#comics review

[joefool]

Review: Peanuts Every Sunday, Vol. 1 (1951-1955)

Peanuts Every Sunday is a collection of Schulz’s Sunday strips in color. It’s an incredibly pleasant way to read the strips, especially on my new iPad, and I really enjoyed this volume. It’s got some early Peanuts funk, and less charm because I’d already seen many of the strips in the Complete collections, but still!

The Sunday strips are often the most memorable, for obvious reasons. Having more space means having more room for comedic maneuvers, more progression, more pay-off. If I had to list my favorite Peanuts strip so far, they would be almost exclusively Lucy-focused Sundays. Her early years as a spunky young child are comedic gold. “I’m frustrated and inhibited and nobody understands me” is my quote of the year. You simply don’t get this kind of punchline joy in the regular dailies.

You thought this post was about the added value of color for Peanuts Sunday strips, but really it’s about how Lucy Van Pelt is iconic and is the 50s MVP of the strip, even more than Charlie Brown or Snoopy. I’ve tricked you!

[artbyblastweave]

🔥Punisher: Last Gun on Earth?

This ask is referring to the fairly-obscure 2010 zombie apocalypse Elseworld Marvel Universe Vs The Punisher by Jonathan Maberry, as well as the two prequels following Wolverine and Hawkeye at different points in the same timeline. I've been meaning to do a more comprehensive write-up on this for quite some time, as it was a series distinct from but very visibly in conversation with Marvel Zombies, which Maberry was also peripherally involved with. The elevator pitch is that a fuckup by the Punisher during a hit on the Russian Mob results in a cold war bioweapon getting into the biosphere, eventually turning almost the entire human population, and most of the superheroes, into adrenaline-fueled 28-days-later style rage zombies. Content Warning under the cut for discussions of racism

Despite its many, many flaws, there was a lot I enjoyed about this series, and alongside Marvel Zombies it had a not-insubstantial impact on my own aesthetic sensibilities, which I think probably comes through in a lot of my zombie artwork. The first mini, Marvel Universe Vs The Punisher, is a pastiche of I am Legend, with Frank Castle in the role of Robert Neville, an infected Deadpool in the role of Neville's abnormally sentient neighbor Ben Cortman, and with a zombified Spider-Man the white whale that he's spent five years hunting through the remains of Manhattan. Before I get into the rancid shit, I'm going to talk about what I enjoyed:

While the series succumbs to all-too-common Punisher Wank in terms of his efficacy in taking down a number of the A-list infected heroes, it ultimately comes out the other side as a pretty competent piece of character work for Frank; the series is grimly aware that a virus turning most of the human population into a shooting gallery of sadistic cannibal maniacs would be something like Valhalla for Frank, regardless of his pretensions to the contrary. Moreover, it's subtly implied that Frank's belief that he's immune is incorrect, and what's actually happening is that a virus that turns you into a vindictive, dogmatic maniac with a hardwired us-or-them mindset had no effect on him because he was already like that. There are ultimately revealed to be thousands of other survivors in New York, all of whom have spent five years studiously avoiding him because they think he's batshit insane. Even zombie Spider-Man, played up as the Biggest Bad, is ultimately revealed to have retained enough humanity to protect his uninfected family the entire time, whereas Frank is ultimately painted as unrelenting genocide machine whose psychological inability to give quarter ultimately makes him worse than the infected.

From there the series extrapolated some hilarious commentary on the genre as a whole; the zombie outbreak was going on for months before reaching critical mass, and nobody noticed because the baseline levels of random street violence and superpowered brawls are already so high in these settings that nobody realized a lot of the fights were occurring for rage-virus reasons until Spider-Man killed and ate a supervillain on live television. The whole series can be viewed through the lens of the usual spectacle-bait crisis-crossover contrived-battle-between-heroes routine, distilled to its purest form and escalated to the point of Ragnarök; the art frequently deliberately obfuscates which combatants are infected and which are uninfected people fighting for their lives. In this way it's playing with the pre-existing logic of the superhero genre in a way that Marvel Zombies didn't.

Maberry knows how to use Deadpool in a supporting character role without having him eat the entire goddamn thing. It's a fun dynamic!

Unlike Marvel Zombies, which was deliberately unconcerned with logistics as part of the gonzo fever-dream aesthetic, Maberry put some actual thought into a semi-plausible model by which a zombie virus could overrun a superhero setting. The responsible mutagen is air-and-waterborne, causing people to start turning at random months after being infected rather than through bites or fluid contact, and sneaks around healing factors because the mutations it causes are parsed as improvements rather than disease symptoms. Mass swarms of infected, unpowered civilians are as relevant, if not more relevant, than the superhumans are in spreading the infection, leading in turn to a lot of Left 4 dead styled set piece co-op fights like the one depicted above, and leading to the failure state that a superhero might be able to mince human wave attacks all day but at a certain point they'll have chewed through everyone they were ostensibly protecting by doing so, even if they themselves survive. This is a dynamic that, ultimately, only Frank Castle is really capable of thriving within, because with him it was never about protecting people, just hurting "bad" ones.

