What comic are you reading at the moment.

Richv1 · 21-01-2009 3:56pm

Title: The Brave and the Bold # 20
Publisher: DC
Writer: David Hine
Penciler: Doug Braithwaite
Inker: Bill Reinhold
Price: $ 2.99 US/Can
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Comments: The art is breathtaking. The aliens are drawn with wonderful detail.
The story is captivating from the start. It holds mystery and suspense. The story has many elemenys of a horror movie. People well aliens have died. More may follow. This as well somehow may tie into a small Belamort creature that induces dreams.
There are several stories wrthin the main story. There is a huge surprise that you are unlikely to see coming.
Hal and the Phantom Stranger do not interact very much. They both go off on their own. The two need to work together more as partners. Both are great characters and used ok here, they just could have been so much more though. Hopefully in the coming issues we will see some teamwork.
Magic and science do work great together. Both are represented here by two of the best.

Richard Vasseur

Delirium · 28-01-2009 4:42pm

Currently reading Wonder Woman - Love and Murder. Enjoying it so far. Its the first book I've ever read of Wonder Woman.

Fysh · 01-02-2009 7:56pm

I haven't posted in a while, and I've just realised how badly my reading has lapsed behind what I've been picking up. Since my last post, I have read the following:

Dean Motter's Mister X: Condemned #1 & #2

A new limited series published by Dark Horse, this is a revisiting of the Mister X world intended to introduce new readers to the character and world in order for them to then shell out significantly more cash on The Mister X Archives which came out recently. The artwork is a bit strange; it's simpler than a lot of mainstream American comics but also more design-focused. The story is interesting, providing a new hook into the existing "city whose architecture drives its citizens mad" storyline without requiring any previous knowledge of what's going on.

Unmasked by Martin Simpson (TweekHed Press)

I picked up this small press comic because it was a good print job using black glossy paper, as opposed to the usual black print on white paper. The print job is very nice and the artwork is gorgeous, seemingly made using manipulated pictures of claymation photography. It reminds me of Dave McKean in an odd way, although not as complex. It's a simple little thing, but very well executed. I'll keep an eye open for more from this chap.

Mystery in the Park by Tom Meddings (Unedible.Co.Uk)

Another simple little small press thing, this - and equally good. An apparently innocuous tale of two joggers who notice an eccentric in the park, the artwork in this manages to make the whole thing work, and has that tingle of something really strange happening nearby. Another person I'll keep an eye on.

The Art Of Paul Duffield #1

I'm surprised this kind of thing is put out as a single issue, but it's lovely to look at. Having enjoyed Duffield's art on Freakangels for the last year or so, it was nice to see what else he's produced, particularly when he's experimenting with different materials. It's a bit steeply priced (arguably all Avatar comics are) but if you enjoy comics for their artistic merits this is definitely worth checking out.

Doktor Sleepless #11

The story rolls on, building pace all the while. In terms of the single issue, not a great deal happens here - there's a lot of talking as a journalist interviews another one of John Reindhardt's former associates, while a gang war builds up and explodes into violence - but I don't see the point in trying to judge this as a single issue since it's clearly part of an overall narrative. This is more fleshing-out-background than mad ideas, but I'm still interested in the world Ellis has created here and the conflicts that are looming due to the technology the Doktor has released into the wild so I'll be following this long-term.

Stormwatch Post Earth Division #18

Another decent issue from Edginton in which the Authority and Stormwatch meet in potentially awkward circumstances and yet don't have a contrived fight before talking out their differences. Edginton continues to ground this well in the context of what has gone before it, but I'm probably going to drop this series. There's nothing wrong with it as such, but it does feel like whatever storyline is building up will read much better as a trade. Aside from that, I'm not too enamoured with the Wildstorm editorial decision to bring back all the characters from Ellis's run on the title (given that

most of them died at the end of that run and bringing them back kind of ruins the entire story

), nor their decision to have those stupid back-up strips where if you're only reading 1 Wildstorm title you get 1/4 of a story every month. Still, if it's post-apocalyptic superhero stories you're after, you could do a lot worse than this.

Paper Tiger Comix #4

This is one of those comics where the point is the entire package. This anthology comes with badges, cards, and a compilation album. Which is pretty impressive considering it's a 96 page comic and cost £8 or so. As for the comics themselves, they're a mixed bunch (as with most anthologies) - there are a couple of pages in there where the artwork is either very lazy or very sloppy, but overall it's good. I'm starting to suffer anthology fatigue though, so I wouldn't go out of my way to hunt down the next issue of it straight away.

