elements have interacted in surprising ways (some would say coincidental, although the author addresses that by having a character remember the warning to “not let any strange coincidences throw you”) , and everything’s been tidily resolved. As is the theme of these stories, we’re reminded that humans can be the biggest monsters of all.

This is the first time that a story that first appeared on supernaturallaw.com has been transferred to the comics. Knowing that explains why most of the pages divide neatly along a horizontal axis; it’s an elegant way to move from screen to page. Supernatural Law resembles a comic strip much of the time, anyway, with clean lines and distinctively recognizable characters. It’s dialogue-driven, either for exposition or gags, but the layouts are quite varied, with differences in backgrounds, gesture, and framing. It’s a comfortable read, a pleasant change from other comics that pride themselves on being excessively challenging, disturbing, or emotionally involving.

The cover by Bill Galven is a Little Lulu homage. The back cover is by Fred Hembeck, a drawing that reinforces the ghosts’ resemblances to Casper’s Ghostly Trio, although these haunts are much more mild-mannered.

Wolff & Byrd the Movie

The explanatory author’s notes address several points, including plans to put out more Supernatural Law material in the coming year. That’s a good thing. The only release last year was Supernatural Law: Wolff & Byrd the Movie (part of a series of issues that were more prominently labeled with titles instead of issue numbers, to overcome resistance to high-numbered indy comics, a tactic that won’t be used in the future).

In that issue, the two lawyers go to the West Coast to consult on a case in which two newly rich movie producers are suing because the ghost in the haunted mansion they bought isn’t high-profile enough. (How Hollywood!) While they’re there, Wolff & Byrd find themselves viewing part of a proposed movie based on themselves — drawn in first Sin City, then romance comic style!

It’s playful and funny with the homages. In addition to seeing those odd takes on the leads, it’s refreshing to see Alanna relaxing… in pigtails, no less! It’s easy to assume that the characters’ frustration with Hollywood not “getting” them might be shared by the author, given that there’s been an option for a movie for years now, but no movement apparent to outsiders. That may be going too far for what’s an entertaining yarn about sending beloved characters to Tinseltown.

Find out more at the publisher’s website. Complimentary copies for this review were provided by the publisher.

Update: This interview with author Batton Lash covers the series history, his approach to different media versions, his plans for the future, and his other work.

I adore this series (and its creators), so I was thrilled to get an advance preview of the Annual, the first issue since the book moved from Dark Horse to Image. (Just to get my bias out of the way upfront.) It’s an extended 32-page story with no ads, due out February 20 to kick off the ongoing series to come.

The premise is the same, a group of paranormal investigators who are themselves paranormal. This time, they’re taking on the Jersey Devil, which under Craig’s pen looks like a horse-headed red dragon, quite impressive. Although he eats the doggie, boo. (I know, how predictable. There are at least eight people killed in the comic (not on-screen), but all I care to mention is the pet.)

I apologize, I don’t mean for this to devolve into a play-by-play, but that’s how this comic makes me feel. I am totally sucked in and along for the ride, enjoying the excitement and dying to find out what happens next.

I can’t wait to find out what MG’s story is — I have a weakness for the cute, strong, smart, silent type with a secret. I love Arisa, the telepathic team leader, because she’s a character that avoids the stereotypes that dog comics women. (And she makes a call-out to the WWF.) Molly’s a sweet ghost, Big’s a Buddhist sasquatch, Choopie’s a hoot… it’s a great mix of personalities and abilities.

Plus, it’s fun. I was laughing out loud at Choopie’s room — among the clutter is an Archie comic and a Skull Troll doll, which means it vaguely resembles my room. Except I throw my pizza boxes away when I’m done with them.

I was surprised at some of the secrets revealed among the characters this issue, but it also doesn’t stint on adventure. It felt like a really good episode of something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, blending humor, action, characterization, horror, and astounding abilities into an entertaining, high-adrenaline read.

Find out more at the Perhapanauts website. An online copy for this review was provided by the publisher.

Written by Barbara Randall Kesel, art by Renae De Liz, inks/colors by Ray Dillon, IDW Publishing, $3.99, February, Diamond code DEC07 3714

Annja Creed is Tomb Raider with a more realistic wardrobe, Buffy as an archaeologist, star of a novel series by the folks who put out the Executioner books. In this story, she’s come to Virginia City to help out a grad school friend with a Mark Twain fixation. The friend is researching the roles of people of color in the Old West when she comes across evidence involving new sources for Twain’s works.

