CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome to the latest BLOG EXTRA! This week: seven new comics from Dynamite Entertainment.

Johh Layman writes, and Fabiano Neves draws, XENA #1-3. I probably come to a XENA comic in much different fashion than most; I saw a total of one episode of the television show. And as it turned out, the episode I saw was one that featured Xena being trapped in the body of her enemy Callisto, so I didn’t even get much of Lucy Lawless. That means the comic had to stand on its own for me, as I had no prior reference to build off of.

Fortunately, Layman’s script takes nothing for granted and gives the new reader an easy opening towards enjoying this series. The setup is simple; the Greek and Egyptian pantheons find themselves in dispute, and they decide to solve their conflict by picking a champion to represent them in battle. The Greeks, thanks to a lucky moment, wind up choosing Xena’s sidekick Gabrielle. Hilarity, and the entrance of the rest of the show’s cast, follows. The dialogue is crisp and witty, and when exposition is required, it never feels heavy. But the bigger delight is Neves; I’ve never seen his work before, but it’s a revelation. He’s a star in the making. And that makes XENA a lot of fun to read.

RED SONJA #12-15, written by Mike Oeming and drawn by Mel Rubi and Stephen Sadowski, brings arch-villain sorcerer Kulan Gath into the Dynamite version of Sonja’s universe. Gath originally appeared in the Marvel universe, battling Sonja, Conan, Spider-Man, and others, and it was well established that he is one of the worst of the worst… a complete evil. And changing universes hasn’t improved his disposition the tiniest bit.

First, though, he must gain a toehold in the real world, and he does so in one of the most gruesome sequences in recent comics memory (in issue #13). While he’s getting his act together, Sonja herself is meeting new allies and looking for ways to stop the encroaching evil. We learn more about how Sonja met the goddess she worships, and that she is not the only one who does. And the redheaded warrior also shows her more rounded side, not only displaying her mighty skills, but also genuinely caring for others and actually engaging in an intimate moment. This Sonja is human, longing for and remembering where she came from and who she was. And Oeming also rewrites the somewhat odious “a man has to beat her in battle in order to have sex with her” deal in a way that makes a bit more sense and makes Sonja into a little less of a character who deals with her world solely as a victim. This continues to be a surprising and solid series.

That’s it for this week! Be here through the week for site updates, and come back next weekend for an all-new CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

Start the weekend with a little action and adventure, as the G.I. JOE crew goes on a SPECIAL MISSION to TOKYO!

Here.

/Mason

It's a return to the greats of yesteryear, with a lovely new archive: TOPHATS AND FLAPPERS: THE ART OF RUSSELL PATTERSON. Go see.

/Mason

For the second week in a row... an all-new AISLE SEAT! This week, a look at TEEN TITANS SEASON 2 on DVD! Give it a read!

/Mason

Strolling back onto the scene after a four-year hiatus... DORK! Evan Dorkin's back, and he's brought over 200 gags with him! Check it out!

/Mason

At long last... new commentary. Why can't direct market stores do a better job of selling manga? Because many of them are apathetic or afraid to ask the right questions...

Go check it out.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome back to a new CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA. This week: a selection of new titles from Ross Richie’s Boom Studios!

First out of the gate we have SECOND WAVE #6, written by Michael Alan Nelson and drawn by Chee. The last couple of issues had shown a steep decline from the first few, leaving me wondering if Nelson had run out of gas with his story. But just when I was ready to write the book off: recovery! This is more like it; Miles and his rag-tag band escape the hick town they were stranded in and the Martians come back into play as a threat to their lives. While the last two issues were out of balance, this measures out trouble from both the human and the alien sides in equal amounts, which is what makes this book special and unique. I’m now back on board with it.

On the flip side, X ISLE #3 (written by Andrew Cosby and Michael Alan Nelson and drawn by Greg Scott) still isn’t setting my world on fire. The castaways have yet another gun-pointing standoff with one another as agendas conflict, and a couple of minor tweaks about the island’s nature appear (one, sadly, spoiled by the cover). In the previous two issues, I had sort of felt like the real problem was that all of the characters were so annoying that you wanted them to die, and soon. But in reading issue three, I’ve begun to believe that perhaps the real difficulty is in pacing. There’s really very little forward movement here as far as the underlying plot goes, and it makes me wonder if the final two issues are going to feel extremely cramped in order to offer some sort of resolution.

Andrew Cosby, writing with Johanna Stokes and aided by the art of Rafael Albuquerque, has a far better time of it with THE SAVAGE BROTHERS #2. When last we left the redneck zombie hunters, they had decided to rescue a virgin stripper from a head floating in a glass jar. Taking that lunacy to another level, their next feat must be to actually escape from the head’s zombie tracking dogs and other assorted creepy creatures. SAVAGE BROTHER has very little going for it in the way of plot or character development, and that’s perfectly fine. It has more than enough going for it in the humor department and the ludicrous fun department. There’s more than one laugh-out-loud moment here, and if you listen close enough, you can here Cosby and Stokes laughing as they wrote it. Great stuff. Oh: and congratulations to Cosby (co-creator) and Stokes (staff writer) on the renewal of EUREKA, a victory not only for them, but for fans of quality television as well.

Closing out the weekend is WHAT WERE THEY THINKING: MONSTER MASH-UP, written by Joe Casey, Keith Giffen, Johanna Stokes, and Kevin Church and drawn by various. This series, which features public domain comics re-scripted for humorous effect, can be a bit hit or miss. However, this issue is fairly strong. It gets off to a poor start with Casey’s overly long gay-joke story (homoerotic humor has been a staple for each issue and has begun to feel like a crutch), but my buddy Church, aided by Giffen, swoops in to pick up the pace with a funny story involving a man who likes hairy women. This is Church’s first published work, and while it has dead spots, he does a decent job of getting his voice onto the page and getting some snickers, which is something to take pride in. But stealing the spotlight from everybody else is Stokes’ tale, “Hats Off”, which is almost impossible to describe. It involves two men who are rivals for one woman and racing to find a lizard creature, but that barely really covers it. I’ll just say that this is the first time in the series that I was naked with jealousy over how good one of these stories was. Genius stuff.

That’s it for this weekend. I’ll be here through the week with site updates, and back here next weekend for another weekend blog extra!

/Mason

Thankfully, it's Friday. Tired. But one review to go: 110 PERCENT, from the good folks at Top Shelf...

Go read.

/Mason

Three modern fables from Jenny Allen and Jules Feiffer... THE LONG CHALKBOARD... today at the main site!

/Mason

Chainmail heat... frozen! SAVAGE RED SONJA heads north, but still dresses for Miami... today at the main site!

/Mason

Today..... GOJIRA! The classic, uncut Japanese version of the original film is finally on DVD in North America. Check it out!

/Mason

It's Manga Monday! Head on over to the main site and check out our review of ES (Eternal Sabbath)...

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Welcome back to the Blog Extra! This week: a new wave of books from Fantagraphics’ Ignatz series. For those unfamiliar with the Ignatz books, a primer: they are 32-page “floppies” with a twist. They’re printed on heavy paper, have heavy-paper dust-jackets, and present the works of acclaimed artists from all over the world.

REFLECTIONS #1, written and drawn by Marco Corona, presents the story of a little girl and her strange family. Her mother is mentally ill, her brother has a disease that keeps him in the hospital full-time, her grandfather teachers her how to smoke, and her grandmother… well she’s odd, but she at least takes decent care of her. The young woman’s imagination takes her on a vivid ride, including her strange ideas about what her brother’s sickness truly is, but the book’s strange opening sequence and attempted framing sequence take away from the compelling material already contained within.

Igort, the Ignatz line’s editor, delivers his second book in the series, BAOBAB #2. BAOBAB is an artistically accomplished book, Igort having a tremendous eye for detail, and the story is also strong. Two cartoonists in the early 20th century attempt to get their careers moving, and a love affair never to be begun sputters its way towards doom. But he core of the book is the friendship between the two men, and Igort makes you care about their lives and get aggravated about the love that never sprouts and grows. There’s some artistically brave and complex work here, and Igort shows that he possesses the soul of a true innovator.

Our final book of the week is NIGER #1, written and drawn by Leila Marzocchi. NIGER follows the path of a strange creature that floats out of a river and lands in an old tree house. The creatures of the forest must then decide what to do with the strange being now in their midst. The spiders want to eat her; the birds want to offer protection. NIGER is, for lack of a better term, OWLY aimed straight at the adult reader. Marzocchi’s art is dark and charming, and the characters are sweet. This is a cute book, and one of the best efforts to come out of the Ignatz line to date. Give it a look.

That’s it for this week. Check in this week for main site updates, and be back here next weekend for another CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

Friday is here, which means drinking! Oh- and it also means a new review, too. Specifically, Nat Gertler's latest issue of LICENSABLE BEAR.

Read.

And drink.

/Mason

I've been disappointed in VILLAINS so far... will the concluding chapter redeem the book? Go here to find out.

/Mason

One of my favorite painters returns with a new collection of work. Walk into the DARK LABYRINTH with Luis Royo, today at the main site!

/Mason

If it's Tuesday (and it is), it must be time for something with an overly long title. (Why? I have no idea. Work with me.) So: STAR WARS X-WING ROGUE SQUADRON OMNIBUS gets reviewed today.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm out of consonants.

/Mason

For once, Mondays don't have to suck. Why? because there's a new volume of THE COMPLETE PEANUTS on the way!

Read all about it!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

It’s the return of the review version of the Blog Extra, and to celebrate, I have looks at five new books from Image Comics!