Which leads to another major positive points- the series is also a lot more concerned with rendering the setting's downward spiral. Eight prequel issues depicting the superhero community going down fighting over the course of months, rather than folding like a dixie cup in a trash compactor for horror value. Dead Days is the closest that Marvel Zombies ever got to rendering that same process, and while that was a very good oneshot it was still a deliberately compact one-shot. Here you get tableau after tableau of survivors throwing down with zombies. Unlikely alliances, second-string deep-cut z-listers crawling out of the woodwork- all interspersed with the growing realization among the protagonists that this is not business as usual, the status quo is not going to hold this time, it's just the actual apocalypse.

Here's Punisher, Hawkeye, Iron Fist and Black Cat trying to hold the Holland tunnel. Here's Dr. Bong, Howard the Duck Ruby Tuesday and Hit Monkey making a last stand in Central Park. This shit unironically kicks ass! This is what I think a lot of people are gesturing at when they say that they want to see a superheroes vs zombies story.

And, on that note, if you're going to tell this kind of story, Punisher, Wolverine and Hawkeye are objectively three of the best characters to have as the viewpoint characters- precisely the right level of competence and street-level scrappiness to survive without having a prayer of turning the tables outright. "Shit, Man, this superhero war is fucked-" the comic.

One additional minor thing I enjoyed about the series, aesthetically, is that while Marvel Zombies was a deliberately anachronistic mish-mash where every character was depicted in their most visually iconic outfits from across decades of publication, This series was very specifically working with the Marvel Universe status quo circa 2010 when it was published- The X-Men in San Francisco, Red Hulk on the Avengers, now-long-forgotten Avengers Academy kids in crowd shots. It grounds the narrative in a way Marvel Zombies was deliberately avoiding, acting as a snapshot and a time capsule in a neat way.

Now onto the two big things I didn't like about this series, the latter of which sinks it really really badly:

One: Caption Cancer. Maberry is one of those authors who I like on balance but who also often lapses into Talking Just To Talk. How many times does the navel-gazey running commentary in the above excerpts double back on itself, and how much is it actually saying- particularly when contrasted with the story told by the art and dialogue alone? Either he felt a need to fill the space (bad) or worse, he thought that these were some kind of deep and compelling rumination on the human condition. In general the balance of exposition to action in this thing were.... all over the place, not always integrated gracefully. The best sequences in the book are the ones where the captions just shut the fuck up so we can watch these people clobber each other. This is not a problem the original Marvel Zombies had- one thing I like about Kirkman is that he's usually a caption minimalist, letting the art and the dialogue do the heavy lifting. You don't get a page as quiet and decompressed as the following in the entire 12 issue run of Marvel Universe Vs.

Two: It's Racist. Like, really really racist. The comic continuously lapses into extremely racist imagery with the infected, using the visual language of "primitive savage tribes" with seemingly zero awareness of the real-life groups that those tropes were used to propagandize against and dehumanize. It's one thing to have zombies that take human body parts as trophies- that's kind of a cool motif- it's quite another to have a zombified Hulk who braids his hair in an obvious caricature of Native Americans, complete with feathers. What the fuck, Maberry!

Moreover it's a comically unforced error- everything compelling happens outside of that imagery, it's adding basically nothing but an attack surface to the premise. 28 days later did this basic premise without the racism, Left 4 Dead did this basic premise without the racism, The Crazies did this basic premise without the racism, Fucking Crossed did this basic premise without using the same racist visual language, at least until after Ennis left the book. Congratulations- you found a way to make the zombies more on-the-face racially insensitive than Garth Ennis. Round of Applause, everyone. This specific issue is why I don't think I've ever brought this book up in depth unprompted, it's genuinely really gross.

Anyway, those are my unified thoughts on the Marvel Universe Vs. trilogy, hope you enjoyed.

[fox-teeth]

Are you still looking to fill your SBCF basket before it closes on the 31st? Here is a post of rapid-fire recommendations of some comics I really liked for you to consider:

Being Useful by @laurark: This is a comic about having your sense of self and agency warped by extreme forces outside of your control. This is also a comic about a hot, horrifying vampire. Absolute banger.

Blade of the Fane by @theoplum: Do you want to read the absolute apotheosis of medieval fantasy comics? This right here is it, in 200+ beautiful pages. If you liked my comic Basilisk, you have to check out this one.

BLEED ANY% by @bluedelliquanti: Blue has an impressive track record of mind-bending sci-fi and near future comics and this is no different. If you love seeing inventive visuals only comics can pull off this is for you.

Bobo Has An Offer For You by Pavina: Do you, in this world of morals and feel-good tales, ache for someone that is terrible and sucks? Then you need Bobo, who will never learn nor improve.

Clair de Lune by @takitakos: This is a comic both about the transcendent beauty of music and the annoying realities of playing a clarinet. Enjoy gorgeous art while listening to the soundtrack. As a former clarinetist I think this is a MUST for all musicians.

IMPASTO by @sjmillerart: I say this with the highest praise: by page 6 I was ready to be sick, and it only got worse from there. A disgusting, beautiful mix of Edwardian splendor and horror.

Lapis Blue by @birbyarts: All the twists, turns, and asking of big existential questions of the best of New Wave science fiction told by a cartooning master of the pre-page-turn gut punch.

