When I reviewed the first two issues of this miniseries from Black Mask Studios, I was most intrigued by the cause portrayed. Sarah and Jeanette were aggressive defenders of animal rights, to the point of sabotaging a hunting camp. This put them in life-threatening danger when the drunk, redneck, two-dimensional hunters returned and discovered them. Unfortunately, the second two issues, as written by Matt Miner, turned into a standard showdown that was more blood-soaked than I was comfortable with, interwoven […]

“The Case of the Mysterious Zita Makara” continues in these issues of the private eye series by Dave Ebersole and Delia Gable. Unfortunately, they illustrate that my expectations for the book vary from those of the creators. Nothing wrong with that, but I was fascinated by putting a traditional noir detective who happened to be gay into the conventions of the genre. Here, instead, we get a horror overlay, as issue #2 introduces a soul-sucking spirit vampire-type monster. I perhaps […]

Now that convention season planning is upon us, it’s time for me to go through the stacks of items I picked up at previous shows and madly attempt to catch up. Exhibit A: This limited edition historical graphic novel by Diana Tamblyn she was kind enough to give me at last year’s Toronto Comic Arts Festival, I think it was. I like non-fiction comics and graphic memoir. I find them, when done well, wonderful ways to learn about people I […]

Last year, I told you about The Double Life of Miranda Turner, a digital comic by Jamie S. Rich and George Kambadais about a young superhero mentored by her dead sister who formerly had the role. Although the premise sounds angsty, it mostly ignores that in favor of a good amount of comedy and action, driven by creative ideas for villains for Miranda, as the Cat, to battle. Two issues, #4 and #5, came out this past winter, with #6 […]

What a perfect book for a new year! Stephen McCranie has collected various illustrated essays into an inspiring collection of “principles for achieving artistic mastery”. This isn’t a how to draw book or a getting hired or publishing comics instruction manual — instead, it’s a collection of thoughts on how to become a good artist, one who is true to oneself, one who learns from the world around them without getting bogged down or discouraged, one who can find the […]

TJ Editions is a relatively new publisher (started 2013) out of London and Belgium focusing on European graphic novels about either history or sport (such as their graphic history of the Manchester United football club). What I’ve seen so far from them has been firmly in the “boys’ adventure” tradition. Ypres Memories by Philippe Glogowski came out last spring. Focused on “the plight of the Scottish Military who fought during World War I”, it was named the “official graphic novel […]

It’s pretty impressive that the webcomic Girls With Slingshots is celebrating its tenth anniversary with its eighth book collection, reprinting 200 strips in color. The volume is only available from TopatoCo right now (or at next summer’s conventions, I’m sure). I explained the series premise when I reviewed the first four books four years ago. In short, it’s a slice-of-life gag strip with soap opera overtones. Even though I read the series daily, it’s a lot of fun sitting down […]

Before she published Drinking at the Movies and The Infinite Wait and Other Stories, Julia Wertz’s autobiographical comics were published as the “regrettably known” Fart Party. The now-out-of-print first two Fart Party volumes, as well as material that would have made up a third book, all dating from 2005-2012, are now available as Museum of Mistakes: The Fart Party Collection. Also in the book are Wertz’s early work, before her style developed into the familiar, blocky, black-anchored panels; behind-the-scenes material, […]