The art has a European feel, with faces resembling caricatures at times to convey more emotion. It’s strong, maybe a little over-rendered occasionally, but readable. I didn’t need the white-light glow spots on the heroine’s forehead and breasts on the splash page, though that’s an aberration. Although she’s stacked, she’s not excessively exaggerated, thankfully. That’s true even when she should be. She can conjure a mystical sword, and even with magical help, her arms seem a little too twig-like for swinging that weapon of choice.

This is the kind of comic where the two leads tell each other facts and then say “I already know that” as a way of both cluing in the reader and making the characters look more competent. It’s hard to tell where the story’s going, but this issue sets up a lot of adventure and it’s very modern.

As with most IDW projects, I recommend waiting for the collection, which will likely include the entire miniseries as well as the variant covers. Anyone looking for female-friendly adventure comics should take a look at this — with a female writer, artist, and believable star, it avoids many of the pitfalls of its competition and should be quite satisfying.

Hazed

Written by Mark Sable, art by Robbi Rodriguez, Image Comics, $14.99, February, Diamond code DEC07 2052 (No link because Image’s site rarely has useful material on their comics, which is a shame)

A supposed dark comedy set in a sorority that the publisher compares to Heathers and Mean Girls, but it’s not nearly as pointed, clever, or funny as those (although the writer has stolen some plot points directly from the latter). Simply portraying date rape or hazing doesn’t count as parody, comedy, or a statement about the issue. The cartoony, big-round-head style keeps the tone light, which helps when you’re drawing your characters vomiting while talking about binge drunkenness.

This story doesn’t demonstrate any understanding of what really motivates girls who join a sorority or struggle with body image issues or want to belong while hating what keeps the popular crowd popular. By the end, it’s incoherent and repulsive.

Noble Causes #32

Written by Jay Faerber, art by Yildiray Cinar, Image Comics, $2.99, March 26, Diamond code JAN08 2050

The long-running (for an indy superhero book) relaunches with this issue, set five years after the events of the previous #31. With the characters’ lives jumping forward, both old and new readers get a fresh start.

The first half of the book is a big fight scene in which the family’s being covered by the media while rounding up some bad guys, which allows for convenient “TV screen” captions that give character names and powers. I wasn’t particularly involved, since I have little connection to these characters.

I remember reading the book when it launched, when it was about normal girl Liz in love with family golden boy Race. Now it seems that the viewpoint character will be normal girl Amy, who’s involved with family wild child Surge. Faerber even has a demented old man confuse Amy for Liz, allowing him to acknowledge the plot repetition and promise something different, which he lives up to. With the last page cliffhanger, it becomes clear that she’s not just Liz mark 2.

I liked the book originally for soap opera mixed with superheroics, but now it seems to be superheroes 90% of the time. That’s probably better for the direct market, but if I wanted convoluted action stories with characters that feel familiar but I no longer know, I’ll stick with DC — they’re doing the same thing these days.

This is a great option for someone who wants more superhero stories and isn’t satisfied with what they’re getting from DC or Marvel. I’m just not sure how much of an audience that is.

Astrid is a suburban teen with a couple of friends, and all three are generally bored with school and the options available to them in town. The premise isn’t particularly unusual — outsider finds out that they really are special and their actions have global consequence — and it’s executed competently. What drew my attention here was the lovely art.

McKelvie’s clean linework and gorgeous people are quite attractive, and he draws realistic, complex expressions. His figures tend to look posed and static at times, but many talking panels make that into a strength. His dialogue is similarly plausible for the characters and their ages, so while there’s a lot of it, it’s enjoyable to read.

Guy Major’s colors are of particular note, with pastels and muted shades. It’s the furthest from the traditional solid four colors of comics you can get. He also gives dimension to McKelvie’s world through shading, beautifully supporting his strong design sense.

As the fantasy elements develop, they serve as tangible symbols of Astrid’s struggles growing up. She’s going to have to embrace her heritage in order to defeat the foes seeking her.

The first issue sold out, so look for the collection in May. Or read it online. The author has also been interviewed at PW.

When I heard that, I rolled my eyes… but after actually reading it, I was crying. Gownley does a tremendous job capturing the fear and uncertainty and pain of the kids left behind to wait and wonder. It’s very powerful stuff, backed up by input from a real Army Major.

On the lighter side, this issue also captures Amelia’s first date, charming and yet uncomfortable, as real life is. The realistic dialogue is what sells the kids’ behavior as they live through a gamut of excitement and concern for their friend. The art is well-cartooned, with Gownley’s signature open panels punctuating more traditional sequences and his excellent control of pacing drawing the reader through the story at the intended pace.

There’s also a lesson plan included, as well as more information on the real-life soldier who inspired this issue. The comic can be read online for free at the title’s website. I’ve reviewed two previous collections.

Northlanders #1

If I say “Brian Wood’s Viking comic”, you’ve likely already made your decision on whether it sounds like something you’d like. But there’s more to it than you might suspect.

