#IReadsYou Review: FARMHAND #15

 

FARMHAND #15
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Rico Renzi
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Burt Durand
COVER: Rob Guillory
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(April 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Chapter 15: “The Knowledge of Good and Evil”

Farmhand is a dark fantasy comic book series from comic book creator, Rob Guillory.  Guillory is also known for his award-winning tenure on the long-running comic book, Chew (Image Comics), with writer John Layman.  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo); and currently colored by Rico Renzi.

Farmhand's central character is Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins, a husband, father, and graphic designer and illustrator.  He returns to his hometown of Freetown, Louisiana with his wife, Mae, and their children, Abigail and Riley.  Zeke's father, Jedidiah “Jed” Jenkins, and sister, Andrea (“Andy”), own and operate “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute.”  The “farm” grows plant-based replacement human organs and tissue, and once upon a time, people, especially transplant recipients, saw this as a miracle.  But, since he returned, Zeke has discovered that the great miracle hides a great evil.

Early in Farmhand #14, Zeke gets a call from Randall Lafayette, summoning Zeke to “Uncle Randy's” house for some information exchange.  While there, Zeke has some kind of seizure and collapses to the floor unconscious.

Farmhand #15 (“The Knowledge of Good and Evil”) opens to find Zeke in some kind of dream state or some place between life and death.  And he sees it all – everything that happened that fateful day between his father, Jed; his late mother, Anna; and his father's partner, Monica Thorne.

When he regains consciousness, Zeke joins Randy, and the two head to the church of longtime family friends, Pastor John “Tree” Moore and his wife, Nancy.  Also, gathered at the church are Jed and eventually, Mae and Andrea... and of course, Monica.  Ms. Thorne wants to show herself – all her power and her army.  And nothing will be the same again.

THE LOWDOWN:  Farmhand #15 concludes Farmhand's third story arc, “Roots of All Evil” (a.k.a. Season Three), which began with issue #11.  Like plant life, Farmhand is ever-growing and evolving with a cycle of life and death that brings about change.  [Season One is Farmhand #1-5, “Reap What Was Sown” and Season Two is Farmhand #6-10, “Thorne in the Flesh.”]

“Roots of All Evil” is about revelation, however, more than it is about change.  Yes, there are new characters, but some of the most crucial moments of Farmhand's back story explode out of the ground, the way those amazing mutant crawfish explode out of the pond in Farmhand #12.  Farmhand's origin story seems to be about its own take on the Biblical bite of the apple, but there is more to the knowledge in “the knowledge of good and evil” than any one chapter can tell.  So I would not be surprised to see a future issue of Farmhand return to the events of the flashback depicted in issue #15

I have thought of Rob Guillory's storytelling as brilliant since the day I first got a preview of Farmhand #1, but it turns out that I had no idea of what was really coming.  It is hard to believe, but I must believe it since I have read it with my own eyes.  Every issue of Farmhand is fresh from the garden of Guillory's imagination, and each one offers something new or some new things.  While I await the next bumper crop, dear readers, you must go back to the beginning and discover Farmhand.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of dark fantasy fiction will want to be a Farmhand.

[This comic book also includes the one-page comic, “Freetown Funnies,” by Burt Durand.]

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://robguillory.com/
https://twitter.com/Rob_guillory
https://www.instagram.com/rob_guillory/


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: FARMHAND #11

FARMHAND No. 11
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory – @Rob_guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Taylor Wells
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Burt Durand
COVER: Rob Guillory with Taylor Wells
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(November 2019)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Chapter 11: “Rootwork”

Farmhand is the (incredible) dark fantasy comic book series from comic book creator, Rob Guillory.  Guillory is also known for his award-winning tenure on the long-running comic book, Chew (Image Comics), with writer John Layman.  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; colored by Taylor Wells; and lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo).

Farmhand's central character would appear to be Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins, a husband, father, and graphic designer and illustrator.  He returns to his hometown of Freetown, Louisiana with his wife, Mae, and their children, Abigail and Riley.  The old family business was “Jenkins Family Farm.”  The new family business is “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute,” operated by Zeke's father, Jedidiah “Jed” Jenkins (who could be the lead character), and Zeke's sister, Andrea.  The “farm” grows plant-based replacement human organs and tissue, and once upon a time, people, especially transplant recipients, saw this as a miracle.  But, now...

Farmhand #11 (“Rootwork”) opens many many years before the present day.  Jedidiah and his wife, Anna, with baby Andrea in tow, are hosting a crawfish boil.  Their guests are Randall and Dolly Lafayette, Nancy and John “Tree” Moore, and Monica Thorne.  Monica is the biomedical engineer and botanist who would help Jed design the seed of a possible apocalypse, and even back then, the blood was trying to tell...

In the present day, Randall Lafayette's useless son, Tiberius, helps Jed so that he can visit the former Hoodoo woman and prophetess, “Grandmomma” a.k.a. “Auntie Janice.”  Once upon a time she foretold Jed's future, which turns out to be... rooted in the past.

Farmhand #11 launches Farmhand's “Season Three,” so to speak – the series' third story arc.  Farmhand is set in Freetown in the state of Louisiana.  Louisiana is a state established by multiple “racial,” ethnic, religious, and cultural groups – indigenous, immigrant, invader, and enslaved – long before it became part of the then still new United States.  Instead of being a bunch of ingredients or a selection of “tapas,” Louisiana is an elaborate gumbo, one in an evolving state of neo-cuisine

Some people say they “don't believe” in “interracial relationships,” with many emphasizing that this is the command of their favorite holy book.  Yet a Black person and White person can still come together and conceive a child, despite anyone's belief to the contrary.  It is sort of like the purity of your rose garden being an illusion; other plants will come a knockin' regardless of your beliefs.  Barriers and purity standards are labels and enclosures that are more man-made than they are natural.

Farmhand's dark fantasy is made of blood magic and green magic, of bloodlines and roots that break on through the barriers and borders, erasing any kind of red-lining.  In this comic book, people foolish enough to believe that they can control and divide get caught up in Farmhand's version of “The Twilight Zone.”  In the “Farmhand Zone,” humanity is the common denominator.  All are vulnerable, aggressive, and damned.

I think Rob Guillory's storytelling is brilliant.  He defies conventions and labels.  In every issue, he shows his characters in a different light.  He seems to be moving beyond heroes and villains and beyond the just and the unjust.  Everyone is trouble and in trouble.

And I can't stop reading.  I never know what to expect from Farmhand, the best ongoing comic book series in America.

