#IReadsYou Review: NOW #8

NOW: THE NEW COMICS ANTHOLOGY #8
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONISTS: Theo Ellsworth; Sami Alwani; E.S. Glenn; Veronika Muchitsch; Henry McCausland; Zuzu; Noah Van Sciver; Walt Holcombe; Maggie Umber; Tara Booth
DESIGN: Jacob Covey
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Al Columbia
BACKCOVER: Nick Thorburn
ISBN: 978-1-68396-276-2; paperback (March 2020)
128pp, Color, $12.99 U.S.

NOW: The New Comics Anthology is an alternative-comics anthology series launched in 2017 and edited by Eric Reynolds.  NOW is published by alt-comix and art comics publisher, Fantagraphics Books.  Over its four-plus decades of existence, Fantagraphics has published what is probably the most diverse collection of comic book anthologies in the history of North American comic books.  That line-up includes such titles as Anything Goes, Critters, Mome, Pictopia, and Zero Zero, to name a few.

NOW: The New Comics Anthology #8 is a recent strong entry in this anthology series.  I wish that everyone could read the introduction to NOW #1, written by Eric Reynolds, even those who have not read that debut issue.  In the intro, Reynolds states that he wants to showcase “...as broad a range of quality comic art as possible...”

Does NOW #8 do that?  Let's take a look at each of NOW #8's cartoonists' contributions:

THE LOWDOWN:  The illustration that acts as NOW #8's cover art is entitled “Isle of Enchantment,” and it is produced by Al Columbia.  It is a beautiful piece – mixing the elements of nature illustration and vintage cartoons.  It is a striking and arresting image, and I can't stop looking at it.

“Psychic Bug Spy” by Theo Ellsworth:
I like the art for this one-page story that opens NOW #8, and speaking of story, “Psychic Bug Spy” does nothing for me.

“The Misfortunes of Virtue” by Sami Alwani:
I totally and completely love this story because it is a sheer delight to read.  So the story follows an alternative cartoonist and art comics creator, “Saehmeh the Dog.” Yes, Saehmeh Aehlawahni is an anthropomorphic dog, and he is also something like a lovable blend of snob and crank.  For years, he struggles as a cartoonist, mainly because most art comics publishers won't take the work of a dog seriously – no matter much they like that dog's work.

Ultimately, this 16-page story plays out, as a theme, this quote that opens the story, “When you desire control, you let desire control you.”  Sami Alwani's drawing style, a kind of pliable and elastic line work, is perfect for this story's shifting landscape of surrealism and Saehmeh's self-absorbed and internal way of living with himself and with others.  “The Misfortunes of Virtue” is the kind of comics short story that will one day be used to justify whatever time NOW exists as an ongoing publication.

“The Gigs” by E.S. Glenn:
This surreal story follows several characters that are criminal types.  Three of them can be described as an artist and a hit man:  Junior, the struggling painter-hit man; Butterfly, the recently paroled blues singer-songwriter-hit man; and Philip T. Crow, a self-published poet-hit man.

The Gigs'” graphical storytelling and graphic design are like a modern take on the revered cartoonist Winsor McCay's old-timey Little Nemo work.  The beautiful clear-line art and the gorgeous rich colors are mesmerizing.  My mind's eye savored the experience of reading this story.

“I, Keira” by Veronika Muchitsch:
Keira lives in an Ikea-like “home goods” store (Store No. 87) as a living mannequin.  The story is a procession of lighting, geometric shapes, colors, and patterns into which Keira becomes another object.  I am more intrigued by the graphics and graphical storytelling than I am by Keira … but I actually want more of this.

“Garden Boys” by Henry McCausland:
Two boys go on a treasure hunt and adventure through urban back lots and vacant properties – all of which seem to have a pastoral theme.  “Garden Boys” is like a young adult graphic novel distilled into 12 beautifully drawn pages.  I want more of this.

“Red” by Zuzu:
I know I've seen Zuzu's art somewhere before, or I saw something that looked like it.  “Red” is a slice-of-life of a larger story, but what is here – an except of friendship – is sweet.

“Saint Cole” by Noah Van Sciver:
I'm calling this an autobiographical comic, although I am not sure that anyone uses that term anymore.  Van Sciver recounts a book store signing in Paris that he did to promote his new graphic novel.  However, one of his best known works, the graphic novel, Saint Cole (Fantagraphics Books, 2015), hangs over the story.  This story offers flashbacks concerning the road Van Sciver took to Saint Cole, which included stints as a sandwich shop manager and hawking his minicomics from one comic book shop to another.

I'm prejudiced, but I love “Saint Cole” the short story, and I guess it's time for me to read the actual graphic novel.  A portrait of the artist as an always striving man … this story is poignant and absorbing because Van Sciver makes cartoon Noah so damn likable.

“Cheminant Avec Emily” by Walt Holcombe:
In English, the title is “Walking with Emily.”  This is another autobiographical tale in which Holcombe recounts his deep friendship with a young woman, Emily, whom he meets at San Diego Comic-Con in the late 1990s.  Their relationship gets a soundtrack when Emily introduces Holcombe to the music of the real-life French-Canadian duo, singer-songwriters and sisters, Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

Beautifully drawn, poignant, and bittersweet, “Cheminant Avec Emily” testifies that it is the bittersweet in life that acts like salt on the fruit of love and friendship – accentuating the sweetness.  This story reveals the art of the comics short story and exemplifies the comics short story as art.  I feel like a traitor making Noah Van Sciver's “Saint Cole” the second best story in NOW #8, but Holcombe's story steamrolls through this comic book like the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James charging into the lane on the way to a power-dunk.

“The Intoxicated” by Maggie Umber:
I think this story is supposed to evoke emotions in the reader.  That it scares me must say something about me.  I like the art which looks as if it were drawn in charcoal.

“Binge Eating” by Tara Booth:
Yeah, if you have issues with eating too much, you will get this in-your-face gem.

“Now” by Nick Thorburn:
This back cover comic strip about the playful evolution of a father-son relationship is an excellent bit of macabre comedy expertly executed in three panels.

So, the final verdict on NOW #8 is that there is a lot of interesting drawing and illustrating going on in here.  Some are simply examples of beautiful illustrating, while others are visually striking.  Others are odd and unique, while others are not so much about being pretty, as they are simply powerful.

Of NOW#1, I said that if the volumes that followed were half as good as the debut was, then, NOW would be a must-read series for serious comic book readers.  NOW #8 is more than half-as-good, much more.  So get NOW … now.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic alternative-comics anthologies will want to discover NOW: The New Comics Anthology.

8.5 out of 10

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


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

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#IReadsYou Review: PSYCHODRAMA ILLUSTRATED #2

PSYCHODRAMA ILLUSTRATED #2
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Gilbert Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Paul Baresh
24pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (June 2020)

“Mercy and the Devil”

Gilbert “'Beto” Hernandez is the prolific half of the comic book creating duo, Los Bros. (the other half being his brother, Jaime Hernandez).  Gilbert and Jaime are the creators of Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics Books), the seminal alternative comic book series, and perhaps, the greatest American comic book series of all time.

Gilbert has produced a number of solo projects including (the infamous) Blubber, Yeah! (with writer Peter Bagge), and Twilight Children (with the late Darwyn Cooke).  Gilbert's latest solo comic book project is the recently launched series, Psychodrama Illustrated.  According to publisher Fantagraphics Books, Psychodrama Illustrated is a new Love and Rockets spin-off focusing on the classic character, Rosalba Martinez, best known as “Fritz,” and on her extended family, especially Fritz's grand-niece, Dora “Killer” Rivera.  The series will feature stories about Fritz’s film career “that bend Fritz’s reality” and the “reality” of the comic book itself.