Tom Beland’s TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD moves to the “I” and gets a new number one issue, and that’s excellent news. Beland’s memoir of how he met the love of his life, Lily Garcia, and the path their relationship has taken isn’t just the best thing to hit the “romance comic” in the past twenty years; it’s also one of the best comics being produced, period. With Beland moving away from self-publishing and getting the support of Image and its placement in PREVIEWS, hopefully the sales will get to the point where they should be. I’ve used TRUE STORY to hook more than one non-comics reader in the past, and you can, too. Go give it a look.

I gave the first two issues of ELEPHANTMEN a lukewarm review, but issue #3 shows signs of improvement. Once again, there are two stories, both written by Richard Starkings (drawn respectively by Tom Scioli and Moritat), but rather than one feeling pretentious and dragging down the other, these two provide a solid balance of entertainment. Scioli’s reliance on aping Jack Kirby is far less intrusive when illustrating the Elephantmen’s reality, and Moritat delivers a spectacular job on the back-up story. If this keeps up, the book could really grow on me.

Kieron Gillen writes, and Jamie McKelvie draws, the second issue of their PHONOGRAM miniseries. Issue one presented us with an interesting character, David Kohl, who was as big a bastard that’s graced comics in a while. The plot, revolving around Kohl’s abuse of music-based magic coming back to haunt him, was sort of wonky and undefined, however. Part two still leaves chunks of the plot making no sense whatsoever, but there’s some solid forward movement in Kohl’s request to save his own ass. I suppose there’s something to the idea that I enjoy reading the book, and about Kohl, even though very little of what’s going on makes sense to me. Plus, the book is undeniably lovely, McKelvie turning out one amazing page after another. Not thrilled, but I’m still solidly onboard.

Issue three of HATTER M, written by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier and drawn by Ben Templesmith, starts putting the character into the homestretch of his adventure. We learn what exactly happened to send Hatter and Princess Alyss out of Wonderland, and just why Hatter is willing to go to the ends of the Earth to save the girl and bring her back to their world in one piece. The shipping of this issue coincides with Beddor’s THE LOOKING GLASS WARS novel finally shipping in an American edition and delivers plenty of intrigue for fans of either the prose work or the comic to sample the other. Plus, Templesmith continues to do consistently lovely work. It should be interesting to see how the story plays out.

And to finish out the weekend… OCCULT CRIMES TASKFORCE #2. When I opened the new Comics Waiting Room in July, the first book to grace my “Should It Be A Movie?” column was issue one of this title. Actress Rosario Dawson had worked with writer David Atchison and artist Tony Shasteen to create a perfect “proof of concept” book, and I was sure it would make it to the screen. And last week, word came down that it was going to happen. So I congratulate the creative team on a job well done. And I’ll certainly buy a ticket. But the movie is going to have to improve on what we get out of issue two. While it looks gorgeous, the story here is so choppy that entire scenes make no sense. There are places where caption boxes or other aids to help transitions were needed and left out completely. There’s no excuse for not being able to follow what’s happening, especially in the equivalent of a “summer blockbuster” entertainment.

That’s it for this week. I’ll be back here next weekend with another CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA, and here through the week with site updates!

/Mason

Closing out the week... THE UNTOUCHABLES meets J-horror in THE DAMNED #1! Go take a look...

Plus: yummy baked goods from a friend of mine. Try some.

/Mason

Now batting: GODLAND Vol.2. Go see...

/Mason

Boy, oh boy... when it all goes wrong, it all goes really really wrong. The site has been updated every day this week, though this is the first time I've been able to tell you about it.

*sigh*

Please click over for reviews of LONE RANGER #1, BONEYARD VOL.5, and FAMOUS FIGHTERS. And pray that the internet starts treating me nicer.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA: PHOENIX CACTUS COMICON 2006- SATURDAY

I’ve missed the last one or two Phoenix cons, so I was rather curious about the show going into this one. The con has previously been a one-day event, though the organizers have hoped for years to stretch it into a larger and more ambitious effort. Now, local fans were about to see the results of that ambition… and to discover that the show organizers are even more ambitious than many of us realized.

This year’s show displayed its ambition not only in becoming a two-day con, but also in its guest list. The previous one-offs had a small, but solid, list of pros on the bill, but 2006 promised far grander things. Arizona fans weren’t just getting one or two out of town guys and all the locals (like Mike Bullock and Raven Gregory); instead, folks like Mike Mayhew, Billy Tan, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, and Josh Blaylock were going to show. That not only enhanced the con as a destination for future guests, but should also serve to draw a solid attendance number when badges are counted after Sunday closes

That isn’t to say, however, that all things were pulled off smoothly.

Mind you, there were plenty of things about the show today that were done very, very well. The dealer room was a highlight: it contained the guests and their tables; it was planned out with some solid thought (putting the guests towards the back so that con-goers had to walk past retailers to get to them was smart); and the dealers who focused primarily on manga were close together, giving those fans a dream row where they could spend their money. Also on that row were some manga artists, including the wonderfully talented Jennifer Quick, who was selling original art pages for $5! (I bought two, thanks for asking.)

And on that subject… the single best thing about the show: the incredibly high percentage of manga and anime fans. My friend Mimmo was astonished at the near perfect 50/50 ratio of male to female attendees and at the huge number engaged in cosplay. Unlike San Diego, the number of superhero costumes was almost pathetically small; 95% of those who showed up in uniform did so as their favorite manga or anime character, and they did so with fervor. It was amazing, and joyful, to see. In fact, the con was so dedicated to those fans’ experience that there was even a room where they could engage in anime theme-song karaoke.

Yes, it was a little frightening. But I digress…

So, for the large percentage of fans, the con management delivered a very solid experience. Mimmo was there for three hours and had a terrific time. I tip my cap to the planners. But…

There are things that need fixing. And quicker than I had imagined. Why? Because the 2007 con has moved up the calendar to January. That’s less than four full months before the machine gets fired up again, and special guests Mike Mignola and George Perez roll into town.

Now, on the one hand, this is brilliant planning. More folks from colder climes will be inclined to visit the Phoenix area in January and explore the show. But it gives little time to alter the internal planning. Or to fix the biggest problem the show has this year: Artists’ Alley.

Artists’ Alley was literally just about that. When you walked into the convention center and turned right, you were immediately in the dealer room. If you went left… well, you went down a long, winding hallway that had tables shoved off to the side and out of the way. That was the Alley. Now, if you went past them, you found the programming rooms, but those who weren’t interested in panels never knew those folks were over there. I did a quick survey in the dealer room at one point, and less than half the attendees I polled knew there was more to the con. Not a good way to treat those folks who paid their money to take their chances with the crowds.

The show might have been able to get away with that to a lesser extent, though, if they’d provided a map of the layout of the con. Even though I had explored the Alley-side of things, I still had no idea how to find the panel room I wanted to get a seat in. Plus, the con program was misprinted, with the first page describing programming the last one printed in the booklet. Assuming this was a late printing job that they couldn’t get fixed, I hope the organizers got their money back or a deep discount.

The sad thing is, even with the small size, Artists’ Alley had some solid talent sitting there. Paul Horn came over from San Diego to sell Cool Jerk goodies. Local boy Ryan Cody had the fourth and final issue of VILLAINS from Viper Comics on hand to sell, even though it isn’t in stores yet. It was worth your time to get there.

With some adjustments, this has the potential to be a top-notch show. Honestly, the Phoenix area deserves one. This is the 5th largest city in the U.S., and has a thriving local comics shop scene. It’s almost inexcusable that it took until the 2000s to finally put on an actual con here. However, the 2006 version, in summary, is all about the growing pains. It’ll be interesting to keep an eye on how things turn out in January.

PANELING

I caught a panel and a half, owing to my inability to locate the room, beginning with one on licensing and intellectual property rights. Participants included Brian Pulido, Josh Blaylock, Shannon Denton, and a local IP lawyer. The discussion was interesting and lively, as the audience seemed to be filled with people who are terrified of being ripped off by others. So much of the focus was on how to protect your property, and more so, protect yourself. Incorporation was discussed, as well as forming an LLC. What I found intriguing was how differently each person on the stage approached matters. Blaylock seems to be a man who has exercised some caution in building Devil’s Due, keeping himself nearly walled-off from corporate liability in any form while growing his farm. He also discussed why DDP doesn’t really do creator-owned material at this point, and while I philosophically might disagree with his decision, I completely understood it from his POV.

Pulido was almost amusingly crusty, having gone through hitting it big with books like LADY DEATH to the dissolution of Chaos, the loss of his intellectual property. He also offered the most practical advice: generate ideas constantly, because even though most of them may be crap, there’s always the right one waiting to be tapped. Agreed, sir.

The full panel I was able to make was Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti’s panel on “team writing”. Having interviewed Jimmy twice previously, he’s become one of my favorite people in comics, an honest-to-God “no bullshit answer” guy. Happily, along with the surprisingly witty and sharp Gray, there was no letdown in the session. Highlights:

- Palmiotti on why write with a partner: “It’s always more fun to do something with someone else… masturbation included.”
- Jimmy on his former partners Joe Quesada and Dan Didio becoming Editors-in-Chief: “It was a rough period, because neither of them wanted to look like they were being preferential to me. I had to re ‘break in’ in some ways.”
- Gray on pitching and getting rejected and how to improve your chances: “Ask why it sucks.”
- The duo discussed why team writers aren’t as prevalent in comics. One reason: they’re difficult to market.
- When taking over a title, they use peoples’ research about characters that they find on the internet, as long as it’s solidly and smartly done.
- Jimmy on not finding sales success every time: “It doesn’t matter if you fail; it’s still better than nothing happening. Do not be afraid to fail.”
- How does the duo resolve creative differences? “Talk it out- like a courtroom drama.” Palmiotti added, “Ego is not good,” and described previous battles about the location of names in the credit box.
- The pair works far in advance, as not to leave artists begging for scripts. They are currently scripting HEROES FOR HIRE #8, and only issue one has shipped.
- Start your guesses: responding to a question about their exclusive contract with DC, Palmiotti noted that DC knew that some artists who liked the duo would likely follow them in order to work with them again. The name Khary Evans wasn’t spoken, but ya gotta figure…

There were plenty of laughs, a terrific story about Palmiotti busting on Kevin Smith, and some insightful tales from Gray about his days as an intern for Marvel Knights along the way, and the 90 minutes passed by very quickly.