[This comic book also includes the one-page comic, “Freetown Funnies” by Burt Durand.]

https://robguillory.com/
https://twitter.com/Rob_guillory
https://www.instagram.com/rob_guillory/

10 of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


--------------------------

#IReadsYou Review: MURPHY'S FUBAR

MURPHY'S FUBAR
STRIKE HOLD STUDIO

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Damon Pellican
PENCILS: Damon Pellican
INKS: Damon Pellican and Tone Rodriguez
LETTERS: Angela Pellican
EDITOR: Angela Pellican with Tone Rodriguez and Kody Chamberlain
COVER ARTIST: Damon Pellican and Tone Rodriguez
8pp, B&W2-tone/Color, $4.99 U.S. (2019)

Murphy's Fubar created by Damon Pellican

“Incoming Fire Has The Right of Way”

Murphy's Fubar is a short comic book that contains the comics short story, “Incoming Fire Has The Right of Way.”  This comic is the work of Damon Pellican, a U.S. Army veteran and fledgling comic book creator.  “Incoming Fire Has The Right of Way” is written and drawn (pencils-inks) by Pellican and Tone Rodriguez (inks), and lettered by Angela Pellican, Damon's wife.

“Incoming Fire Has The Right of Way” comes to life at “Murphy's Fubar,” a bar that acts as an oasis for wayward souls, especially the souls of military veterans who have seen the darkest and bloodiest sides of war and of military combat.  “Murphy's Fubar” seems to be the last stop for lost souls, a place where they can find a way to resolve their physical and/or emotional wounds or die because of them.  The barkeep is Master Sgt. Murphy, whom Pellican describes as “a grizzly, battle-hardened vet.”  Mysterious and perhaps supernatural, Murphy may be connected to all of humanity's wars, from the first and oldest to the most recent conflicts.

“Incoming Fire Has The Right of Way” opens in 1998.  We meet a lost man living as low as a man could when a doorway appears before him.  His life literally leaking from him, he enters a bar where an equally grizzled bartender offers him a story.  Transported back thirty years to Vietnam, 1968, this desperate man will have to choose between the “hard road” or the “easy way out.”

I like the raw, unrefined nature of Damon Pellican's illustrations.  He is at the place where many young comic book artists find themselves, even the great ones, and that is how to grow by leaps and bounds.  A few years of intensive comic book drawing, and 1981 Matt Wagner becomes 1986 Matt Wagner (Mage) – almost two different artists.  Or Jim Lee:  from the end of his run on Alpha Flight (1987-88), through The Punisher War Journal (1989), he emerged on Uncanny X-Men (1990-91) and seemed like a totally different artist.

I see potential in Pellican as an artist, and that shows in this story through the inking of Tone Rodriguez, a longtime comic book artist.  I think the combination of the two makes the art for “Incoming Fire Has The Right of Way” look like Michael Golden's art on Marvel Comics' war comic book series, The 'Nam (issues #1-11, 13).  The cover art also is pretty dynamic.

Drawing skills aside, Pellican does some good graphical storytelling in “Incoming Fire Has The Right of Way.”  This is a powerful, brief, little tale that seems longer in terms of page length and bigger in terms of scope.  Pellican gets more out of eight pages than some of Marvel and DC Comics titles get out of 20 or 30 pages.

So I'm shocked.  I bought this first installment of Murphy's Fubar only to support a local comic book creator.  Frankly, I didn't expect much; instead, I found something I really liked.  With the best creators of American war comics mostly long gone, I look forward to another visit to Murphy's Fubar.

Website: https://www.strikeholdstudio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strikeholdstudio/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damonpellican/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DamonPellican
ArtStation: https://www.artstation.com/supern_a_ds

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

-------------------

#IReadsYou Review: FARMHAND #10

FARMHAND No. 10
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory – @Rob_guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Taylor Wells
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(July 2019)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Chapter 10: “In Vocation”

Farmhand is a dark fantasy comic book series from comic book creator, Rob Guillory.  Guillory is also known for his award-winning tenure on the long-running comic book, Chew (Image Comics), with writer John Layman.  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; colored by Taylor Wells; and lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo).

Farmhand's central character is Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins, a husband, father, and graphic designer and illustrator.  He returns to his hometown of Freetown, Louisiana with his wife, Mae, and their children, Abigail and Riley.  The old family business was “Jenkins Family Farm.”  The new family business is “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute,” operated by Zeke's father, Jedidiah Jenkins, and his sister, Andrea.  It grows plant-based human organs and tissue, and once upon a time, people, especially transplant recipients, saw this as a miracle.  But, now...

As Farmhand #10 (“In Vocation”) opens, the secrets of Mayor Monica Thorne continue their gradual emergence.  Meanwhile, Thorne has to keep playing the role of dutiful public servant, and Jedidiah Jenkins' carelessness has given her the cover she needs.  Recipients of Jenkins' miracle seed-transplants are in a state of crisis, and one of them nearly kills Jedidiah.  Andrea Jenkins finds herself recalling these unfortunate people to the Jenkins Institute to receive help for their new conditions.

And now, in need of job, Zeke is helping Andrew fix this mess as a paid “communications consultant.”  But a sudden recollection of his past has Zeke... seeing things from a green point of view.

In my previous reviews of this excellent comic book, I consistently connected Farmhand to the work of late television writer and producer, Rod Serling, and his legendary TV series, “The Twilight Zone.”  This second story arc, which began with issue #6 and ends with #10, also recalls the work of legendary modern horror novelist and short story writer, Stephen King.

Farmhand's sophomore arc does not suffer from the dreaded sophomore slump.  It slowly emerges like a cobra before a snake charmer and his “pungi.”  This arc takes its time, toying with the readers the way a cat bats around a mouse – before delivering the killing blow.  This is the way the first half of King's classic small town horror novel, 'Salem's Lot (1975), works.  The denizens of 'Salem's Lot play out their small town melodramas never aware that “The Master” is already in their midst, well into his elaborate meal.  In Farmhand, the players live on a meal of denial, until indigestion sets in.

With each issue, Guillory makes the world of Farmhand richer and darker.  Honestly, sometimes, I wondered how far he could take this series, but it seems as if he never runs out of seeds and ideas.  Every issue presents another “mean green mutha” of an idea or two or three.

The “green mutha” would not be so mean without Taylor Wells' glorious coloring.  Wells is the sunshine in this garden of unearthly delights, and an Eisner Award nomination is due Wells, not because the colors are pretty, which they are.  Farmhand would not be the same without Wells, who gives this apocalypse the color of life.

With letterer Kody Chamberlain delivering a photosynthesis-tic beat, Farmhand is complete.  So where is Rob Guillory taking readers?  If the first ten issues are any indication (and they are), the future is a trip into “pure imagination.”

[This comic book also includes the one-page comic, “Freetown Funnies” by Burt Durand.]

https://robguillory.com/
https://twitter.com/Rob_guillory
https://www.instagram.com/rob_guillory/

10 of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------

Review: FARMHAND #6

FARMHAND No. 6
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory – @Rob_guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Taylor Wells
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(March 2019)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Chapter 6: “ReCreation”

Farmhand is a science fiction and dark fantasy comic book series from comic book creator, Rob Guillory.  Guillory is also known for his award-winning tenure on the long-running comic book, Chew (Image Comics), with writer John Layman.  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; colored by Taylor Wells; and lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo).