Psychodrama Illustrated #2 (“Mercy and the Devil”) opens not in the life of Fritz.  Instead, it opens in “Mercy and the Devil,” a strange movie about an ex-adult film actress (played by Fritz) and her grifter daughter, “Mercy” (played by Killer).  Mom and Mercy's relationship is played as if they are as all-American as... well, as mom and apple pie.  However, the specter of murder looms, and both mother and daughter have a penchant for taking men for the money.  But is one of the women taking men's lives as well as their money?  Or are both of them killer dames?

THE LOWDOWN:  As I wrote in my review of Psychodrama Illustrated #1, I was and am a huge fan of Beto's Blubber comic book series.  I found Blubber to be in the tradition (or at least in the spirit) of Underground Comix with its brave and bold depictions of raunchy sex and surreal sexuality.

On the other hand, Psychodrama Illustrated comes across, if not personal, then, as the work of a visionary free to commit to paper whatever the hell he wants.  After all, the main narrative of Psychodrama Illustrated #2 takes place entirely inside the narrative of a film.  This is not the first time that one of Gilbert's stories takes place inside of a movie; many have, and some still do in Love and Rockets.  And this is a good thing, because Gilbert does it so well.

Gilbert is doing what he wants at his pace and in his way.  I find myself drawn to this series, and more so than with first issue.  I did not want Psychodrama Illustrated #2 to end.  After all, there is a strange allure to the combination of sex and death, and I am sure many men and women dream of engaging in sexual congress with a dangerous, even homicidal woman.  Yeah, the way Gilbert draws Fritz's gargantuan breasts annoys the f*** out of me, but in this comic book, I felt the most drawn to her that I have ever felt.

I am in love with “Mercy and the Devil,” and I want to experience... more of this particular kind of work from Gilbert.  I want whatever he wants do draw when it comes to Psychodrama Illustrated... and I could use some more right now.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Gilbert Hernandez's Love and Rockets comics will want to try Psychodrama Illustrated.

9 out of 10

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


https://www.fantagraphics.com/
https://twitter.com/fantagraphics
https://www.instagram.com/fantagraphics/
https://www.facebook.com/fantagraphics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtLxEaspctVar287DtdsMww


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

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#IReadsYou Review: NOW #1

NOW #1
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONISTS: Gabrielle Bell; Sara Corbett; Antoine Cossé; Eleanor Davis; Kaela Graham; Sammy Harkham; Conxita Hererro; Malachi Ward and Matt Sheean; J.C. Menu; Rebecca Morgan; Tommi Parrish; Tobias Schalken; Dash Shaw; Noah Van Sciver; Daria Tessler; Nick Thorburn
DESIGN: Jacob Covey
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Rebecca Morgan
ISBN: 978-1-68396-052-2; paperback (September 2017)
128pp, Color, $9.99 U.S.

NOW is a comics anthology series launched in 2017 by alternative comics (alt-comix) and art comics publisher, Fantagraphics Books.  Over its four-plus decades of existence, Fantagraphics has published what is probably the most diverse collection of comic book anthologies in the history of North American comic books.  That line-up includes such titles as Anything Goes, Critters, Mome, Pictopia, and Zero Zero, to name a few.

NOW #1 proves that Fantagraphics has not lost a step with age when it comes to anthologies.  I wish that everyone could read the introduction to the first issue written by NOW's editor, Eric Reynolds, even those who have not read this first issue.  It seems as if everything Reynolds hopes NOW could achieve is in evidence in NOW #1.  Reynolds wants to showcase “...as broad a range of quality comic art as possible...”

NOW #1 does that, so let's take a look at each cartoonist's contribution.

THE LOWDOWN:  The illustration that acts as NOW #1's cover art is entitled “Plan B on Easter Morning,” and it is produced by Rebecca Morgan.  It is a stylish, colorful, full-color illustration that is surreal and kooky, and it reminds me of the work of Aline Kominsky-Crumb.

“Constitutional” by Sara Corbett:
This is a beautiful piece featuring an elderly woman and her wily cat that has vivid green eyes.  This one-page comic has a striking graphical style, dazzling colors, and eye-catching patterns drawn on characters and objects.  I could see “Constitutional” being a cover for The New Yorker.

“21 Positions/The Final Frontier” by Tobias Schalken:
This is a pantomime comic featuring two characters, one female and one male, each alone and each on the opposite side of the page.  They are imitating the ways in which people hold and touch one another.  I am impressed by the figure drawing, and every time I look at this story, I feel some raw emotions emanating from the page.

“Hurt or Fuck?” by Eleanor Davis:
This is a black and white comic, drawn apparently with a lead pencil.  I like its composition, but I don't know what to make of it.  I don't want to read too much into it... or read the wrong thing...

“Scorpio” by Dash Shaw:
The incomparable Dash Shaw (Cosplayers) offers this story of childbirth on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 (a.k.a. “The Day of the Clown”).  The intimacy and familiarity between the expecting couple feels genuine, and the story is warm and humorous.  I could read an entire graphic novel built around these characters.

“Dear Naked Guy In the Apartment Across from Mine Spread Eagle & Absent-mindedly Flicking his Penis While Watching TV,” by Gabrielle Bell:
This one-page comic is exactly what it says – a young woman sees her pudgy, naked neighbor lying in his bed and playing with himself every time she is in the kitchen of her (apparently) small apartment.  I read the neighbor as being aggressively passive-aggressive, but I'm not sure about the young woman (whom I'm assuming is the cartoonist).  Is she disgusted or distressed... “Dear Naked Guy...” is one of NOW #1's best entries.

“S.O.S. Suitcases” by J.C. Menu:
This 14-page, black and white, comic is a wild and woolly, surreal adventure tale that is alternative comics and neo-underground comix.  I think this story would be a perfect fit in a certain kind of comics anthologies:  from Zap Comix to Weirdo and from Zero Zero to... well, to NOW.

“Wall of Shame” by Noah Van Sciver:
This 15-page story is my NOW #1 favorite.  In an autobiographical slash slice-of-life comics story, Noah returns to his hometown of Denver, Colorado because the Denver Art Museum is holding an exhibition of his comics and illustrations.  Returning home, however, means a return to family... and a reunion with his younger brother, Jonah, a loud, shameless, womanizing, pussy-hound.

If I have encountered Van Sciver's work before, it could not have been much.  After reading “Wall of Shame,” I definitely want to read more it, especially anything like this story.  Once upon a time, I spent much of the 1990s reading the autobiographical, mock-auto-bio, and slice-of-life comics, comic books, and graphic novels produced by a number of alternative cartoonists and comic book creators, including Joe Matt, Seth, David Greenberger, and Julie Doucet, to name a few.

“Wall of Shame,” a very entertaining story, brings me back to those days.  That aside, this is a thoroughly engaging story of family ties, with Jonah as the kind of scene-stealing character that captures the imagination.  Noah leaves me wanting more.

“Untitled” by Tommi Parrish:
This lovely story is about two people talking about the struggles of understanding oneself when coming out as gay.  Reading this is like listening in on an intimate conversation, and at seven pages, this story is over much too soon.  After I read this, I could not stop thinking about the idea of “poisonous scripts,” which comes from the world of culture and pop culture and tells us what and how we should be, act, think, feel, live, etc.

“Pretend We're Orphans” by Kaela Graham:
This story has a delightful, picture book and fairy tale quality.  It works as a self-contained tale of imagination, but it would still be quite good as a piece from a larger work.”

“Songs in the Key of Grief” by Daria Tessler:
I feel like this is about Kurt Cobain.

“Here I Am” by Conxita Hererro:
This story is apparently based on an earlier work by cartoonist Gabrielle Bell, a contributor to Now #1.  I got nothing from it.

