Sophie Yanow’s War of Streets and Houses is a difficult graphic novel to approach, but a rewarding one. I picked it up because it was described to me as about urban planning, as well as student rebellion during strikes in Montreal in 2012, and my brother is a civil engineer, so I thought he might find it interesting. The concepts rely on the reader to bring herself to the work, as do the images. The art is sketchy and minimalist, […]

I love non-fiction comics, and I got a handful of great ones from various creators at TCAF last month. Here are the quick descriptions. Trepanation: Elective Surgery You Need Like a Hole in the Head by Emi Gennis. Turns out this reprints a comic that appeared at The Nib, so you can read it yourself. (Only online is in color, so more red for blood.) And if you’re not already familiar with the odd practice of trepanning, putting a hole […]

Old Wounds is a four-issue miniseries from Pop! Goes the Icon. It’s also available digitally on ComiXology. The first two issues are out, with #3 coming later this month. Writer Russell Lissau and artist John Bivens present a story that I should find too familiar, but the telling makes it unusual. As issue #1 opens, Michael Lane is told that his ex-wife has been killed when her home was blown up. Their secret, which Lane refuses to share with the […]

Metazoa just launched on ComiXology Submit. Story is by Peter Marshall Smith and art by Sandy Brion Spreitz. It’s described as anthropomorphic sci-fi and cyberpunk neo-noir. I found it redundant, too familiar in its setup and events to many other stories I’ve seen. It’s your standard “tough guy must walk these mean streets alone” premise, only everyone has an animal head. We’re told that Ram, a bear, is feared by most at the bar he visits, and he randomly beats […]

Alison Wilgus (A Stray in the Woods) has released a new full-color minicomic, Apartment Hunting. The title’s a pun, you see. Hanne is a licensed apartment hunter in a world where you can shoot wild rooms to obtain housing. Click that title link for a six-page preview. (Update: Now, the whole story is posted at that link.) When I read it, I immediately bought the PDF ($2). You can also order a print version, but then there’s a wait to […]

You don’t need me to tell you this, but self-publishing is hard. Particularly difficult is getting enough readers to cover the cost of the physical object. That’s why my biggest problem with the series The Trials and Tribulations of Miss Tilney is the price. Each issue — there are two so far — contains only 22 pages of comics for $5. They’re self-published and sold through Amazon. (Each also has a seven- or nine-page text story at the back.) The […]

Depending on who’s behind them, non-fiction comics can be fascinating and educational, or didactic and boring. Thankfully, The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy falls firmly into the first category. I attribute that to the crediting of Kevin Cannon as both artist and co-writer. It’s clear that a visual presentation of the material has been kept in mind throughout. The other co-writer, Michael F. Patton, brings the subject matter, since he’s a philosophy professor. As demonstrated by the cover, the metaphor throughout […]

I talked about All My Ghosts #1-2 last year; now, the miniseries by Jeremy Massie has concluded with the digital release of its fourth issue from Alterna Comics. As a reminder, the comic focuses on Joe, who’s about to sell his family business, a small-town newspaper. As issue #3 opens, we’re a month out from the transaction, and he still hasn’t told his employees. Instead, inspired by a one-night stand in issue #2, he’s decided to shave his head. Perhaps […]