Space Raoul

Finally got around to reading this, and it was awesome stuff. The book is quite small in terms of physical dimensions, but there's a lot in there and it's great fun. I would've loved to see a larger sized collection because the artwork is lovely, but it appears some of the material was only available as scans from newspaper-quality printouts (which I imagine led to the smaller page size being used). Overall, I thought this was great fun - absolutely daft, very funny, and suitable for just about anyone.

Weekend Friends by Oli Smith

More small press stuff. I wasn't so impressed with this one, because while the sketches it contained were quite nice, it's a f@%ing rip-off price-wise. The premise is that this is a diary of the creator's week. It works quite nicely in a Harvey Pekar "slice of life, no narrative imposed" kind of way. But the page layout in this goes beyond "comics as object" and traverses well into the realms of taking the piss.

There are 24 interior pages in this, of which 13 are artwork. Of the art pages, some are full pages, others are simple sketches and white space. There are a further 8 pages that contain between 2 and 5 lines of text and could easily have been combined with the corresponding artwork pages. Not to mention 2 pages with photos whose purpose escapes me. This could easily have been a 14-page pamphlet, rather than the 28 page (including the cover, which aside from 3 lines of text is also blank) exercise in blank space that I currently have in my hands. I like supporting small press comics, but not this kind of self-indulgent indie-shmindie nonsense. Reading this comic felt like being an English teacher who, on starting to mark an essay by a mediocre student, notices that the essay in question has been typed in a font 2 sizes bigger than everyone else has used, with wider margins than everyone else has used, and with the text double-spaced. It's no judgement on the content, but the extent to which this has been padded out means that you can't help but feel a bit ripped-off.

No Hero #3

I thought I'd already reviewed this here, but evidently not. I'm losing my love for this series, because like the previous comic, it feels padded. For a 22-page comic (with a $4 cover price) to have 5 double-page splashes, 4 of which are in the first 10 pages, is a bit of a joke. No Hero is scheduled to run for 8 issues (including the #0 issue) and is very evidently written with the structure of a complete story rather than a series of issues; however, I get the feeling that this, like Black Summer before it, could stand to lose some of the fat and be trimmed down to 6 or even 5 issues.

Fecal Depot #2

Yet another small press thing, and thankfully this one was pretty damn good. The first 10 pages of this are 2-page sections wherein the artist experiments with different styles, and while the results of the experiments are inconsistent they are at least interesting in their diversity. The rest of it is more conventional 1 or 2 page strips, though with strong art that shows enough different styles to keep you interested. Overall this was pretty good and weird enough to be worth coming back to, even at the comparatively high price of £3 (though in fairness for that price you're getting a full-colour comic).

Incognito #1

I picked this up out of curiosity, since I've been enjoying Criminal so much. I don't think it's as good as Criminal, and I won't be following it. Why? Because it feels, to me, like Brubaker and Philips are fed up with making a critically acclaimed comic that doesn't sell very well and want to have something that sells well for a change. I can't blame them for this; but I don't want to put money towards a comic whose success might convince them to move away from Criminal and towards unremarkable costumed-adventurer comics.

There are things to like about this - as Brubaker admits in the backmatter, it's heavily influenced by the '20s pulp fiction stories. In terms of the comic itself, it made me think of what the Shadow movie from the mid-90s could have been like if it had been any good. But anything that's good about this comic is present in greater quantity in Criminal, so I can't in good conscience urge you to buy this instead.

If you want Brubaker doing costumed adventures, go and get Captain America. If you want Brubaker and Philips doing something that they clearly love and pour a lot of themselves into, go and buy the trades of Criminal so far and buy the single issues as they come out.

The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr Punch

I've been wanting to read this for ages, but unsure of whether I'd like it enough to want to own it. Eventually, my library offered an ideal way out of the problem. Having obtained the tome in question, the next task was to read it. Not as simple as you might think.

I'm not saying this is impenetrable as comics go, but the unusual size of it and McKean's use of visuals for the story make it something that you have to be in a certain frame of mind to really enjoy.

Once you're in that frame of mind, though, you get a real treat. The story has an oppressive atmosphere, as though you're waiting for something awful to happen at any moment, and the artwork really brings this to the for. It ploughs on relentlessly, being somewhere between an autobiography of the narrator, a horror story about a demonic puppet, and a history of the Punch and Judy show. Definitely worth reading at least once; I imagine I shall pick up a copy in due course.