Offering by Jocelin Kee: A sweet, wistful slice-of-life story about sharing an office with a god. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into this strange, dream-like magical world.

Aquatic Lives by Pepe Reyes and Pacific Dream by Vincent Lau: I am declaring these two a DOUBLE MARINE BIOLOGY BANGER. I know I have followers here that follow fish-a-day blogs and have had big, weepy feelings at their local aquariums. You have to get both these comics. Trust me.

See also: my recommendations for SBCF for readers that liked my own comic.

[foggy-nelson-archive]

Foggy is often described as an ambitious man. A lawyer who wants to make a lot of money, regardless of the client's reputation. But it's not always like that. For example, here we have a clear case of Foggy defending his firm's reputation, while Matt, or rather Daredevil, is intrigued by Owl's persona and quickly accepts the case.

This issue is also a milestone. Matt designs a hood for his costume, so he can carry his civilian clothes with ease.

I really like how in this little speech we can see how Foggy knows and cares about his partner. He has a pile of papers and documents on his desk because, yes, he is a great lawyer, yet he noticed that his friend seemed downhearted and worried about something all day.

Speaking of the Devil, even with all the hints that Karen gives that she is sweet on him, Matt just throws Karen into Foggy's arms. Of course, this was the best way Matt came up with to protect Foggy from an imminent attack, he also had to think quickly and he already knew about Foggy's crush on Karen so, this may have been his only and most practical option.

Still, I can't help but feel sorry for Foggy reading this dialogue.

The consequences he will face later.

Daredevil Vol. 1 -003 Written by Stan Lee Illustrated by Joe Orlando Inked by Vince Colletta Lettered by S. Rosen

[brookebeamsbig]

💭 harley quinn #32-37

it's time to process tini howard and sweeney boo's second story arc. unfortunately, harley is still hammering it out with the multiverse, but this time she is working with lady quark instead of against her. kinda.

now we have a new force to reckon with - the brother eyes.

howard is again enjoying throwing in dc deep cuts with the brother eyes (meaning I once again got to do a google deep dive). I do appreciate this true conceptualizing of harley in a broader, shared universe.

in howard's story, the brother eyes work for lady quark. on a craft level, this is an excellent setup for what howard's trying to do in this arc because so does harley. this creates a parallel within howard's tale that mirrors the overarching parallel howard bases her story reasoning upon.

because why are the brother eyes so interested in harley? in watching her and understanding her and mapping her? because she was once a sidekick who made something of herself. and they want to do that, too.

I like this idea. I like it a lot. it creates a unique story around one of the things that makes harley truly special. but I never said howard had bad ideas.

but before I get into the perils of howard's writing, I want to do a run down on some other important players in this arc.

in harley quinn #32, we get introduced to lux kirby, p.i. lux is a completely new character from this creative team, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of deja vu when they appeared. the "detective" seeking out a multiversal harley murderer felt a lot like something out of stephanie phillip's last arc. just sayin.

however, ultimately, I liked lux and what they brought to harley and this story. they were a fun catalyst and means to much of the action. I always vibe with a character like that. and they were a good friend. harley struggled a lot with her mental health and self-perception in these issues, and lux helped ground her.

speaking of friends, KEVIN'S BACK :DDD. and acting like kevin. god bless.

I was sososo pissed when howard essentially fucked kevin over at the beginning of her run. but she definitely put in the time here to make it up to us. that sequence where harley had to anticipate kevin's choices in order to locate him in the multiverse was genius.

there's also two groups of characters from the first arc that play an important role in this one - bud and lou and harley's college class.

y'all know I always love the babies. I appreciate that howard wanted to do something big and bold with them. I liked the twist where they were the suspected murderers. BUT a lot of their actions here were just convoluted to create conflict and drama. like... we can't tell harley the brother eyes are out to get her because... why???

and I thought it was fun having harley's class get dragged along in her adventures. but every time, it felt like howard got the concept but fumbled the execution. harley's class ends up on warworld? cool! but it feels too smooth and rushed and weird. harley's students get turned into omacs? oh no! except there was no emotional or consequential impact.

sadly, that's a common occurrence for howard's writing. howard has exciting ideas, but her writing is too surface level with bad transitions and flow. much of the time I feel like I'm reading her bulleted outline, not the final story.

she rushes pivotal moments. we end an issue with the brother eyes about to reveal harley's worst moments, but then we gloss over that at the beginning of the next one. she throws out plot threads and doesn't carry them through. we should be concerned that the warworld royal family has been turned into omacs, powerful weapons to be used against harley, but then we don't see them anything until they're healed.

that's not to say every single line or scene is bad. howard has said that harley's mental health is one of the most compelling parts of harley's character to her. we can see that reflected in the comics - in the storyline and themes but also in the moments that shine.

