Monday, October 31, 2016

ALL STAR RECOMMENDS FOR NOVEMBER 1ST


November is here and as eyes turn bewilderedly towards 2017, 2016 let out an old man rattle, said something along the lines of "Oh, I'm not done with you yet," and took Steve Dillon.

Dillon from all reports was a lovely man. He was also a preternaturally gifted artist who turned pro at the age of 16 (!!) and barely put down his pen from that moment on. He spent time drawing for Marvel UK, some incredible 2000AD work and was one of the brains behind Deadline magazine along with Brett Ewins. Among many features Deadline premiered was Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin's Tank Girl. Of course, he was most famous for his collaborations with Garth Ennis, chiefly a defining run on Hellblazer and the smash series Preacherand several incarnations of The Punisher with writers Ennis, Jason Aaron and the currently ongoing series with Becky Cloonan scripting. It was with Hellblazer, however, that he became a favourite of mine. His charismatic, smouldering characters, action sequences like snapshots frozen in time from some lost Peckinpah flick, ability to draw virtually anything (except animals) and his incredibly clean lines made his work instantly recognisable. With his death at the age of just 54, comics lost another beautifully individualistic voice. Thanks again 2016.

But it didn't end there. Jack T. Chick also died. Chick was the creator of what came to be called "Chick Tracts," fundamentalist Christian comic strips that warned readers to love the Lord or else. He was remarkably prolific and odds suggest you've likely come across his work at some point (I have a Chick Tract titled This Was Your Life that was found on a train). They really are horrible little things and their creator had a frightfully old-fashioned and generally abhorrent worldview. He was 92 and likely happy to be meeting what he believed to be his maker. I wonder if he's pleased. For more on Chick, this article is really worth a read, covering Chick the man, Chick's work and whether or not we can separate "the message of a work of art from the artistry it contains."


COMIC OF THE WEEK : ANCESTOR 
By Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward
Published By Image

Exhibit A in the argument as to why everyone should be reading Island, the Brandon Graham/Emma Rios curated comics anthology series is here, collected in a single trade paperback and ready to blow your mind. Ancestor is created by Matt Sheean and Malachi Ward, who share writing and artistic duties. Both script and colour, Sheean pencils and Ward inks and letters but the process is far more organic than that division of labour would indicate. Ward, it's also worth noting before moving on, has had a remarkable 2016 with From Now On, a collection of his short SF comics published by Alternative Comics earlier in the year showcasing a clearly restless and adventurous creator. 

Originally published in issues #3, #5, #7 and #11, Ancestor starts something like the comics equivalent of a Black Mirror episode, but ends up morphing into something Jack Kirby and Stanley Kubrick could easily have jammed on. 

It's the near future and the internet is in our heads, with information about those we encounter helpfully aiding us throughout the day, along with pop-ups for various services and programmes you can access that will help you make the perfect cocktail or counsel away your stresses. It's called The Service and it's kind of like staring at a person and seeing their entire Facebook, Twitter and Instagram history floating around their faces. It's undeniably helpful, but the obvious anxieties and pressures that this would manifest are embodied by the character of Peter Chardin, who we first meet running a complex meditative program and who clearly only grabs a brief moment's peace when he "loses" The Service at an event hosted by wealthy futurist and Service-sceptic Patrick Whiteside.

Whiteside has a different plan for technological betterment and The Service has no place in it - the dozens that attend his event find their inability to access The Service initially alarming. Whiteside assures them it's all part of the plan, reminding the attendees that their apprehension is drawn solely from having to rely on their own "feeble" minds instead of the access to instant, Service-provided facts. Naturally, Whiteside's plan is actually quite abhorrent in execution and as Chardin and his friends find the exits of his labyrinthine mansion barred, the creators rapidly escalate suspense and head towards a stunning pivot point. Culminating in mind-bending, epic and cosmic fashion, I'll leave the final quarter of the book for you to discover, but Ancestor concludes brilliantly and intelligently.

Sheean and Ward work as though a single entity. The collaboration feels seamless and the little bonus at the back of the collected edition discussing Ancestor's creation sees creative partners working hand in hand throughout the project. Their art is clean and packed with detail and the tech, from the floating bubbles of The Service to the various gadgetry attached to Whiteside's personal therapy chair, is a highlight. 

In addition, it's worth noting the production of the collected edition, which swaps the glossy paper of Island for matte, softening the colours and providing a warmer, more tactile reading experience although my bias towards matte paper may be showing here. All in all, Ancestor is one of the year's best comics SF experiences. It's also something I hope we see far more -- a single, self-contained story, ending with a virtual mic drop by the creators as they, hopefully, go on to top it. Ancestor is a remarkable comic that's likely flying under the radar in a year swelling with incredible work. If you like your techno-dystopia deep, dark, brain-frying and lovingly made, I encourage you to pick it up.


WEBCOMIC OF THE WEEK : CRAYONS
By Sammy Stein

Goddamn, this is incredible work. Turning the creation of comics into fine art is Sammy Stein, who appears to rewrite inter-dimensional rules by the end of Crayons. Beautiful, forward-thinking work that turns the grunt work of comics creation into comics itself.



COMICS VIDEO OF THE WEEK : IRON FIST NETFLIX TRAILER

Closing out this rather random week is the trailer for Netflix's Iron Fist based, of course, on the Marvel property. It's a couple of weeks old at this point but, hey, I hadn't seen it, maybe you haven't either. As a big Danny Rand fan, I'm pleased to see this looks as solid as Netflix's other Marvel offerings, although the inclusion of yet another hallway fight is kind of ridiculous unless it's all some big in-joke at Netflix HQ to get some sort of drinking game going. The money shot is when Iron Fist goes full...uh...Iron Fist and the effects looks pretty great as that translucent, white-hot looking fist powers up. Thumbs up.



See you next week. Love your comics


Cameron Ashley spends a lot of time writing comics and other things you'll likely never read. He's the chief editor and co-publisher of Crime Factory (www.thecrimefactory.com). You can reach him @cjamesashley on Twitter.