Right, so that's everything I remember reading since my last post. I'll end this post with my current comics reading pile:

Donkeyhead #1 : The Giant Vacuum Cleaner (small press)
Marjane Satrapi's Chicken With Plums
Mr Maximo And Rabbit Collected Edition (small press)
Leon Sadler's Bad Boys (small press)
King Cat Comics & Stories #69 (small press)
Last Bus #1
Frankenstein (illustrated by Declan Shalvey)
Mister X: The Archives
Will Eisner's "Graphic Storytelling and visual narrative"
Babel #2 by David B
Macbeth (Classical Comics)
Amor Y Cohetes by Los Bros Hernandez
Joe Sacco's Palestine
Harvey Pekar's Another Day
Metronome by Veronique Tanaka
The Hunting Party by Enki Bilal
Essex County Trilogy: Ghost Stories
Transhuman TPB
Schizo #4
Absolute Sandman Volume 3
Absolute Sandman Volume 4
Help Is On The Way
Marshal Law's Day Of The Dead
The Picture Of Dorian Gray (adaptation by Ian Edginton)
Laika
Bryan Talbot's Alice In Sunderland

As you might imagine, I'm going to stop buying stuff for a while...

thepotrovk · 03-02-2009 1:56pm

I am reading Titin, what a clasic

el_tiddlero · 04-02-2009 12:34pm

jesus Fysh - you'll be at it all year with that amount in the to read pile!!

I just recently finished Palestine - Joe Sacco. Was a good time to be reading it seen as they were at war again. It's quite heavy in parts, but surprisingly personal too. He makes no judgements or claims and just puts what he saw in front of you. He has another one about gaza too i think, which i would be tempted to get after reading this.

At present i'm into 100 bullets. Read the first 4 trades over christmas, and now i'm on 5-8. It's deadly.. the intricacies of the story are phenomenal, and it seems to me that i might need to read the whole thing (finishes in June right?) to see where it's going, and the go back and re-read to see what i managed to miss first time round. Also, it looks fantastic... the drawings are so vivid and vital.. so yeah, thoroughly enjoying it..

Richv1 · 04-02-2009 3:50pm

Graphic Classics Dorian Grey

BuddyGlass · 20-02-2009 9:47pm

Just finished reading Watchmen today.... first time in ages I gave it a proper go. Immensely rewarding re-visiting the story, and how Moore and Gibbons seed the various plot twists and revelations throughout. Definitely approporiate looking at it again with the movie coming, and one I'm feeling increasingly less enthusiastic about too.

spongeman · 22-02-2009 9:50pm

A bit retro I know but Ive just completed the full collection of Eagle from ebay.....right from 1983 to 1994 !

Was dying to find out how the computer warrior ended.......his final game was Another World.

Fysh · 22-02-2009 11:05pm

Right, since I last posted I've made it through the following from my to-read list:

Donkeyhead #1 : The Giant Vacuum Cleaner (small press)

I quite liked this. It's a bit strange and seems to have two related narratives going on, one in the top 2/3 of the page and one across the bottom third. It all revolves around a central character who's greeted by a chap with a donkey's head and asked to come on a journey to an unspecified destination. The whole thing has a wonderful sense of ominous weirdness, so I'll be keeping an eye out for subsequent issues.

Marjane Satrapi's Chicken With Plums

As with everything else Satrapi's done, this was a really enjoyable read. Simple-looking artwork works well with a story about how people's lives intertwine. The only complaint I could make is that I would have liked it to be longer.

Leon Sadler's Bad Boys (small press)

More small press stuff, but I was a bit disappointed with this. The intent appears to have been whimsical silliness, but it doesn't quite work. This comic is basically about a bunch of jelly-baby-people doing things to a large disembodied head. Neither the jokey bits nor the art are really enough to raise it above pointlessness.

King Cat Comics & Stories #69 (small press)

This, on the other hand, is a really nice example of small press. While the artwork isn't exactly exceptional, the artist is trying to do interesting things and choose shots that are eye-catching. Coupled with writing that features lines like "the pitter-patter of tiny trouble-making feet" (describing cats), this was definitely worth reading.

Harvey Pekar's Another Day

I've not read too much of Pekar's comic work - basically the big collection of stuff that came out after the movie was made, and The Quitter. I know he's done other books since, but I kept putting off picking them up. I'm glad I picked this up, because it's as good as the movie collection, and features as wide and strong a selection of artwork. Some of the stories feel a tad inconsequential but that's the glory of his slice-of-life approach, there's no narrative structure imposed and if the stream of consciousness feels a bit odd it's only because it's true to life. I shall be making more of an effort to pick up Pekar's other work after reading this.

Marshal Law's Day Of The Dead

I got this cheap, and when I started reading it I was kind of glad about that. It's not a comic but an illustrated prose story; the story itself is fine but I would have preferred to read it as a comic. What I've read of Marshal Law in the past has been a great combination of writing and artwork, but the combination doesn't really work when the two are kept separate.

Mister X: The Archives

At the moment, I'm working my way through Mister X. So far so good, it's interesting to read non-Love & Rockets material illustrated by Los Bros Hernandez (particularly spotting Luba in an early issue). More on this as I make progress.