I thought the multiverse sequence in harley quinn #37 was the strongest part of this arc. (this does not count the framing narrative.) each scene portrayed harley's fears and doubts about her own capabilities and power in a creative way. what if she became the controlling one in her relationship? what if she was good but still so unstable she had to be locked up? what if she pushed everyone who cared about her away?

sweeney boo's art also had some great moments depicting harley's mental state from her spiraling to her negative self-talk.

however, as with everything in this run, the depiction of harley's mental health has its downsides. howard leans too much into sentiments like "oh no, everyone will think I'm bad!" "oh no, everyone's just putting up with me! "oh no, I'm such a screw up!" and "oh no, I'm going to get in trouble! better hide!" it reads too childish and infantilizing for a capable grown woman who has a PhD in psychology and a lifetime of living inside her own mind.

of course, I think harley's going to have worries, doubts, and fears as she navigates being a hero. exploring this is good since this is the story route we're taking. but howard often fails to strike the right balance.

unfortunately, this bleeds over into the depiction of harley and ivy's relationship. there's this idea that ivy has to handle or deal with harley. that harley's too loud and too much. that harley could disappoint ivy at any moment. harley shouldn't be a problem. harley should be a partner.

along those lines, when harley and ivy aren't fighting, ivy isn't doing... anything. she's just there. in a way that feels eerie. like we're still in knight terrors: poison ivy #1. you can see it in the facial expressions.

harley hides her shenanigans from ivy for most of howard's twelve issues because "oh no, ivy's going to be mad at me!" even when harley finally tells her what's going on, ivy sits it out. and it just... really sucks. ivy is harley's PARTNER IN CRIME. always has been. she should be IN ON THE SHENANIGANS.

I do acknowledge that this might be a broader dc editorial problem since ivy has her own ongoing and concurrent story, but STILL.

this second story arc was far from one of my favorite harley quinn tales, but at least now we can move on from this multiversal madness. (please gawd let us move on from this multiversal madness.)

[bigangrytrev]

Transformers IDW 2019 Continuity - a retrospective

The first Transformers continuity created by IDW comics is regarded by many as the best Transformer comics that have ever been made.  Kicking off in 2005, it ran for an impressive 13 years with hundreds of issues and took the G1’esque universe to places it had never been before, culminating in a climatic battle against Unicron himself. In 2019 IDW rebooted the Transformers comic universe and it…

[altcomix]

I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together, Maurice Vellekoop, 2024. Random House Canada

I’ve loved Maurice Vellekoop’s work since I first saw it in Drawn & Quarterly, and I loved his first collection, Vellevision, when I got it in the 90s. The reason I loved it was that it felt happy. So many indie books were depressing and cynical, but Vellekoop’s work was light and pleasant. I wanted more. He wasn’t really a comic artist though, he was an employed illustrator doing comics on the side out of passion. I waited patiently for his next comic book, and that’s taken about 30 years.

I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together is his memoir. It’s incredible. At a certain point, we can’t keep ranking books, but this is instantly part of the great comics canon. It’s not leaving my library.

The book has four parts:

childhood

university

unhappy adulthood

healing into a happy adult

I don’t know if that’s a spoiler, that the book is about his journey into being a happy person. That’s not how the book was publicized. And it was one of the most cathartic things I’ve ever read. I think most people can relate. If you were happy out of the gate after school, either you won the emotional lottery, or you’re delusional. I think most people struggle to become the people they wish to be, and we all have our journey. This is his.

Vellekoop gets into his neuroses; as a child, as a teen, as an adult. And he bares a lot of difficult truths about himself. I considered his comics in the 90s ‘happy comics’, and he portrays himself as a frustrated, uncomfortable person during that period, even while having good friends and social networks. It’s personally revealing along the lines of D&Q stablemate Joe Matt, but without making comedy of it. I imagine some parts were enormously difficult to put to paper.

But, the book never once feels like homework, which “serious” books often become. Because his creative instincts always have a touch of Disney in them, the book feels light until the emotional hooks sink in. It’s very smooth storytelling. Not every ‘great’ book has to be a chore to read.

He uses a sort of id and ego cartoon motif throughout, and it seemed quaint enough early on, but by the end, it has become an important part of the narrative. I don’t want to spoil it, but I think it’s one of the cleverer narrative devices I’ve seen in comics. I’ll just say that rarely has a design change inspired so much of a statement on inner change.

I really worry that this book will be brushed off as a ‘gay book’, because that’s how books featuring gay people can get labeled. I hope the comic world has mostly moved beyond the concept that a gay main character means the book is intended for a gay audience. This is a book about a gay person, but it’s a human story. A very human story. I related to this book at a very core level. I also contorted myself to fit what I thought others expected me to be, to the detriment of myself, something I’m still dealing with, to be honest, though I think I’m over the hump. His journey and how he tells it is worth reading.

Such themes sound weighty, and they certainly are, but Vellekoop’s deft hand makes them so easy to take in. This is a good book.

[comicsforyall]

Hobtown Mystery Stories, The Case of the Missing Men

Review (Spoiler-Free)

Hobtown is a small Nova Scotia community with a population of 2,006. The small number of residents means it is pretty apparent and scary when folks begin to go missing. The local high school Detective Club is one of the first on the case, and the teen members are the main cast for the narrative. Despite the seeming genre familiarity of a Nancy Drew or Scooby-Doo mystery, The Case of the Missing Men telegraphs a darker tone from the start. The art plays between weird, unsettling, and beautiful with surprising ease.