Sunday, October 30, 2016

New Comics For Wednesday 2nd of November


We hope that those of you that made it in for our Halloween Comicfest celebration enjoyed yourselves...but that was last week and now it time to prep for our LOCAL COMIC BOOK STORE / BACK ISSUE AND TOY SALE / ARTIST ASSEMBLY EXTRAVAGANZA. Keep your eyes peeled for details.
Until then...COMICS!

Reforming after the events of Civil War II (which still hasn't actually finished yet), a new era of Earth's Mightiest come together under the guided hand of Mark Waid and Mike Del Mundo in AVENGERS #1 NOW.

Everything that is old is new again and if you were a fan of 90's Marvel, what a time to be alive because now you can get back into FOOLKILLER #1 NOW taking a different twist on the Suicide Squad concept.

Sure villains start the fight but who is there to answer for the collateral damage after Superheroes swoop in to "save the day"? Make heroes accountable for their actions in OCCUPY AVENGERS #1 NOW.

Odinson, where have you been and why, oh why are you no longer worthy to wield that wonderful hammer? Hopefully Jason Aaron will provide some answers in UNWORTHY THOR #1 (OF 5) NOW.

Prime time to cash in on the madness that is the US Presidential Campaign with the return of DC's youngest President in CATWOMAN ELECTION NIGHT #1.

Alex De Campi sets us up with a new 70's spy thriller, MAYDAY #1 (OF 5) about two Russian spies in the US, trying to survive a failed mission, their superiors and each other. 

After years Brandon Graham finally puts his epic space drama to rest with PROPHET EARTH WAR #6 (OF 6).

Get up to speed before the new semester starts with the most recent collection for GOTHAM ACADEMY TP VOL 03 YEARBOOK. Keeping things in the DC classroom, the second release for the hugely popular DC Super Hero Girls series is finally here with DC SUPER HERO GIRLS TP VOL 02 HITS AND MYTHS.

Seen the film and want to delve deep into the the behind the scene aspect, why not check out MARVELS DOCTOR STRANGE ART OF MOVIE SLIPCASE HC.
Still at the movies but not so recent, revisit the childhood classic with Jim Henson's LABYRINTH ULTIMATE VISUAL HISTORY HC

Hopefully our missing stock from the other week of indie comic giant, Box Brown's latest release about the story of the programmers behind perhaps the world's most famous video game in TETRIS GAMES PEOPLE PLAY GN.

Sounding like a supernatural Mad Max, Ulises Farinas latest from BOOM, MOTRO #1 (OF 10) definitely seems like it is worth the look in!

After a short break from his previous series finishing, Terry Moore is back at the drawing board with his latest MOTOR GIRL #1 about a girl and her junkyard that has attracted the interest of passing aliens?

Charles Burns wraps up his triptych series that started with X'ed and continued in Hive in surreal fashion that we have come to expect from him with LAST LOOK GN

A massive week for new manga releases for us and two at the top of the list are the latest ONE PUNCH MAN GN VOL 09 and JOJOS BIZARRE ADV STARDUST CRUSADERS HC VOL 01.

A loving tribute to an amazing man, check out MUHAMMAD ALI HC an original graphic novel making it clear why he was the greatest.

A lovely week, filled with lovely comics. Something special you need as to reserve for you, be sure to let us know before Wednesday morning.



MARVEL
AVENGERS #1 NOW
CHAMPIONS #2
DEADPOOL AND MERCS FOR MONEY #5
DEATH OF X #3 (OF 4)
FOOLKILLER #1 NOW
MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ULTRON REVOLUTION #5
MOON KNIGHT #8
OCCUPY AVENGERS #1 NOW
SCARLET WITCH #12
SPIDER-MAN 2099 #17
SPIDER-WOMAN #13 NOW
SPIDEY #12
UNWORTHY THOR #1 (OF 5) NOW

DC COMICS
AQUAMAN #10 VAR ED
BATMAN #10 VAR ED
BATMAN 66 MEETS STEED AND MRS PEEL #5 (OF 6)
CATWOMAN ELECTION NIGHT #1 VAR ED
CYBORG #4 VAR ED
DARK KNIGHT III MASTER RACE #6 (OF 8) COLLECTORS ED (RES)
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #19
DEATH OF HAWKMAN #2 (OF 6)
FLINTSTONES #5 VAR ED
GREEN ARROW #10 VAR ED
GREEN LANTERNS #10 VAR ED
HARLEY QUINN #7 VAR ED
JUSTICE LEAGUE #8 VAR ED
MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO #2 (OF 6)
NIGHTWING #8 VAR ED
SHADE THE CHANGING GIRL #2 VAR ED
SUPERMAN #10 VAR ED

VERTIGO
EVERAFTER FROM THE PAGES OF FABLES #3
RED THORN #12
SHERIFF OF BABYLON #12 (OF 12)
UNFOLLOW #13

BOOM
ADVENTURE TIME #57
ADVENTURE TIME COMICS #4
BIG TROUBLE LITTLE CHINA ESCAPE NEW YORK #2
GIANT DAYS #20
GOLDIE VANCE #7 (OF 7)
MOTRO #1 (OF 10)
OVER GARDEN WALL ONGOING #7
REGULAR SHOW #40
STRANGE FRUIT #4
WOODS #27

DARK HORSE
CRYPTOCRACY #5
RISE OF THE BLACK FLAME #3 (OF 5)
WORLD OF TANKS #2

DYNAMITE
AOD XENA FOREVER AND A DAY #2 (OF 6)
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA GODS & MONSTERS #1
BOO WORLDS CUTEST DOG #3 (OF 3)
MYOPIA SPECIAL #1

IDW
POWERPUFF GIRLS (2016) #4
REVOLUTION #4 (OF 5)
ROM #4
TRANSFORMERS TILL ALL ARE ONE REVOLUTION #1

IMAGE
BITCH PLANET #9
DEADLY CLASS #23
ECLIPSE #3
EDENS FALL #3
MAYDAY #1 (OF 5)
NAILBITER #26
PROPHET EARTH WAR #6 (OF 6)
REVIVAL #44
SOUTHERN BASTARDS #15
WALKING DEAD #160
WICKED & DIVINE #23