“Widening Horizon” by Malachi Ward (story/art) and Matt Sheean (story):
This is an intriguing science fiction comics short story.  I won't call it “alternative history,” because it reads like a classic science fiction short story that imagines a different past, present, and future.  Ward's beautiful clear-line drawing style perfectly captures the atmosphere of a story about spaceflight.

“Statue” by Antoine Cossé:
A stylish blend of landscape architecture, industrial design, Art Deco, and minimalism, “Statue” is a haunting tale that also manages to gleam with possibility.  I found that Cossé engaged my imagination with a story that challenged me to unravel its mysteries.  “Statue” is an example of a story that the reader can enjoy without having to know everything the cartoonist wants to convey.  I look forward to seeing more of this creator's work.

“I, Marlon” by Sammy Harkham:
The only reason that I know that the “Marlon” in “I, Marlon” is the legendary American actor, Marlon Brando, is because I recently read Michael J. Mann's massive biography of the actor, The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando.  Shockingly, Harkham's one-age comic (apparently produced in 2016) summarizes some key themes in Mann's 700+ page book, which was published in late 2019 (and took me several months to read).

“Untitled” by Nick Thorburn:
This is a comic strip that runs at the top of the back cover.  I like Thorburn's drawing style.

So, the final verdict on NOW #1 is that it is one of the best first issues of a comics anthology that I have ever read.  If the issues that follow NOW #1 are half as good as it is, then, NOW is a must-read series for serious comic book readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic alternative-comics anthologies will want to discover NOW.

9 out of 10

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


https://www.fantagraphics.com/
https://twitter.com/fantagraphics
https://www.instagram.com/fantagraphics/
https://www.facebook.com/fantagraphics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtLxEaspctVar287DtdsMww


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

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#IReadsYou Review: PSYCHODRAMA ILLUSTRATED #1

PSYCHODRAMA ILLUSTRATED #1
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Gilbert Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Paul Baresh
24pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (February 2020)

Gilbert “'Beto” Hernandez is the prolific half of the comic book creating duo, Los Bros. (the other half being his brother, Jaime Hernandez).  Gilbert and Jaime are the creators of Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics Books), the greatest American comic book series of all time.

Gilbert has produced a number of solo projects including (the infamous) Blubber, Yeah! (with writer Peter Bagge), and Twilight Children (with the late Darwyn Cooke).  Gilbert's latest solo comic book project is the recently launched series, Psychodrama Illustrated.  According to publisher Fantagraphics Books, Psychodrama Illustrated is a new Love and Rockets spin-off focusing on the classic character, Rosalba Martinez, best known as “Fritz,” and on her extended family.  The series will feature stories about Fritz’s film career “that bend Fritz’s reality.”

Psychodrama Illustrated #1 opens with a frontispiece (inside front cover) one-page comic in which Dr. Valus Droog breaks the fourth wall and informs the reader about Fritz.  [He also appear on the inside back cover.]  In the opening story, “False Modesty,” Fritz bumps into an old friend of her half-sister, Luba de los Santos, the classic L&R character known simply as “Luba.”

Fritz finds the gentleman starring at a one-sheet poster advertising the debut album from “Killer,” who is Fritz's grand-niece, Dora Rivera.  It seems that Killer is also a young actress, and she has replaced Fritz in “Hypnotwist 2.0,” a remake/reboot of one of Fritz's film, “Hypnotwist” (the tale of which was chronicled in Love and Rockets Vol. 2 #3).  When Fritz joins the production of the new film, will she really be able to fit in with Killer?  And what does Luba's friend want from Fritz...?

THE LOWDOWN:  I was a huge fan of Beto's Blubber comic book series.  I found it to be in the tradition (or at least the spirit) of Underground Comix with its brave and bold depictions of raunchy sex and surreal sexuality.

After only one issue, I don't quite know what to make of Psychodrama Illustrated, but I have to admit to you, dear readers, or at least the ones that already don't know, that I always love the work of Gilbert Hernandez.  [I feel the same way about Jaime Hernandez.]  I can say that Psychodrama Illustrated feels like the usual Love and Rockets comics starring Fritz, by which I mean that Beto gives us the breath and width of Fritz's character.  Fritz is always acting, in front of, behind, and on the side of the camera.  And she's always gonna f**k somebody (male, female, or otherwise), and here, one guy gets it and one (currently in prison) might get f****d.

“Inscrutable” is the word I most use to describe the late cartoonist Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters.  I will say the same thing about Fritz, and in Psychodrama Illustrated, I hope that Beto does not decide to illuminate to many of the mysteries of Fritz.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Gilbert Hernandez's Love and Rockets comics will have to have Psychodrama Illustrated.

8 out 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 for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: MAN IS VOX: Paingels (Expanded Edition)

MAN IS VOX: PAINGELS (Expanded Edition)
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: John Ira Thomas – @johnirathomas
ARTIST: Carter Allen – @attila71
PENCILS: Carter Allen
INKS: Carter Allen; Jeremy Smith (“Dessert” story)
LETTERS: John Ira Thomas
COVER: Carter Allen
ISBN: 978-0-9895376-9-3; paperback – 7.5 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches dimensions (September 18, 2017)
292pp, B&W and Color $39.95 U.S.

Man is Vox: Paingels is a 2004 original graphic novel published by Candle Light Press (CLP) and created by writer John Ira Thomas and artist Carter Allen.  Last year, CLP released an updated edition of the graphic novel, Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition).

This is a kind of overview.  Man is Vox: Paingels follows a man who is essentially a killer on the search for a psycho who kills some women.  He abuses in terrible ways those women that he does not kill.  The Fearsome Shade, Mr. Way, the Shotgun Bride, the Husband, Samdy Lockney, The Beacon, Insides, and Dilmus:  they are all on or in the orbit “The Beacon.”

Abortions; many Beacons; clothes make the man, and Sid S, the serial killer of children.  Mr. Way and the Fearsome Shade have to put an end to the Beacon, but who are they really?  Who are Mr. Way and the Fearsome Shade to confront the Beacon for his crimes, especially against Ms. Lockney?

2015 was Candle Light Press' 20th anniversary.  [In fact, there is a book celebrating that anniversary, CLP20: Twenty Years of Candle Light Press (http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/clp20.htm), a book to which I have contributed a few notes.]  Since then, CLP have been releasing new editions of a few of their early graphic novels, including Man is Vox: Barracudae, the Man is Vox OGN that precedes Paingels.

John Ira Thomas and Carter Allen tell Paingels via a Baskin-Robbins like palette of graphic styles and illustrative mediums (so to speak).  Traditional color comic book art; traditional black and white art; a child's crayon drawings; charcoal; vector art; ink; finger puppet theater; 8-bit video game graphics; cut outs; torn pages; woodblock engraving-like art; and faux family photo album, among many.

When I first read Man is Vox: Paingels, I could not think of many points of references for my subsequent review of it.  Fifteen years later, however, I think I have one.  With surrealism on high and touches of Meshes of the Afternoon, Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition) is a trippy reading experience.  Much of the narrative deals with what goes on in the human mind – the interior life and the mental experience.  So Paingels makes me think of Noah Hawley's television series, “Legion” (FX).  Paingels simply does not display the self-indulgence and narcissism, nor does it possess the lack of self-control and lack of self-awareness that can be brought on by having the kind of large budget that a major Hollywood studio can gift a “genius” showrunner.

Man is Vox: Paingels (Expanded Edition) is an adventure in original graphic novel reading.  It is not really meant to be read in one sitting, which I certainly did not do.  Some chapters, I read over a period of several weeks.  Other chapters, I read in rapid succession.  I have to be honest; Paingels is not my favorite Candle Light Press book by far.  However, the characters are simply lovely, so much so that I want to engage Paingels just to read about them.