The art style itself may be one of the most divisive aspects of the book, though its effectiveness is hard to deny. There are limited panels per page, often just one sitting on the white, akin to a Polaroid in a scrapbook. Detailed backgrounds contrast with expressive character designs and accentuate the contrast between the mindset of the main cast and the seriousness of the looming threat. There is a veil of innocence that feels seconds from being ripped away at any given moment.

The tension established by the visuals is sold thanks to the endearing characterization of the main crew. Teenagers from various backgrounds make up the Detective Club, which is joined by an off-putting but surprisingly capable new member at the story's start. Each character has a distinct voice, while many share a fear of vulnerability or expression. This creates intrigue into their many backgrounds and motivations, which keeps the pages turning.

The biggest disappointment from The Case of the Missing Men comes from some later revelations, with pointed caveats. Some of the outcomes of the mysteries feel designed with the idea of surprise more at the forefront than narrative fulfillment. Even when critical plot elements are finally laid bare, they are often so baffling they border on seeming incomplete. The strength of the dialogue and characterizations greatly softens the blow, leaving the reader invested in the people and world of the book despite any dangling confusion.

Hobtown Mystery Stories, The Case of the Missing Men, is a delight in all the creepiest ways. Readers looking for a sort of subversive nostalgia or a modern take on classic detective stories will find there is a lot to love. This volume is the first in a series, which is clear in how the plot unravels. The subsequent volume has yet to be released in color but is coming soon at the time of writing, with more installments scheduled to come out in the near future. These continuations may make up for some of the book’s weaknesses.

Analysis (Spoiler-Full)

The main cast of teen detectives for The Case of the Missing Men includes Dana, Pauline, Denny, Brennan, and newcomer Sam. The kids are fleshed out quite quickly and are as compelling as the mysterious plot itself. Similar to the book's overall structure, some characters are archetypal and familiar but dynamic enough to break expectations when the moment calls for it.

Dana is the leader of the crew and a certifiable Nancy Drew. Confident and bold, she works as a rival and parallel to both Pauline and Sam to varying degrees. The three are engaged in a subdued competition within their relationships to prove themselves, which introduces a pattern of games of increasing intensity, that will be reflected throughout the story. Dana’s attempts to prove herself and the stumbling blocks she faces are endlessly relatable and easily gain the reader’s investment.

Denny and Brennan, brothers, appear to be the blandest club members at a first glance, though they develop a certain amount of personality. While they are funny and likable, the two definitely feel swept into events, and they tend to exist within the plot, not driving it. They still have their heartwarming and exciting moments, but there is a lot of room left to explore these characters.

Arguably, the two most intriguing protagonists are Pauline and Sam, possibly in that order. Unknown to the others at the beginning of the book, Sam is a teenager steeped in talent and privilege. He travels the world, adventures with his venture capitalist father, and completes MIT courses in his free time. He enters as inexplicably talented and resourceful, but the realities of his life are slowly peeled back and revealed to the reader, particularly after the arrival of his friend and business partner, Dilan.

Sam is quite enjoyable and interesting from the start, but he really shines in the plot's back half. One of his best moments is a small one, but there is a lot of charm to the scene where Dilan remarks on Sam not wearing his glasses. Without a word, the young prodigy promptly produces the glasses from his jacket pocket and dons them for the remainder of the story. There is an amusing sense that Sam was embarrassed, or at least thought he could make the best impression by not wearing them. The ending for Sam is emotional but a bit disappointing, and his standout moments tend to be based around his burgeoning relationships with the rest of the Detective Club.

The final member of the club is Pauline, and she is one of the most cryptic. Presented with an uncanny ability to know the future and frequently spouting foreboding predictions, she is borderline suspicious for much of the book. Ultimately, Pauline, in many ways, is the opposite of Sam, coming from less wealth than the others and tapping into the supernatural side of the investigation instead of the hard-line detective work. She maintains unique relationships with each of the main cast in a way that reads more grounded and fleshed out than many of the others. Similar to Sam, her ending was underwhelming, but the expectation and hope is that future volumes will fully round out her story.

Art

The first few volumes of Hobtown Mystery Stories were printed in black and white, with the new color version coming out recently. It is astonishing that these were not originally colored, not due to any fault of the penciler, but simply because the colors feel so integral. Alexander Forbes's art is not lacking, and comparing the new printing to older versions, it is clear that certain style choices were made with the color palette in mind. Still, Jason Fischer-Kouhi’s colors aren’t tacked on or a gimmick of any sort. The dominating browns and grays being interrupted with bursts of oranges, yellows, and other bright colors elevates the book and gives a thematic boost to the finished package.

The abundant line work that fills the space of many panels and the distinct style of the faces are the biggest betrayers of the work's black-and-white past. Arguably, neither of these are drawbacks, and both work quite effectively in tandem with the subdued colors. Pauline’s characterization feels actively aided thanks to the stark contrasts in style that are extenuated. From the pages with a single panel depicting a boats floating in the harbor to close-ups of characters with evocative expressions, there is always something drawing the reader into the work. Balancing between beautiful and haunting, the art and writing come together to tell a fresh story that maintains a tinge of nostalgia.

The Case

The heart of any detective story is the mystery, and The Case of the Missing Men stays true to this form. While the characters are genuinely charming and intriguing, the looming threat of the unknown drives the book as much as the cast. From the early encounter with Dana’s father in the woods, there is a seed planted for the reader that there is more to the story.