Delirium · 23-02-2009 3:25pm

Picked up Superman/Batman - Vengeance. Have enjoyed the other Superman/Batman books, so looking forward to reading this.

Have a few more to read, will post up the list when I get back to the flat.

Richv1 · 23-02-2009 3:45pm

Title: Atomic Robo TPB Volume 2
Publisher: Paul Ens & Scott Chitwood
Writer: Brian Clevinger
Artist: Scott Wegener
Price: $ 19.95 US
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Comments: The setting is World War II, Atomic Robo is ready to join the fight. He will help out the fighting army.
The art has a slightly cartoonish look but it still conveys the hardships of war. War is hell. Its about fighting and killing. Atomic Robo is a juggernaut of destruction as he goes through the nazis. His armoured form is hard to stop. The germans though have their own version of Atomic Robo. The Laufpanzers engines of destruction as well. Its a little clunky looking but definitely well drawn. Robo vs Laufpanzers its man and machine vs each other. A battle well worth seeing.
The Sparrow is a cute tough dame. The Brutes after her are ugly monsterous men. The artist does have the chance to illustrate a variety of people.
The story and art both have a unique touch as you read it it has an amuzing side. Robo is a funny character. The situations are serious just the people are outlandish.
An Electric Cannon now this is a weapon to watch out for. Atomic Robo is called in to stop it. Some British guy shows up and his british accent is almost gibberish. Its funny to read. James Milligan does make a action packed soldier as he and Robo work together.
After the main story there are a few short ones. The giant mummy is really drawn well. All the stories including the free comic day 2008 one are well written and illustrated.

Richard Vasseur
www.jazmaonline.com

whack4mydaddio · 23-02-2009 6:05pm

reading Tank Girl vol 1 and The Maxx vol 2 and The Walking Dead. Havent really been blown away by any of them since i read Watchmen. Ordered in Umbrella Academy hoping thats gonna be good.

Delirium · 23-02-2009 7:56pm

The other comics lined up are:

Buddha by Osamu Tezuka, books 1+2.

Thor visionaries : Walter Simonson

Batman : Gotham Underground

Joker by Brian Azzarello

AssocProducer · 23-02-2009 11:01pm

What comic are you reading at the moment...reading it again

Simon Bisley.......... Sláine. Got me through art school

jvposter · 28-02-2009 1:37am

I am reading caragiale ... a romanian old comic

Richv1 · 01-03-2009 9:49am

Title: Fallen Justice # 1
Publisher: Red Handed Studios
Writers: Cary Kelley & Steven Forbes
Artist: Harold Edge
Price: $ 3.50 US
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Comments: This premiere issue starts out with action plus. Its an all out brawl. Justice Theta this world's main superhero comes across as an ordinary guy who just happens to have powers. His personality makes him a lovable guy.
Justice Theta's origin is beautifully explained. It is nice to see an origin not filled with pain but one filled with hope.
The art shows these heroes and the people around them as more human looking. They are drawn more realisticly. Its a nice change. They also face regular problems within the team and its dynamics.
The villians are fresh and exciting. Justice Theta knows his life is getting harder. He just doesn't know what to do. When he does the right thing he finds out some life changing news.
This is a wonderful comic just different enough to stand out from other superhero comics. Its action packed and also packed with drama.
Good art, good story make for a great comic.
Don't be caught red handed without this comic!

Title: Fallen Justice # 2
Publisher: Red Handed Studios
Writers: Cary Kelley & Steven Forbes
Artist: Harold Edge
Price: $ 3.50 US
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Comments: Justice theta the top superhero in this Universe is a man filled with emotions. He cares very deeply. Justice Theta though crosses a line that he may never be able to come back from.
Tragedy and comedy are two wonderfully created villians. No super powers but they do have a big gun and a nice repertoire. Comedy comes across as someone who has totally lost it. A tragedy can cause that. His comedy lines are the babblings of the insane.
Justice Theta when he gets some bad news we see he is just like an ordinary man. Not quit refusing to accept it but not totally accepting it either. With all his powers deep down inside he is just a man.
Justice Theta is also a hero and no matter what his condition he is still going to protect those in need. He is a true hero.

Title: Fallen Justice # 3
Publisher: Red Handed Studios
Writers: Cary Kelley & Steven Forbes
Artist: Harold Edge
Price: $ 3.50 US
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Comments: The jail break by Comedy and Mob is an action filled scene. The art is well suited to this comic. It has a slight cartoon style to it but not overly so.
As Justice Theta battles Comedy and Mob his teammates sit around thinking whether or not they should help him. His "teammates"? Even those who want to help sit and do nothing. Justice Theta is pushed to the edge so he does the only thing he can he pushes back.
What happens when a super hero of incredible power finds out he has a brain tumor and is going to die? Justice Theta lets loose in a bloody killing streak. Justice Theta is going over the edge or has gone over it already.
His team shows up and are they there to help or fight. Maybe both. The teams arrival gives us a stunning drawing of them.
What happens when a hero goes over the edge. Find out here. It is a thrill ride you will not want to miss.