ONI
RICK & MORTY #19
RICK & MORTY LIL POOPY SUPERSTAR #4 (OF 5)

VALIANT
FAITH (ONGOING) #5

MISC
23 SKIDOO ONE SHOT
AMERICAN MONSTER #5
ANIMOSITY #3
CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2016
DISNEY FROZEN #2
JADE STREET PROTECTION SERVICES #2
JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS #2
LADY MECHANIKA LA DAMA DE LA MUERTE #2 (OF 3)
MOTOR GIRL #1
ROUGH RIDERS #7

TRADES
ABSOLUTE BATMAN YEAR ONE HC
ALEISTER & ADOLF HC
ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM GN VOL 12
ATTACK ON TITAN ANTHOLOGY BM ED
BAND FOR LIFE HC
BEYOND THE WESTERN DEEP GN VOL 02
BLEACH GN VOL 68
CASE CLOSED GN VOL 60
CENTURION & EMPERADOR HC
CHARLES BURNS LAST LOOK GN
CIVIL WAR II AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP
CLIVE BARKERS GREAT & SECRET SHOW DLX ED HC
COMPLETE ELFQUEST TP VOL 03
DARK KNIGHT RETURNS COLLECTORS EDITION BOX SET
DAVE MCKEAN CAGES TP 2ND ED
DC SUPER HERO GIRLS TP VOL 02 HITS AND MYTHS
DEATH SAVES FALLEN HEROES O/T KITCHEN TABLE HC
DRIFTER TP VOL 03 LIT BY FIRE
FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 56
FAITH TP VOL 02 CALIFORNIA SCHEMING
FASTER THAN LIGHT TP VOL 02
GOTHAM ACADEMY TP VOL 03 YEARBOOK
KABUKI LIBRARY HC VOL 04
JIM HENSONS LABYRINTH ARTIST TRIBUTE HC
JOJOS BIZARRE ADV STARDUST CRUSADERS HC VOL 01
LABYRINTH ULTIMATE VISUAL HISTORY HC
LAST TEMPLAR GN VOL 02 KNIGHT IN CRYPT
LEGEND OF ZELDA LEGENDARY ED GN VOL 01 OCARINA TIM
LIVES HC
MANARA EROTICA TP 01
MARVELS DOCTOR STRANGE ART OF MOVIE SLIPCASE HC
MEGATOKYO OMNIBUS TP VOL 02
MIKE NORTONS BATTLEPUG HC VOL 05 PAWS OF WAR
MONSTER HUNTER FLASH HUNTER GN VOL 04
MS MARVEL OMNIBUS HC VOL 01
MUHAMMAD ALI HC
MUTTS AUTUMN DIARIES TP
MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER OMNIBUS TP VOL 01
NAILBITER TP VOL 05 BOUND BY BLOOD
ONE PIECE GN VOL 80
ONE PUNCH MAN GN VOL 09
ONLY LIVING BOY GN VOL 03 ONCE UPON A TIME
OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA HC BOOK 01
POKEMON XY GN VOL 08
RED SONJA FALCON THRONE TP
SKYLANDERS DIVE DIVE DIVE HC
STAR WARS HEROES FOR NEW HOPE HC
STAR WARS PROPAGANDA HIST OF PERSUASIVE ART IN GAL
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE HC VOL 01 RETURN OF PURPLE PI
SUPER MARIO ADVENTURES GN
SUPERMAN THE MAN OF STEEL TP VOL 09 
TETRIS GAMES PEOPLE PLAY GN
THOR EPIC COLLECTION TP WHEN TITANS CLASH
UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL HC VOL 01
VENUS TP (C: 0-1-2)
WALT DISNEY DONALD DUCK HC VOL 08 TERROR BEAGLE BO
WALT DISNEY DONALD DUCK HC VOL 09 GHOST SHERIFF LA
WALT DISNEY DONALD DUCK GN VOL 02 SHERIFF BULLET V
WAR OF KINGS OMNIBUS HC
WONDER WOMAN 75 BOX SET
WOODS TP VOL 05


BACK IN STOCK

SPAWN KILLS EVERYONE ONE SHOT 3RD PTG

Monday, October 24, 2016

ALL STAR RECOMMENDS: HALLOWEEN COMICFEST SPOOKTACULAR!

 

Halloween! Yes the greatest day of the year draws near. Forget the empty calories and regretful sugar comedowns that come with candy binges, for there are comics on offer this Saturday and they are ALL FREE! Yes, Halloween comes early. Praise Cthulhu.

In order to make sure the Comicfest swag was adequately previewed, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, said "Halloween Comicfest" five times and, lo, most of them appeared at the measly cost of my soul, my firstborn and my tickets to next month's Angel Olsen gig. Consider these comics good for All Ages unless marked like this: (M) or I seem particularly apprehensive about their content in the mini-reviews.


ACTION LAB PRESENTS (ACTION LAB)

It's all uphill from here, folks, I promise!

Featuring samples from four Action Lab titles, Action Lab Presents is a pretty ho-hum affair. Opening with a title called Miraculous, you have to be concerned when you see a credit listed as "Art arranged by Cheryl Black." Now, I'm not sure if Cheryl's done all the work here or what (the credits are kind of unclear), but if you like entirely computer generated art in your comics, boy, you're in for a treat. I do not, so let's move on as I have no real idea what's going on here story-wise. It appears to be based on some sort of card game. I'd clarify that but I can't really be bothered. Sam Ellis and Christy Blanch's Monster Dojo rests solely on a Karate Kid gag that's sure to go over the heads of its target audience, but with a gaggle of cartoony monsters, the kids might have some fun with this nonetheless, I guess. Ghouls Scouts by Steve Bryant and Mark Stegbauer is kind of like Oni's Junior Braves of the Apocalypse (in which scouts battle zombies) but...well, not as good. That might be a bit unfair as there are only six pages presented so give it a read and judge for yourself. Rounding things off is a four-page sample from the ongoing Puppet Master comic based, yes, on those horror movies of the same name.  It's a little strange to have a "Teen Plus" comic included with all this All Ages fare, but alarmed parentals be cool - this is a pretty innocuous inclusion, no puppet murder-carnage, I swear.