The revelation that twists the case is hinted at consistently, including when the narrative establishes backgrounds for characters like Dana and Sam. The slightly unfortunate aspect is that the supernatural forces of Hobtown are neither deductible nor well explained. Magic of some sort forces the population of the town to stay at a certain threshold, and this inspires the shenanigans the town folks engage in. It is fun, and it feels like the case is being solved as the book comes to an end, but it does not deliver. Sam’s arc, in particular, comes across as oddly reset thanks to the abrupt ending, and others suffer similarly.

Readers may feel that they finally grabbed the carrot that had been dangled in front of them, only for it to be snatched back after a single bite. The redemption is that the carrot is delicious, and chasing after another bite would be more than worth it.

Citation Station

Hobtown Mystery Stories, The Case of the Missing Men, Kris Bertin (writer), Alexander Forbes (artist), Jason Fischer-Kouhi (colorist), Sarah Rockwell (designer), Zack Soto (editor), Bess Pallares (editor).

[arthurdrakoni]

Figment is a great all ages comic from the Disney Kingdom line. This is my review.

Disney Kingdoms was a truly unappreciated gem of a comic book series. Each issue was based on a different Disney Theme Park attraction; past, present, and even ones that were never built. There’s a lot of lore and creativity put into Disney Theme Park attractions, so there is certainly very fertile ground for story telling.

So, I’d like to share with all of you a review I did of the comic Figment. Based on the classic EPCOT attraction Journey Into Imagination. Figment takes place in London in the year 1910.  It follows an aspiring inventor named Blarion Mercurial.  He might not look it, but he is destined to become The Dreamfinder.  Blarion works for The Academy Scientifica Lucidus.  He's always been a dreamer and he wants to harness the power of imagination and creativity.  Unfortunately, his boss, Chairman Illocrant, is only interested in creating a device that can during thought into energy.  While working on the device, Blarion brings Figment, his childhood imaginary friend, to life.  He also opens a portal into a realm of pure imagination.  Before long, our heroes embark on a journey into imagination.

I’d been meaning to read this comic for a while, but it got a major boost after I watched Defunctland’s episode on Journey Into Imagination. By the way, if you haven’t check out Defubctland, fix that as soon as possible. One of the best channels on YouTube. Love his attention to quality, and the amount of information he always manages to find on defunct theme park attractions.

Anyway, back on topic, I loved Figment. It is a great all ages comic with a strong message in believing in yourself. The segments set in the land of Imagination were fun and whimsical, but the real world segments were entertaining as well. It also a surprisingly well done origin story for Dreamfinder. It could easily have done very wrong. He’s one of those characters like Willy Wonka or Mrs. Frizzle where you don’t know much about them or their origins, but they’re so awesome you just don’t care. However, giving a definitive origin to such characters can backfire badly. Thankfully, that is not at all the case here.

Also, Figment is as cute and adorable as ever. Just as he should be. I’m not the only one who thinks this comic is great. It is the only member of the Disney Kingdoms line to get a sequel. Even then Disney CEO Bob Igor was blown away by the comic’s success. I know that Disney+ is going to be producing some shows based on Disney Theme Park attractions. So, perhaps Disney Kingdoms will rise again some day.

Have you read Figment? If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog is here: http://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2018/09/comic-review-figment.html?m=1

[ahb-writes]

Comics Review: 'The Grand Odalisque' & 'Olympia'

The Grand Odalisque & Olympia by Bastien Vivès, Florent Ruppert, Jérôme Mulot

anthology

burglary

European comics

thief

My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Carole is the experienced thief; she's a skilled planner and knows precisely how to take control of the room. Sam is the muscle; she's practical, rides motorcycles for stunt work, and is good at pretending she isn't nervous. Alex is an irrepressible idiot. Insisting these three women broach some semblance of camaraderie to steal a few massive paintings from Paris' most respected art institutions is a difficult ask.

The Grand Odalisque and Olympia are an impatient gamble. These graphic novels feature art that teases beautiful colors and a remarkable architectural design aesthetic. The book also wields deliberately formless character art with washed-out facial expressions, which leaves readers with a plethora of continuity errors, awkward exchanges, and unintentional comedy. The graphic novels feed a duplicitous cycle of characters consistently bailing one another out of their own messes. Carole, Sam, and Alex comprise a fun but frustrating, exciting but chaotic cocktail of marginally plausible art thievery.

Stealing giant paintings from famous French galleries is all fun and games until your inexhaustibly simpleminded partner forgets her cue. Plundering the wealthy under the guise of party shenanigans is a daring enterprise until the French Special Forces raid the dang place. Plotting a massive, three-part heist of the Petit Palais makes for good exercise until you remember (a) one of your partners is nine months pregnant and (b) a mafia assassin is sleeping on your couch, just in case things go sideways.

The duology makes for a quick, enjoyable read. And although one might readily roll their eyes at the prospect of three bickering women being capable of pulling off such feats, the books' primary delights rest in the artful framing of each heist rather than their sloppy execution.

The books' occasionally spectacular environmental design come very close to convincing readers that each book's character development isn't as terrible as it really is.