Farmhand focuses on Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins, a husband, father, and graphic designer and illustrator.  He returns to the place where he grew up, Freetown, Louisiana, with his wife, Mae, and their children, Abigail and Riley.  The old family business, “Jenkins Family Farm,” grew crops, as in plants.  Now, Zeke's father, Jedidiah Jenkins, and “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute” grow plant-based human organs and tissue.

Farmhand #6 (“ReCreation”) opens with a local minister, John Moore, feeling a sense of foreboding while he stands in a local graveyard.  There is trouble all around, but Zeke, Jedidiah, Riley, and Riley's strange pal, Mikhail, are gone fishing.  Meanwhile, at the institute, Andrea (Zeke's sister and Jed's daughter) is facing down mounting problems.  Even Zeke and company will find that a fishing trip is not an escape from the spreading curse of that “miracle seed.”

In my previous reviews of the excellent Farmhand, I have connected this comic book to the work of late television writer and producer, Rod Serling, and his legendary TV series, “The Twilight Zone.”  Farmhand also plants its roots in the rich, dark soil of that American master of speculative fiction and fantasy, Ray Bradbury.

Still, Farmhand is gradually a vine growing in its own directions, and I have started to wonder about the direction of this narrative.  Yes, the events depicted here are often a horror show for the characters within, characters main, supporting, guests, and cameos. But what of this miracle seed?  Is it in a state of distress as some of the characters in this series are?

One might interpret, as I did, a suggestion in this issue that the stem cell that has provided so many humans with new organs and body parts may also be some kind of A.I. – Artificial Intelligence.  Maybe, the “miracle seed” is an artificial intelligence or perhaps, “independent intelligence.”  Maybe, its actions are beyond the moral considerations of good and evil.  In Jurassic Park, Dr. Ian Malcolm says that life will find a way, and Farmhand's seed seems to be finding its own way, by design grand, random, or otherwise.

Farmhand #6 is the start of a new story arc.  Guillory's writing and art are still quite good.  Taylor Wells' colors remain a wonderland of hues.  Kody Chamberlain's lettering is like a steady drum beat telling a story to everyone in the valley who can hear it.  However, whereas many series attempt to solidify its world and worldview by the second story arc, Farmhand and Rob Guillory are not solidifying; rather, they are in a state of change, if not evolution.  When it comes to where the “Jedidiah seed” is going, there is no signpost up ahead.

10 out of 10

https://robguillory.com/
https://twitter.com/Rob_guillory
https://www.instagram.com/rob_guillory/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------

Review: FARMHAND #5

FARMHAND No. 5
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory – @Rob_guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Taylor Wells
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
MISC. ART: Burt Durand (“Farmhand Calendar” design)
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(November 2018)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Chapter 5: “The Antique Lady”

Farmhand is a recently-launched comic book series from comic book creator, Rob Guillory, known for his award-winning tenure on the long-running comic book, Chew (Image Comics).  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; colored by Taylor Wells; and lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo).

Farmhand focuses on Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins. a husband, father, and graphic designer and illustrator.  He returns to the place where he grew up, Freetown, Louisiana, with his wife, Mae, and their children, Abigail and Riley.  The old family business, “Jenkins Family Farm,” no longer focuses not on “beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes,” but on the growth of human body parts.  Yes, “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute” grows plant-based human organs and tissue.

Farmhand #5 (“The Antique Lady”) finds much trouble a-brewing.  Almost all the fuss centers around the “Jenkins Experimental Stem Cell,” the miracle “seed” that apparently appeared to Zeke's father, Jedidiah “Jed” Elias Jenkins, in a dream.  Zeke's sister, Andrea Jenkins, is learning her father's history with Dr. Monica Thorne, who helped Jed make sense of the science of his dream seed so that he could grow limbs as easily as he would grow trees.  Now, Andrea is also missing...

The first two issues of Farmhand recalled the sensibility of the work of television writer and producer, the late Rod Serling, especially his legendary TV series, “The Twilight Zone.”  I am also reminded of the writings of the late Ray Bradbury, known for his short stories and novels in the genres of speculative fiction, science fiction, and horror.  Like the work of Serling and Bradbury, Farmhand is mysterious, macabre, and entrenched in the rich, black soil of Americana.

By the end of the second issue, however, Farmhand began to reveal a darkly humorous sensibility, which became a kind of gleeful and maniacal comedy in the third issue.  That was when Guillory gave Zeke's children, Abigail and Riley, a showcase to fight a monster.  And it was wonderful!

Farmhand #5 marks the end of the series' first story arc.  It is a really sweet, but scary end to the introductory arc of this series  The situation with Andrea Jenkins chills me because even the disappearance of a fictional woman of color reminds me of the still unexplained 2015 death of jailed African-American activist, Sandra Bland.

Although all five of these issues introduce Farmhand, none of them seem like padded story or comic book decompressed storytelling.  Rob Guillory fills each issue with a... cornucopia of imaginative and inventive characters, creatures, plot twists and... plants.  Each issue is almost like a brand new thing, a chapter in a larger narrative than manages to be its own unique tale – fresh from the farm, of course.

Taylor Wells, with her vivid and beautiful colors, heightens the sense of imagination in this series, while not hiding the fact that Guillory is turning the narrative darker.  Kody Chamberlain's lettering pops off the page and gives the dialogue teeth.  Yeah, the words that are coming out of the characters' mouths have bite.  Holla!

I am enjoying many Image Comics titles, and Farmhand is my favorite right now.  That is saying a lot because Image is killing it every week.  By the way, the farm will be returning to us in March, and the first Farmhand trade paperback is due January 16, 2019 – fresh from the farm, also.

10 out of 10

http://RobGuillory.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------

Review: FARMHAND #2

FARMHAND No. 2
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory – @Rob_guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Taylor Wells
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
MISC. ART: Burt Durand (“Farmhand Calendar” design)
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(August 2018)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Chapter 2: “The Haunted Man”

Farmhand is a new comic book series from comic book creator, Rob Guillory.  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; colored by Taylor Wells; and lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo).  Farmhand focuses on Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins, a husband, father, and graphic designer/illustrator.  He returns to the family farm, which now focuses not on “beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes,” but on the growth of human body parts.

Farmhand #2 finds Zeke struggling with troubling dreams which delve into his past troubles, and he is having a difficult time finding work in the old hometown of Freetown.  Meanwhile, at “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute” (formerly known as “Jenkins Family Farm”), Jedidiah “Jed” Elias Jenkins (Pops) is introducing another patient to the wonders of farm-grown body parts.  Behind the scientific advancements and the hometown charm are dark reunions, unexpected acts of kindness, and the menace of plants that should not be menacing.

Farmhand has a darkly humorous sensibility, like some kind of sparkly black comedy.  Zeke Jenkins is our hapless hero, who does not realize that his misgivings barely scratch the surface of the dangerous topsoil that is his new life.  I wish I could yell out to him, “It's worse than you think!”  Guillory mines the most humor from his hero being over his head even when he thinks that he is ahead of the game.