Title: Fallen Justice # 4
Publisher: Red Handed Studios
Writers: Cary Kelley & Steven Forbes
Artist: Harold Edge
Price: $ 3.50 US
rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Comments: Ross Hughes does a wonderful job on the colors. They are vibrant. They help bring this comic to life.
The Guardians, Justice Theta's team show up and are ready to bring him down. Can the most powerful team defeat the most powerful superhero gone insane. The superheroes go all out using their abilities it is exciting to see them all in all out action.
Dynagirl is drawn cute. Also she some sexiness without going overboard. Her feelings for Justice Theta are obvious as his g/f she does love him. So she will help him by whatever means necassary.
Dynagirl is featured more this issue. She does make a strong character. Her attitude of being hard but also loving comes through in both the writing and art. Dyna-Girl does what she has to to find a way to defeat her lover Justice Theta. She can make the hard choices. Dynagirl is tough and cute.

Title: Fallen Justice # 5
Publisher: Red Handed Studios
Writers: Cary Kelley & Steven Forbes
Artist: Harold Edge
Price: $ 3.50 US
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Comments: Dervish is the speedster and its cute as he is running along talking about the mission they are on that he still has time to stop for a girl in a short skirt. It is extremely well written this funny moment. The girl is drawn pretty sexy to.
Simon Hurst he basicly has the power of Simon Says if he touches you you do whatever he tells you to. Dynagirl thinks she can now control him. She was once forced to do his bidding but its easy to see she has grown over the years. She is no mere girl now but a woman who wants to help the man she loves Justice Theta.
Justice Theta really has lost it. He now gives no thought to killing.
All the players are gathering and when they meet. There will be all Hell set loose. These heroes and villians play for keeps.
Great story and art. Combined they give us a comic that will hold your interest and keep you coming back for more.
Richard Vasseur

trustno1 · 05-03-2009 6:20pm

Just finished reading all the Preacher books... excellent stuff.. might purchase The Boys next as it appears to be getting great reviews on Amazon..

Might have to read Watchmen again too before I head to the flicks to check it out!..

stanlee · 07-03-2009 10:37am

Reading "Captain America :Truth" at the minute. Quite good so far

Richv1 · 08-03-2009 12:09pm

Title: Masquerade # 1
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Phil Hester
Artist: Carlos Paul
Price: $ 3.50 US
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Comments: A Nazi cult with a clockwork God or rather a big cyborb plan revenge against America.
Masquerade as a child had one harrowing adventure due to her curiousity. She was a head strong girl.
The art should be more defined. Masquerade is shown as a beautiful sexy woman on the cover. Inside she is not, she is chuncky and unweildy looking.
The supers come to her aid. She looks and acts like a fifth wheel. Until she uses her greatest gift her intelligence.
The big clockwork cyborg is a well dream piece of machinery.
Masquerade does have a cute personality. You will fall in love with her.

Title: Graphic Classics: Oscar Wilde
Publisher: Eureka Productions
Writers: various
Artists: various
Price: $ 11.95 US, $ 13.50 Can
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Comments: "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is adapted by Alex Burrows and illustrated by Lisa K. Weber. The artwoek has a unigue sophisticated look to it. The story is a love story in part. It is also about one man and his descent into insanity. Not just insanity but evil. All the punishment his body would take is transferred to the painting of himself. All his depravity is clearly seen therein. It is well illustrated the two different appearances of Dorian Gray.
"The Canterville Ghost" is adapted by Antonella Caputo and drawn by Nick Miller. A family move into a haunted house, they don't believe in ghosts but things change. The story moves along nicely. The poor ghost has a rough time dealing with the new American family that moves in. It is actually quite amusing. Its also a tale of sorrow and the power of love.
"Lord Arthur Saville's Crime" is adapted by Rich Rainey and illustrated by Stan Shaw. This story is about a Cheiromancer, a fortune teller and a gentleman who believes his prediction. This leads to some interesting events and a surprise ending.
"Salome'" is adapted by Tom Pomplun and illustrated by Molly Kiely. Salome is a spoiled princess who only cares about what she wants. She even uses her lechrous father a ruler to get what she wants. Its all about her. Its a well told story with some nice art.
Oscar Wilde did create some amazing stories.

