Hectic Planet: The Bummer Trilogy

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 […]

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My Thoughts on Continuity

I’ve talked about this before online, but I thought I’d capture the core of my position in one location. Many continuing comic fans say, “Continuity is no barrier to readers to new readers. When I was a kid, I loved knowing that there was a bigger universe out there with more stories.” It’s a common thread among those who defend a tight continuity as an attractive element for a superhero comic universe. I’m not sure people realize a key factor […]

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Archie #565: Wrong About Manga

What an odd mix of stories. First, Archie’s featured in a magazine picture, and his new role as “teen model” goes to his head. Betty and Veronica teach him a lesson by convincing him to make himself look like an idiot. They get their payback, though, when he ditches them for a couple of other random girls. Next, Archie and Jughead fight because Jughead thinks Archie should go out with Betty and Archie wants to call Veronica. Everyone’s scowling at […]

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Small Publisher Decisions: Athena Voltaire

Athena Voltaire, originally a webcomic, started in print from the now-dead publisher Speakeasy, where the first issue sold out. (I know, in a world where many publishers print to order, that may not mean much, but it does indicate demand.) Here’s the creator’s description: Athena Voltaire follows the globetrotting adventures of a 1930s aviatrix as she crosses paths with Nazis and battles occult forces against a diverse backdrop of exotic locales. Debuting online in 2002, the series received a 2005 […]

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Girls Rule

I was rather pleasantly surprised to see the following card flyer given out at my comic store a couple of weeks ago, promoting Scholastic’s Graphix line of graphic novels. The back text reads as follows. (I’ve inserted links to their website and my reviews of certain titles.) From Scholastic’s Graphix, the official home of Bone, new graphic novels for girls of all ages. Become BFF with the new Baby-Sitters Club! Ann M. Martin’s original series is now a graphic novel […]

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Little Star

Andi Watson’s Little Star continues in the slice-of-life vein of his works Breakfast After Noon and Slow News Day. (The characters from BAN even make a cameo here; Rob’s a stay-at-home dad and Louise has a second on the way.) It’s the character-driven story of a father coming to terms with life choices: balancing work and home, buying the right house, and raising a child. Daughter Cassie is old enough to talk, and she’s beginning to develop her own personality. […]

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Scary Godmother

Young Hannah Marie is afraid of monsters, so her older cousin Jimmy has promised to take her trick-or-treating this Halloween. She’s excited about going out with the big kids for the first time even though they’re not happy about having to wait for her. They decide to scare her to make her go home, but the tables are turned when Hannah meets her Scary Godmother and her monster friends. Scary Godmother is a witch in a black tutu, purple- and […]

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Steady Beat Volume 1

Steady Beat is a fascinating blend of a wide variety of elements and influences: teen romance, manga, and political drama. Sixteen-year-old Leah has grown up in the shadow of her big sister Sarai. Even when Leah scores an important goal during the school soccer championship, her glory is short-lived, as her varsity captain sister is coaching. To be fair, Sarai gives Leah a chance to demonstrate her skills and responsibility, but Leah gets distracted by a discovery that will change […]

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