On the other side, Farmhand's secrets are a menace society, a threat that belies Taylor Well's dazzling colors.  We sing about a circle of life and preach recycling, but do we realize that change, even recycling, is destructive... or at least transforming.  That is “The Twilight Zone” element of Farmhand; one's innocence, naivete, or ignorance does not protect one from the unexpected twist of fate or the macabre reality of nature revealed in the final minutes of a Twilight Zone denouement.

In a way, Rob Gullory's Farmhand is the true sequel and true heir to director Philip Kaufman and writer W.D. Richter's creepy, 1978, version of the classic Cold War-era film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  The similarity is not so much about plants; rather, it is in the frightening reality of how the catalyst (the plants) changes one person into something completely new and different.  Snatch a copy of Farmhand; read it in bed, but beware of falling asleep near that glass on your bedside.  There is a mint leaf floating in your tea.

9 out of 10

http://RobGuillory.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------------

Review: LUKE MCBAIN Volume 1

LUKE MCBAIN VOL. 1
12-GAUGE COMICS – @12gaugecomics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: David Tischman
ART: Kody Chamberlain – @KodyChamberlain
COLORS: Kody Chamberlain
LETTERS: Ed Dukeshire
EDITOR: Keven Gardner
COVER: Brian Stelfreeze
ISBN: 978-098369372-7; paperback – 6.5 x 0.3 x 10 inches (July 21, 2012)
112pp., Colors, $14.99 U.S.

Trace Adkins is a Grammy-nominated singer and also an actor.  A decade ago, Adkins joined 12-Gauge Comics president, Keven Gardner; comic book writer, David Tischman; and comic book artist-designer, Kody Chamberlain, to bring to life a new comic book hero, Luke McBain.

The character appeared in the 2009-10, four-issue miniseries, Luke McBain.  It was written by David Tischman; drawn and colored by Kody Chamberlain; lettered by Ed Dukeshire, with cover art provided by Brian Stelfreeze.  In 2012, the miniseries was collected in the trade paperback, Luke McBain Vol. 1.  The series focuses on the title character who returns to his small Southern hometown after a long stint in prison and confronts his powerful family.

Luke McBain is set in the small town of Eden, Louisiana, (population 14,983).  Eden is where Luke McBain returns after a 14-year hitch in prison for a crime he did not commit.  Luke's brother, Paul, is running the family business, McBain Timber Mill.  The mill is the town; it controls the town.  People either work there or work in jobs that depend on the business.

By the time Luke returns, Paul has made himself rich.  He has modernized the mill, which means fewer jobs for the town.  With jobs gone, the result has been that local shops have closed.  Closed shops and fewer jobs have made the people of Eden angry and scared.  No one can do anything about that... except Luke, the only one who knows Paul’s secret.  Reunited with his beautiful ex-girlfriend, Callie Flack, Luke McBain does what he has always done, fight for what is right.  The hardest choice Luke McBain will have to make, however, is just how far he will go to stop Paul.

Honestly, I had never heard of Luke McBain, neither the miniseries nor its trade collection.  I recently attended the Lafayette edition of the Louisiana Comic Con 2019 and visited local comic book creator and artist Kody Chamberlain's table.  I wanted to buy something, and I spotted Luke McBain Vol. 1 and bought a copy, which Kody autographed for me.  [When I first bought this comic book, I thought it was a recent publication.]

Luke McBain reminds me of the character, “Robert “Gator” McKlusky,” which the late actor, Burt Reynolds, played in one of my all time favorite films, White Lightning (1973).  Like “Gator,” McBain is the kind of guy who can navigate the contentious social-economic byways of the small Southern town, and he can fight his way past the dangerous hired thugs that seem to populate such places (at least in Southern-set crime fiction).  Like Gator, McBain ain't afraid of the local law, personified in Eden by Eden's Sheriff Chris Morrison.

Although Luke McBain has only appeared in one comic book series thus far, David Tischman, plays him as an emerging figure, as if the best is yet to come.  I think one thing that will surprise readers, as it did me, is how restrained McBain can be, although he never really backs down from a fight.

In the hands of Kody Chamberlain, Luke McBain, story and title character, are a quite storm, a force of nature that blows into a town that could use a sandblasting.  This comic book reminds me of Larry Watson's 1993 novella, Montana 1948, which was published as a hardcover book, in the way it plays with the dark secrets within a family that has two strong-willed and estranged brothers.

Chamberlain makes Luke McBain dark and edgy, like Watson's story, with his highly-stylized, but also photo-realistic illustrative style.  Chamberlain also brings flexibility to Luke McBain.  The concept can come across as a standard Southern crime-action story with a hero that is more type that character.  In the rhythm of the narrative and with his coppery-noir coloring, Chamberlain tells the story in a manner that is offbeat.  The reader does not exactly get the expected story of a guy who returns to his small Southern hometown for some payback.

Luke McBain Vol. 1 isn't a great work of Southern gothic or Southern crime, but Tischman and Chamberlain keep it interesting by never giving us the expected.  Ultimately, the resolution is surprising and satisfying in a way that makes me think Luke McBain has more stories in him.

7 out of 10

[This book also includes a selection of back matter that reprints Brian Stelfreeze's cover art for the series and Kody Chamberlain's character sketches for the series.]

https://www.12gaugecomics.com/luke-mcbain
https://twitter.com/12GaugeComics
ttps://www.facebook.com/12gaugecomics

https://twitter.com/KodyChamberlain
https://www.facebook.com/KodyChamberlainCreative/
https://www.instagram.com/kodychamberlain/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-------------------------

Review: FARMHAND #1

FARMHAND No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Taylor Wells
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
MISC. ART: Burt Durand (“Farmhand Calendar” design)
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(July 2018)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Farmhand is a new comic book series from cartoonist and comic book artist, Rob Guillory.  Guillory is the artist and co-creator with writer John Layman of the hit Image Comics title, Chew.  Guillory is a Eisner Award and Harvey Award recipient for his work on Chew.

Guillory previewed Farmhand #1 two months ago in the Farmhand #1 Ashcan a small, full-color mini-comic book.  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; colored by Taylor Wells; and lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo).

Farmhand #1 introduces Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins.  He grew up on his father, Jedidiah “Jed” Elias Jenkins' farm.  Zeke, his wife (Mae), and their children (Abigail and Riley) are embarking on a tour of Jed's farm, which has a new cash crop.

The “Jenkins Family Farm” is now the “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute.”  On the farm, scientist use radical new stem cell research to grow human organs, limbs, and tissue through a combination of plant DNA.  For all that is new in this scientific wonderland, however, something has taken root, and the dark secrets will bloom again.

In my review of Farmhand #1 Ashcan, I wrote that the story bore a resemblance to the macabre side of Americana captured by writer Ray Bradbury and television writer-producer, Rod Serling (“The Twilight Zone”).  I believe that Farmhand is an “American Gothic,” and Guillory is like Stephen King, peeling back the folksy charm of agrarian America and revealing its anthropological roots buried in a rich black soil of dark myths and elder things.