The preview copy I saw was uncolored, which put me at a disadvantage. Artist Davide Gianfelice has a very European look to his linework, and I think the density will be easier to parse in color. That’s a compliment, actually, that he has very full pages with plenty happening. Reminds me of Walt Simonson’s work. Plenty of violence, too, as suits the material.

Our hero Sven has just found out his uncle has claimed his birthright upon his father’s death. (Very Shakespearean.) Uncle Gorm represents the old way, ruling through fear and old magic sacrifices. Sven’s more cosmopolitan, better traveled, but now a stranger to these people.

Prediction: the people will learn to engage with the larger world without fear, and Sven will learn not to despise his homeland and to value more than money as he claims his birthright. It’s a Very Good match between theme and setting that makes this comic about much more than bearded men swinging swords at each other.

More information at the book’s website. Due December 5 at $2.99 from DC/Vertigo.

Afterburn #1

A solar flare changes all life on earth, creating a post-apocalyptic world. An oil-rig worker becomes a mercenary, capturing objets d’art from depopulated zones for the rich. It’s a postmodern take on Indiana Jones, only the artifacts sought after are those we’ll recognize, like the Mona Lisa, and the dangerous environments are former world capitals populated by mutated zombie-like humans and animals.

It’s a clever concept, immediately intriguing, and professionally done, impressively so for a small publisher. (Caveat: I don’t know about print or paper quality, since I viewed this on-screen. I don’t expect them to cheap out at those points, given the impression I’ve gotten about the company so far, but I’ve seen people make stupider decisions.) Some of the staging could be a little clearer. For example, if the hero’s going to jump neither right nor left when confronted, but 90 degrees to the middle, the corridor that exists in that direction should be established beforehand, so his escape doesn’t seem like deus ex machina.

There’s a lot of fighting, too much for me to really get into the series, but it makes for fun action if that’s your thing. I’m concerned that four issues, bimonthly, asks too much of the reader, though. That’s a long time between hits for an adrenaline adventure, and by the time the next issue’s out, you’ve forgotten the previous. I give it a Good.

Due in January at $2.95, can be ordered with code NOV07 3786 from Red 5 Comics. Read a preview at the publisher’s website.

(This review originally appeared at the Savage Critics.)

It’s written by Tony Lee with art by Dan Boultwood. The plot starts with a home-town girl, gone 20 years, returning home and pondering what’s changed and what hasn’t. It’s only after we begin wondering why she’s so strange that we find out that she was murdered by men who are now town leaders, and she’s back for vengeance.

That’s an intriguing change on the usual setup, especially given the warnings she receives about how much her plans will harm her. In stories of this type, usually it’s the protagonist who’s moved on and grown, but here, she’s the one fixated on the past, and she’s still the same person (physically) she was then.

The art is sharp-edged but simple in the Oeming style. It tells the story well, and the flashback inserts of what happened then are suitably shocking and sudden. The theme, that some choices can’t be apologized for or reversed, is unusual and full of potential.

It’s twisty, so it’s hard to recommend the entire series with confidence, because who knows where it might end up? The writer compares it to “Twin Peaks meets The Crow by way of the Da Vinci Code”, but it strikes me as a layered tale best suited to comics. I admire the protagonist’s determination even as I’m shaking my head that she’s making the wrong choices.

Use code SEP073850 to preorder, or visit hope-falls.com to learn more. It’s a good read, with the potential to be more once the whole story is revealed.

(A complimentary online preview copy for this review was provided by the creator.)

Kevin Freeman writes and Stan Yan draws the story of a depressed retail-rat comic reader. He hates his nowhere job. He hates his demanding boss. He goes to the comic store to complain about the books he buys. His friends there speculate on which superheroines don’t wear underwear (and there’s only one girl, a fat manga reader obsessed with our “hero”). His roommate does nothing but play video and card and role-playing games.

Then a new girl with multiple piercings enters the shop. She’s an artist, opening a gallery, and she’s got her own taste in indy books. She asks him out (good thing, or there’d be no series, since he has no initiative). She’s perfect for him, pursuing him, talking comics with him.

The problem is, there’s no sense of these characters beyond the surface. I do think it’s well-meaning, an attempt to realistically capture the kind of characters the creators know or have known, but they’re all different shades of unpleasant to look at and read about. I hope they get their happy ending, but I felt vaguely dirty after finishing the comic.

What’s the point when we’ve all seen these stereotypes ourselves? And done better, in comics like Dork! or Box Office Poison? What insight is this book showing us about these character types? “I know people like this” isn’t enough.

Find out more at the comic’s website.

(This review originally appeared at the Savage Critics.)