(M) AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE HALLOWEEN COMICFEST EDITION (ARCHIE)

Note: as this is rated Teen Plus "for violence and mature content," I've marked it (M) to be on the safe side.

Perhaps I've read to many comics too quickly in putting this column together, but I'm struck by how Afterlife With Archie, underneath it all, may be a comment on life as a fictional comic book character, doomed to entertain the masses, month after month, incarnation after incarnation, never finding peace, not even in death...

For the fans of this series, this Halloween Comicfest edition of Afterlife With Archie is the first issue of the second story arc, presented in black, white and grey. For newcomers, Afterlife With Archie brings the zombie apocalypse to Riverdale. Gone is the Dan DeCarlo cartoonishness to the art and the milkshakes and "aw, shucks" stories - this is serious business. It's also pretty good. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's scripts bring both the soapiness and the drama of The Walking Dead and filters that back through the sprawling cast's well-established inter-personal relationships. Artist Francesco Francavilla brings noir-ish moodiness and the perfect balance between the cartoonishness of the old-school Archie with the realism of someone like Sean Phillips. I've not read the second arc, but this issue is a strong start. In many ways, this is the series that spawned not only the line-wide Archie reboots but I bet that without this, you don't have DC's Scooby Doo and other Hanna-Barbera books (see way down below). Grab this little trendsetter if curious.


ASPEN PRESENTS: THE ADVENTURES OF THE ASPEN UNIVERSE (ASPEN)

Something felt a little off about Aspen's All Ages Comicfest book at first glance. Artist Siya Oum attractively cartoons the whole thing in black and white but the pages feel somehow empty. However, upon arriving at a colouring activity page I realised that the whole book is really designed to be coloured by you and/or your kids. There's word puzzles, dot-to-dots and more also included but, seriously, grab those Derwents out because there's literally hours upon hours of colouring to do here. If this is all an accident, it's a very happy one, but I'm going to give Aspen the benefit of the doubt here and say good job to them - even if that cliffhanger at the end of the book's second story, Charismagic: Sparkle, is a little cruel. You don't have a little cat running in terror from a clearly predatory bear in a kids book and leave it at that, guys...


(M) BLACK-EYED KIDS (AFTERSHOCK)

Nice to see new publisher on the block, Aftershock, getting in on the action with a black and white reprint of the debut issue of Black-Eyed Kids by writer Joe Pruett and artist Szymon Kudranski, whose artwork looks so good in black and white I almost don't want to see the regular coloured issue. All set up here, as a sleepwalking teen alarms the rest of his family and a group of black eyed teenagers commit seemingly random acts of violence across town. Pruett scripts us an intriguing start to the series, with the kids' black eyes and expressionless faces kind of looking like Michael Myers masks thanks to Kudranski's black and white art - which is supremely detailed and uses photographic backgrounds almost like manga artists Inio Asano and Hiroya Oku. It's an interesting and moody effect.

Well worth a look, it's also good to see that collected editions of various Aftershock series are beginning to roll off the pressers. I hope they do well. Black-Eyed Kids #1 is an effective start to the series. It's clearly in no hurry, a good thing, taking its time to build atmosphere and tension to what hopefully is a major payoff down the line.

 

BOOM! BOX HALLOWEEN HAUNT 2016

The second of many squeeze-'em-in samplers this year, Boom! Box wisely kick things off with a self-contained (I'm pretty sure, I'm a little behind) Lumberjanes story by Shannon Watters and Caret Pitesch all about mix tapes, the joys of music and the pitfalls of "cool." Super sweet stuff. Giant Days by John Allison and Max Sarin has been stealing a lot of hearts so it's nice to read some of that - shame it's just three pages worth. The quality is there, no doubt, and this recap of a group of teenage girls adventures functions well as an introduction to the characters even if it seems to spoil every adventure they've had to date. I can literally tell you nothing about James Tynion IV (does he really need the "IV"?) and Rian Sygh's Backstagers from the two pages presented here. It looks like good comics but I'm not sure who's going to pick the series up based on this alone. Same with Goldie Vance by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams - again, solid comics, talented creators. No idea what's happening.

Boom! Box's effort highlights the joys and frustrations of the comics sample package. It all feels too random, difficult to connect with, despite the obvious quality of the work on offer. Pick this up for Lumberjanes, everything else is a bonus. Looking at it like that, you can't really go wrong.


DC SUPERHERO GIRLS (DC)

Not particularly in the spirit of the day, but you can't really blame DC for loading up this year's offering with hot properties.  DC Superhero Girls' free Halloween offering contains a few scenes from an original graphic novel titled "Hits and Myths" which is Homer's Odyssey via Superheroes gone kiddie. This is bright and bouncy stuff by writer Shea Fontana, artist Yancey Labat and colourist Monica Kubina, tossing a selection of de-aged DC characters into a school together who somehow find the time to fight super-crime on the side. It's perfect entry-level comics really, candy-coloured and wholesome but comes with pretty dead-on characterisation all round, even considering Etrigan The Demon is one of the girls' teachers and the throwaway villain at its opening is rather lamely named "Lion Mane." Sheesh. Jack Kirby probably dreamed up fifty throwaway, lets'-get-things-moving villains every day and none of them were ever that bad...


DISNEY: TIM BURTON'S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (TOKYOPOP)

So I actually opened this up and thought there had been some sort of printing error. Readers will have to work harder than they should to figure out what Tokopop's offering actually is -- a slice of Jun Asuka's manga adaptation of Tim Burton's enduring animated classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. I only know this because I bothered to turn to the inside back cover (this edition reads as manga - right to left) make sure my glasses were on correctly and peer at the tiny box advertising the full details of this project.  Shame. This is an intriguing and well-crafted effort, from what's offered here at least, with Asuka's pages easily transmuting Burton's gothic stop-motion into heavily toned, scratchily inked manga. I did the research Tokyopop couldn't be bothered doing for this project -- this adaptation was created back in 2004 and its creator only professionally debuted the year before. Handsome work by Asuka. Terrible she's not credited properly by the publishers.


