In the beginning (of Bongo Comics) there was Steve Vance, who managed to make Matt Groening’s Simpsons-related comic book line exceed everyone’s expectations. It was actually as amusing and subversive as the television series, more than forumlaic kiddie comics based on a hit TV show. But when Vance (and his colorist wife Cindy [...]
In Annie Hall, Woody Allen’s character refers to a sexual encounter as “the most fun I’ve ever had without laughing.” In that case, he should try reading XXXenophile; it could be the most fun he’ll ever have, period.
OK, so maybe I’m making unwarranted assumptions. Not everyone will be amused or aroused by the [...]
The solicitation in Previews showed a simple cover: a cartoony kid in a action-pose crouch, with a mask covering his mouth and nose, and feet big enough to share sneakers with DC’s kid speedster Impulse. The crisp, confident style said, “quality“. The blurb, with its talk of a bubblegum recipe, said “fun“. [...]
This title is one of four new DC-Universe series with a horror angle of one kind or another. They’ve been referred (with varying degrees of officiality) as “the Dark Side of the DCU”, “Weirdoverse”, and (because they don’t bear the “mature readers” rating) “Vertigo lite”.
The 10-page debut of the Scare Tactics crew in [...]
With the success of Paradox Press’ “Big Book” series, the market appears ripe for this new publication by cartoonist Ted Rall. It’s an oversized, square-bound collection of short graphical stories, each (as Paradox boasts of its Big Books) “100% true”. The theme is, as you probably guessed, confessions of the worst things that [...]
I missed the first Gon book when it came out, and when I started looking for it a couple weeks later, I couldn’t find it at the first few places I tried. I was afraid they might be all gon. {ahem}
Finally, I found one, and I’m glad I did. Gon is a series that’s [...]
I’ve read enough Seattlesque slacker stories for now. Reading about the lives of the young, cash-starved, and aimless tends to get a bit dull after a while. But whether it’s the different setting of turn-of-the-(20th)-century London (thereby losing the overdone references to "nostalgic" 1970’s Americana), or Ilya’s storytelling and characterisation, I really enjoyed [...]
Don’t let the lack of pictures fool you; this is a comic book.
It’s clearly a “book”, and it’s highly “comic”. Rodi has a real knack for clever turns of phrase, for painfully spot-on characterisation, and farcical plot twists that would do Oscar Wilde proud.
It’s about superheroes, the artists who produce them, the fans who [...]
review of issues #1-11
This Jammer sure gets around. He started at Slave Labor. Then Tundra reprinted (and colorised) those first five issues. From there he moved to Dark Horse for a few issues. Now he’s at Caliber (a company which is rapidly moving toward the top my most-respected-publishers list). I [...]
This is one strange series. The first issue alone introduces over a dozen characters, ranging from sentient dinosaurs, several shadowy conspirators (including one with a suspicious little WWII-era-German moustache), a weird alien, a US president who acts like a 6-year-old, a professional bad girl named Thrill Kitten, various scientists, and an angel cast down [...]
“I like the art. Neat lettering.” That was my boyfriend Andy’s immediate reaction when he looked over my shoulder as I started reading these. I agree. (Now leave me alone and let me read, OK?)
The art reminds me of Evan Dorkin’s Pirate Corps work, but without the fine point pen he uses [...]
I guess there may be hope for the comics industry, after all.
OK, that’s a bit harsh toward the rest of the industry, but with publishers focusing so much on castrated steroidal men wearing tights, and anorexic breast-augmented women wearing as little as possible, selling them to a smaller and smaller group of hormonal teenage fanboys, [...]