Guillory recently told me that the work of Alfred Hitchcock also influenced the creation of Farmhand.  There is a suspenseful, disquieting quality to the narrative that recalls some of Hitchcock's most (in)famous films, such as Rebecca (1940), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963).  Unlike the “escape-from-dystopia” films of the 1960s and 1970s (think Logan's Run), Farmhand is “let's-go-visit-dystopia,” and in some of Hitchcock's films, the lead character blithely enters a bucolic, pastoral trap (The Birds).  And Farmhand #1 ends on a decidedly menacing note.

The full Farmhand #1 allows the reader to see the full range of Taylor Wells' gorgeous colors, which so perfectly capture the atmosphere that it is appropriate to call her a “co-storyteller.”  Kody Chamberlain's lettering conveys the shifts in the story from domestic semi-tranquility to strange science to conspiracy and horror.

I hope Farmhand #1 is not a fluke.  There is tremendous potential upon which Rob Guillory must deliver in future issues.

9 out of 10

http://RobGuillory.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------------

Review: FARMHAND #1 Ashcan

FARMHAND No. 1 - Ashcan Edition
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

FARMHAND #1 (Diamond Code MAY180011) hits stores on Wednesday, July 11th, 2018. The final order cutoff for comics retailers is Monday, June 18th, 2018. See preview pages here.

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Guillory – @Rob_guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Taylor Wells
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
8pp, Colors, Giveaway U.S.

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Farmhand is an upcoming comic book series from Rob Guillory.  Guillory was the artist and co-creator with writer John Layman of the hit Image Comics title, Chew.  Guillory is a Eisner Award and Harvey Award winner for his work on Chew.

Farmhand Ashcan is a small, full-color minicomic that previews Farmhand #1 (Chapter 1: “You Can Go Home Again...But Why?), which is due for release July 11, 2018 (Diamond ID: MAY180011).  I was able to obtain a copy of Farmhand Ashcan via a friend who received several copies from Guillory.  Guillory gave me permission to post a review of this preview.

Farmhand introduces Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins.  He grew up on his father, Jedidiah “Jed” Elias Jenkins' farm.  Zeke, his wife, and their children (Abigail and Riley) are embarking on a tour of Jed's farm, which has a new cash crop.  For all that is new, however, something has taken root, and the dark secrets will bloom again.

Layman and Guillory's Chew, a dystopian science fiction comic book, was both humorous and satirical, similar in some ways to Terry Gilliam's film, Brazil; to the fiction of Philip K Dick, and even to the late Spain Rodriguez's Underground Comix, Trashman.  It was bright and colorful, and Guillory's small press, alt-comix, graphics aesthetic captured the gore, the violence, and the bureaucracy with glee.  Plus, Guillory's graphical storytelling was especially strong from the start of the series, unusual in emerging comic book narrative artists.

Farmhand is different.  It bears a resemblance to the macabre side of Americana captured by writer Ray Bradbury and television writer-producer, Rod Serling (“The Twilight Zone”).  It is an “American Gothic,” and Guillory is like Stephen King, peeling back the folksy charm of agrarian America and revealing its anthropological roots buried in a rich black soil of dark myths and elder things.  Rather than with despair, creator and characters will face the hoary horror with a hoary sense of humor.

Guillory gets into the story quickly with the help of his collaborators.  Colorist Taylor Wells offers rich hues and technicolor flourishes, and Kody Chamberlain's lettering captures the shifts in the story from horror shocks to strange science.

The cover of Farmhand #1 plays up the series' sly, humorous side, but I think the dark fantasy-scary tale side of this story will bloom in full.

A

http://RobGuillory.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------------------------------------

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 15, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

FEB150501     68 BAD SIGN ONE SHOT CVR A (MR)     $3.99
FEB150502     68 BAD SIGN ONE SHOT CVR B (MR)     $3.99
FEB150598     CHRONONAUTS #2 (MR)     $3.50
FEB158100     CHRONONAUTS #2 CVR B MURPHY (MR)     $3.50
DEC140731     FADE OUT #5 (MR)     $3.50
FEB150608     GHOSTED #19 (MR)     $2.99
FEB150620     ODDLY NORMAL #6 CVR A FRAMPTON     $2.99
FEB150621     ODDLY NORMAL #6 CVR B RICHARD     $2.99
FEB158258     POSTAL #1 2ND PTG     $3.99
FEB158259     POSTAL #2 2ND PTG     $3.99
JAN150650     PUNKS THE COMIC TP VOL 01 NUTPUNCHER     $14.99
JAN150701     REVIVAL #29 (MR)     $3.99
FEB150626     REYN #4     $2.99
FEB150487     RUNLOVEKILL #1 (MR)     $2.99
FEB150631     SECRET IDENTITIES #3     $3.50
FEB150632     SHUTTER #11 (MR)     $3.50
JAN150596     SPAWN #251 (MR)     $2.99
DEC140691     SPREAD TP VOL 01 NO HOPE (MR)     $14.99
JAN150712     STRAY BULLETS SUNSHINE & ROSES #3 (MR)     $3.50
FEB150544     SUPERANNUATED MAN TP (MR)     $17.99
FEB150488     TITHE #1 CVR A EKEDAL     $3.99
FEB150489     TITHE #1 CVR B EKEDAL     $3.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

DEC142228     WALKING DEAD TV BUILDING SET BMB SER 1     PI
DEC142232     WALKING DEAD TV BUILDING SET LEVEL 12     PI
DEC142230     WALKING DEAD TV BUILDING SET LEVEL 3     PI
DEC142231     WALKING DEAD TV BUILDING SET MULTI-PK     PI

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 18, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

JAN150668     ALEX + ADA #13     $2.99
JAN150560     CHRONONAUTS #1 CVR A MURPHY & HOLLINGSWORTH (MR)     $3.50
JAN150561     CHRONONAUTS #1 CVR B SCALERA (MR)     $3.50
JAN150562     CHRONONAUTS #1 CVR C SHALVEY (MR)     $3.50
JAN150563     CHRONONAUTS #1 CVR D PANOSIAN (MR)     $3.50
JAN150564     CHRONONAUTS #1 CVR E STAPLES (MR)     $3.50
JAN150565     CHRONONAUTS #1 CVR F OTTLEY (MR)     $3.50
DEC140723     COWL #9 (MR)     $3.99
DEC140657     DEADLY CLASS TP VOL 02 KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE (MR)     $14.99
JAN150568     INVISIBLE REPUBLIC #1 (MR)     $2.99
JAN150631     LAZARUS TP VOL 03 CONCLAVE (MR)     $14.99
DEC140674     MADAME FRANKENSTEIN TP     $16.99
JAN150586     MANHATTAN PROJECTS SUN BEYOND THE STARS #1     $3.50
DEC140677     NIGHTWORLD TP VOL 01 MIDNIGHT SONATA     $12.99
JAN150643     NIXONS PALS HC (MR)     $19.99
JAN150696     OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #7 (MR)     $2.99
DEC140684     PROPHET TP VOL 04 JOINING     $17.99
DEC140752     PUNKS THE COMIC #5 (MR)     $3.99
JAN150575     RED ONE #1 (MR)     $2.99
JAN150651     REVENGE TP (MR)     $14.99
JAN150702     REYN #3     $2.99
DEC148638     RUMBLE #2 2ND PTG (MR)     $3.50
JAN150705     SATELLITE SAM #12 (MR)     $3.50
JAN150707     SECRET IDENTITIES #2     $3.50
JAN150621     SEXCASTLE OGN (MR)     $15.99
JAN150717     SPARKS NEVADA MARSHAL ON MARS #2     $3.50
OCT140766     SPREAD #6 (MR)     $3.50
DEC140764     STRAY BULLETS SUNSHINE & ROSES #2 (MR)     $3.50
OCT140777     WITCHBLADE #181 CVR A REARTE     $3.99
OCT140778     WITCHBLADE #181 CVR B SEJIC     $3.99
JAN150725     ZERO #15 CVR A BERTRAM & MULLER (MR)     $2.99
JAN150726     ZERO #15 CVR B LEMIRE & MULLER (MR)     $2.99