Richard Vasseur
www.jazmaonline.com

RAMAN · 14-03-2009 6:02pm

Just picked up vol 4 of the Criminal series by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. I love this book and the whole crime thriller buzz it has going on. Heard Captain America and Daredevil are also great reads?

galactus · 14-03-2009 11:15pm

AssocProducer wrote: »

What comic are you reading at the moment...reading it again

Simon Bisley.......... Sláine. Got me through art school

An absolute classic though (sorry can't resist) I prefer the Conan (esp. Thomas/Buscema) on which it is obviously based.

Currently reading The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 5

Saruwatari · 17-03-2009 1:40am

Currently reading Nicolas de Crecy's Glacial Period.

de Crecy's art sucked me in the moment I read his "New Gods" short story for the Japan - As Viewed By 17 Creators anthology.
His loose and shakey inking coupled with beautiful muted watercolours has really inspired my art over the last few weeks, I'm trying my hand at watercolour paints myself now thanks to him...

BopNiblets · 17-03-2009 2:30am

galactus · 18-03-2009 3:30pm

DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, as I had never actually read it.

I would probably never have read it until I saw Wolfman & Perez were involved (am a bit of a Marvel fan-boy).

Fysh · 19-03-2009 12:33am

It's been a while since I posted here, and I've not made as much progress with the reading pile as I'd hoped. I have been reading stuff, just mostly new stuff.

Essex County Trilogy Volume 2: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire

This was picked up in a sale on the basis of being ordered to by ztoical

(Though in fairness, at £3 you can't go wrong) I took a while to get into this because the art style is kind of thin and scratchy; it works very well for the story but took me a while to adjust to. After a while you adapt, though, and then realise that the art works very well for the tale of this old, possibly senile man who is remembering past glories and regrets - the sparseness of the lines really underlining the apparent emptiness of his life now and the mistakes that he's made. I'm as surprised as anyone that I found a book classified as "farm life" as moving and enjoyable as I did, but there you have it. I'll be seeking out the other volumes in due course.

The Most Natural Thing In The World TPB by Francesca Cavetti

I remember picking up one of the issues of this when it was a small press series, so the collected book seemed worth a go. A light-hearted look at how pregnancy and childbirth changes a couple's life, it's pleasant enough fare. The artwork is functional although unexceptional. It serves the story well enough, but doesn't do anything surprising. The story itself is fun, particularly as a few aspects accurately describe the experiences of friends and family who have recently been hosts to the joy of childbirth

The Doomed Collection

I'd never heard of this series, but the missus spotted it in Waterstones recently and picked it up. It's got a typical fantasy/horror magazine exploitative cover, with some vamp type wandering around in a minimalist bikini, cape and expression of angsty yearning. That cover lied to me and it lies to you. This is no collection of second rate stories written as an excuse to let the readers drool over detailed renderings of improbably-chested Amazonian warrior priestesses and what have you. It's actually a great collection of horror comics adapted from prose stories by the likes of Richard Matheson and Robert Bloch, illustrated by various artists. Well worth picking up for horror fans who want something a bit different to the zombie/cthulhu fare that seems to be most of the horror output these days.

The Zombies That Ate The World #1

I remember reading this in serialised form when DC were translating Metal Hurlant as part of their deal with Humanoids. Now, Devil's Due are doing a similar deal and releasing a bunch of French comics as limited series. This is great stuff - like Fragile before it, it's an post-zombie apocalypse story that does something totally different to what American writers usually do, simply by not taking the subject so seriously. We follow the adventures of a nerdy oddball who makes a career for himself out of taking care of zombie problems - the dead have returned to life, and if you think living with your parents as an adult is bad, imagine it with one of them as a zombie. The humour is great in this series, underpinned by a distinctive style. Well worth checking out.

London Horror Comic #2

After picking up #1 last year, I preordered this as soon as I heard it was coming out. I'm a sucker for anthology-style comics and the Twlight-zone style of the first issue had me looking forward to this. It doesn't disappoint, again having a mixture of stories with a twist that blend darkness and humour nicely. There's a longish superhero story in here which is oddly the weakest of the lot, probably because it feels a bit too derivative compared to the rest of the stories. But then that's the joy of anthology books - if one story's not great there's still several others to be enjoyed. Well worth a look if you've ever enjoyed the likes of Tales From The Crypt.