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
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7 out 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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS IV #3

LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV No. 3
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez – @BetomessGilbert @xaimeh
ARTISTS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds – @earinc
COVER: Jaime Hernandez
BACK COVER: Gilbert Hernandez
VARIANT COVER: Gilbert Hernandez
36pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Love and Rockets is the seminal alternative comic book series produced by brothers, Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez.  It has been published since 1982 by Fantagraphics Books, where it started out as a magazine-sized comic book that ran for 50 issues (1983 to 1996).  It later returned for a 20-issue run as a standard-sized comic book, (Vol II, 2001-2007), and then, it became an annual graphic novel series which ran for eight volumes, Love and Rockets: New Stories (Vol. III, 2008-2016).  [It is important to note that Gilbert and Jaime do not collaborate, and that each brother has his own characters and stories.]

In late 2016, Love and Rockets Vol. IV returned the series to its comic magazine format that fans of the original series fell in love with and probably still love and prefer.  I prefer the original format, but I understand that for various reasons the creators and publishers felt the need to initiate format changes at different times.

Under a front cover by Jaime, Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3 offers nine stories and vignettes, five by Gilbert (Beto) and four by Jaime.  On the Jaime side of things, the “Locas” girls' punk reunion has come to an end, but Maggie and Hopey still have the evening to chew the fat and also some hard questions about the past, the present, and the future.  What is “punk”?  What did it all mean?  What does it mean now?  What will it mean in the end?  Plus, a trip back to 1979 returns us to the days of young punk Locas.  And in the classic, sci-fi, Xaime section, sisters Lumina and Isla reunite as the Anima situation turns more intense.

Gilbert reveals episodes of the Doctor Who ripoff, “Professor Enigma.”  Fritz starred as “Missy,” the Prof.'s assistant, but will soon see her 10-year-old daughter take over the roll.  Also, Fritz's newly reunited twin daughters, Baby (Remedios) and Rosario, meet their grandmother, who is a classic Palomar character!

Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3 is the weakest issue of the new series, thus far.  The return to 1979 is a killer section, and I could feel it and the power of young Locas characters dominate my imagination even as I read the rest of this issue.  The segment featuring modern day Maggie and Hopey feels like it is in a holding pattern, waiting for something big to happen.

The “Professor Enigma” segments lack the classic weirdness of Gilbert's best B.E.M. and sci-fi/B-movie stories, although the back cover crackles with weird energy.  Once again, it takes a classic, old-school L&R character to electrify this issue and Gilbert's contributions.

Even if Love and Rockets Vol. IV #3 is the least of the lot early in this new Love and Rockets run, this is still mostly good stuff.  Jaime's “Anima” art is glorious and beautiful, and the storytelling is invigorating.  I certainly wanted more.  And once again, I must emphasize that Gilbert's back cover art is imaginative and cool.

7.5 out of 10

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.

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Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS Volume 4 #2

LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV No. 2
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez – @BetomessGilbert @xaimeh
ARTISTS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds – @earinc
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez
BACK COVER: Jaime Hernandez
VARIANT COVER: Jaime Hernandez
36pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (March 2017)

Love and Rockets, the seminal alternative comic book, produced by brothers Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez, has been published since 1982 by Fantagraphics Books.  It started as a magazine-sized comic book that ran for 50 issues (1983 to 1996) and later returned for a 20-issue run as a standard-sized comic book, (Vol II, 2001-2007).  Then, it became an annual graphic novel series which ran for eight volumes, Love and Rockets: New Stories (Vol. III, 2008-2016).  [It is important to note that Gilbert and Jaime do not collaborate, and that each brother has his own characters and stories.]

In late 2016, Love and Rockets Vol. IV returned the series to its comic magazine format that fans of the original series fell in love with and probably still love and prefer.  I prefer the original format, but I understand that for various reasons the creators and publishers felt the need to initiate format changes at different times.

Under a front cover by Gilbert, Love and Rockets Vol. IV #2 offers six stories, three by Gilbert (Beto) and three by Jaime.  The issue opens with “Fritz Haters Will Just Have to Be Patient,” (Gilbert) and focuses on Rosalba “Fritz” Martinez, international cult movie and television star.  She is still working through the divorce from her wife, Pipo.  However, the bigger event is final meeting Rosario, the until-now hidden twin of Fritz's daughter, Baby.

In “More for the Haters,” Rosario frets about meeting her twin sister, Baby, until Rosario's friend, Andres, forces the meeting.  In “Nowhere, USA,” now that Fritz is reunited with her “lost” twin daughter, Rosario, it is time to introduce the girl to Aunt Petra, Fritz's sister.

On the Jaime side of things, a reunited Maggie and Hopey are still at a punk reunion, but as things wind down, Maggie realizes that not many of the old punks remember her.  In “Forest Spirits,”  Tonta Agajanian is accompanied by her half-sister, Vivian “Frogmouth” Solis to a local forest.  When Vivian discovers that the local urban legend of the “forest spirit” might be real, she reacts differently from everyone else.  In the final story, everyone is asking, “Where is Anima?”

As I wrote in my review of the first issue, I knew that I would like the return of Love and Rockets to a magazine-sized publication.  There was and is something magical about Love and Rockets presented in magazine-size.  Although, both Gilbert and Jaime focus on different and/or new characters, Love and Rockets Vol. IV recalls in me the sensations of reading the original run of the series.

Gilbert's Fritz stories are often absurd, over-the-top, and farcical, yet the drama is potent.  The characters are achingly human, at times frivolous and hopeless, and at other times, lovable and loving.  The final two pages of “Fritz Haters Will Just Have to Be Patient” exemplify that, especially when Fritz tells her husband/baby daddy, “I'm not wearing panties.”

Maggie and Hopey are trying not to feel their age, no matter how much they show it, but there is beauty in the fact that they are still living and trying to enjoy life.  The power and freshness of “Locas,” (the first true Jaime Hernandez epic) now resides in the world of Tonta Agajanian, and while Maggie and Hopey might have slowed down, Jaime has not – at least according to these Tonta stories.

Love and Rockets Vol. IV #2 shows that L&R is not back; it never left.  Perhaps, Los Bros. have found vitality in a familiar format.

9 out of 10

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


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

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Review: BLUBBER #4

BLUBBER No. 4
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Gilbert Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Paul Baresh
24pp, B&W, $3.99 U.S. (January 2017)

Gilbert “'Beto” Hernandez is the cartoonist, comic book creator, and graphic novelist best known for being one-half of the duo known as “Los Bros.” Gilbert and his brother, Jaime Hernandez, are Eisner Award (Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards) winners, and they have produced the seminal, alternative comic book series, Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics Books), for the better part of four decades.

As a “solo act,” Gilbert (a.k.a. “Beto”) has also produced numerous original graphic novels and several comic book miniseries for publishers like Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, and Drawn & Quarterly, as well as for his original publisher Fantagraphics.  In 2015, Fantagraphics launched Beto's most recent solo offering, Blubber.

This black and white comic book series offers short stories and vignettes featuring a cast of misfits, monsters, and anthropomorphic types.  Beto also presents his usual mix of bizarre characters, strange stories, and outlandish sex and sexual acts, all hallmarks of his comix going back to the beginning of his public work.

Blubber #4 (which was released earlier this year) opens with the one-page comix about semen and barbecue, “Shit for Fuck,” starring X-25.  Then, in the “Tower of the Sindog” a mother and son each find their pleasure, but there is violence in that mummified love.  Then, you will never believe the adventures of “Red Tempest XXX.”

I gave rave reviews to Blubber issues #1 and #2, but I did not rave about Blubber #3, although I did enjoy it.  I won't rave about Blubber #4, although it is rave-worthy.  After reading this fourth issue, I am simply flustered by Gilbert's imagination because I am starting to believe that he owns some bottomless well of ideas.  From this well, he draws forth inventiveness that seems to spill over the rim of a metaphorical bucket.  Every time I think that Gilbert cannot top himself, I find another story and another – graphically graphic and visually splendid.