FIN

The only mega-negative aspect to the day was that the bleah feeling I’ve had over the past few days got worse as the hours passed, and it looks like I’ll be skipping day two of the con for bed rest.

That’s it for the CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA. Tune in this week for site updates, and I’ll be back in this space next weekend for the regular reviews. And if you hit day two of the show, make sure you stroll through Artists’ Alley.

/Mason

Over at the main site, the week closes with some new manga reviews- check 'em out. Plus: this weekend is Phoenix Comicon, and we'll have con reports here as weekend blog extras!

/Mason

Robots... I love 'em. But what if the world was nothing but robots? The answer can be found in 24SEVEN, a tasty anthology with a beautiful Adam Hughes cover. Go take a look...

/Mason

It's been far too long, but it's back: a new installment of "Should It Be A Movie?"! The latest edition discusses POLLY AND THE PIRATES, an excellent adventure story for young girls. Go check it out!

/Mason

Every child of divorce wishes they had powers and could fly away... but for EMILY EDISON, those wishes are true! Today, only at the main site...

/Mason

Leading off and batting with a DVD included: STUDENTS OF THE UNUSUAL!

Go!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Ahh… a new blog extra, and a day early to boot. This weekend, a look at two books from Dark Horse Comics, and then next weekend, something a little different.

Next weekend is the Phoenix Comic-Con, and I’ll be doing blog reports of the show instead of the usual review column. Please tune in. But for now: comics.

ARCHENEMIES #3-4, written by Drew Melbourne and drawn by Yvel Guichet, concludes this humor-based miniseries. The set-up: Vincent and Ethan are roommates who struggle to get along but somehow find a way to co-exist. But the real secret is that Vincent is a super-villain and Ethan is a superhero… and their alter egos are mortal enemies. Somehow, forgetting to pick the hair off the soap or put a new roll of toilet paper on the spindle seems a little less important at that point.

While blessed with a cute premise, however, the execution and results are a bit of a mixed bag. The characters are interesting, and the dialogue crackles in spots, but the storytelling is disjointed and lacking in cohesiveness. Some plot points require a bit more explanation than what we’re given here, and the jumpy in media res material that starts issue three makes no sense without visual cues and clues. This is Melbourne’s first published work, and these are things that can be fixed as he grows more comfortable with the medium.

Mike Mignola and John Arcudi write, and Guy Davis draws, B.P.R.D: THE UNIVERSAL MACHINE #2-4, the latest mini featuring the Hellboy spin-off characters. The story follows two plots: in one, the members of the crew begin discussing their various connections with death or even how they died to begin with; in the other, their consultant Dr. Corrigan takes a meeting with a being who offers her a horrifying choice- her life for the remains of the deceased Roger the homunculus or the body of the living fish-being Abe Sapien.

Even if this weren’t connected with the Hellboy universe and the mind of Mignola, it’d still be something to highly recommend to readers. One, it’s drawn by the amazing Guy Davis, and he remains one of the finest illustrators working today. His gifts for character and detail are second to none, and there seems to literally be nothing he cannot draw well. The presence of Arcudi enhances the project, too. His amazing work on his HOMICIDE series many years ago (pre- the show) still holds up and is a favorite of mine. This is great stuff and a must-read.

That’s it for this week. Again, please stop in next weekend for Phoenix Con updates, and be here throughout the week for site updates!

/Mason

Putting a period on the end of the week... reviews of Archaia's MOUSE GUARD and ARTESIA BESIEGED.

Only at the main site, of course.

/Mason

The week heads into the home stretch, as we take a look at the gloriously vile PAINKILLER JANE and dive into the first full issue of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA! Go read.

/Mason

It's hump day, and what better way to celebrate it than with large animals with humps? ELEPHANTMEN... today at the main site!

/Mason

She has a pair of 38s... and two huge guns! Who is the GRENADIER? What makes her type of violence so much fun to read? Check out this new manga today at the main site!

/Mason

There's no avoiding Mondays... but you can make them better with a good book. Or, you can make them better with a great book. Like FLIGHT VOL.3, for instance. Over at the main site...

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA: MINI-COMICS

Ahh… mini-comics. Comics in their purest, rawest form. Good or bad, minis are always interesting, even if just for the spirit or energy put into making them. And when I go to a con, one of the first things I look for are interesting mini-comics to buy and bring home.

ATOMIC MONSTER TEA PARTY #1 is written and by Corwin Gibson and published through Luchadork Studios. This mini has two stories; one wherein those giant monsters do have a lovely sit-down and a spot of tea, and one that features the U.S. military using dinosaurs as weaponry in World War 2. Both stories have decent conceptual starts, though the Monster piece devolves into a sad punchline at the end. I’d have liked to see Gibson actually expand and really use the idea of the dino story, rather than using the idea as a two-page trailer. The art is, politely, rough, but there’s enough there to suggest that Gibson could find an artist and maybe produce something with a bit more substance and length.

Next we have three books from Welsh El Dorado Press. The first, SYMPATHIZERS (written by Justin Robinson and drawn by Aneurin Wright), serves as a prelude to an upcoming series to appear this fall in a series called SPACE DOUBLES. This sci-fi piece focuses on humanity taking in the victims of an alien civil war and then turning on them when the winning side shows up to try and finish the job. With internment camps and other odious reminders of poor human behavior, much of SYMPATHIZERS rings resonant with our modern times. Robinson’s script is solid, and Wright adapts his style to the material nicely. Worth keeping an eye on when it goes to series.

Chip Mosher writes, and Wright draws, LEFT ON MISSION AND REVENGE, a spy thriller. Again, this is a clever use of the mini-comic format; Mosher and Wright are looking for a publisher for the full 170-page graphic novel, so they’ve put together a trailer to try and entice some interest. I had some qualms about the pace of the storytelling; if this is 170 pages overall, and we’re seeing only 20 pages in this mini… well, this material feels way too decompressed. I could see they were aiming for a cinematic look and feel, but it put a grind into the story’s forward movement. Still, Wright again impresses, as MISSION looks zero like SYMPATHIZERS, and it’s nice to see an artist genuinely spread their wings and do something different.

We close with CARNET D’UN SAUVAGE, Wright’s homage to Craig Thompson’s CARNET DE VOYAGE. Wright took a lengthy trip to Europe and chronicled it in his sketchbook, reproducing some of the material in this quiet little mini. As I mentioned above, Wright is a very fine artist, so the material looks terrific. There’s some disjointedness in the way Wright skips ahead at some points, and you find yourself wishing he’d have included more of the material about the people he was with versus the stuff more focused on the environment, but that’s a minor quibble. I can always appreciate an intriguing travelogue, and this one qualifies.

That’s it for this weekend. See you here during the week for site updates, and back here next weekend for a new Weekend Blog Extra!

/Mason

12 hours... 8 pages... one story. What was COMICS JAM WAR 2006? Head over to the main site to find out!

/Mason

Whoops.

Updated the main site yesterday, but forgot to update the feed. Gah!

Yesterday saw a review of THE LEFT BANK GANG, Jason's alt-history take on Hemingway and Fitzgerald as cartoonists who decide to become felons. Today, a look at the end of the manga series GACHA GACHA. What more can you ask for?

Go!

/Mason

Back to the grind! Start your post-holiday weekend with reviews of TALENT, HERO SQUARED, and X ISLE! Only at the main site...

/Mason

CWR HOLIDAY WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Summer has come and gone, but the new Comics Waiting Room is still running strong. Now it’s time to put away your white shoes and read some comics. This weekend, a selection from Dork Storm Press!

DR. BLINK SUPERHERO SHRINK #3, written by John Kovalic and drawn by Christopher Jones, continues a string of excellent issues for this title. The premise stays true to its simple self: Dr Blink makes room on his couch for pastiches of famous characters (such as this issue’s “Spank”, a take on Spawn) and delves into the neuroses that make them tick. The best effort this time out deals with Blink listening to a Spidey-take who’s duplicate life is so crazy that it sends Blink himself into the office of his own therapist. The only problem this time out is the lack of Blink’s supporting cast, which grounds the book and gives it a human anchor. Still, funny stuff, terrific art. Worth your money every time.

Kovalic’s main work, DORK TOWER, reaches its 34th issue, and this is the first one I can honestly say that I wasn’t into. Kovalic takes an issue to step away from his storyline and characters to start an illustrated history of gaming itself (using the TOWER characters as his “guides”). What’s here is somewhat interesting, but as a non-gamer, I struggled to stay with it or maintain interest. Were I a gamer, I suspect I’d have dug it. Kovalic mentions in a text piece that he hopes to continue the series here and there, and I suspect he’ll be able to make a high-selling trade paperback out of it. I’m just not the audience for it.