GRUMPY CAT HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 2016 (DYNAMITE)

As with this licenced property's FCBD offering, Grumpy Cat Halloween Comicfest totally overachieves. "I Know What You Did Last Summer, I Just Don't Care," by Ben Fisher and Steve Uy fills the bulk of this minicomic offering, as Grumpy Cat and sidekick Pokey chat about the year's best holidays and visit a haunted house.

Dump trucks of Grumpycash should be unloaded onto Uy's front lawn ASAP to keep him on this property as his lively, witty cartooning is the reason to pick up the book. Look for the stellar cover featuring the titular feline in the rain, JasonVoorhees-style hockey mask askew just enough to make out his trademark grumpy scowl. Fun stuff.


HARLEY QUINN AND THE SUICIDE SQUAD SPECIAL EDITION (DC)

Quick note: Marked T for teen.

Yeaaahhhh, look I don't think it's unkind of me to suggest that this is not artist Jim Lee's finest work but this free comic is an intriguing sample of the rebooting of Suicide Squad into what the publishers surely hope will be a long-term A-list property. I'm guessing the material is drawn from Suicide Squad: Rebirthvand given a new #1 because DC, but don't punch me if this is incorrect as this is not really my area of expertise.

Anyway. This issue is scripted by Rob Williams (whose Vertigo book Unfollow is really worth a look) and largely drawn by Lee and a slew of apparently very harried inkers. The highlight for me, however, is a middle section drawn by Sean "Cheeks" Galloway, who gives Harley Quinn's hallucinatory expository sequence some beautifully curved and expressive cartooning, something like a glossier Tiny Titans, that makes the eventual return to Lee all the more jarring. Still, those curious about all this DC Rebirthing going on or even those just looking for a window into the world of the Suicide Squad post-movie should grab this unreservedly (and then maybe buy the John Ostrander-scripted collections of the original series. That's the good stuff right there!).


(M) HARROW COUNTY #1 (DARK HORSE)

Wise move by Dark Horse here, bringing the atmospheric and perfectly Halloweeny Harrow County back in this freebie edition. I've reviewed this issue before, back upon the launch of this successful series. Nobody minds if I cut and paste that, right? But first, one quick thing to note for completists: this edition comes with a brand new cover by artist Tyler Crook.

There are things not of this realm loose in Harrow County, supernatural beings known as ‘haints.’ Emmy, on the cusp of her eighteenth birthday, feels the pull of the big city just as the mysteries and the paranormal entities of her hometown begin to truly make their presence known to her.

Steeped in the ghostly, Harrow County #1 by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook reads like an unearthed slice of classic American supernatural fiction The creators are immediately at home in their fictional landscape, with Bunn spinning an engrossing camp-fire creeper of a narrative (which, interestingly, grew from a novel Bunn abandoned) over Crook’s rich, earthy and distinctive painted artwork.

The creators have produced a stellar debut, one that’s unsettling yet somehow warm, and it’s easily worthy of the advance buzz that it’s generated.  Harrow County #1 is a must for horror comics fans and is a wonderful edition to Dark Horse’s ever-expanding line of sharp, smart and dark titles.


JOHNNY BOO AND THE PUMPKIN TIGER (TOP SHELF/IDW)

I had no idea beloved cartoonist James Kolchaka had produced so much Johnny Boo material but (take note Tokyopop - this is how you do it), thanks to the inside front cover, I learned that there are seven volumes currently available, the first five of which can be purchased in a bargain-priced slipcase that I myself might have to add to my shelf.

School Library Journal called Johnny Boo "A landmark book for the kindergarten crowd" and it's hard to disagree. In this little sampler, our little ghost with the ducktail hairdo goes skateboarding without a helmet (uh oh!), gets lectured by little ghost pal Squiggle, accidentally summons The Ice Cream Monster and discovers the existence of pumpkin patch-guarding Pumpkin Tiger. Phew. That's a lot for such a little comic and Kolchaka's absurdist little story is virtually guaranteed to keep the little ones giggling. Thumbs way up.


LITTLE TAILS ON HALLOWEEN! (MAGNETIC PRESS)

Oh my goodness, this is adorable.

Frederic Brremaud and Frederico Bertolucci's Little Tails is the adventures of a puppy and a squirrel named Chipper and Squizzo exploring the wilderness around their home, learning about animals and nature and having a good deal of fun in the process. Educational? Sure. Most importantly though, Little Tails is *gorgeous* with each page featuring a central painted image with sequential penciled panels up top and bottom of each page that look like lost storyboard images from a sadly never completed animated film.

Struggling to come up with Halloween costume ideas, Chipper and Squizzo look outdoors for inspiration, finding the creepiest critters they can. With a maze and a word puzzle included, Little Tails on Halloween packs interactivity with its education. Sleeper hit of Halloween Comicfest? Yep. Ensure you grab this.


MUMMY'S ALWAYS RIGHT (COMIX TRIBE)

Gaws is a kid who also happens to be a mummy. His mummy is also a mummy and she is, apparently, always right. In this installment of Joe Mulvey's Mummy's Always Right, Gaws attempts to pick a Halloween costume - difficult to do when you’re already one yourself and runs an imaginary gauntlet of comic book ideas, told over a sequence of splash pages, as he imagines himself in the garb of various costumed heroes and villains. Shout-out to colourist Jules Rivera here, who elevates Mulvey's cartooning greatly with some really nice and painterly work. Not the most memorable effort of the day but this is cute, inoffensive stuff, perfect for kidlettes of all ages.


MY LITTLE PONY: HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 2016

It's My Little Pony. You'll either be inclined to pick this up or not, I'd imagine. I know nothing about this property (sorry!), but this comic by writer Rob Anderson and artist Amy Mebberson looks like pretty solid All Ages pony fare to me. Perhaps I'm going crazy, but I almost swear there's a Tezuka Unico bounce to the posture some of Mebberson's ponies and extra points to the team for actually delivering on the theme -- spooky dreams, missing books and apparitions all make their way through the story. It's all harmless though, so saddle up pony lovers of all ages.