Blubber is a true Underground Comix; it is not just in that tradition of... It is the real thing.  Like classic Underground Comix, Blubber is a true comic book, as fun and fanciful as those old-timey comic books I read as a child... without the nose-dicks and the sucking of yard-long cocks.

Well, I have said this before:  Gilbert Hernandez is the best comic book writer in North America.  Well, he is also a pretty, damn good cartoonist, and Blubber needs to go above ground – perhaps riding high on a cock rocket like Slim Pickens' “Kong” in Dr. Strangelove.

9 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: THE FUN FAMILY

THE FUN FAMILY (OGN)
IDW PUBLISHING/Top Shelf Productions – @topshelfcomix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Benjamin Frisch
ISBN:  978-1-60309-344-6; paperback with French flaps (July 12, 2016)
240pp, Color, $24.99 U.S. (Diamond: APR16-0643)

The Fun Family is a 2016, full color, original graphic novel written and drawn by cartoonist, Benjamin Frisch.  Published by Top Shelf Productions (an imprint of IDW Publishing), The Fun Family focuses on the growing dysfunction of an American family, whose head of household is a popular newspaper comic strip creator.

The Fun Family introduces beloved cartoonist Robert Fun.  He has earned a devoted following for his circle-shaped, newspaper comic strip, “The Fun Family.”  Robert celebrates the wholesome American family by drawing inspiration from his real home life.  He is married to Marsha, a devoted mother and housewife.  They have four children:  Robby, Molly, Mikey, and J.T. (an infant when the story starts).

Unlike its comic strip equivalent, the Fun Family, however, has some dark secrets, and their idyllic world begins to collapse after two events.  First, Robert's mother, Virginia (“Grandma” to the kids), dies, and then, Robert's creepy menagerie is discovered.  Now, the children must rescue their family, but they will also have to escape the cycle that will have art imitating life imitating art.

One of the most famous “circle-shaped” newspaper comic strips of all time is The Family Circus, which was created, written and drawn by the late Bil Keane.  Cartoonist Benjamin Frisch uses the iconography and visual cues and themes of The Family Circus to create The Fun Family.  Robert Fun even draws a comic-within-a-comic that is virtually identical in graphics, shape, format, and themes to The Family Circus.

That is where the similarities end.  The Fun Family is a riveting read, shocking and poignant in equal doses – so much so that reading this graphic novel can be a disconcerting experience at times.  I want to avoid spoilers by saying that the parents, Robert and Marsha, are the big problems in this scenario.  They are aided and abetted by the “professionals” trying to help them, Dr. Leonard Cohen and Dr. Guru Cohen and also by a “ghost.”

Cartoonist and comic book creator, Jessica Abel, is quoted as saying of The Fun Family, “Simply wrenching... Benjamin Frisch subverts the iconography of family cartooning, exposing the seedy underbelly of America’s obsession with the perfect family.”  That is true, and The Fun Family is a blast to read.  I could not stop reading it once I started.  I highly recommend The Fun Family, which is still in print two years after its debut (http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/the-fun-family/935).

9 out of 10

http://www.topshelfcomix.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.

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Review: ASSASSINISTAS #1

ASSASSINISTAS No. 1
IDW PUBLISHING/Black Crown – @IDWPublishing @blackcrownhq

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Tini Howard – @TiniHoward
ART: Gilbert Hernandez – @BetomessGilbert
COLORS: Rob Davis
LETTERS: Aditya Bidikar
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez
VARIANT COVERS: Sanford Greene (Cover B and Retailer Incentive)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 20, 2017)
DIAMOND CODE: OCT170405

Dominic Price and the Semester Abroad – Part 1 of 6

Assassinistas is a new comic book from writer Tini Howard (The Skeptics; Power Rangers: Pink) and artist Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets).  The series focuses on a gay college student, his mother who is a mercenary, and his boyfriend who joins them on a mission.

Assassinistas #1 introduces Octavia “Red October” Price, Charlotte “Scarlet” La Costa, and Rosalyn “Blood” Diamond.  Once upon a time, they were assassins who were like three badass action movie chicks.  Now, Octavia has a college-age son, Dominic Price, and she needs to pay his tuition.  A reunion with one of her former colleagues, however, messes up her plans.  Now, she needs Dominic to help her, but she does not know that his boyfriend, Taylor, wants in on the action-movie fun.

Anyone who has read enough of my reviews or have read them long enough knows that I am a huge fan of the long-running alternative comic book series, Love and Rockets, and that I frequently praise its  creators, brothers Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, as if they were my own children.  So I have to be honest and let you know, dear readers, that I rarely dislike comics produced by the the brothers, also known as Los Bros.

Well, I was not that crazy about the four-issue miniseries, The Twilight Children (DC Comics/Vertigo), that Gilbert wrote and the late Darwyn Cooke drew .  I am more excited about Assassinistas after reading the first issue than I was about The Twilight Children after reading its first issue.  The Twilight Children seemed like the work of two great comic book creators whose separate visions do not quite meld into a singular artistic vision.

Assassinistas #1 seems like the work of a singular vision.  Hernandez has produced droll and bizarre takes on violent sub-genres (monster movies, crime fiction, lurid romances) that are unique, but that are also infectious reads.  Whereas Darwyn Cooke produced highly-polished comics that were neo-classical takes on venerable genres and styles, Tini Howard seems to have an off-beat sensibility, engaging storytelling genres in observance of modern dilemmas.  Gilbert also has an off-beat sensibility, and his approach to storytelling often feels timeless, regardless of genre.

That is close enough.  Howard and Hernandez seem like a perfect team, and Assassinistas, over its run, may prove that its first issue was indeed a hint of good things to come.

8 out of 10

https://www.patreon.com/tinihoward
http://gilbertbetohernandez.blogspot.com/

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


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

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Review: BLUBBER #3

BLUBBER No. 3
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Gilbert Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Paul Baresh
24pp, B&W, $3.99 U.S. (July 2016)

He is the cartoonist, comic book creator, and graphic novelist best known for being one-half of the duo known as “Los Bros.” Gilbert Hernandez and his brother, Jaime Hernandez, form the Eisner Award (Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards) winning team that has produced the seminal, alternative comic book series, Love and Rockets (Fantagraphics Books), for 35 years.

As a “solo act,” Gilbert (a.k.a. “Beto”) has also produced numerous original graphic novels and several comic book miniseries for publishers like Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, and Drawn & Quarterly, as well as for his original publisher Fantagraphics.  In 2015, Fantagraphics launched Beto's latest solo offering, entitled Blubber.

This black and white comic book series offers short stories and vignettes featuring a cast of misfits, monsters, and anthropomorphic types.  Beto also presents his usual mix of bizarre characters, strange stories, and outlandish sex and sexual acts, all hallmarks of his comix going back to the beginning of his public work.

Blubber #3 (which debuted in the summer of 2016) opens with Mr. Elvis on the inside front cover.  Other incarnations of the masturbating satyr appear throughout this issue.  Last issue's inside front cover star, “XXX Superstar Pupusi,” also returns.    The “Janx” take center stage in all their cock-sucking and orifice-penetrating glory.  Meanwhile, Max and his long dong try to show the defecating Snowman the spiritual side.

I gave a rave reviews to Blubber issues #1 and #2.  Unfortunately, Blubber #3 does not live up to its predecessors.  It does have its moments, such as the “Blubberoo” story and the strange goings-on at the “Blubber Club.”  However, the Janx story, “Circle of Life,” meanders rather than flow freely.  It has a dream like quality, but parts of it don't seem to belong, as if Beto took sections from four other stories and sewed them together for “Circle of Life.”