Review: PUNKS: The Comics #4

PUNKS: THE COMIC #4
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

CREATORS: Joshua Hale Fialkov and Kody Chamberlain – @JoshFialkov @KodyChamberlain
COVER: Kody Chamberlain
VARIANT COVER: Joe Infurnari
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2015)

Rated T+ / Teen Plus

Yeah, I was late getting to the comic shop, so I am late with a review of the fourth issue of Punks: The Comics.  By the time I was able to get to the shop, the only copy left sported a variant cover by Joe Infurnari.  I really wanted the main cover, which featured a send-up of Todd McFarlane's “classic” cover for Spider-Man (August 1990).

Punks: The Comic is the revival of writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Kody Chamberlain's 2007 small press comic book, Punks.  Chamberlain produces Punks' “original art” with a cut-and-past, do-it-yourself technique and style.  Punks focuses on a quartet of cut-ups:  Dog (a bulldog head on a human figure), Skull (human skull on figure), Fist (a male fist on figure), and Abe Lincoln (images of President Abraham Lincoln's head on various figures).  It's like paper dolls and puppet theater turned inside out and inside again.

As Punks: The Comic #4 opens, Abe, Skull, Fist, and Dog return from their latest (mis)adventure.  Well, dear readers, that means the end of the latest issue of Punks, but wait...  Didn't this issue just begin?  See the stars try to end their show.  And in the “classic” Punks, Dog turns into an alien butt hole surfer, or something like that.

[Punks: The Comic #4 includes some story pages from the original Punks comix.]

Early in my reading of Punks: The Comic #4, I found something to steal for my own writing.  As they say, talent borrows; genius steals.  Who knew that a story about getting to the end of the story could be so much fun.  I think I can build at least a three-issue miniseries out of that.

In the reprint story, Punks proves that it was ahead its time, literally.  I think Punks: The Comics may be trying to match its own surreal and cockamamie beginnings.  Punks is still just scratching at the black ice surface of its potential.  I hope “mainstream” North American comics has a place for this especially funny comic book.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 25, 2015

IMAGE COMICS

NOV140585     68 TP VOL 04 RULE OF WAR     $19.99
NOV140641     ALEX + ADA #12     $2.99
NOV140562     APHRODITE IX CYBER FORCE #1 CROSS OVER SDCC EXC     $10.00
NOV148198     BIRTHRIGHT #3 2ND PTG     $2.99
NOV140643     BITCH PLANET #2 (MR)     $3.50
OCT140615     BLACK SCIENCE TP VOL 02 WELCOME NOWHERE     $14.99
NOV140529     CASANOVA ACEDIA #1 (MR)     $3.99
NOV140569     CRIMINAL TP VOL 01 COWARD (MR)     $14.99
SEP120496     DANGER CLUB #6     $2.99
OCT140735     DEATH VIGIL #6 (MR)     $3.99
NOV140534     DYING AND THE DEAD #1     $4.50
NOV140658     GRAVEYARD SHIFT #2     $3.50
JUL140494     GREAT PACIFIC TP VOL 03 BIG GAME HUNTERS (MR)     $14.99
NOV140614     MAGDALENA ORIGINS TP VOL 01 NEW PTG     $19.99
OCT140637     OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA TP VOL 01     $9.99
NOV140669     PUNKS THE COMIC #4 CVR A CHAMBERLAIN     $3.99
NOV140670     PUNKS THE COMIC #4 CVR B INFURNARI     $3.99
NOV140671     RASPUTIN #4 (MR)     $3.50
NOV140674     REVIVAL #27 (MR)     $3.99
NOV140680     SEX #19 (MR)     $2.99
SEP140750     SEX CRIMINALS #10 (MR)     $3.50
NOV130456     SUPER DINOSAUR TP VOL 04     $12.99
NOV140691     THEYRE NOT LIKE US #2 (MR)     $2.99
OCT140771     UMBRAL #12 (MR)     $3.50
NOV140701     ZERO #14 CVR A OLEKSICKI & MULLER (MR)     $2.99
NOV140702     ZERO #14 CVR B ZONJIC & MULLER (MR)     $2.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS
OCT142310     TMP NBA SERIES 25 AF     PI

Review: PUNKS: The Comic #3

PUNKS: THE COMIC #3
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

CREATORS:  Joshua Hale Fialkov and Kody Chamberlain – @JoshFialkov @KodyChamberlain
COVER: Kody Chamberlain
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2014)

Rated T+ / Teen Plus

I'm just getting to the third issue of Punks: The Comic.  This series is a revival of writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Kody Chamberlain's 2007 small press comic book, Punks.  Chamberlain produces Punks' “original art” by cutting up various photographic images and compiling them to create the characters, settings, and storytelling.  Punks focuses on a quartet of cut-ups:  Dog, Skull, Fist, and Abe Lincoln.

As Punks: The Comic #3 opens, Abe is readying their humble abode for his family's arrival.  It's Thanksgiving, a time for family gatherings.  Skull, Fist, and Dog aren't to excited about this holiday visit.  Can they get excited about the ACLU, Sean Connery, and some Baldwin brothers?

[Punks: The Comic #3 includes some story pages from the original Punks comix and a strange interview with pre-superstar Rick Remender.]

It's a coincidence.  I was reading Punks: The Comic #3 around the same time actor Chris Pine was apologizing for the tepid reception of Jack Ryan film series reboot in which he starred, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (not the best title).  It isn't Pine's fault.  Maybe Jack Ryan movies should be based on actual Jack Ryan novels written by the late Tom Clancy and not on screenplays written by gilded studio hacks like David Koepp.

