Probably interesting if you're a big fan of his and want to know what happened inside his head over the past few years. He's clearly been through tougProbably interesting if you're a big fan of his and want to know what happened inside his head over the past few years. He's clearly been through tough times, but I don't think I care much about what he has to say, and how he chose to say it.. I'll keep reading Moonray though, that's a banger...more
Absolutely gorgeous art. This is JH Williams III coming right off of Promethea, and trying to capitalize on the creativity that poured out of that serAbsolutely gorgeous art. This is JH Williams III coming right off of Promethea, and trying to capitalize on the creativity that poured out of that series. In typical Williams fashion, it's a blend of art style, some rendered in ink, others in paint. And as usual, it's amazing. The layouts are less showy than usual, but still very much him. But the one thing that really struck me was the day he drew the action scenes. He really managed to capture the feeling of slow-mo in movies somehow, it's pretty wild !
On the story front, it's pretty typical Warren Ellis. A heightened take on noir thriller, with some slight scifi elements thrown in. Los Angeles has become a ghetto for ex-military experiments. Desolation Jones is one of those failed army trials, and the docs left him in a right sorry state. Now he works cleaning up this community, taking jobs handling the ones that went rogue. It's gritty as hell. To the point where, at least as far as Williams is concerned, it's deliberately made to be uncomfortable to read, to make you think about why we read stuff like this. Other than that, the story's nothing to really write home about. It's got twists and turns, sometimes too many, but it's not really anything revolutionary either. Definitely worth a read though...more
An erotic horror comic written and drawn with four hands. It's set in the 1600s at the start of the witch hunt craze. Ingrid, stuck in a miserable marAn erotic horror comic written and drawn with four hands. It's set in the 1600s at the start of the witch hunt craze. Ingrid, stuck in a miserable marriage, is having terrible nightmares of a dark figure coming to seduce her body. At the same time, her husband, the town bailiff, sentences his first witch to burn at the stake. Partly about the female condition under religious patriarchy, and about religion's relationship to lust and desire. Somna is a thriller of many twists and turns, that doesn't shy away from the erotic without resorting to pornography. Tula Moray and Becky Cloonan's almost opposing art styles complement each other wonderfully, creating an atmosphere that is as exciting as it is terrifying...more
A love letter to pulp comics as a whole. The start feels like those old war comics, until it morphs into a John Carter-esque scifi adventure with LoveA love letter to pulp comics as a whole. The start feels like those old war comics, until it morphs into a John Carter-esque scifi adventure with Lovecraftian undertones, only to end in a cosmic fight of Kirbian proportions. All of this framed through the eye of a reporter tagging along on a military mission. The writing and art are both pretty on point. McDaid's art has kind of an old-school feel that's just perfect for this. He goes from drawing the insides of a helicopter to the insides of a fallen alien god and somehow makes it feel cohesive.
All of that being said, it feels pretty forgettable overall.....more
A horror story set in the American Midwest, featuring teens and a cult. Nothing quite revolutionary, but it did get my heart racing quite a bit ! It aA horror story set in the American Midwest, featuring teens and a cult. Nothing quite revolutionary, but it did get my heart racing quite a bit ! It almost feels like the equivalent of an indie horror movie, a lot of the story being slice of life rather than horror. It's a good decent, slight philosophical musings fueled by teenage angst....more
This has very little to do with Dark Souls, and doesn't really have anything interesting to show or say outside of its titular ties to the series... TThis has very little to do with Dark Souls, and doesn't really have anything interesting to show or say outside of its titular ties to the series... The tone is all wrong, it just feels like generic dark fantasy. It doesn't have any of the grit or mystery of the video games. The lore is flat, and doesn't line up at all with the gales either, outside of a couple badly used references. The art is all right but nothing to marvel at either. Just a disappointment all around...more
I kind of drifted away from Brubaker and Phillips for a couple of years but I've been really enjoying their output again as of late. As usual, it's toI kind of drifted away from Brubaker and Phillips for a couple of years but I've been really enjoying their output again as of late. As usual, it's tonally pretty safe and expected but they're so masterful about it that I don't really mind. Though I'll say, this one is rife with subverted expectations ! Lots of twists and turns that I didn't quite see coming, making full use of its 150 page count. Brubaker tackles some very interesting themes in here, in a pretty poignant way. There's some PTSD, some religious guilt, general anxiety and the chaos of our modern world. His thoughts and fears reflected through all of his characters, amplifying every facet of the issue....more
I've been cautiously curious about DSTLRY's output, seeing as I've enjoyed some of these creators' Big Three works. I haven't quite been wowed yet.