The “Root 66” strip is a gag, cute in its juvenile nature.  The Pupusi one-pager is like a nice after-dinner chocolate.  I may be a little down on Blubber #3, but there is enough good raunch and depravity to get me ready for #4

7.5 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BLUBBER #2

BLUBBER No. 2
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Gilbert Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Paul Baresh
24pp, B&W, $3.99 U.S. (January 2016)

Gilbert Hernandez is the cartoonist, comic book creator, and graphic novelist best known for being one-half of the duo known as “Los Bros.” along with his brother, Jaime Hernandez.  Together, the two Eisner Award (Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards) winners have produced the seminal, alternative comic book series, Love and Rockets, for more than 30 years.  As a “solo act,” Gilbert (a.k.a. “Beto”) has also produced numerous original graphic novels and several comic book miniseries for publishers Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, and Drawn & Quarterly, as well as for his original publisher Fantagraphics Books.

In 2015, Fantagraphics launched Beto's latest solo offering, entitled Blubber.  This black and white comic book series offers short stories and vignettes featuring a cast of misfits, monsters, and anthropomorphic types.  Beto also presents his usual mix of bizarre characters and strange stories, a hallmark of his comix going back to the beginning of his public work.

Blubber #2 (which debuted in late 2015) opens with an inside front cover comic, “XXX Superstar Pupusi and Her Pals!” which is sprinkled with masturbation, fellatio, cock-sucking, and anal penetration.  The opening story is “T.A.C. Man vs The Pollum.”  T.A.C. (Tactical Advanced Commando) Man wears pro wrestling briefs and is kind of like the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents' Dynamo.  T.A.C. Man's boss, Mr. Hippy, orders him to fight “The Pollum,” a yeti/Bigfoot-type creature.  T.A.C.'s rival, Marshman, however, has his own plans versus the Pollum.  Penises and the various uses of them take center stage.

Also, it's the Froat versus the Loo in “Who Fears the Froat?”  Centurions (each one having what is essentially a micro-penis) arrive in a strange locale and use the local fauna to help them climax in “Sweet.”  Temperamental “Tamper” fights the Skrull-like “Junipero Molestat” in the story, “TAMPERRRRRR.”  In “Padre Puto,” the Padre and a few of his pals learn the dangers of using zombies for sexual pleasure.  And in “The Marsh Man's Folly,” T.A.C. Man and Marshman engage in a strenuous contest.

I gave a rave review to Blubber #1 about two years ago.  I wrote that it fascinated me and how I re-read much of it and that the one issue was not enough for me.  I even wrote that Blubber #1 reminded me of the ethereal and beautiful explorations contained in Moebius' Une jeunesse heureuse (released as a small leather-bound notebook, published in the 1990s).

I don't feel like raving about Blubber #2, but not because it isn't good.  I love it, but I might lose control and end up writing a piece that is the review equivalent of “spewing my goo.”  This is a fantastic comic book, a true heir to the freedom and ballsy attitude cartoonists and comix creators displayed in the classic Underground Comix of the 1960s and 1970s.

I often praise the stellar art of Beto's brother, Jaime Hernandez, but Beto is also a master cartoonist.  The figure drawing of Padre in “Padre Puto” suggests some incredibly precise inking, especially in the depictions of Padre's face, head, and hands.  Also, Beto can draw a pretty stout and firm erect penis, to boot, and his T.A.C. Man and Marshman battles are presented with excellence.

Yeah, I have the two issues of Blubber published since the second issue, and I am sure I will have something to say about them.  As I wrote of the first issue:  this crazy little comic book proves once again that not only is Gilbert Hernandez the best American comic book writer of the last four decades; he is also one of its essential visionaries.

A+

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Review - Pirate Penguin vs Ninja Chicken: Troublems with Frenemies

PIRATE PENGUIN VS NINJA CHICKEN BOOK 1
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS – @topshelfcomix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Ray Friesen
EDITORS: Chris Staros and Brett Warnock
ISBN: 978-1-60309-071-1; hardcover (June 2011)
96pp, Color, $9.95 U.S.

Ages 7 to 13

Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken is a graphic novel series by cartoonist and webcomics creator, Ray Friesen.  Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken (Book 1): Troublems with Frenemies is an all-ages humor graphic novel that was the first in the series and was originally published five-and-a-half years ago.

The stars of the series are Pirate Penguin, a penguin who is a pirate (complete with a hook for a right hand, an eye patch, and a pirate hat), and Ninja Chicken, a chicken who is a ninja (complete with ninja pajamas costume).  They're roommates, bestest of friends and also the worstest of enemies.  Now, see them in action – in stories so small and epics so epic.

See them fight over smoothies.  Watch them scuffle over peer pressure.  Witness their friend Camoflaugey Chameleon cause chaos by impersonating one or the other.  Join arguments over stuff like ice cream or origami.  Then, in “The Biggest Giantest Epicest Pirate Penguin versus Ninja Chicken Story Evar!,” Pirate Penguin rockets off into space, and Ninja Chicken attends a ninja convention in Las Vegas, but can they really be apart for 11 chapters?

Top Shelf sent me a copy of Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken (Book 1): Troublems with Frenemies when it first came out – yes, that long ago.  I lost track of it, but recently found it again, which was fortuitous because the second graphic novel, Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken (Book 2): Escape from Skull-Fragment Island!, was recently published.

I didn't think that I would like this, but I did.  Of course, this is a kids' graphic novel, but there is a reason that it is described as “all-ages.”  Anyone who can read this, regardless of age, will like some or all of it.  The short comics, usually two pages in length, are little gag strips that play on the inherent silliness of traditional humor comic books.  A pun, a philosophical point turned on its pin head, an argument:  Ray Friesen is clever and imaginative in creating humor.

Despite their wacky names, Pirate Penguin and Ninja Chicken are actually good characters.  They are lovable, and the fact that they like each other in some way makes this work.  These two characters are bickering, gently contrarian characters, and their attitudes and personalities make them lovable.  There are also some good supporting characters, like useful third-wheel, Camoflaugey Chameleon, and a character whose profession makes it easier to expand the settings for stories, Astronaut Armadillo.

I think Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken (Book 1): Troublems with Frenemies is a little more than its cover suggests.  I won't describe this as great, but it is surprisingly cute, funny, and enjoyable, and like me, you may be surprised to find yourself liking it.

B+

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: MAJOR DANJER AND HIS PLATOON OF DOOM

MAJOR DANJER AND HIS PLATOON OF DOOM
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS – @candlelightpres

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: John Ira Thomas, Jared Donze, Michael Ayers, Carter Allen
PENCILS: Carter Allen – @attila71 with Michael Ayers
INKS: Carter Allen with Jeremy Smith
MISC. ART: Romeo Tanghal; Phil Hester
Hardcover
92pp, B&W, $15.00 U.S. (2016)

Candle Light Press' Fragmenta series is a line of paperback and hardcover books, picture books, and pamphlets.  Each entry in the line collects essays, scripts, art, and/or comics produced by the writers and artists of Candle Light Press (CLP).  Some of this material concerns early or uncompleted projects, while other material represents preliminary words and pictures for completed projects.

A hardcover book with black and white interiors, Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom is the ninth entry in the Fragmenta series.  Like Fragmenta 7: Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates, Major Danjer collects an uncompleted project, entitled (of course), Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom.  A fanciful war comic in the vein of such classic war comics as Sgt. Rock, Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, Blackhawk, and G.I. Combat, to name a few, Major Danger ran as serial in various 1990s CLP publications, including in the anthology, ED.

Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom was created by CLP mainstays, writer John Ira Thomas and artist Carter Allen, with contributions from former CLP creators like Jared Donze and Micheal Ayers.  This collection contains six Major Danjer stories, with the sixth being unfinished.  This book includes an introduction by John Ira Thomas and essays by Thomas and Carter Allen.  There also about 20 pages of drawings, illustrations, and miscellania, much of it by the Allen.

