The Clarence Principle is a goth Alice in Wonderland. After a dream-like prologue expressing the protagonist’s feelings of love and being left behind, the story opens with Clarence awakening after his suicide. As he wanders the unusual world he finds himself in, he seeks… well, he’s not sure. A message in steam on the bathroom mirror said “Find Me”, but who? The reader knows that what he’s looking for is self-awareness. He doesn’t admit to himself what he’s done as […]

Midnight Sun by Ben Towle is a tale of survival based on a true story, where the crew of an Italian airship become stranded after the vessel crashes on its way to the North Pole in 1928. It’s told from the perspective of HR, an American reporter who spends his afternoons getting drunk. He’s given a last-chance choice: travel with the rescue party up north, or lose his job. His boss also tells him to dry out on the trip. […]

I broke my iron-clad “no zombies” rule to read Eating Steve when sent a review copy, only because I so very much enjoyed J. Marc Schmidt’s previous graphic novel, Egg Story. I shouldn’t have bothered. Not because of the subject matter, but because it’s not very good. It’s not really about zombies — it’s about a young woman finding herself after the abrupt end of her relationship and life to date. Schmidt postulates a disease that causes people to suddenly […]

This one-shot collects three love stories, previously printed in Dark Horse Presents #118-120: “5 Years and Counting”, “Shot on Goal”, and “Love You Madly, Elsie; or, Scumbag of Oz”. They’re modern takes on romance conventions. The stories turn on promising to meet five years after a separation; locking eyes with a mysterious stranger across a crowded dance floor; or finding an ex-boyfriend’s gift and trying to get back in touch with him. As expected, the art is the usual Evan […]

Vaguely reminiscent of a modern-day Harvey Comics, Little Gloomy is the story of a group of friends… all of whom happen to resemble little monsters from classic movies. Except for Gloomy. She’s a normal girl, by our standards; the oddest of all, by theirs. In this story, Simon, a Mad Scientist, hatches a dastardly plan: if he can’t have Gloomy, no one else will. Meanwhile, Gloomy and Larry, a Werewolf, head out to the bar, where Frank, a Monster, is […]

Andi Watson returns with the story of a Californian working for the summer at a small-town weekly British newspaper in Slow News Day. Personal and professional conflicts mix in an exploration of culture clash, with the two most prominent being American/English and journalist/advertiser. First, Katharine meets Toby, the paper’s only remaining reporter, and gets settled in as they compare their methods of writing stories. They fight about almost everything: different goals, approaches to work, writing styles, assumptions, and family relations. […]

Halo, an angel, has been assigned to help robot Sprocket learn about humanity from Katie, their regular girl roommate. The simple premise of Halo and Sprocket: Welcome to Humanity has immediate appeal. Kerry Callen uses it to create modern fables that explore philosophical issues in a very entertaining way, resulting in one of the funniest comics I’ve ever read. The first story is a great example, discussing optimism and pessimism using the traditional question of whether a glass is half […]

How’s this for a high concept? In Egg Story, an egg, determined to be more than breakfast, becomes a ninja. Feather and his sister Five-Spots learn early how short and harsh life can be. Mere minutes after they’re born, the farmer gathering them up throws their misshapen brother to the dog. At the supermarket, they discuss their fears. “What kind of a world are we living in?! Filled with murderers, kidnappers, thieves…” It’s easy to sympathize with the plucky young […]