JocI've been cautiously curious about DSTLRY's output, seeing as I've enjoyed some of these creators' Big Three works. I haven't quite been wowed yet.
Jock's Gone is a space thriller, that follows a young scavenger that gets stranded on a cruise ship during a scavenging mission gone sour. Visually, there's some great stuff in there. The space shits are gorgeous, as are most of the wide shots of the interior of the ship. Jock makes the place feel truly huge. Both lived in and desolate. It almost feels like a city rather than a spaceship. The close ups and action shots leave more to be desired. I still struggle with the way he draws people.. As far as the story goes, it's fairly predictable, riddled with clichés and absolutely overwritten. a good artist does not necessarily make a good writer......more
I get that he's trying to flesh out his world, and in that way this arc was kind of interesting, but it's literally just a side quest that leaves us aI get that he's trying to flesh out his world, and in that way this arc was kind of interesting, but it's literally just a side quest that leaves us at the exact same point we started at... Gorgeous as ever though...more
So I guess they ditched the original structure, which makes sense considering the last issue of the first arc, but not exactly in the way I would've eSo I guess they ditched the original structure, which makes sense considering the last issue of the first arc, but not exactly in the way I would've expected. Joan's timeline hopping is done for now. Instead we follow her over the course of an entire single life: getting married, having kids and grandkids, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I get the point of this in the larger narrative but, if I'm entirely honest, I thought it dragged a bit. Where the fifth issue got us infinitesimally closer to unraveling the mystery behind her unending rebirths, this just felt like a prolonged detour.
I'm still very much looking forward to where it leads, but hopefully it picks up a little in the third arc...more
This kind of feels like Burns doing a tired parody of himself.. The blasé suburban kids, the sexual imagery.. It just feels like a repeat of Black HolThis kind of feels like Burns doing a tired parody of himself.. The blasé suburban kids, the sexual imagery.. It just feels like a repeat of Black Hole but much less developed, without the aids background and everything. The art also had a much grainier feeling, but I'm not sure if that's just the digital arc I had...more
I was intrigued but not convinced by the first book, but I think I'm officially sold. I honestly didn't remember much of what happened going in, but tI was intrigued but not convinced by the first book, but I think I'm officially sold. I honestly didn't remember much of what happened going in, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the hell out of it. Graham is really leaning into the gamey side of it, with NPCs leaving quest markers for our character to follow. And the soulslike aspect of the world is still very much present. The story's still paper thin, but that didn't stop the soulsborne game from being my favorites either. The Xurxo G. Penalta chapter was also really cool, more of a Fallout vibe to it. It's crazy to me how different their art styles are, yet they both fit the world perfectly. Very cool seeing it through two different lenses like that.
Looking forward to where this goes ! Apparently there's an animated series in the works now, on top of the game !...more
A spinoff prequel to their neo-western comic That Texas Blood, this books tells the true story of the titular Enfield Gang Massacre. It's nothing too A spinoff prequel to their neo-western comic That Texas Blood, this books tells the true story of the titular Enfield Gang Massacre. It's nothing too deep, but if you enjoy a good western, this is sure to be for you. This is my first time reading a book by Jacob Phillips, aside from when he colored his father's art, and I can definitely say it runs in the family...more
Swan Songs is an anthology about endings. All written by Ice Cream Man's W. Maxwell Prince, and drawn by different artists. As such, I expected some kSwan Songs is an anthology about endings. All written by Ice Cream Man's W. Maxwell Prince, and drawn by different artists. As such, I expected some kind of cohesion, some "fil-rouge" or some statement on beginnings and endings and life and stuff. Not just a succession of stories on random gimmicky endings and a tacked on "all things end" poem on the final page. It feels more lie a venue to showcase some artists than an actual cohesive project.