QUILTE (COMIX TRIBE)

So apparently Comix Tribe is putting out something called C Is For Cthulhu: The Lovecraft Alphabet Book which, I have to be honest, I kind of wish was their Comicfest giveaway despite how intriguing John Lees and Iain Laurie's Quilte actually is. The best way to describe Quilt is also the most unfair- but I'm going to do it anyway. A kind of underground comix version Clean Room, Quilte sees Dr. Karla Quilte, Dream Therapist, entering her patient's dream states to help them overcome severe traumas. Things, as they must in horror comics, go awry...

It's tonally dark stuff, with artist Iain Laurie playing a Dave Cooper goes Doctor Strange riff (another unfair comparison, sorry guys!) over the course of these bad acid trip pages, with clever layouts aplenty. Apparently, the duo also completed a project called And Then Emily Was Gone, which I'm keen to take a look at. For adults and older teens, I'd say, Quilte may well fly under the radar but it is generously sized and really worth a look. Now where's that Lovecraft Alphabet book at?


PEACH AND THE ISLE OF MONSTERS (ACTION LAB/AW YEAH COMICS!)

A bewildering, Bendis-storm of word balloons will confront the young reader who picks this effort up, but expositional info-dumps aside, Peach and The Isle of Monsters by writer Franco Aureliani (dial it back a bit, Franco!) and artist Agnes Garbowska has a lot to like about it. Featuring a feisty heroine, Peach, who apparently was born of a peach, who takes an ancient sword and attempts to stop the creatures on the Isle of Monsters that steal from her village nightly, this is a good little teaser overall with some decent cartooning...but man, those word balloons....


SCOOBY APOCALYPSE AND HANNA BARBERA PREVIEW EDITION (DC)

Sandwiched into this Comicfest freebie are pages from each of DCs four Hanna-Barbera re-imaginings, Scooby Apocalypse, Future Quest, Wacky Raceland and The Flintstones. There's not really enough of any of them here to critique except to say that each of the four titles looks way better than expected (Future Quest excepted - that was the title that initially made rock solid sense to me). 

So what is going on here? Well, Scooby and the gang face a monster-filled apocalypse thanks to writers Keith Giffen and J.M DeMatteis (whose work on various Justice League books in the '80s remains an all-time DC highlight) and artist Howard Porter (whose work has improved immeasurably since his tenure on the Grant Morrison helmed Justice League of the '90s). Jonny Quest and Hadji team up with the more "super-heroic" characters of the Hanna-Barbera stable, including Space Ghost, Birdman and The Herculoids, in Future Quest. Scripted by Jeff Parker, Future Quest steals the show, as it should with the *beautiful* art by Evan "Doc" Shaner and the legendary Steve "The Dude" Rude. Editorial deserves a huge pat on the back for assembling this creative team - it's pitch perfect comic creator casting. The Flinstones go grown-up thanks to writer Mark Russell and criminally underrated artist Steve Pugh who looks to be putting out career-best work on this title, which is kind of mind-boggling when you think about it. Rounding things out is Wacky Races by writer Ken Pontac and veteran artist Leonardo Manco whose computer-aided, hyper-detailed artwork breathes new life into Dick Darstardly, Muttley and co. It's comics as Hors d'oeuvres, all in all, not something I'm usually in favour of as these things tend to get a little muddled, but as pure promotion Scooby Apocalypse and Hanna-Barbera Preview Edition is a success.

Interestingly, like all three DC offerings, the Hanna-Barbera sample is geared toward moving collected editions rather than monthlies and I have to say, it makes a pretty compelling argument to pick them all up...


 

SPIDEY #1 (MARVEL)

Apparently containing material taken from an oversized Treasury Edition (Treasury Editions are back? That's so great!) is writer Robbie Thompson and artist Nick Bradshaw's Spidey #1. Nothing really Halloweeny going on here, but what readers will find is classic Spider-Man - Pete fights a villain, Pete goes to High School, Pete has to act dumb in front of Gwen Stacey while Spider-Man beats up Doctor Octopus (lifting something unbearably heavy in the process), Pete goes home to Aunt May. It's pretty paint-by-numbers stuff on the surface, a "greatest hits" kind of Spidey story, but here's the thing - there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Thompson's script is simple and straightforward, cramming an origin into a single opening page and clearly and concisely rolling his story out thereafter. Bradshaw, however, looks like an absolute superstar here. His Spider-Man is lithe and expressive despite the mask, his art is detailed and fun - he's still channelling Arthur Adams but there's a lot more going on here than just imitation. All in all, this is a solid introduction to the character for new Spider-Man fans and a reminder, perhaps, of how you can still make classic, simple stories in the Stan Lee mould work seamlessly in 2016. Really good.


TOMIE (VIZ)

Note: Marked Older Teen.

Ahead of December's can't-miss complete hardcover collection, Viz's Tomie Comicfest edition will have fans of weird horror rubbing their hands together gleefully. Tomie, the femme fatale who returns from the grave over and over again, capable of making any man do her bidding, is one of the prototypes of the J-Horror monstrous women and it's a treat to see one of her bizarre tales given away. Fans of her creator, Junji Ito, will love seeing his artwork at regular comics size and "Mansion," the story given away, packs in Ito's trademark weirdness and talent at creating truly unsettling situations as well as some of the most striking body horror ever seen in comics.

"Mansion" is part Gothic, part psychodrama, part body horror romp but the less said about this the better, really. Horror is difficult to do effectively in comics but what the medium excels at is its ability to bend our reality into disquieting new shapes. There aren't many creators as adept at doing this as effectively as Junji Ito. If you like horror, you must pick up Tomie.


THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL: YOU CHOOSE THE STORY (MARVEL)

Another not particularly Halloweeny entry, but one that's a tonne of fun nonetheless is The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: You Choose The Story #1, which is actually #7 of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl reprinted as a new #1 because Marvel.