Nazis, military strike teams, lost worlds, dinosaurs, and a giant “whark!”  Plus, meet those peculiar superheroes, “Glory Guard.”  It's all in Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom.

I am a long time fan and admirer of the books and comics put out by CLP.  If pushed, I might say that CLP's award-winning horror graphic novel, Lost in the Wash, is my favorite CLP publication.  I have also long lusted and sought to plagiarize the brilliant Zoo Force/Not Zoo Force.  I get a kick out of Carter Allen's Nikki Harris Cybermation Witch comic book series.  A Tale of Shades and Angels by Thomas and artist Jeremy Smith should be as well known as Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's Powers.

But I have to keep it real.  I love Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom.  Part Doc Savage pulp fury and part Sgt. Fury savagery, Major Danjer is not a parody of war comics, nor does it mock them.  Carter and his co-writers and Carter Allen merely takes the weirdness that was the true spirit of those old-timey war comics and makes them comedy the way Mel Brooks made comedy out of Universal Pictures 1930 monster movies in Young Frankenstein.

At $15, Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom is a steal for fans of war comics.  There is a Blackhawk homage in one of the stories that certainly justifies part of the cost.  I wish CLP had finished Major Danjer and His Platoon of Doom.  It seems like something that was mistakenly abandoned, but buying this book isn't a mistake.

A

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
www.warningcomics.com

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


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: All Time Comics: BULLWHIP #1

ALL TIME COMICS: BULLWHIP No. 1
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS/ALL TIME COMICS – @fantagraphics @alltimecomics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Josh Bayer and Benjamin Marra
SCRIPT: Josh Bayer
PENCILS: Benjamin Marra
INKS: Al Milgrom
LETTERS: Rick Parker
COLORS: Matt Rota
MISC. ART: Jason T. Miles and Ken Landgraf; Eric Haven
COVERS: Das Pastoras; Gilbert Hernandez; Tony Millionaire
24pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)

“Web of Oblivion!”

Alternative comix mainstay, Fantagraphics Books, is currently publishing comic books set in a new shared superhero universe.  Entitled “All Time Comics,” this imprint/universe will see the release of six comic books, each a stand-alone story featuring a particular superhero or set of superheroes.

The hook with All Time Comics is that each title is a mash-up of and throwback to classic 1970s comic books, especially those published by Marvel Comics.  The second title is All Time Comics: Bullwhip.  It is plotted by Josh Bayer and Benjamin Marra; scripted by Bayer; drawn by Marra (pencils) and Al Milgrom (inks); colored by Matt Rota; and lettered by Rick Parker.

All Time Comics: Bullwhip #1 (“Web of Oblivion!”) opens in Metro City at a concert venue.  Candy Christilliam and her band “Brain Parasites” were about to jam, but the concert is being held up by a woman-hating villain, “The Mysogynist.”  Lucikly the mysterious crime-fighter, Bullwhip, has sworn to keep Metro City safe from villainy, violence, and sexist pigs.

However, The Mysogynist isn't the only evil-doer plaguing the concert and the city.  The second villain is the “Time Vampire,” a strange figure determined to attack one of the twin Alexi sisters.  The third adversary acts from the shadows; he is Raingod.

Like All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1, Bullwhip #1 is a retro comic book, recalling the past, but not as much as the Crime Destroyer.  For me, Bullwhip reads like an almost, but not quite pure comic book.  The difference is that Bullwhip is a female superhero and a rock solid feminist, who kicks ass with all the gusto of the most ballsy male superheroes.  And, well, pure comic books seem to keep women on the side – at least the pure comics of the past.

All Time Comics: Bullwhip #1 feels like a Fantagraphics Books alt-comix title, with the art owing more to Dan Clowes or Peter Bagge than it does to Jack Kirby, Neal Adams, or Gil Kane – three of the most influential graphic artist comic book storytellers in modern superhero comic books.  The story is also retro, part Silver Age Marvel Comics and part Charlton Comics oddball horror / superhero comic book.

In the end, influences and inspiration aside, I had a blast reading this comic book, and dammit, I want more... NOW!  I heartily recommend it.

A

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Manga Review: CIGARETTE GIRL

CIGARETTE GIRL
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS – @topshelfcomix

[This review was posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Masahiko Matsumoto
TRANSLATION: Spencer Fancutt with Atsuko Saisho
EDITOR: Sean Michael Wilson
ISBN: 978-1-60309-382-8; 5.25”x 7.25” paperback (May 2016)
264pp, B&W, $24.99 U.S.

Cigarette Girl is a trade paperback collection of manga short stories from the late manga creator, Masahiko Matsumoto (1934 to 2005).  This book contains 11 stories (with some of them broken into chapters) that were published in several Japanese manga magazines over a period from 1972 to 1974.

In these stories, a shared cigarette offers a momentary connection between a salesgirl and a lonely young man, who buys cigarettes simply as an excuse to see the “Cigarette Girl.”  A closet hides the evidence of an embarrassed bachelor's laziness, and his shyness is the thing that keeps this bachelor, Asanuma, a virgin.

Toki sells condoms as a door-to-door salesman, as she tries to be “Happy-Chan.”  A single woman, not getting any younger, sifts through letters from would-be husbands.  And “Naruko Tsurumaki's Love” is his dog, more so than the woman who wants to marry him.

Masahiko Matsumoto was apparently the manga equivalent of a alternative-comics creator.  His simply drawn cartoons and comics have more in common with the leading lights of the American alternative and small press than they do with the highly-polished creations seen in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump.

Matsumoto's stories are blunt and unsentimental at the same time that they are gentle and endearing.  They depict a balance of life that is sweet and sour/pungent, but regardless of what aroma or flavor characters get, they got to keep on going.  It is this matter-of-fact simplicity that makes these stories of modest city-dwellers, determined women, and goofy and selfish men fun to read.

Not all of the stories work; some of are awkward.  “Naruko Tsurumaki's Love” is annoying because everyone in the story is annoying.  “To Somewhere” misses the mark on being spontaneous and romantic.  I am not even sure that it could have ever had the spark that one would expect from a story about a young couple just throwing fate to the wind.  Ultimately, I would say that Cigarette Girl is a collection for readers looking for... let's see... if we can use the term “world music,” then, how about a niche called “world alt-comix?”

This book includes the following text pieces:
--An introduction by Sean Michael Wilson--A foreword by the late Yoshihiro Tatsumi
--Biographical notes written by Mitsuhiro Asakawa

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: The Adventures of NIKKI HARRIS the Cybermation Witch #9

THE ADVENTURES OF NIKKI HARRIS THE CYBERMATION WITCH  No. 9
CANDLE LIGHT PRESS/Warning Comics – @candlelightpres

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTOONIST: Carter Allen – @attila71
32pp, Color, $3.00 U.S. (2016 – 2nd)

“Ice”

When we last saw her, Nikki Harris (cybermation witch and sci-fi heroine) found herself targeted by the pesky and determined assassin, Farrah Heit.  She cooled off that hot-ho and saved the galaxy by keeping an important peace summit on the planet, Infantino (props to one of the three greatest Batman artists of all time), on track.

The Adventures of Nikki Harris the Cybermation Witch #9 (“Ice”) takes us to the edge of our solar system to the planet (planetoid), Pluto.  The people of Pluto are up in arms against the government, and the frustration is boiling over, enough to scare the administration in Pluto City, the capitol of the planet.  Now, Governor Plequeq calls Nikki Harris for help, but the threat is bigger and older than our crazy-sexy-cool heroine realizes.