SNAPDRAGONS VOL.1 sees Kovalic’s other series get its first trade, and I highly recommend it. Along with artist Liz Rathke, he presents a younger take on TOWER, following a precocious group of young kids who are finding their love of games and exercising their imagination. Just about anyone who picks up the book will see a little of themselves in the children, and the book is packed full of whimsical and joyous odes to better days gone by. Rathke nails the look of the book, from the fantasies of the kids to the mundane real world, and the appearances by the DORK TOWER cast only serve to enhance the bits and provide a glimpse into who they might have been when they were twenty years younger as well. Charming stuff.

Rounding out the set is KOBOLDS ATE MY BABY!, a role-playing game written by Chris O’Neill and Dan Landis, with illustrations by Kovalic. It’s a bit hard to review this, as I haven’t played the game, but what I can tell you is that the set-up is clearly detailed, the game seems nearly stupidly simple to play, and it comes across as pretty amusing. You create a Kobold; your group of Kobolds gets sent off to steal a baby to bring back for your superior to eat. Gruesomely silly, the game is described as “The Beer and Pretzels Roleplaying Game” on the cover, because its more fun to play while drinking and getting silly. Hard to find fault with that. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll create a Kobold and try my luck?

No new update on Labor Day, but I’ll be back Tuesday with new stuff at the main site and back here next weekend with a new CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

Finishing the week... the new OVERSTREET GUIDE! Check it out...

/Mason

Who killed Marilyn Monroe? For that matter, who killed JFK? THE RED DIARIES asks these questions (but provides few answers). Today, over at the main site...

/Mason

Want to be charmed by a good old-fashioned romantic comic? Check out LOVE AND CAPES, reviewed today at the main site!

/Mason

Moving into Tuesday... a look at HELLBOY VOL.6: STRANGE PLACES. Over at the main site, of course...

/Mason

Starting off the week: a brand new AISLE SEAT! The ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2 dvd rolled out to stores last week, and it can't possibly be any worse than the first one can it?

Can it?

Go read.

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA: JOSH HOWARD EDITION

Howard, who made a name for himself with the DEAD @ 17 series, has rolled out a couple of different projects this year. He’ll be returning with a DEAD ongoing this fall, but in the meantime let’s take a look at what else has been on his plate.

BLACK HARVEST #6, from Devil’s Due, concludes Howard’s longest work to date. The DEAD books ran four issues, so it was interesting to see how the creator would react to having more space to expand his narrative. Pace always becomes an issue in this scenario, but for the most part, Howard seems to have figured it out pretty well. The story of Zaya Vahn and her mysterious return gets resolved in tidy fashion, but the explanation for what’s really going on in Jericho isn’t quite tied up so nicely. However, the final coda to the book would seem to indicate that a sequel to the book might be in order, and it provides a smidge of new mystery that suggests that a sequel is actually a good idea. In all, BLACK HARVEST was a solid series, and Howard worked out some of the problems that have dogged the DEAD books (such as waiting too long to get into the mystery and crowding the finish), and he seems to be learning how to deliver a solid story with each chapter. Should be a trade worth buying.

Viper Comics delivers a second “sketchbook” from the creator with MOSH GIRLS AND MONSTERS: THE ART OF JOSH HOWARD VOL.2. You can really only judge an art book by whether or not you like the artist’s work (I do), so I won’t belabor that point. I also won’t belabor that Howard and I have pretty similar tastes in women. What I will say, though, is that I wish more artists and publishers would produce their art books in this format. Every time I go to a con, I see countless artists selling $10-20 sketchbooks at their tables that were manufactured on the semi-cheap. Annoying. But this 6x6 book is put together beautifully, has a spine, and is only $13. Excellent, excellent value for what you’re getting. So if you like girls with tattoos or just a nice artistic package, this is for you.

See you all week for site updates, and back here in seven for the next CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

Closing out the week at the main site- a new literary journal, UNRULY, which includes some comics folks. Check it out...

/Mason

Today at the main site: Rednecks vs. Zombies in THE SAVAGE BROTHERS!

/Mason

Today at the main site... Andi Watson continues his exploration of Britain's middle class, with the parenthood-themed LITTLE STAR...

/Mason

It's manga time! Reviews of PRETTY MANIACS and LUNAR LEGEND, today at the main site!

/Mason

Today at the main site: three from NBM! LUCIFER'S GARDEN OF VERSES, ATTITUDE VOL.3, and THE CASE OF MADELEINE SMITH...

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Time for my favorite feature! This week, some new efforts from Fantagraphics!

First, WISH YOU WERE HERE #2, written and drawn by Gipi. This book comes from the Ignatz line of over-sized “pamphlets”, and is really an excellent effort. Subtitled “They Found The Car”, the story follows a man roused from his sleep by a former colleague in crime. The car used in a crime many years ago has surfaced, and punishment must be dealt to the man who was supposed to have made sure it would never be seen again. Along the way the men debate religion and the nature of faith, and the sleeping man must make a decision that will affect his future and the fate of his immortal soul. WISH YOU WERE HERE reads like the bastard child of Goddard and Tarantino, and I recommend it highly.

Next from the Ignatz line is INSOMNIA #2, written and drawn by Matt Broersma. “The Lock” is the story of two people whose lives and insecurities intersect in bizarre ways. One track follows an older gentleman as he wanders off to eat breakfast and read the morning paper, and the other involves a burlesque dancer confused about the romantic potential of a wealthy man who’s pursuing her. It is only after the older man mistakes her for the reincarnation of a former lover (or a lover that he has imagined so deeply that she’s ingrained in his memory as real) that you begin to see the fragility of these two peoples’ realities. But in the end, the question of what’s true and what isn’t turns out to be unimportant. What’s important is that an examination of the characters reveals that they’re simply as screwed as the rest of us, and happiness will continue to avoid them.

Also dropping from the Ignatz line is BABEL #2, written and drawn by David B. BABEL follows the young narrator through his childhood obsession with how the rest of the world does and does not make war. Spurred on by an article in PARIS MATCH that discussed one African tribe’s declared end to any kind of warfare, the narrator and his brother began exploring the nature of the outside world, and how most people tend to only learn about other cultures by watching how they make war and deal with conflict. Later in the book, the narrator recounts his brother’s deterioration to a form of epilepsy that is untreatable, teaching him about a different kind of war, the kind that can never be won. Everything here is technically proficient, but I never got fully engaged on an emotional level the way I did with INSOMNIA and WISH YOU WERE HERE, because in the end, the narrative feels a little too detached.

Rounding out the column is HATE ANNUAL #6, written and drawn by Peter Bagge. Anytime we get to see Buddy Bradley again, it’s a good thing, and this is no exception. The lead story, “Skeletons in the Closet” follows Buddy as he tries to keep some dirty deeds done in the past quiet, and his solution is amusing and ingenious, perfectly in tune with the character we’ve come to know over these years. Bagge also throws in a hilarious parody of the dreaded “Cosmo Quiz” titled “Are You a Cunt?” that anyone who’s ever taken one of those insipid magazine tests will get a good laugh out of. The only downside to this book is the inclusion of a ton of Bagge’s “The Adventures of Bat Boy” strips that he produced for WEEKLY WORLD NEWS. I’ve never found the strip amusing or thought that it had one-tenth of the spirit and edge that HATE does, and nothing about these efforts changed my mind. Still, new HATE is always cause for celebration.

See you through the week for site updates and back here next weekend for a new CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

Closing the week... the hated FAMILY GUY. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate! Feel it! Love it! Feed off of it at the main site!

/Mason

Whoooooooooops.

Didn't mean to take yesterday off, especially since I had read material and was ready to review it. But life got in the way, and we all know how that goes...

Anyway, back today with looks at two recent efforts from Viper Comics, VILLAINS and A DUMMY'S GUIDE TO DANGER. Click on over to the main site and check it out!

/Mason

History... back in 1992, I took a job as a movie and television critic. I got away from entertainment journalism for a while, but when I was writing for Comic Book Galaxy back in 01-02, I got back into it with a column called "The Aisle Seat" (which is where I prefer to sit, whether in a theatre or on a plane). Now, after four years, The Aisle Seat is returning!

Today's spotlight falls on EUREKA, which airs Tuesdays on the Sci-Fi Channel. Go to the main site and give the piece a read, won't you?

/Mason

It's Monday, and that means... well, I don't know what that means. But I do have two new reviews posted at the main site: PHONOGRAM and DEATH JR 2. Check 'em out, if ya please...

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

I don’t know what it says about me, but doing these has become one of the things I most look forward to at the site. I may need professional help.

This weekend, a look at four recent efforts from Arcana Studio, those wacky Canadians who thought they could, and have…

First up is 100 GIRLS: THE FIRST GIRL VOL.2, written by Adam Gallardo and Drawn by Todd Demong. GIRLS is the story of Sylvia Mark, an ordinary 13-year old girl who feels the traditional teenage alienation. However, hers turns out to have a bit more substance, as she not only turns out to have super-strength, but to also have 99 other super-powered versions of her running around somewhere in the world. Complicating the matter is that she tends to absorb her sisters and gain their memories and powers when she’s nearby, and there are a metric ton of bad guys out to kill her and her sisters. From the very beginning, this has been a terrific series, one which put a young girl into the lead without sexualizing her or sacrificing her character for “kewl”, and the conclusion to the first part of her tale changes nothing. The seeds are sown here for a greater story to be told down the road, and if it’s as good as this series has been, the creators will be in good shape.