Now that my rant is over, most of the stories are pretty decent ! If a little inconsequential.. And the art is gorgeous. I was only familiar with Martin Simmonds, Filipe Andrade and Martin Morazzo, who all killed it but had the least formally interesting scripts to work with. Alex Eckman-Lawn, who drew issue 5, particularly blew me away. He's very obviously influenced by Dave McKean's work. It's all multimedia collages that feature an insane blend of styles, it makes my head spin....more
I did not care for this at all... This was my first Matsumoto book, and it didn't look or feel like what I'd seen of either Ping Pong or TekkonkkinstrI did not care for this at all... This was my first Matsumoto book, and it didn't look or feel like what I'd seen of either Ping Pong or Tekkonkkinstreet. The art was much scratchier and crooked. The paneling and the shots were obviously good but the actual line art kinda hurt to look at. The story was boring and meaningless. Another book about the ins of manga making. It kind of starts to pick up towards the end but even then, the interactions between the characters don't make a lick of sense lmao. I guess maybe I just excepted something else than this. I won't be picking up vol 2 though that's for sure...more
A gothic horror reinterpretation of The Tragedy of Macbeth. Part Bloodborne, part Peaky Blinders. It's a whole lot of fun, and surprisingly true to thA gothic horror reinterpretation of The Tragedy of Macbeth. Part Bloodborne, part Peaky Blinders. It's a whole lot of fun, and surprisingly true to the original considering how wild it gets. The art is surprisingly cartoony for such a successful Shakespeare adaptation, but it's also wonderfully composed and strikingly colored. I honestly only looked at this because a client of ours is doing his thesis on Macbeth, but I'm very glad I read it !...more
Four ghost stories by four of comics' top talents, this should be good ! Well it's all right. None of them have it their best, but even their worst maFour ghost stories by four of comics' top talents, this should be good ! Well it's all right. None of them have it their best, but even their worst makes for some decently creepy fun. It worth it for the wonderfully Mignolian adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. Becky Cloonan's story was gorgeous as well...more
I'm not sure exactly what it is about Brandon Graham stuff.. It has absolutely every I should love, and yet I always struggle to really connect with iI'm not sure exactly what it is about Brandon Graham stuff.. It has absolutely every I should love, and yet I always struggle to really connect with it. So here's another books of his that I'm going to shower with compliments but I still only found mid.
Moonray is Graham's first foray into video games. That is to say, he's helping the creators develop the story and look of the game by writing a comic book set in their world. Said world is not dissimilar to what he's done before. Quirky psychedelic scifi, with vast desert expanses and weird little creatures. It's more streamlined, both visually and narratively. When Multiple Warheads had that Garage Hermétique energy, this is more Edena. And I don't bring up Moebius' name up for nothing. Everything is still very inspired by his work. From the world to the creatures and even the themes, everything screams Moebius to me, but with a more modern flair.
One thing that did surprise me, is how soulslike the story and world feel. We follow an unknown hero, who's guided by a crystal to find and help the goddess that created him. It's a very thin quest like story, but with an incredibly expansive world an lore. Dying gods, flying whales and sentient battleships... Every page is so chock full of world building, it entirely makes up for the lack of a proper story.
At some point the hero finds a sword, and it transforms into a sexy lady sidekick for absolutely no reasonable. Maybe that's what always bothers me with his stuff. There's constant reminders in his work that he's kind of a creep and probably abusive...
Anyway, I'm kind of looking forward to the game now !...more
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