CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome back to another Blog Extra. A bit of a trying week at CWR headquarters, as a bug swept through and left me in Unpleasantville. Still, I managed to read a comic or two. For your edification today, a look at a book from the good folks at Dork Storm Press.

That book? DORK TOWER #35, written and drawn, as always, by John Kovalic. As a long-time reader and fan of DORK TOWER, I was very disappointed in last issue, which digressed away from the characters and main plotlines in order to present a history of gaming. Kovalic promised a return to the main plot in issue thirty-five, but surprisingly, he fails to deliver on that promise.

Instead, issue thirty-five is a Christmas-themed special, set aside from the current continuity. The book’s lead story is a twisted take on “The Gift of the Magi,” as Matt and Igor consider sacrificing their own geek needs to do something nice for each other. Of course, a well-timed and amusing bit of misdirection at the end offers a satisfying conclusion to the tale and I enjoyed seeing the boys back in action, even away from the uber-plot. Kovalic also adds some extra strips dedicated to the holiday season to close out the book, and the proceedings as a whole come across in solid fashion. It isn’t the greatest DORK offering ever, but it certainly gets things back on track after last issue’s digression.

Still, I think it’s now important for Kovalic to get back to the story in action. With a book that doesn’t ship with monthly frequency, any length of time spent away from forward motion with the characters’ growth and story development can cause readership to find something else. And that’s a shame; DORK TOWER had really found itself as a character-driven book, rather than a gag-centric book as it drew close to issue thirty, and I was to see that continue. I’d also like others to see it as well.

That’s all for this week. Be here through the week for site updates, and back here next weekend for a new Blog Extra!

/Mason