Next, we turn to EZRA #1 (written by Sean O’Reilly and drawn by Alfonso Ruiz), the newest series featuring Arcana’s she-warrior with an attitude. The original EZRA series was entertaining enough for me to get past my distaste for its genre, and the character, who is basically a sexy member of the walking dead, is interesting. But O’Reilly is sabotaged here by the art, which is too cartoony in places to give the story the dramatic heft it needs. It also forces O’Reilly to lay on the exposition in at an almost Shooter/Marvel-era level, slowing the pace of the story down. Sometimes, this just happens, but no question, it’s fixable, and EZRA can get back on the right path easily enough.

Following along is GRUNTS #1 (written by Shannon Denton and Keith Giffen and drawn by Matt Jacobs), the story of some American soldiers who had a nasty close encounter with the Germans’ enjoyment for using weird science and the occult (though which of those it is isn’t made clear, a blip by the artist). GRUNTS is actually pretty hard-boiled in its approach to its cast of characters, though Denton and Giffen do an almost comical nod at including every central-casting stereotype, right down to the chubby guy being nicknamed “Fatty.” Denton handles the scripting, so the “bwa-ha-ha” is at a minimum, but the action quotient is pretty high, and Jacobs handles it well. I’d have liked for the Nazi’s “super-warriors” to be better defined, either through the art or a caption, especially with LOST SQUAD working in a similar vein, so this ranks as a high “okay”.

Closing it out, we arrive at DRAGON’S LAIR #1 (written by Andy Mangels and drawn by Fabio Laguna), based upon the classic video game and TV cartoon. This is a triple-sized debut, reprinting the issues that MVC produced a few years ago under one cover, making it an exceptional value for your five yanqui dollars. Mangels and Laguna do a pitch-perfect job of introducing the universe, the characters, and the plot with ease, which is excellent, considering I had never played the game or watched the cartoon. Dirk the Daring (who’s kinda dumb) protects Princess Daphne (who’s kinda smart), but their roles overlap here and there. In this story, she is kidnapped by Singe, the kahuna of all the dragons, because Singe is a little pissed about all of his children Dirk has killed. Rousing adventure follows. As someone who tends to yawn his way through sword-and-sorcery stories, I found this kind of fun, likely because the book has an art style that mimics the cartoon, and because Mangels keeps the pace moving very quickly. Fun for all ages.

That’s it for this week. See you during the week for site updates, and next weekend for a new CWR Weekend Blog Extra!

/Mason

Finishing the week at the main site: new commentary! Are you thoroughly bored by the comics "news" that was announced at the big cons this summer? You aren't alone...

/Mason

Love and Brazil... two things that sound great together, and two things that read well together. Get the scoop on DeTALES: Stories of Urban Brazil today at the main site!

/Mason

Is a 22-year old computer-generated comic worth your time? Read up on SHATTER today at the main site!

/Mason

It's fun for all ages today, as BUMPERBOY AND THE LOUD, LOUD MOUNTAIN gets a look at the main site!

/Mason

It's Manga Monday today at the main site, with reviews of KAGETORA and SUGAR SUGAR RUNE! Plus, read below for this week's CWR Weekend Blog Extra!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

Archaia Studios Press was set up near “indy island” in San Diego, and I must have walked by their booth an average of five times a day. I had intended to stop and make an introduction at some point during the show, but every single time I passed by, the place was surrounded by people. Wall-to-wall fans talking to creators and buying books. So I’m guessing they had a good con.

Let’s take a look at four of their most recent releases. First up is MOUSE GUARD #3, written and drawn by David Petersen. I (and many others) have offered high praise for the two previous issues of this book, and nothing about issue three makes me regret it. While I thought issue two was a bit slow as far as moving the plot forward, this effort does a good job of picking up the pace. The traitor stands unrevealed, but the three mice guards from issue one find themselves in a lawless town where the clues begin to pile up. Petersen creates some wonderfully imaginative art, and his ability to portray action sequences shows real improvement. Halfway home, I remain entranced by MOUSE GUARD.

ROBOTIKA #3-4 conclude the first miniseries by writer/artist Alex Sheikman, and while the book was inconsistent, it still has many virtues to offer. Mixing samurais and cyberpunk, ROBOTIKA is in many ways a throwback, reminding you of Frank Miller’s late 80s-early 90s work like RONIN and HARD BOILED. Our hero, Niko, has given up the life of the sword and turned his back on his queen, becoming a true yojimbo, but that doesn’t stop him from taking on a quest to help see some pilgrims across a harsh wasteland and into the arms of their god. Fortunately, it turns out Niko doesn’t need steel to be an effective warrior, nor does he need the ability to feel… which will turn the last part of the series upside-down. While the first two issues were a struggle for me, I think Sheikman does a decent job of driving the series home. It feels to me like he’s capable of stronger work, and I’ll be interested to see how the next ROBOTIKA series plays out.

Closing out my reading was ARTESIA BESIEGED #1 from writer/artist Mark Smylie. This being the latest in a long series of Artesia books, I was worried that I would be completely lost the minute I opened the cover, especially because the book lives mostly in the “fantasy” genre. However, Smylie does so many things right that I was totally sucked in from page one. First, he provides a thorough recap. Second, he dives in and defines Artesia as a character through her actions and narration, eliminating any chance for confusion. And third, Smylie is so ridiculously talented an artist that you slow down to take in all the nuance of detail and color that he puts on the page. This is a gorgeous book with a heroine like few others in comics; strong, intelligent, powerful, in full command of her sexuality… she’s riveting to watch. I may have to go back and get some of the previous trades on this one.

See you here through the week for main site updates, and next Sunday for your Weekend Blog Extra!

/Mason

INVINCIBLE... a true sales success rarity. But why does it read so much better in collected form than in floppies? Today at the main site, a look at INVINCIBLE: ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL.2!

/Mason

It's the return of "Should It Be A Movie?" at the main site! Today, a look at THE EXPENDABLE ONE, the story of a man who cannot die who decides to use his power to be a hero... with some disastrous and hilarious results!

/Mason

Why does a good book miss greatness? Today, Marc checks out WAR-FIX at the main site and addresses that very phenomenon...

/Mason

Alt-comix powerhouse Jordan Crane returns to the printed page with his new series UPTIGHT. Learn all about it today at the main site...

/Mason

Two new indies, ADRENALINE and ALICE IN NEW YORK, today at the main site...

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA

I’ll tell you all a little secret: I kinda miss doing a regular column. With the format I’ve set up for the new site, I’m keeping things pretty separated. Reviews go up individually on the appropriate publisher page, and that’s it. Plus, I feel obligated to write longer pieces. Quick and dirty don’t rule the day. But that changes today, because they’re at least going to rule this weekend.

Today’s topic: a full suite of books from Ross Richie’s Boom Studios. Boom has become quite the overnight success story, going from fledgling indy to mover/shaker in less than a year. By publishing work by top-notch creators with high-quality production values, they’ve become hard to ignore. I have five new Boom efforts sitting here in my hands; let’s take a look and see how they’re doing.

JEREMIAH HARM #4 (written by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant, drawn by Rafael Albuquerque) is the penultimate chapter to this “space bounty hunters on steroids” saga. When last we left Harm, he had defeated one of the three baddies intent on destroying the universe itself, and had the other two in his sights. Giffen and Grant waste no time getting to the next ridiculous, over-the-top fight as the book opens, throwing as much action at the reader as possible. If you stopped to think about the logistics of the plot or the motivations of the villains, HARM would be in danger of collapsing on itself, but for pure shut off your brain entertainment, it’s hard to beat this book.

Last issue, SECOND WAVE took a bad tumble, losing some of the goodwill the book had built up from the beginning. Issue five (written by Michael Alan Nelson and drawn by Chee) spends the first two-thirds of the story mired in the trouble spot where it left off. Nelson is trying to demonstrate how quickly society has fallen apart because of the Martian attack, but it all feels too familiar. However, the final third of this issue sees the book begin to regain its composure. One good thing: the return of the Martians to the scene; their absence being part of the book’s stumble. Extra points for the creative murder of a crooked sheriff’s deputy.

Milo and Captain Valor head to therapy in HERO SQUARED #2 (written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis and drawn by Joe Abraham), and it’s easily my favorite issue of the series to date. The writers have become somewhat known for being experts and producing “talking heads” comics, and this book cements that rep. However, unlike the excesses that have marked some writers’ efforts over the past couple of years (*cough* Bendis), this never stops being a terrific, riveting piece of entertainment. By the end you realize the true theme of this book: the nature of self-loathing. Milo and Valor are the same guy, genetically, but each other’s version does nothing but remind them of what they hate most about themselves. Great work.

Never a fan of writer Joe Casey’s work, I was hesitant about THE BLACK PLAGUE #1 (drawn by Julia Bax). However, this was pretty decent. We open with a retired superhero and his retired former arch-nemesis playing a lovely game of chess in the park, but soon enough, we discover that there’s a lot more going on in this town that anyone would suspect. And that perhaps the old villain has a lot more up his sleeve than anyone could guess. BLACK PLAGUE’S strongest moments come from Bax’s art; it’s very clean and has a simple look, but conveys action and body language very well. There’s a BLACK PLAGUE mini-series coming down the road to clear up these mysteries, and despite my feelings about Casey, I think that’s a good thing.

Finally, we have THE 2006 DAVE JOHNSON FULL-COLOR SKETCHBOOK, a bookshelf-format edition presenting a wide variety of the artist’s work. Containing everything from odd doodles to designs for 100 BULLETS and CAPTAIN AMERICA, this potpourri of work is a must if you’re a fan of Johnson’s. There’s still worth to be found here if you aren’t, and even with the $10 price tag, that’s still better than laying out a ten-spot for a convention sketchbook that was printed by an artist at Kinko’s the night before the show. If Vertigo ever produces a coffee-table book of his 100 BULLETS covers, this has convinced me I’d have to buy it.