Anyway, I literally just realised after all these years that the name "Squirrel Girl" makes a lot more sense when pronounced in a North American accent. I also just realised that I'll have to start reading this series at some point soon because it's really very good. Introduced by none other than Galactus himself is this "Squirrel Girl simulator" issue in which you can choose what Squirrel Girl does over the course of several adventures. Writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson are clearly having a ball here as our heroine battles The Swarm, Bonehead and homework over the course of this self-contained issue, and this unique series really feels like something of an outlier in this era of supposedly editorially driven corporate comics. Oh, and Koi Boy. Haha. Koi Boy...Good times.

 

WRAITHBORN (BENITEZ PRODUCTIONS)

Joe Benitez's Wraithborn #1 gets its '90s-styled pages reprinted in this freebie. Featuring a teen schoolgirl by day, supernatural slayer by night, Wraithborn feels a bit like "Todd MacFarlane's Buffy" if that makes any sense, with a script (by Marcia Chen) that somehow feels pretty plodding despite all manner of stuff exploding off the page in angular panels. I much preferred Benitez's FCBD offering, Lady Mechanika but fans of the particular comics dynamism that Benitez admittedly excels at will find much to like amidst all the glowing swords and armoured beasties.


See you next week. Love your comics.



Cameron Ashley spends a lot of time writing comics and other things you'll likely never read. He's the chief editor and co-publisher of Crime Factory (www.thecrimefactory.com). You can reach him @cjamesashley on Twitter.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

New Comics For Wednesday 26th of October


Just a couple of points of interest before we get on to this week's list..


HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29TH 

We are getting the store ready and hope you join us on Saturday 29th of October for a ghoulishly great day out.
Aside for free comics, free sketches from spooktacular local talent and of course free candy, we'll also have a number of other creepy (actually more fun than creepy) things going on around the store the whole day. 
Check in with our event page on Facebook for all the latest details and hopefully see you there!


ALL STAR WOMEN'S COMIC BOOK CLUB OCTOBER MEET UP
Saturday, 29th of October
Time: 5pm-6:30pm 

Also on Saturday is the next All Star Women's Comic Book Club, which this month will feature BITCH PLANET VOL 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro.

The All Star Women’s Comic Club is open to all levels of women readers! Don't stress if you haven't read this month's book, as long as you have a interest in talking comics, you are more than welcome!

Now, COMICS!

Just before Halloween and hot on the heels of the new film, what better time to check out the new series of Doc Strange bringing together a super team of Marvel's greatest wielders of the Dark Arts in DOCTOR STRANGE SORCERERS SUPREME #1.

Killed and resurrected on the job by a Spidey foe to do his bidding as a double agent. Working with Spider-Man ain't all it's cracked up to be as we find out in PROWLER #1.

Some of the last of the original DC Rebirth line up finally get their proper debut this week with, BATMAN BEYOND #1 and TEEN TITANS #1.

Evil is what happens when the good people stand by and do nothing could not be truer for the first issue of this DC new mini, VIGILANTE SOUTHLAND #1 (OF 6).

A stand alone issue filled cover to cover with an all star line up of talent showcasing the very best of one of comicdom's most iconic characters in WONDER WOMAN 75TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1.

Nothing will ever stop the love for Joss Whedon's fan favourite space western series. Getting the chance to read more tales from the Firefly-verse is always a big deal, so be sure to check in with SERENITY NO POWER IN THE VERSE #1 (OF 6) this week.

Rick Remender's latest outing in his new western dark fantasy world was a huge hit, so definitely don't miss out on the second issue in SEVEN TO ETERNITY #2.

Hickman and Dragotta takes us deeper into their futuristic western, end of the world epic in the latest, EAST OF WEST TP VOL 06.

And still on the western theme, Cullen Bunn's supernatural gunslinging series comes to an end in SIXTH GUN TP VOL 09 BOOT HILL.

Not content to leave the medium of comics once he finished the Fight Club 2 comic, writer Chuck Palahniuk now invites you to help be part of his latest series of stories by colouring in the art of BAIT HC OFF COLOR STORIES FOR YOU TO COLOR.

One of Marvel's finest new series has been Waid and Samnee's BLACK WIDOW TP VOL 01 SHIELDS MOST WANTED. Non stop spy action and adventure, this is a must for any fans of an esponiage tale.

With fans chomping at the bit for more classic scarlet speedster collections, DC happily obliged with the next in the series FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS TP BOOK 03.


GOODNIGHT BATCAVE HC might be the perfect bedtime storybook for anyone with kids who are hoping for sweet dream about their favourite heroes. 

After years of waiting Dark Horse is giving us the chance to view the stunning works of master artist Moebius with a new series of hardcovers, the first being MOEBIUS LIBRARY WORLD OF EDENA HC.

We've said it once, we'll say it again, the book is called WOLFCOP #1, how else could we possible upsell this?! Impossible!

Ride high on a sweet wave of video game nostalgia with a detailed look back at the incredible box art of the 80's home entertainment heavy weight in ART OF ATARI HC.

And finally the latest Previews to cap off a great week, so be on the look out of the next Previews album up later this week!

A lot to like here. If you happen on something you'd like us to stash, just be sure to let us know before Wednesday morning to get you sorted!

MARVEL
AGENTS OF SHIELD #10 CW2
ALL NEW ALL DIFFERENT AVENGERS #15 CW2
CAPTAIN AMERICA STEVE ROGERS #6 CW2
CHAMPIONS NO TIME FOR LOSERS #1
CIVIL WAR II #6 (OF 8)
DEADPOOL #21
DOCTOR STRANGE MYSTIC APPRENTICE #1
DOCTOR STRANGE SORCERERS SUPREME #1 NOW
EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN #15
GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #13 CW2
GUIDE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE AGENTS CARTER SEASON ONE #1
MARVEL TSUM TSUM #3 (OF 4)
MARVEL UNIVERSE ULT SPIDER-MAN VS SINISTER SIX #4
MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #12
MS MARVEL #12 NOW
NEW AVENGERS #17 CW2
NIGHTHAWK #6
PROWLER #1 CC
PUNISHER ANNUAL #1
SILVER SURFER #7
SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL #10
STAR WARS #24
STAR WARS POE DAMERON #7
TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #11 CW2
ULTIMATES #12 CW2
VENOM SPACE KNIGHT #13
VISION #12