The side-room to a flourishing European disco is flush with green lighting and floral ambiance. The glass ceiling of an art museum shatters, scattering thousands of shrapnel over twisted and expressionless marble statues. The background art is delightful. But it's a distraction.

In between detailed, wide-angle shots of grand museum architecture, one finds characters who stumble, repeatedly, and complicate an otherwise feasible narrative. Some characters are solid. Sam is tough but insecure, and despite regularly being labeled the crew's getaway driver, offers plenty of skill and support in the way of strength and flexibility. But on the other end of the spectrum, Alex is a waste of space.

The sad truth is that Alex is profoundly incompetent. Typically, the creative team weds her naïve and spontaneous disposition to the story's blunt humor (e.g., faking attraction to an assassin to get his guard down), but more often than not it sidetracks the narrative in excruciatingly cancerous ways. For example, Alex derails a plan to break into the Louvre by flying to western Mexico to save a gun runner she doesn't know but insists she's in love with, or, in the titles' opening scene, ignoring Carole's call for help because she's busy fighting with a non-boyfriend over a text message.

One finds it hard to trust the character dynamics when one-third of the equation routinely sabotages the remaining two-thirds.

To wit, Carole is the star: She gets the blueprints, she calls the weapons dealers, she negotiates with black-market brokers, and she's adaptable when her partners invariably screw things up. Where Alex privileges recklessness (e.g., alcohol, drugs, astonishing feats of clumsiness), Carole exerts impulse control. And where Sam goes wide-eyed with uncertainty (e.g., fretting over splintering the crew's goal), Carole reminds the women that levelheadedness typically wins the day.

If either The Grand Odalisque or Olympia narrowed their point of view to focus exclusively on Carole, then the narrative would've gained far more than it would have lost. The graphic novels conjure clever criminal activities beneath a colorful tapestry native to whatever French museum happens to be within the sights of these three ladies. Also, the comic books offer brief but kinetic action, as well as a few cool chase scenes, albeit relegated to each tome's Third Act. In the end, after arduously side-stepping Alex's rife stupidity, which tangles much of the narrative, one finds the books are quite entertaining.

❯ ❯ Comics Reviews

[carlocarrasco]

A Look Back at Wolverine #87 (1994)

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised…

[morose-magnetrix]

Immortal X-Men #14 by Gillen, Werneck, and Curiel

I haven't been posting my thoughts about weekly issues in a while, mostly because grad school / life has gotten hectic. I really loved X-Terminators and the new Scarlet Witch ongoing, if you're looking for some sick comics to read, but I want to talk about Immortal X-Men for a minute.

Specifically, the renaissance of Exodus, Bennet du Paris, who might be... one of my favorite mutants??? I was raised protestant, ended up going to about a million different kinds of protestant churches (it's a long story), and became an atheist in high school. I didn't expect to like the pink crusader character. When it comes to religious-adjacent characters, I tend to be more interested in the demons rather than the angels, and certainly not the holy warriors...

But Exodus fucking slaps.

The way I got CHILLS reading this page, as Hope, Destiny, Exodus, and 250k other mutants find themselves stranded in a desert, seemingly outside of time and space (?). Things are bleak. It's the Fall of X. It's the most grimdark we've ever gotten from the Krakoan era (but certainly not X-Men comics in general). Hope has lost hope. Destiny has given up. The mutants with them, we're told explicitly they don't have useful powers. There's no food, water, or shelter.

But Exodus, man, Exodus has faith. His faith - while full of Christian allusions and allegories - centers on mutants. The chosen people. They carry the cross in their blood - the X. And Exodus, the person whose chosen name means a mass departure of people, he's the one who has faith when mutantkind finds itself in exile. He's the one who can inspire the others that not all is lost, that there is a promised land waiting for them, that they can keep the faith and survive.

I could read a million issues about Exodus. There's this sort of awe and chill and intensity to him that I usually feel when reading about Magneto. This man was no one before Krakoa. No one cared about Exodus really. What Gillen and the others have done... it's miraculous.

I can't fucking wait to see more.

[wonderlesscomics]

Batman: Curse of the White Knight (Sean Murphy)

Issues #1-8

Read December 2023

Story: 8/10

Sean continues his rifling success and dives even deeper into his universe choosing to put Batman through a gauntlet of gut punching reveals and pushing him to the limits, going places no author has gone before for Batman. Azreal is gruesome, ferocious and so fresh. Joker while forced to ride shotgun to Azreal continues to backseat drive throughout and steers the story to his own devious ends. I love the framing of this old historic Gotham founding story having such massive ripples in the current timeline. Sean was not afraid to rip characters away from us and turn the brutality up. While I thought some things moved a little fast and I wish Azreal got slightly more of a driving force, how can I be upset with Azreal leading a Batman story in 2023. The highlight of this book is this budding relationship whether romantic or amicable between Harley and Batman. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen more chemistry in my life in comics. Turned me on and made me want to kiss my wife!

Art: 10/10

Not much to say here, Sean continues his triumphant art work and character design. The new Azreal armor and his armored Batman design are just improvements over the source material and I have even purchased the McFarlane figures based on these designs!