But I digress...  It's just that The Hunt for Red October, a movie based on a Tom Clancy Jack Ryan novel, plays an integral part in Punks #3.  This issue, although quite good, does not hit the highs reached by the first two issues, but #3 hints at Punks' seemingly endless possibilities for humor, satire, and farce.  Fialkov and Chamberlain have a weapon by which they can eviscerate the current social-political, cultural, and pop culture landscapes of America (and maybe even the old landscapes).

I assume both creators want to “work in this town again,” so American comics, both as an industry and as a culture, are probably safe.  That and the zealous protection of copyrights and trademarks may keep this dynamic duo from slaying comic book sacred cows.  Still, the sky's the limit for Abe, Skull, Fist, and Dog, and I'm sure they'd take a crap on the sky, too.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: PUNKS: The Comic #2

PUNKS: THE COMIC #2
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

CREATORS:  Joshua Hale Fialkov and Kody Chamberlain – @JoshFialkov @KodyChamberlain
COVER: Kody Chamberlain
VARIANT COVER: Jeff Lemire
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2014)

Rated T+ / Teen Plus

I have added a new comic book to my must-read list.  It's Punks: The Comic, and the second issue recently arrived.  This new series is actually a revival of writer Joshua Hale Fialkov (The Ultimates) and artist Kody Chamberlain's (Sweets) 2007 small press comic book, Punks.  Chamberlain produces Punks' “original art” by cutting up various photographic images and compiling them to create the characters, settings, and storytelling.  Punks may be part of what Wired Magazine called “cut-and-past” culture.  Punks: The Comic stars the screwy quartet of  Dog, Skull, Fist, and Abe Lincoln.

As Punks: The Comic #2 opens, Skull and Abe witness the arrival of “Superdog,” who drops from the sky like a falling star.  This new-fangled canine looks almost identical to Dog.  Perhaps, he will be a better roommate than plain-ol' Dog; at least, Fist agrees.  When Superdog's true colors are revealed in a yellow stream, the out-with-the-old Dog will have to stop the in-with-the-new Superdog.

[Punks: The Comic #2 includes some story pages from the original Punks comix.]

The cut-and-paste, do-it-yourself aesthetic of Punks: The Comics seems a little strange at first, but this is a comic book that gets better with each issue.  “Irreverent” does not seem to be a strong enough word to describe the kind of humor produced by Fialkov and Chamberlain.  And “witty” sure as hell doesn't hack it.

For me, the animations that Terry Gilliam created for Monty Python's Flying Circus and Monty Python, in general, come to mind when I read this comic book.  Punks is pungent and potent like British satire and as beguiling as the best of it.  Indeed, it is as if Fialkov and Chamberlain have formed their own surreal comedy troupe.  Punks certainly seems like the beast that will devour the staid yuck-yuck pamphlets that pass for humor in American comic books.

Readers looking for something truly different and truly good in comic books will want Punks: The Comic.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for November 5, 2014

IMAGE COMICS

SEP140708     68 HOMEFRONT #3 CVR A JONES (MR)     $3.99
SEP140709     68 HOMEFRONT #3 CVR B GALLAGHER (MR)     $3.99
SEP140567     AMERICAN LEGENDS #1     $3.99
SEP140574     ARTIFACTS #40 (MR)     $5.99
AUG148516     BIRTHRIGHT #1 2ND PTG     $2.99
SEP140711     BIRTHRIGHT #2     $2.99
SEP148137     BIRTHRIGHT #2 CVR B     $2.99
JUL140536     CHEW #44 (MR)     $2.99
AUG148514     COPPERHEAD #2 2ND PTG     $3.50
AUG148515     FADE OUT #2 2ND PTG     $3.50
SEP140719     FUSE #7 CVR A GREENWOOD (MR)     $3.50
SEP140720     FUSE #7 CVR B FRISON (MR)     $3.50
SEP140723     GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS #3 CVR A BROWNE (MR)     $3.50
SEP140724     GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS #3 CVR B BURNHAM (MR)     $3.50
SEP140725     HACK SLASH SON OF SAMHAIN #5 (MR)     $3.50
SEP140551     HUMANS #1 (MR)     $2.99
SEP140727     IMPERIAL #4     $2.99
SEP140594     KINSKI TP     $14.99
SEP140730     LIL DEPRESSED BOY SUPPOSED TO BE THERE TOO #2     $3.99
SEP140732     MADAME FRANKENSTEIN #7     $2.99
SEP140734     MERCENARY SEA #7     $2.99
SEP140735     NAILBITER #7 (MR)     $2.99
SEP140736     NIGHTWORLD #4     $3.99
SEP140583     PENNY DORA & THE WISHING BOX #1 CVR A GRACE     $2.99
SEP140584     PENNY DORA & THE WISHING BOX #1 CVR B LARSON     $2.99
SEP140742     PUNKS THE COMIC #2 CVR A CHAMBERLAIN     $3.99
SEP140743     PUNKS THE COMIC #2 CVR B LEMIRE     $3.99
APR140587     REAL HEROES #4     $4.99
AUG140681     SPAWN #248     $2.99
AUG140682     SPREAD #4 (MR)     $3.50
AUG140684     SUPERANNUATED MAN #4 (MR)     $3.99
SEP140757     TECH JACKET #5     $2.99
MAR140609     TEN GRAND #11 (MR)     $2.99
SEP140540     TOOTH & CLAW #1 (MR)     $2.99
JUL140586     VELVET #8 (MR)     $3.50
SEP140657     WALKING DEAD TP VOL 22 A NEW BEGINNING (MR)     $14.99

IMAGE COMICS/MCFARLANE TOYS

AUG140709     ASSASSINS CREED SER 3 AH TABAI AF     PI
AUG140711     ASSASSINS CREED SER 3 ALTAIR AF     PI
AUG140710     ASSASSINS CREED SER 3 EZIO AF     PI
AUG140712     ASSASSINS CREED SER 3 SECRET ASSASSIN AF     PI
AUG140708     ASSASSINS CREED SERIES 3 AF     PI
JUL142184     HALO 2014 AF     PI
JUL142185     HALO 2014 HALO 2 MASTER CHIEF AF     PI
JUL142186     HALO 2014 MASTER CHIEF WITH CLOAK AF     PI

Review: PUNKS: The Comic #1

PUNKS: THE COMIC #1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

CREATORS:  Joshua Hale Fialkov and Kody Chamberlain – @JoshFialkov @KodyChamberlain
COVER: Kody Chamberlain
VARIANT COVER: Rob Guillory
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2014)

Rated T+ / Teen Plus

Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov (The Ultimates) and artist Kody Chamberlain (Sweets, Tag) revive their comic book project, Punks, with the new ongoing series, Punks: The Comic, which is being published by Image Comics.  Fialkov and Chamberlain published at least two issues of Punks via Digital Webbing in 2007.  Punks stood out because of its surreal and absurd humor and because Chamberlain produced the art by cutting up photographic images and pasting them together to create the characters and settings.

Punks: The Comic #1 features the return of Dog, Skull, Fist, and Abe Lincoln.  Dog is a human figure with a bulldog head pasted onto it.  Skull has a skeleton's skull.  Fist is a clenched fist on a human body, and Abe Lincoln features an iconic image of the President Abraham Lincoln head on various bodies and figures.