DC COMICS
ACTION COMICS #966 VAR ED
BATGIRL #4 VAR ED
BATMAN BEYOND #1 VAR ED
BLUE BEETLE #2 VAR ED
DEATHSTROKE #5 VAR ED
DETECTIVE COMICS #943 VAR ED
DOCTOR FATE #17
FLASH #9 VAR ED
FUTURE QUEST #6 VAR ED
HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #7 VAR ED
HELLBLAZER #3 VAR ED
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 DIRECTORS CUT
MAD MAGAZINE #542
SCOOBY DOO TEAM UP #19
SIXPACK & DOGWELDER HARD-TRAVELIN HEROZ #3 (OF 6)
SUICIDE SQUAD #5 VAR ED
TEEN TITANS #1 VAR ED
TITANS #4 VAR ED
VIGILANTE SOUTHLAND #1 (OF 6) VAR ED
WONDER WOMAN #9 VAR ED
WONDER WOMAN 75TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1

VERTIGO
FROSTBITE #2 (OF 6) (MR)

BOOM
GIANT DAYS 2016 HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1
LUCAS STAND #5
LUMBERJANES #31
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #8
MUNCHKIN #22
SKYBOURNE #2
SOMBRA #4 (OF 4)

DARK HORSE
ALIENS DEFIANCE #6
CALL OF DUTY ZOMBIES #1
CONAN THE SLAYER #4
MAE #6
SERENITY NO POWER IN THE VERSE #1 (OF 6)
TARZAN ON THE PLANET OF THE APES #2 (OF 5)
WITCHFINDER CITY OF THE DEAD #3

DYNAMITE
WOLFCOP #1

IDW
ACTION MAN REVOLUTION #1
DISNEY GIANT HALLOWEEN HEX #1
JUDGE DREDD (ONGOING) #11
MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #33
TRANSFORMERS REVOLUTION #1
TMNT UNIVERSE #3
X-FILES ORIGINS #3 (OF 4)

IMAGE
BIRTHRIGHT #20
CHEW #59
DESCENDER #16
INVISIBLE REPUBLIC #12
LAKE OF FIRE #3
ODYC #12
OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #22
POSTAL #16
RENATO JONES ONE PERCENT #5
SAGA #39
SAVAGE DRAGON #217
SEVEN TO ETERNITY #2
STRAY BULLETS SUNSHINE & ROSES #19
SURGEON X #2
THIEF OF THIEVES #36
WAYWARD #17

ONI
ANOTHER CASTLE #5 (OF 5)
BRIK #4 (OF 6)
EXODUS LIFE AFTER #8

VALIANT
BLOODSHOT USA #1 (OF 4)
GENERATION ZERO #3

MISC
JUGHEAD #10
KIM AND KIM #4
SPOOKHOUSE #1
STREET FIGHTER UNLIMITED #11
THE SKEPTICS #1
VIKINGS UPRISING #2 (OF 4)

MAGAZINES
IMAGE PLUS #7 (WALKING DEAD HERES NEGAN PT 7)
MARVEL PREVIEWS #16 NOVEMBER 2016
PREVIEWS #338 NOVEMBER 2016

TRADES
A WALK IN EDEN GN
ABIGAIL AND THE SNOWMAN TP
ART OF ATARI HC
ART OF B MOVIE POSTER HC
AW YEAH COMICS ACTION CAT AND ADVENTURE BUG TP
AWAKE TP VOL 01 GREMONS WRATH
BAIT HC OFF COLOR STORIES FOR YOU TO COLOR
BLACK WIDOW TP VOL 01 SHIELDS MOST WANTED
BOXERS GN
CAPTAIN AMERICA TP WHITE
CARE BEARS RAINBOW RIVER RESCUE GN
CARNAGE TP VOL 02 WORLD TOUR
CHARMED SEASON 10 TP VOL 02
DC COMICS ENCYCLOPEDIA HC UPDATED ED
DEADPOOL DRAWING MERC W / MOUTH 3 DECADES MARVEL A
DEADPOOL WORLDS GREATEST TP VOL 04 TEMPORARY INSANITATION
DOCTOR STRANGE TP WHAT IS IT THAT DISTURBS YOU STEPHEN
EAST OF WEST TP VOL 06
FLASH BY GEOFF JOHNS TP BOOK 03
GET JIRO BLOOD AND SUSHI TP
GOODNIGHT BATCAVE HC
GOODNIGHT PUNPUN GN VOL 03
HABITAT TP
HYPERION TP DADDY ISSUES
INTERNATIONAL IRON MAN PREM HC
KILL LA KILL GN VOL 02 (OF 3)
LAST TEMPLAR GN VOL 01 ENCODER
MAN THING BY STEVE GERBER COMPLETE COLL TP VOL 02
MARQUIS OF ANAON GN VOL 04 BEAST
MISTY TP
MOEBIUS LIBRARY WORLD OF EDENA HC
NEIL GAIMANS MIDNIGHT DAYS TP
NEKOGAHARA STRAY CAT SAMURAI GN VOL 01
NIGHTWING TP VOL 05 THE HUNT FOR ORACLE
PEANUTS TP VOL 08
PRINCE OF CATS HC
SAVIORS TP
SHADOW DEATH OF MARGO LANE HC
SIGNATURE ART OF BRIAN STELFREEZE HC
SIXTH GUN TP VOL 09 BOOT HILL
STAR WARS LEGENDS EPIC COLL ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS TP VOL 01
SUPERMAN THE FINAL DAYS OF SUPERMAN HC
TOMB RAIDER 2016 TP VOL 01 SPORE
TONOHARU HC PART THREE
WRAITHBORN TP
WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR TP VOL 02 LABYRINTH
X-MEN 92 TP VOL 01 WORLD IS A VAMPIRE

MERCH
BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES NBA ANTI FIRESUIT BATMAN AF
BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES NBA FIREFLY AF

BACK IN STOCK
KILL 6 BILLION DEMONS TP VOL 01
KILL OR BE KILLED #3
SEVEN TO ETERNITY #1 2ND PTG

TMNT UNIVERSE #1 2ND PTG