Soul Kiss #1 & #2

A new limited series from Steven T. Seagle, I figured I'd support this in singles format, on the basis that if I'm going to buy anything as a monthly it'll be stuff that tells a story on its own terms, rather than filtered through the lens of a decades-old corporately-owned character. Anyway. Soul Kiss is the story of a girl who, in a tight spot, makes a very foolish bargain with someone who turns out to be the Devil. She only realises the nature of the bargain upon being returned safely home and

inadvertently killing her boyfriend and sending his soul to Hell

. At this point she makes a second bargain, and that's what's really going to drive the story. Some odd choices are present in this story - for example, the essential plot as I've described it only really comes into focus in the second issue, with the first issue setting the scene and the mood but not really enough of the story to hook you. On the other hand, it was the artwork that got me to pick this up (well, ok, that and Seagle's name, given the amount of his work that I've enjoyed). It's distinctive and different, using an almost crayon-like texture on some of the lines, and the colours are kind of vivid and muted all at once, really working well to create an atmosphere that matches the narrative. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

I Am Legion #1 & 2

Another Devil's Due/Humanoids shindig, this time illustrated by John Cassaday. I remember looking forward to this back when the DC/Humanoids deal was still going on, so it's nice to be able to pick this up now. That said, this story feels like something that should be read in one go so I'm kind of regretting not tradewaiting this. That said, it's a good read - a supernatural tale of possession set in WWII, wrapped around characters involved in the police and resistance movements. Worth it for the art alone but the story is good too.

The Great Unknown #1 by Duncan Rouleau

Another limited series from Man of Action studios, this was more fun and funnier than I expected. The tale of an intelligent yet astonishingly unlikeable slacker who notices that all his ideas for making the big time appear to be being stolen from him somehow, while his family try to convince him to adopt a more normal approach to his life. A large part of the joy of this is the sheer obnoxiousness of the narrator, but the pacing and plot are interesting too. The issue is broken up into chapters of 6-10 pages in length which allows the story to move along faster than would a bigger single-chapter structure. The limited use of colour works well, making the artwork jump out of the page that bit more. Again, I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

No Hero #4

This issue almost makes up for last issue's splash-page excesses; at the very least it complements them. We see in gory detail the effects that Masterson's drug has had on The Front Line's latest recruit, both mental and physical - which leads to a final page which is both extremely funny and tragic. This issue is where the core question of the series comes into sharp focus, and as expected with Ellis, it's not particularly pleasant for anyone involved.

Urgent Telex by Hurk

This was a small press thing I saw in Gosh, and only noticed because they'd mentioned it in their round-up. I'm glad I picked it up though, because it's great. Enjoyably whimsical stuff, with lovely art and humour which both reminded me of the likes of Ronan Kennedy or Boby Byrne, plus the whole package is really nicely put together. There were only 50 issues released, but if you happen to get a chance to pick one up, do it - you won't be disappointed.

Whew - I'm sure I've forgotten one or two things but I'm going to stop now. I've also re-read the entirety of Transmetropolitan recently, and am now re-reading Watchmen following the whole "1 chapter a night" thing after seeing the movie.

ChumpStain · 21-03-2009 11:39am

Superman: Red Son

Third time round, read it a couple of years ago and loaned it to a friend recently. He loved it and keeps talking about it so much that I wanted to read it again and I'm loving it all over again. Thoroughly recommended!

Delirium · 23-03-2009 2:42pm

Just after picking up books 11 + 12 of 100 bullets:)

Richv1 · 24-03-2009 9:46pm

Title: Curse of the Were-Woman (trade paperback)
Publisher: Devil's Due Publishing
Writer: Jason M. Burns
Artist: Christopher Provencher
Price: $ 12.99 US
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Comments: Patrick Dalton is one womanizing man. he doesn't seem like a bad guy he just loves to chase lots of different women. He is a sexual guy so much so he could be referred to as a sexist pig. Since his sexual attitude is women are good for doing one thing with. He thinks of women to much as just sex objects and conquests and not about them as people.
Well Patrick Dalton as the story goes on turns out he is a bad guy. He uses women for sex than dumps them. He is a jerk.
His luck though after mistreating a gothic chic ( he calls them chics not women) is about to change. Change is definitely the right word. Patrick Dalton gets the surprise of his life. The story is well written with illustrations that matchit pefectly. As Patrick gets what he deserves you might even find yourself cheering. There is also a nice easy sense of humor mixed in.
Patrick or Patricia had one wild night of discovery. He/She is starting to look at life a little different. Depending on which sex you are that can happen.
Patrick like anyone else finds the truth hard to impossible to accept. So he doesn't at first.
We do see Patrick is not alone in his thoughts on women. In his firm he is choosen over another simply on his sex rather than his ability to do the job.
Patrick gets to learn first hand what it means to be a woman. He gegins to appreciate them. Sometimes it takes a woman to fully appreciate one. He makes a better she than most women do. So his punishment actually turns out to be a lifes lesson. He learns love. One of the greatest lessons he could.
Its a fun story with good art and a moral. Women are not just objects and men can change for the better.