The story opens at the quartet's home (a dormitory?).  The misadventures begin with Dog and his “Wunderpants” and includes a visit from a girl he is trying to romance.  Her arrival coincides with an invasion of gnomes.  Will it be happily ever after or just insane as it ever was?

[Punks: The Comic #1 includes some story pages from Punks: The Summer Comic Special, which was published in 2007.]

The cut-and-paste, do-it-yourself aesthetic of Punks: The Comics goes farther than one would think.  It is not a one-note joke, but I am curious to see where the creators go with this.  This comic book concept also reminds me of those animations that Terry Gilliam created for “Monty Python's Flying Circus.”  I think Fialkov has previously mentioned that the late British television series, “The Young Ones,” as an inspiration for Punks.

Punks: The Comic is so “out there,” yet it works.  I have to admit that I am genuinely surprised by how successful the humor is, rather than merely being arty, pretentious and vague.  Also, I can't help but admire the work Kody puts into creating the art.  Readers looking for something truly different in comic books will want Punks: The Comic.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 8, 2014

IMAGE COMICS
AUG140636     68 HOMEFRONT #2 CVR A JONES & FOTOS (MR)     $3.99
AUG140637     68 HOMEFRONT #2 CVR B CHARLES & FOTOS (MR)     $3.99
JUL140467     AMERICAS GOT POWERS TP (MR)     $17.99
AUG140536     BIRTHRIGHT #1 (MR)     $2.99
JUL140533     BLACK SCIENCE #9 (MR)     $3.50
AUG148041     COPPERHEAD #1 2ND PTG     $3.50
JUN148095     COPPERHEAD #2     $3.50
AUG140545     CUTTER #2 (MR)     $3.99
JUL140539     DARK ENGINE #3 (MR)     $3.50
AUG140643     DEATH VIGIL #4 (MR)     $3.99
JUL140478     EAST OF WEST TP VOL 03 THERE IS NO US     $14.99
AUG140650     GHOSTED #14 (MR)     $2.99
AUG148040     GOD HATES ASTRONAUTS #1 2ND PTG (MR)     $3.50
AUG140654     HOWTOONS REIGNITION #3     $2.99
AUG140655     IMPERIAL #3     $2.99
JUL140557     MANHATTAN PROJECTS #24     $3.50
AUG140588     MINIMUM WAGE TP VOL 01 FOCUS ON THE STRANGE (MR)     $14.99
AUG140539     PUNKS THE COMIC #1 CVR A CHAMBERLAIN     $3.99
AUG140540     PUNKS THE COMIC #1 CVR B GUILLORY     $3.99
JUN130450     RAVINE TP VOL 02     $14.99
JUN140572     SEX CRIMINALS #8 (MR)     $3.50
JUL140575     SPAWN #247     $2.99
MAY140736     TALES OF HONOR #5 CVR A JEONG     $2.99
MAY140737     TALES OF HONOR #5 CVR B SEJIC     $2.99
JUN140583     THIEF OF THIEVES #24 (MR)     $2.99
AUG140613     WALKING DEAD ALL OUT WAR AP EDITION HC (MR)     $34.99
AUG140523     WYTCHES #1 (MR)     $2.99

IMAGE COMICS BUY-SELL

AUG140568     CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2014 #1 CVR A ALLRED     $4.99
AUG140569     CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2014 #1 CVR B SIMONSON     $4.99
AUG140570     CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2014 #1 CVR C CHARM     $4.99

Review: SWEETS: A New Orleans Crime Story

"Murder, my sweet?"

SWEETS: A NEW ORLEANS CRIME STORY
IMAGE COMICS

CARTOONIST: Kody Chamberlain
INTRODUCTION: Duncan Fegredo
ISBN: 978-1-60706-413-8; paperback
120pp, Color, $14.99 U.S.

Kody Chamberlain is a Lafayette, Louisiana-based graphic designer turned comic book artist. He drew a backup feature for IDW’s 30 Days of Night and was the artist on two issues of BOOM Studio’s three-issue horror miniseries, Tag. He also received critical acclaim for his creator-owned comic, Punks (with writer Joshua Hale Fialkov).

Sweets was a five-issue comic book miniseries written and drawn by Kody Chamberlain and published by Image Comics beginning in 2010. The series was recently collected in the trade paperback, Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story. Set in the days before the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, Sweets follows a grieving detective as he tries to uncover the identity of a spree killer terrorizing New Orleans.

In the story there is a killer on the loose in New Orleans, one who sometimes leaves pecan pralines at the crime scene, so he is called “Sweets.” The investigation is dropped in the lap of New Orleans Police Detective Curt Delatte, who is still grieving the loss of his daughter, Katie (Kaitlin M. Delatte) in a car crash. His boss, Lt. Palmer is not really sympathetic; he just wants Sweets found, especially with the mayor becoming exceedingly insistent that the police catch Sweets after he kills one of the mayor’s pals.

Delatte and his partner Jeff Matthews, who protects Delatte’s job and acts as a sort of filter between Delatte and Palmer, navigate the exotic streets and neighborhoods of the Big Easy. Along the way, they meet an eccentric cast of characters and discover that Sweets may act as spree killer or even a serial killer, but there is more to his game than anyone realizes.

I have to say that Sweets’ basic story will be recognizable to anyone familiar with detective fiction, films, television, or even comic books. The troubled detective, his ass of a police superior, the destined-for-tragedy partner, the absolutely nuts and/or ruthless mass killer, and the gritty setting: this all has a very loud ring of familiarity. Also, I am not as enamored with the dialogue in this series as Duncan Fegredo, who provides an introduction to this volume, is. Then, there is that crazy ending that recalls Polanski’s Chinatown and Antonioni’s Blowup.

Because the detective story is so common and well worn, a storyteller must find a unique angle upon which to execute the story, and Kody Chamberlain does. This unique angle is New Orleans. Sweets is not just another Film-Noir pretense. Chamberlain presents a fictional New Orleans that is colorful and exotic even while it is gritty. It is a city of striking eccentricities, but in places it resembles both cookie-cutter bland and decaying urban landscape. This New Orleans’ sweetness can be candy or poison.

Chamberlain also offers interesting juxtapositions of characters and of character relationships. For instance, Curt Delatte works kind of a razor’s edge. On one side is a city bureaucracy that demands justice after a favored son gets snuffed, and on the other side is an aspect of the city that doesn’t really index death by social status. Death comes for all.

Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story is truly unique in crime fiction. New Orleans, however, has been done to death. I would like to see Kody do more crime comics, and I’m sure that between Thibodaux and Lafayette, he can find characters and settings to set the world of crime comics on fire.

A-

Sweets: A New Orleans Crime Story also reprints an interview of Kody conducted by the comic book website, Newsarama and a sketchbook section of preliminary art and thumbnails, among other things. There is also a script-to-art section, showing how the comic book went from script to breakdowns to pencil art to finished art.