That’s it for the CWR Weekend Blog Extra. Tune in to the main site through the week for new stuff!

/Mason

Heading into the weekend... a big, tasty slice of cheesecake, as SHE-DRAGON finally arrives from Image! Check it out over at the main site!

Plus: check back here this weekend for a CWR Weekend Blog Extra featuring the latest releases from Boom Studios!

/Mason

Back in business... back from San Diego! Today at the main site, you'll find reviews of Joe Lansdale and Tim Truman's CONAN AND THE SONGS OF THE DEAD, and first-time novelist Evam Kuhlman's WOLF BOY, which incorporates some intriguing graphic novel elements...

/Mason

THE ESCALATOR-BATOR, or WHO SUBSCRIBES TO ‘HORSEFISTING ILLUSTRATED?’

This is kind of a Saturday/Sunday combo post. I woke up late this morning and decided to go finish the con instead of writing first. Turned out to be the right idea, as I was three hours and out at the show today.

Yesterday was a monster. First, at some point midday, they stopped selling new badges. To my knowledge, that’s a first. Attendance records have been obliterated, I’d think. Every day was packed beyond belief. I did only two panels, surprisingly; the “Adapting comics to the screen” screenwriters panel, and the “Hack/Slash” becoming a movie panel. My favorite con moment of the day, though, came after those, however. John Ridley was signing free copies of his novel THOSE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS. I’m a huge fan, so this was going to be a treat.

Then he ran late.

So late, in fact, that I decided to wander off and come back later. So I get a few aisles over and what do I see? Ridley at a different publisher’s booth, asking if they know where Warner Books is located. So I stepped in and played tour guide, delivering him to a grateful Warner’s staff. Fun.

The evening was again spent with friends, all but one of who was leaving today. I made some new friends this year that made this an amazing show, and I’m very grateful. Brandon, Jess, Lee… safe travels. Along with old friends Joe and Chris, we made Saturday one for the books. Not going to over-detail, but Joe helped get a guy arrested; Chris broke a waiter’s fragile heart; we marveled at a young boy who was riding the Hyatt escalators barefoot and in the wrong direction (running up the ‘down’, etc.) while playing with himself through his pockets; decisions were made about what horses drawn by Rob Liefeld would look like (no visible hooves, star-shaped tattoos over their eyes, and twenty-eight hands tall if you include their shoulder-mounted guns); and we created a trade magazine for people who artificially inseminate mares.

It went downhill from there. :-)

Today is my traditional shopping day. I focused heavily on minis, though the number of interesting efforts was way down this year. Still, I picked up new efforts from Paul Horn, Raina Telgemeier, Dave Roman, and Marion Vitus among others, so I left as a happy consumer.

As usual, with the show over, I’m wishing I were flying out tonight. I miss my house and bed. But thinking about it, I know I’ll miss my friends (those named above, plus Matt, Kevin, Steven and everyone else even more. See you next time gang…

/Mason

STICK A FORK IN ME…

Ugh.

I’ve tired of wandering around to promote myself and the site. I know it must be done; I need content; content brings readers, readers will bring advertisers when the time comes. But after a while, even someone with an ego the size of mine tires of talking about themselves. Hell, even typing this makes me want to smack myself.

Four panels yesterday. The blogger panel, which was fun. Spurge and Heidi are such wildly different people and are a combustible combo when in each other’s proximity. Next was IDW, supporting friends. Ryall is doing great there as EIC, and buddy John Layman had his SCARFACE mini announced. I’ve known about that one for a while, and it should be great.

Later in the day, it was BET’s animation panel. Reggie Hudlin is pushing hard to change the channel’s rep, and this was positive stuff. The highlight was a short piece called “Bid ‘em in” that dramatized a slave auction. It was a powerful punch to the gut. If the majority of their material is half as good, BET will be a huge force in animation for years to come.

The last panel stop for me was the art of Dan DeCarlo, put on by Bill Morrison, who did the book. Fantastic slides and stories, good fun.

Night saw dinner and drinking with friends, the way it should be. Back to the show…

/Mason

IT ALL LEADS TO FELLATIO RATHER QUICKLY…

Today’s quote comes from the genius of Brandon Jerwa. Funny guy, that Brandon. Good writer, too.

Thursday was Friday. That was the general consensus of the folks I polled. We had a Friday level of traffic, a Friday-sized crowd, and the Hyatt bar was at Friday fervor. The weekend may be fearsome.

Hit three panels. Del Rey manga, which was fun. Their e-i-c, Dallas Middaugh, has exactly the right attitude towards some of the mangas’ crazier plots. Sat in on Jimmy Palmiotti’s panel late afternoon. Jimmy remains one of my favorite folks in comics; good guy, works hard, and really cares. I’ll be doing a new interview with Jimmy this fall. Those are always fun.

Last panel was Random House’s graphic novel panel. More of Dallas, plus the discovery that Kazu Kibuishi’s name is pronounced “Kazoo”. I felt a twinge of sympathy for him at that moment. The FLINTSTONES must have made his life Hell.

Did a lot of catching up with publishers I know. One told me something very surprising; he said that last year was very “producer heavy” and lighter on the fan end. However, so far in the show, they weren’t as besieged by Hollywood as expected, but were surprisingly customer heavy. I liked hearing that.

Pressed the flesh with publishers I don’t know as well, trying to spread word about the new site. I’ve put in some good work so far. Ended the night with dinner and drinks with friends, the way you should here. Back to work now…

/Mason

GRANT MORRISON HAS A FIRM PIMP HAND...

...and other Preview Night notes.

S ix-year old children will go insane when "Hell's Bells" plays. I began my day at Petco Park, watching baseball. The Padres took a lead into the ninth, meaning Trevor Hoffman was brought in to get the save. The park goes insane when the song plays, including young kids. What a great Pavlovian response!

Registration this year was incredibly smooth. And if you had the barcode letter, you were gold. I was done in under five minutes, and I even needed a change in my info. Great job by the con folks.

Saw some familiar faces early. Laurenn McCubbin, Stephen Buell, Jeff Davidson, Rob Osborne, Ryan Yount, to name a few. But con is about seeing old friends, so the highlights involved John Layman and the genius of Matt Maxwell (who coined this post's title after I explained why I lack a firm pimp hand myself).

I think Top Shelf and Boom have good chances to make a splash. LOST GIRLS is now here and in print, and the package is incredible. Plus, Melinda Gebbie is here to sign them. Amano's HERO arrived at the Boom booth last night while I was visiting, and it looks gorgeous. Decent price point, too.

Off to the show!

THE WEATHER IS HERE, WISH YOU WERE LOVELY

San Diego, first full day. Taking my own advice, I arrived last night to stay a full week. Checked in, treated myself to dinner, and got a good night’s sleep.

Woke this morning and had a bagel on the patio of a nearby café. Enjoyed the breeze and the temps. Planning on hitting the Padres game tonight with Chris Allen, before all Hell breaks loose tomorrow.

The rest of the country is suffering stupid heat right now, Al Gore’s inconvenient truth rearing its ugly head. San Diego remains blissfully immune for now… the humidity is high, but that’s a fair trade. Hopefully the con a/c will be in top form, and we’ll shop and network in relative comfort. Won’t hold my breath, though.

Did my Ralph’s shopping today as well. 5 days worth of lunches for $8.65. Hard to beat that…

Sight of the day: a man exiting the Ralph’s garage in a car upon which he had painted/written some sort of manifesto. He was driving like an asshole (surprise,surprise), but I managed to catch something about Jesus being the defense attorney for the chosen somethings or other. Yeesh.

Con reports proper will begin Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Check back then…

Mason

Today at the main site... PENNY ARCADE makes my acquaintance, and the FRAGILE PROPHET tells my future.

Plus: read below for the CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

/Mason

CWR WEEKEND BLOG EXTRA!

No reason just to use this blog as my news feed, right? Instead, I’ll be putting up new weekend content as often as I can, in this very space. Woo-hoo!

LOVE AND ROCKETS #16
Written and Drawn by Los Bros Hernandez
Published by Fantagraphics

I’ve made no secret out of the fact that I tend to prefer Gilbert Hernandez’ L&R stories over Jamie’s. It’s basically a question of the characters whose lives I find most interesting. However, that doesn’t diminish the respect and admiration I have for Jaime’s work. He’s every bit the amazing, talented genius that Beto is. And the lead story in this issue shows exactly why.

He takes his entire cast and puts them through an evening, viewing it through the eyes of one of the supporting characters. Yet, he manages, through body language and facial expressions, to tell everyone’s story effectively. By using this sort of “dual perspective”, he creates a near-perfect “slice of life night” that would tell even the newest reader who everyone is and why they react as they do.

The rest of the book contains even more fantastic goodies from both brothers, making this your usual excellent effort from the dynamic duo. Extra kudos for an outstanding cover that relates the theme of Jaime’s opening story in wonderful fashion.

DARK HORSE: 20 YEARS
Drawn by Various
Published by Dark Horse

This $.25 book offers up 20 cool pin-up style portraits of the characters that made Dark Horse the company it is today. Hellboy, Groo, Aliens, Grendel, Concrete… they’re all represented in these pages. And on the surface, that would be cool enough to get your two bits.