Richard Vasseur
www.jazmaonline.com

Fysh · 25-03-2009 3:27pm

I've made a little more headway with the reading pile, though I keep topping it up with new stuff so I'm not really helping myself much:

Essex County Trilogy Volume 1: Tales From The Farm

After enjoying volume 2 so much, I picked up volumes 1 & 3 on my next trip to the comic shop. Tales From The Farm was good in much the same way that Ghost Stories was, though it felt a bit hollow. The artwork is very effective, scratchy blank-&-white lines that convey a lot more than you might expect - but the central story here felt a bit too sparse. The story is about Lester, a boy who, after his mother's death, retreats into a fantasy world in which he is a superhero tasked with fending off an alien invasion. His uncle cares for him but doesn't know how to bond with him, and only when the local petrol station attendant reaches out to him does Lester return to the "real" world. Without the extra depth provided to Jimmy by having read Ghost Stories first, I don't think the story here would be in any elevated above your run-of-the-mill slice of life/introspective "I had a difficult childhood" story.

I haven't read Volume 3 yet so it remains to be seen how the three all stitch together.

Vimanarama

Like We3 and Seaguy before it, it's another Grant Morrison thing where being short works in its favour. This is something like a Bollywood superhero origin story filtered through Indian mythology; mental but fun. That being said, I don't think I'd re-read it which is why I'm glad I borrowed it from the library. Still, it's worth checking out even if only for Philip Bond's artwork.

The Hunting Party

One of my forays into more European comics, I enjoyed this thoroughly. The artwork is fully painted, which was quite nice and very effective. The story concerns a group of Soviet Politburo members who gather for a weekend of hunting at a lodge in Poland. A young French translator wonders why he has been brought along with the group, but as he discovers the group's history - spanning the rise and fall of socialism and communism in the Soviet Union - a darker motive for the weekend's retreat starts to appear.

This was a great read; combining politics and history in a way that's both evocative and informative, and served up with some top-notch artwork to boot. The sequence involving the falconer showing off his hunting birds was particularly good.

Waltz With Bashir

I picked this up having enjoyed the animated film, but to be honest I was a bit underwhelmed by the comic. It's an example of where "faithful adaptation"
fails - the artwork is handled by a member of the film's animation team, and as a result mostly looks as though it's actually a bunch of screengrabs from the film itself. This means that scenes which should be dynamic instead feel really static. The fact that the comic covers the exact same territory as the film as well means that you don't even get anything new from reading the comic, so I can't really recommend this if you've seen the film. If you haven't seen the film, you could check it out, but I think the film is superior anyway, if only for the fact that the animation style is pleasantly different. (Although some parts of it did look like they were CGI'd using a videogame physics engine...)

Hotwire #1 & 2

I picked up #1 on a whim and enjoyed it enough to go for the rest of the series. It's written and illustrated by Steve Pugh, based on a story by Warren Ellis. The central character - who is basically your textbook Ellis female lead - is a semi-autistic police exorcist in a future where ghosts or "blue lights" routinely come back from the dead to haunt the living. The whole thing is painted in a very distinctive style that works excellently - except for the lead character, whose body type is impossible as she's got your typical female-superhero-style tiny waist with wide hips. That quibble aside, this is a very enjoyable series thus far, combining elements of sci-fi, police procedural, and supernatural horror.

Watchmensch

This is a very very silly Watchmen parody, in a good way. The story is "a complex and multi-layered tale of New York copyright and trademark lawyers, a conspiracy against them from an unknown powerful source and a history of how the comic industry has dealt with its creators. And just the occasional snatch of Yiddish". It's silly, but in the best way - plus any Watchmen parody that uses a

1000foot Alan Moore clone

as its climactic plot device deserves some love.

BlaasForRafa · 25-03-2009 3:42pm

Fysh wrote: »

The Hunting Party

One of my forays into more European comics, I enjoyed this thoroughly. The artwork is fully painted, which was quite nice and very effective. The story concerns a group of Soviet Politburo members who gather for a weekend of hunting at a lodge in Poland. A young French translator wonders why he has been brought along with the group, but as he discovers the group's history - spanning the rise and fall of socialism and communism in the Soviet Union - a darker motive for the weekend's retreat starts to appear.

This was a great read; combining politics and history in a way that's both evocative and informative, and served up with some top-notch artwork to boot. The sequence involving the falconer showing off his hunting birds was particularly good.

Bilal is one of the premier European artists. The town that didn't exist is another top notch book. Also the Nikopol books are excellent, if a bit more sci-fi in tone. These were all put out by Catalan communitions in the early 90's so its worth checking used books stores and ebay for good condition copies.

Christin is a solid writer too, his sci-fi epic Valerian with artist Mezieres was issued in english by Dargaud in the late 80's. A little harder to find than Catalan books but they're still out there and worth picking up. They lack the social conscience of his collaboration with Bilal however, they're straight up sci-fi adventure.