The Adventures of Nikki Harris the Cybermation Witch comic book never fails to entertain, and it gets better with each issue.  There is more to Nikki, and her universe seems solid, but still able to be fresh.

Nikki Harris #9 offers some of creator Carter Allen's best exposition, as he deftly sets up the scenario for this story.  I like how Allen begins to drop hints and teases about the history of the world of Nikki Harris.  I like that, and I think there is so much more to reveal.  However, Nikki Harris is on her farewell tour, as the comic book will be ending in the near future.  #CybermationLivesMatter

A

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/
www.nikkithewitch.com
www.warningcomics.com

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


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: ALL TIME COMICS: Crime Destroyer #1

ALL TIME COMICS: CRIME DESTROYER No. 1
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS/ALL TIME COMICS - @fantagraphics @alltimecomics

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

STORY: Josh Bayer
PENCILS: Herb Trimpe
INKS: Benjamin Marra
LETTERS: Rick Parker
COLORS: Alessandro Echevarria
MISC. ART: Victor Martinez
COVERS: Jim Rugg; Johnny Ryan
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (March 2017)

Crime Destroyer in “Human Sacrifice”

I was surprised to learn that Fantagraphics Books announced through a press release sometime late last year that they were going to publish comic books set in a new shared superhero universe.. Entitled “All Time Comics,” this imprint/universe would see the release of six comic books, each a stand-alone story featuring featuring a particular superhero or set of superheroes.

The hook with All Time Comics is that each title is a mash-up of and throwback to classic 1970s comic books, especially those published by Marvel Comics.  The first such title is All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer.  It is written by Josh Bayer; drawn by Herb Trimpe (pencils) and Benjamin Marra (inks); colored by Alessandro Echevarria; and lettered by Rick Parker.

All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1 is set in Optic City, a sort of fictional recreation of the rundown, in-a-malaise New York City of the 1970s.  Crime Destroyer, a superhero whose uniform shoulder pads have two large fists perched on them, is inside “The Penitentiary.”  He is there to see an old friend and former military buddy, “Titan,” who wants Crime Destroyer to find a family member named “Anji.”

It seems that Anji has disappeared, which she often does, but this time, she is apparently under the sway of rising cult leader, “The White Warlock,” leader of the “Wotan Cult.”  Crime Destroyer is ready to rescue Anji and deliver some serious beat-down to this cult and its leader.  However, local superhero, “Atlas,” does not want Crime Destroyer (who is from “Swan City”) operating in his city, Optic City.

All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1 is a retro comic book.  It reminds me of the kind of comic books the late, great Jack Kirby, who practically co-created the Marvel Universe in the 1960s, produced in the 1970s.  An example would be Kirby's own mid-1970s run on Captain America for Marvel Comics.  I think that All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1 is also quite similar to Marvel Comics titles produced in the 1970s and early 1980s that are either influenced by or are pastiches of Kirby's 1970s's comic book output.  Marvel Two-in-One Starring The Thing comes to mind, especially those issues produced by writer David Michelinie and artist and Kirby-copycat, Ron Wilson.

The artist for All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1 is the late Herb Trimpe, who drew this comic book before he died last year.  Trimpe, who drew the first comic book appearances of Wolverine of the X-Men, produced quite a bit of comic book art that was clearly influenced by Jack Kirby.  The art here is a bit rough around the edges and is quite chunky, but it also reminds me of the art the late Spain Rodriguez drew for his Underground Comix comic book, Trashman.

Here, Trimpe's pencils are perfect for this gritty and grimy tale of Crime Destroyer, a superhero that blends elements of Marvel Comics' urban superheroes/anti-heroes Luke Cage and Blade.  However, there is just a hint of cinematic hero, Mad Max, which gives this story a trashy, post-apocalyptic aura.  I still have not made up my mind if Ben Marra's inks help create such an aesthetic or works against it.

I do like Josh Bayer's storytelling.  Bayer does not take his story too seriously, but does take the comics to which he is honoring seriously.  This comic book is funny and action-packed, and the villain is a metaphor for the kind of people who are real threats to our real world.  By the end of this comic book, I really did want more of Crime Destroyer.

All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1 is not perfect, but I find myself still thinking about it.  Part of me does want more, and it is up to the readers to decide if they want more comic books like All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1, even if only for a little while.

B+

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS Vol. 4 #1

LOVE AND ROCKETS VOL. IV No. 1
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS – @fantagraphics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez – @BetomessGilbert @xaimeh
ARTISTS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds – @earinc
COVER: Jaime Hernandez
BACK COVER: Gilbert Hernandez
VARIANT COVERS: Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez with Paul Baresh; Jacob Covey; Rico Renzi
36pp, B&W, $4.99 U.S. (October 2016)

The seminal alternative comic book, Love and Rockets, produced by brothers Gilbert Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez (“Los Bros”), has been published since 1982 by Fantagraphics Books.  It started as a magazine-sized comic book that ran for 50 issues (1983 to 1996) and later returned for a 20-issue run as a standard-sized comic book, (Vol II, 2001-2007).  Then, it became an annual graphic novel series which ran for eight volumes, Love and Rockets: New Stories (Vol. III, 2008-2016).  [It is important to note that Gilbert and Jaime do not collaborate, and that each brother had his own characters and stories.]

Late last year, Love and Rockets Vol. IV returned the series to its comic magazine format that fans of the original series fell in love with and probably still love and prefer.  Actually, I am one of those fans who prefers the original format, but I understand that for various reasons the creators and publishers felt the need to initiate format changes at different times.

Under a front cover by Jaime, Love and Rockets Vol. IV #1 offers four stories, three by Jaime and one by Gilbert (Beto).  In Gilbert's story, which is this issue's centerpiece, Baby Fritz, daughter of Rosalba  “Fritz” Martinez (actress, dancer, film producer), is plumbing the secrets and secret history of her mother's life.  Meanwhile, Fritz's wife, Pipo Jimenez, is demanding a divorce, which Fritz is reluctant to grant.  However, the bigger bombshell is a secret child.

Jaime's entries begin with “I Come from Above to Avoid a Double Chin,” the continuation of his recent “punk-reunion concert” story arc.  Maggie discovers that some of her old friends don't want to be punk anymore, and that some don't want to hate on Julie Wree anymore, either.  And there is a fight and minor bloodshed.  Next, Tonta Agajanian is attending a mini-comix show to sell her comix, but her half-sister, Vivian “Frogmouth” Solis wants to steal the show.  Plus, the adventure of Anima and Lumina continue with long-dong Katak.

I knew that I would like the return of Love and Rockets to a magazine-sized publication.  For me, there was something magical about that comic book at that size when I picked up my first issue all the way back in 1985 (probably Love and Rockets #11 – cover dated April 1985).

I think that when I read a Los Bros. comic book in a larger size, preferably magazine-sized, I undergo a sensory experience that goes beyond just reading a normal comic book.  I feel a sense of mystery in the black and white comix of Jaime, his pages filled with solid blocks of black to contrast the perfect cool white spaces.  That graphical style defined Jaime's early B-movie sci-fi, monster, and wrestling stories and made me feel as if the magical mystery tour had dropped me in a fictional world that was wild, weird, and wonderful.  I couldn't get enough.

In Gilbert's comix, the size did matter.  The drama of Palomar was big without being melodramatic, although I assume melodrama and soap opera influenced Gilbert's comix.  That dramatic heft made even Beto's weird fiction comics seem solid, as real as they were surreal and fantastical.  Thus, the violence in a story of aliens, superheroes, and other unreal beings was sudden and shocking as the violence that took place in stories starring Luba or Fritz.

For me, the bigger Love and Rockets Vol. IV #1 is a return of the real, unreal, and surreal.  It's bigger drama and the return of the mystery in live – in Locas, in Mechanics, and in outer space.

A

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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