However, this book takes it one better. The primary creators do not provide the looks at their characters. Instead, there’s been some swapping, both direct and indirect. Stan Sakai draws SIN CITY; Frank Miller draws USAGI YOJIMBO, for instance. Then you get the train: CONAN artist Cary Nord draws ALIENS; CONAN is then drawn by Sergio Aragones; GROO then appears via Paul Chadwick; then we get CONCRETE done by Chris Warner; then Warner’s BLACK CROSS by Killian Plunkett, and so on.

I was a Dark Horse reader pretty much from the company’s inception, so this book is sort of an extra-special treat for me. I was buying DARK HORSE PRESENTS faithfully and marveling to the early appearances of many of these characters, plus many others, like FLAMING CARROT, HEARTBREAKERS, and HOMICIDE. So I tip my cap and send my warm wishes to the folks in Oregon for their first twenty years. Hopefully, the next twenty will be just as interesting.

/Mason

Why THE TOURIST is better than I expected and why FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE disappoints... today at the main site!

/Mason

Today's new stuff: LUBA #8 from Fantagraphics, and CRYPTOZOO CREW vol.2 from NBM. Check it out!

/Mason

New today at the Site... 5 Tips for a Better San Diego experience and a review of the manga SCHOOL RUMBLE...

/Mason

RANDOM ENCOUNTER, from Viper Comics, and THE NIGHTMARIST, from Active Images, get reviewed today over at the Main Site!

/Mason

Today at the main site... reviews of G.I. JOE DECLASSIFIED #1 and VAMPIRELLA: REVELATIONS...

/Mason

Today at The Waiting Room...

TALENT and SECOND WAVE from Boom Studios go under the microscope...

/Mason

Now Open For Business!!!!!

After losing a metric ton of my work due (mainly) to stupidity and inexperience, I'm up and ready to go. Make with the clicky and check it out, I beg of you...

/Mason

A PAIR OF PREVIEWS

As God is my witness, the new site will open next week. You heard it here first.

Two from Oni Press, both reviewed from black & white photocopies:

THE LEADING MAN #1
Written by B. Clay Moore and Drawn by Jeremy Haun

Nick Walker is one of those guys the rest of us envy. He’s good looking, rich, and oh, yeah… one of the highest paid action movie stars in Hollywood. One of those guys who has it all. But Nick has even more than that; he’s also a real-life spy who uses his movements to filming locations to mask his covert activities.

That’s the plot behind THE LEADING MAN, Moore and Haun’s second stab at working together. Their first effort was last year’s wildly uneven BATTLE HYMN, so I went into LEADING MAN with some skepticism. With such a near-shark jump of a plot, would the creative team be able to hold the book together? In the broadest sense, that remains to be seen, but they’re at least off to a good start.

Where HYMN came out of the gate like Barbaro on a bum leg, LEADING MAN shows high energy and life immediately. From page one, where we meet Nick in the middle of filming a big action set-piece, to the sly scenes where his female co-stars try and figure out his sexuality, everything here feels pretty much right on target. Enjoyable.

LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE #1
Written by Jamie S. Rich and Drawn by Marc Ellerby

Tristan is the lead singer of Los Angeles’ best unsigned band, Like A Dog. Isobel has just flown in from Tokyo to meet her fiancée’s grandparents. But after locking eyes at the airport, fate brings them together again when Isobel goes to scout out a band for his label and it turns out to be Tristan’s.

LOVE THE WAY YOU LOVE reads like… well, it reads just like a Jamie S. Rich story. Rich has long been comics’ hippest and slyest cat, with a knowledge of music matched by few. His novel work, like CUT MY HAIR, demonstrates his mastery of this sort of tale, so you’d expect no less than a comic that not only has a twinge of real heart to it, but also makes you feel like the coolest kid in the room for reading it.

Full of terrific supporting characters, like Tristan’s amusing brother Lance and Isobel’s best friend Branden, LOVE is fun even when it turns its focus to the edges of the story. And Rich smartly doesn’t make Isobel’s fiancée an unrepentant dick; he genuinely seems to care for her. By giving everyone in the story a stake in the outcome, LOVE gets elevated from cute toss-off to something with real deep potential. It may not have been complete love at first site, but I am definitely in deep like with this book.

/Mason

INTERIM

Site construction on the new place is nearly complete. But in the meantime, the pile must be addressed…

X ISLE #1
Written by Andrew Cosby and Michael Nelson and Drawn by Greg Scott
Published by Boom Studios


Dr. Alex Keller is a man who has some trouble balancing the priorities in his life. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to improve anytime soon; just as his daughter arrives to meet him in Hawaii (after she’s given up a vacation in France), he’s called to the shore, where a creature never seen before by man has washed up dead. And when the stomach of the creature yields more bizarre life forms, it’s clear that family time is about to get pushed to the side once again.

Of course, all of that could change in a hurry when a freak storm pushes Alex, his daughter, and his crew of scientists off course and onto the shores of an uncharted island…

Part JAWS, part LOST, and part JURASSIC PARK, the plot and concept of X ISLE more than make up for the shallowness of the character set-ups. You’ve seen the parent-child conflict in this situation plenty; plus you get the requisite surly sailor, and plenty of supporting cannon fodder as Keller’s associates. Still, you go to these types of movies, and buy these types of comics, expecting the tropes of the genre to be in place to push the tale along. Therefore, X ISLE reads true to itself.

Greg Scott’s art looks really good here, supporting the suspense and mystery being laid down, too. I probably sound like a fuddy-duddy, but I really liked X ISLE; it’s a tight piece of pop entertainment, and that’s all I was asking for.

SIBAM?

After TALENT got optioned a couple of weeks ago, I’d imagine that Hollywood’s eyes are trained a bit more closely on Ross Richie and company’s output. I can’t imagine that X ISLE, which reeks of summer tentpole flick, won’t wind up in a producer’s pocket soon enough.

PARADOX #2-3
Written by Chris Gage and Drawn by Luis Henrique Ribeiro
Published by Arcana Studio


Detective Sean Nault must leave his magic-based world and enter ours as LAW AND ORDER scribe Gage concludes his tale of sorcerers and bullets. When last we left Nault, he had discovered that parallel worlds existed, and someone in our science-based reality was crossing over and causing big trouble. Aided and abetted by a science believer from his own world (the standard love interest), Lenoir Rhyne, he must unravel the clues and expose a conspiracy to destroy two universes.

PARADOX is a clever book, and it reads almost purely as a screenplay in many ways. The art is pretty static for the most part, almost purposefully lacking dynamism, instead interpreting its role as more of a set of storyboards. That’s acceptable, of course, but you wouldn’t be disappointed if Ribeiro stretched himself a bit. Story-wise, my one qualm is that the story feels a bit rushed by squeezing it into three issues. I’d have liked to have seen a bit more in the way of fleshing out some of the smaller pieces of the plot, and in adding some extra character material. Still, I expect this to serve its purpose and find the story a Hollywood home at some point, even it winds up being to expensive to ever film.

CRY YOURSELF TO SLEEP
Written and Drawn by Jeremy Tinder
Published by Top Shelf Comix


It’s sort of difficult to know what to make of CRY. The book focuses on three very distinct individuals: Jim, a rabbit who lives an unfulfilling life while working at a sandwich shop; Andy, a young writer struggling to find his voice; and Robot, who decides he wants to find his humanity by following a bird out to the forest and following its example.

Tinder chooses to make Robot a robot for obvious purposes; a machine finding its soul is a common literature trope. But it’s the decision to make Jim a rabbit that really offers up some questions to the reader. Jim is a sad spirit, and his parents put him upon horribly. His father doesn’t accept excuses for losing a job because he’s a rabbit; it’s a tantalizing take on race, but Tinder doesn’t quite sink his claws as deep into it as you’d like. I like that he made the attempt, though.

Each character’s quest for self and meaning winds up coming together in different ways, as the trio’s path will intersect in ways they couldn’t imagine, but Tinder manages to put together a conclusion that feels right, fair, and satisfying. CRY YOURSELF TO SLEEP isn’t a book to set the world on fire, but it is a very solid debut from this creator.

MOUSE GUARD #2
Written and Drawn by David Petersen
Published by Archaia Studios Press


As the mice from issue one were on their mission, others were also working, too. Issue two of this fantastic book follows Guard member Sadie as she heads off to the shore of the Mouse territory to find out why fellow guard member Conrad has suddenly stopped responding to messages. Needless to say, that silence is a very bad sign for all mice…

Petersen’s tale of heroic mice picks up steam with this second issue. It could have been severely damaging to the story to move away from the characters we met in issue one, but he manages to make Sadie and Conrad more fascinating characters than our prior protagonists. The story movement also allows for an expansion of the story’s scope and the picture we get of the backdrop the tale is playing against.

The primary action sequence this issue involves our heroes taking on an armada of crabs bent on taking their lives. Petersen makes this scene exhilarating, putting aside thoughts of what the creatures involved are and delivering perfectly executed scenes of mayhem. Unfortunately, that leads to the one problem MOUSE GUARD faces in this issue: the story feels pretty thin and doesn’t get as far forward as it really needs to in order to keep momentum. Still, this remains a wonderful surprise, and I look forward to reading more.

STRANGETOWN #1
Written by Chynna Clugston and Ian Shaughnessy and Drawn by Chynna Clugston
Published by Oni Press


Mysterious circumstances send a young girl named Vanora on a ship ride far away from home. However, an accident at sea leaves her stranded and living in a small town off the coast of Oregon. Stranger circumstances yet then leave her looking for a room to rent, and she finds one located above a bar named THE CUTTY SARK TA HOUSE. But as weird as all that may sound, her housemates might just be weirder. And sadly for Vanora, the past is not so easily outrun.