Special Notes:

- Love the Jokers death not being such a massive moment but just its own thing

- The relationship between Harley and Batman is gorgeous

- Gordon is handled extremely well

- Shoutout to Jason fucking Blood!

- Jason Todd at the end?!

Overall Rating: 8/10

While I think the book isn’t necessarily as good as the first series, it’s an impossible task to accomplish. The fresh and exciting discoveries of the original will always allow it to shine over anything else in the verse. But the ability to prove that it’s not just a fluke while continuing to deepen the mythos is a testament to his ability to write and world build. He delivers on the end of a Batman story and delivers the best interpretation of a forgotten character. I can’t be more excited to read what’s next!

[fox-teeth]

I got a question about what other ShortBox Comics Fair comics I'd recommend for readers who liked mine so I thought I write a post!

If you want to read about the inner lives of artists: Dr. Worm by Serena Cirillo. Zainab already rightfully pointed this comparison out on some of the SBCF accounts. A darkly funny and relatable comic for anyone that's struggled with creative block with a zany, energetic art style.

If you are a worldbuilding aficionado: Home by the Rotting Sea by Otava Heikkilä. If you want to immerse yourself in fantasy worlds and cultures that feel rich and alive you can't go wrong with this brilliant, gorgeous comic. The last scene will give you chills.

If you are interested in death and its rituals: Those Who Leave by @cowlickmeadow. An engaging, informative, and very personal look at Chinese death and burial rituals, told through charming brushwork cartoon animals.

If you like your cute with a side of introspection: Hibernation Guide for Rabbits and Hares by @lauren-adassovsky. Enter a beautiful story-book world of anthromorphic animals with a melancholy undercurrent. Reading this comic is like a warm blanket on a cold fall day.

Find more previews of even more comics on @shortboxcomicsfair !

[foggy-nelson-archive]

A brief summary to start:  In the first issue of Daredevil, we are introduced to Matt Murdock and his origins. Like many stories from the 1960s, Daredevil has a timid, simplistic, and somewhat rushed beginning.

However, one fundamental truth about Matt remains constant: he is the son of a boxer. His father, Jack, didn't want him to follow in his footsteps; instead, he urged Matt to study hard and make something of himself. 

Matt has always been depicted as red-haired, thin, and tall—at least until now.

In contrast, Foggy, Matt's best friend, has undergone significant changes over the years.

At the beginning, we are introduced to a young Foggy, who has curly brown hair and a small, funny nose.

Although he is not as athletic as Matt, he is by no means overweight or clumsy, something that will be evident in some future issues. In fact, Foggy has changed a lot over the years, but that doesn't bother me too much. After all, people change all the time.

We also learn that Matt and Foggy are roommates and Foggy is as studious and dedicated as Matt.

Foggy's enthusiasm in sharing the headline about Jack's fight highlights the strong bond of friendship between him and Matt. The writer emphasizes that Foggy has been a significant part of Matt's life for a long time. He is familiar with Jack and his profession. Matt values Foggy's friendship enough to have purchased two tickets, knowing that Foggy would love to be there to support him during this important moment.

And this is just the first of many occasions where we see Foggy wearing his signature bow tie.

Foggy cheers for Jack and is depicted as someone who genuinely empathizes with Matt. Matt's happiness is important to him, and I love that about their relationship.

(One aspect that frustrated me in the series was Matt losing his father so early. In the comics, Foggy had a kind bond with Jack. But we'll discuss that another day.)

Foggy also encourages Matt to confront his grief, reminding him to keep moving forward, as that is what Jack would have wanted. He is there for Matt during one of the most critical moments in his life as a hero.

Finally, we witness the formation of Nelson and Murdock as Foggy invites Matt to become his legal partner in an office set up by Foggy's father. While we know little about Foggy's background at this point, this statement suggests that he does not come from humble origins.

And as quick as saying avocado!, the next day, "wow!" Foggy introduces Matt to their law firm and their secretary. (One he hired himself. )

This is the first time we observe a significant personality trait in Foggy: his low self-esteem. This feeling persisted for many years. Foggy often felt inferior to Matt, despite being just as competent a lawyer as his friend. There is a reason for his feelings, which we will explore later.

And even faster than saying swashbuckler!, Matt already has feelings for Karen.

As usual, while Matt is out in his long underwear, Foggy grows concerned about his whereabouts and decides to look for him. This moment clearly illustrates how much Foggy cares for and values Matt.

Foggy returns to the office thinking Matt might be there and meets with his secretary. She openly admires Matt's beauty, despite him… being… blind… (Jesus)

Foggy quickly steps in to defend Matt, praising his qualities and strengths. This demonstrates how much Foggy knows Matt better than anyone else.

As he reflects on his feelings, he realizes that he is starting to develop feelings for Karen too. And this marks the beginning of one of the most tedious and frustrating arcs in Daredevil's golden age.

The way Foggy is now without a jacket and with his tie loose and sleeves rolled up makes it clear that he has been busy in his already beloved office. Karen also took off her cardigan.

And then Matt, lovely Matt joins them.

And so their saga (and the Foggy saga, my saga) begins...

Daredevil

Vol 1 -001

Written by - Stan Lee Illustrated by - Bill Everett Lettered by - Sam Rosen

Feel free to add your point of view and/or something I might have missed.