I’ve just written that paragraph, yet I read it knowing that it’s all somewhat of a lie: by the end of STRANGETOWN, you have absolutely zero clue as to what’s going on or what the real plot of the book is going to be. But no matter; it’s all executed with such gusto and energy that you can’t help but be drawn into the tale without a problem.

Much of that is due to the presence of Chynna Clugston as co-writer and artist. Clugston is one of those creators who can do almost no wrong in my eyes. I’ve been a fan since I first laid my eyes on BLUE MONDAY, and her excellent SCOOTER GIRL did nothing to dull that shine. Chynna has a gift for making the absurd seem perfectly rational and normal, which is precisely why STRANGETOWN works. More please. Soon.

PAUL JENKINS’ SIDEKICK #1
Written by Paul Jenkins and Drawn by Chris Moreno
Published by Image Comics


Eddie Edison’s life is full of hassles. By day, he delivers pizza to people who treat him like dirt and try and screw him over. When night rolls around, though, he’s the sidekick to Mister Excellent, the greatest superhero in the city. Of course, Mister Excellent is also a dimwitted, pain-in-the-ass, prig. So you’ll pardon Eddie if he doesn’t feel guilty about fucking Mister Excellent’s wife.

Of course, Eddie’s hassles also extend to his having a voluptuous, kinky stripper for a girlfriend. So, yeah, Eddie’s kind of a dick who’s due for a little comeuppance himself. So when he schemes to get away from Mister Excellent and earn a little side money sidekicking for another hero in town, he bites off a bit more than he can chew when they all hire him…

SIDEKICK is pretty damned funny, scouring modern pop culture and classic superhero comics for every little cliché it can find, and then taking a leak on them. Whether it’s poking fun at Superman, or taking swings at hip hop culture, Jenkins observes no boundaries and no fear in aiming at his targets. Moreno finds just the right mix of slapstick and action to sell the gags. As disappointed as I was in THE LAST CHRISTMAS, I’m surprised, happy, and enthused about SIDEKICK. This is a winner.

/Mason

I WAS HOPING THE NEW SITE WOULD BE READY BY NOW…

Oh, well. Keep checking The NEW Comics Waiting Room this week, and cross your fingers.

CASANOVA #1
Written by Matt Fraction and Drawn by Gabriel Ba
Published by Image Comics

Casanova Quinn is the world’s greatest thief, a sex magnet, and luckier than anyone deserves to be. Sort of a reverse-image of James Bond, he eschews his family’s commitment to doing good in the world, leaving the secret agent stuff to his father and his twin sister. But when she’s killed in the line of duty, Casanova gets drawn into a strange scenario involving time travel, dimension shifting, giant floating brains, and more. I’d try and explain more of that, but wrapping my head around the twisty plot that Fraction put together gave me a headache. Fortunate, then, I was enormously entertained by the whole affair. CASANOVA is a blast of pop energy, not taking itself too seriously and delivering maximum bang for the buck. Plus, it looks brilliant; Ba’s pages are simply gorgeous to look at. At $1.99 this, like FELL, is something you simply cannot ignore.

DORK TOWER #33
Written and Drawn by John Kovalic
Published by Dork Storm



After a long layoff, due to some cool real world distractions for Kovalic, DORK TOWER returns, as strong as ever. This issue puts the focus on Ken, as Kovalic continues to spread the spotlight out amongst the cast. Ken’s problems are two-fold; one, he’s struggling to write good game modules for his friends, because he lacks an inherent passion and zest that pushes his stories to the next level. And that problem informs the second issue facing him: he’s oblivious to the needs of the girl in his life. Kovalic makes Ken’s troubles as a writer feel very real; anyone who’s ever sat at the keyboard and couldn’t figure out how to make their story jump from “okay” to “great” knows exactly how he feels. And you don’t have to be a writer to know how hard it is to read the signals from your significant other that she’s being neglected. Throw in well-executed movement on Matt and Igor’s plots, too, and this is a strong return for a terrific book.

SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST #3
Written and Drawn by Josh Cotter
Published by AdHouse Books


I had the good fortune to read the first two SKYSCRAPERS back when they were published as mini-comics a couple of years ago (AdHouse reprinted them at standard floppy size). They had won the Isotope Award for minis, and deservedly so; Cotter was clearly an insane genius, melding the absurd with deep emotional pathos with alacrity. Issue three is more of the same. The main storyline involves a withdrawn fifth-grader whose name we never get, but we know him well. He’s shy, loves his toy robot and dinosaur, and is terrified of declaring his feelings for the girl he admires from afar. He also gets pushed around a lot. Even if we weren’t that kid, we knew him. But alongside that plot, we also follow the path of a giant robot wandering the plains and dealing with a bizarre pack of flying cats, and a lonely farmer who likes to wander the roadside picking up cans with his faithful dog. Someway, somehow, Cotter manages to make these plots work together and feel perfectly normal and logical. It’s quite a feat. Beautifully drawn, and cleverly put together around a design resembling a fifth grade yearbook, this is an excellent book.

ELEISON #1
Written by Elena Carillo and Drawn by Jaime Carillo
Published by Here There Be Monsters Press


ELEISON isn’t a standard comic. Instead, it’s an illustrated prose story. Set in 1833, we discover a young woman teacher with a strange sickness: a bloodthirst, a hunger, that causes her to attack a student as though she were a vampire. That sends a young priest named Peck out into the wild in the hopes of returning with a legendary clergyman named Jean-Marthe Baptiste who it is believed can solve the problem. Baptiste, known to the local Native American population as Waabooz (“Rabbit”) supposedly has experience with the supernatural. But with such a strange malady, it is unclear whether or not his experience will be enough. The illustrations by Jaime are really quite lovely, though they don’t really do much to push the tale along. They are very much a solid, literal translation of what we get from the text. The story itself is fine; I never felt as grounded in the environment as I’d have liked, but that is something that can be rectified as the book progresses. Solid, if unspectacular, debut.

AUTOPSYROTICA
Written and Illustrated by Chad Michael Ward
Published by NBM


This is about as dark and disturbing of a book as I’ve seen in a while. I’m fine with that, though.

AUTOPSYROTICA is a collection of illustrated photographs, accompanied by short text pieces that present a crisply inferred story. By illustrated photographs, I mean that Ward has used a model (usually a goth or fetish model), set up a scenario and captured it on film, and then gone to work with digital paints and other media in order to complete the picture. It’s a remarkable and deeply involving set of artistic creations. This book is about the conjunction of sex and death, and the illustrations here meld the two as though there is no separation between them at all. It would be easy to say that, looking at Ward’s work, there is nothing attractive about what he puts on the page here, but you have to look deeper than that. Yes, there’s a horror in many of his pieces, but in many of the others, there’s something beautiful simmering just below the surface. This is a challenging work, but an admirable one in the attempt. I wouldn’t recommend it to any but the most advanced and open-minded readers though.

RED SONJA #10-11
Written by Mike Oeming and Drawn by Mel Rubi, Pablo Marcos, and Lee Moder
Published by Dynamite Entertainment


Issue ten concludes the storyline wherein Sonja acquires a protégée much like herself, and it is quite satisfactorily executed. Oeming sends Sonja on the girl on their mission, and it feels genuinely like the title character has come fully alive on the page. She’s clever, caring, and really seems like she has her shit together. Of course, that can’t last, so issue eleven goes a long way towards putting her life in the toilet. I’m fine with that, as it’s a dramatic necessity, but the execution was off through the issue. As she faces a foe far stronger and smarter than her, there’s a sense that Sonja regresses needlessly; with this enemy, even at her fullest strength, it would take more for her to win. There’s also an added tragedy thrown into the mix, which again, didn’t feel completely necessary for the plot to achieve its aims. SONJA continues to be a solid book, but I’m reserving judgment as we see where the next issue, revealing the series’ main villain to date, takes the character.

ARMY OF DARKNESS #7-8
Written by Kames Kuhoric and Drawn by Kevin Sharpe
Published by Dynamite Entertainment


ARMY #7 concludes the “Old School” plotline, which sent Ash back out to that cabin in the woods where he lost the love of his life and his hand those many years ago. This has been the most fun the series has delivered to date; nothing feels more like a Bruce Campbell moment than kicking a severed head and shooting it with a shotgun while it’s still in the air. Funny stuff. But Kuhoric also manages to make the ending a bit sad, as Ash discovers that he can never even consider giving up the fight for a long, long time. Issue eight begins a new story, “Ash vs. Dracula”, and it gets off to kind of a disappointing and slow start. Kuhoric decides to start us at the end of the tale and tell it in flashbacks, which is a fine device… when your opening place is a whopper. But Ash’s situation at the start of this issue is kind of pedestrian. Sadly, Sharpe’s pencils, which get colored directly, also look a little loose in issue eight as well. Disappointing, but there’s room to recover.

PAINKILLER JANE #2
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Drawn by Lee Moder
Published by Dynamite Entertainment



On the other hand, this book delivers exactly what you bought it for: ridiculous, over-the-top action, story logic be damned. In issue one, the basically indestructible Jane took out a bad guy who was being guarded by dirty cops. Now, the cops want her dead, and only her insiders on the force feeding her information keep her a step ahead of the bullets. However, the bad guy from issue one had family, and they’ve taken the women he was keeping as slaves into their own home for nefarious purposes. So Jane’s job isn’t done, and more people are going to have to die. Daring escapes, rooftop gun battles, long falls from high windows… they’re all here. Palmiotti is smart enough to know that no one picks up this book expecting to find a sensitively told tale of a woman struggling with her inability to die. This is pure fun, and I dug it.

/Mason