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Webcomic Wednesday – Insufferable

April 17, 2013 by

Hello and welcome to Webcomic Wednesday! Each week I take a look at a webcomic and let you know what I think about it. This week I’m checking out a web series known as Insufferable, courtesy of a lesser known team known as Mark Waid and Peter Krause.

I’m kidding. It’s freaking Mark Waid.

insufferable

Insufferable is the story of a superhero father-son team, Nocturnus and Galahad, who go their separate ways after a falling out. Where Nocturnus goes into hiding, essentially killing his alter-ego, Galahad uses his status as a hero to begin a celebrity career – or as the comic blurb states, an “arrogant ungrateful douchebag”.

While there are clear ties to a Batman/Robin relationship, Insufferable stands out in the execution. While admittedly Jarod Culver’s Galahad is a bit of a twat, John Culver’s Nocturnus is hardly unaccountable for either. It’s a case of bad parenting versus bad child, and it takes the Bruce Wayne/Damian Wayne dynamic and runs in the other direction.

Where Insufferable truly shines is in its mix of celebrity status and superhero. Galahad tweets, blogs, throws press conferences, and suffers the fallout of it. I’ve never really stopped to think how celebrities handle being insulted after putting themselves on such avenues. It’s interesting stuff, as there are times Galahad seems to be pushing too much to impress his biggest detractors, which in the end only makes them worse.

As for Peter Krause’s art- it’s seriously paid-for-comic material. It’s solid art that really compliments the story, with it’s generic costumes only allowing the reader to make their own connections to other superhero material. It’s a pretty fantastic looking comic.

If you want all the bells and whistles of a paid-for-comic written by one of the best writers out there, without the “pay” part, check out Insufferable  here. Also check out the other stories on the site as well, as some others were also written by Mark Waid. Seriously, you owe it to yourself to check it out – it’s Mark Waid.

Have any webcomics you want me to check out? Let me know on my twitter @Pipes815, or send me a message via our contact form.

Filed Under: Webcomics Tagged With: ,

Review: Saga #12 – Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

April 16, 2013 by

saga-12I don’t think I have ever encountered a series that has so consistently been impressive as Saga has been. The perfect mix of sci-fi adventure, family drama, and Lost-esque cliffhangers (which coincidentally was also something writer Brian K. Vaughan was a producer on)  have lent to a tale that is original and incredibly smart. Now at the end of its first year with the release of  Saga #12, this title shows no sign of slowing down. Writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples manage to prove that even in an issue that doesn’t incorporate the main cast of characters, it still manages to impress.

Saga follows Marko and Alana, two people from different sides of an intergalactic war that are fleeing their own people. That’s because of their child, Hazel, who for reasons unknown is wanted by each side. One of the pursuers, Prince Robot IV, tracks the group to Alana’s favourite author D. Oswald Heist, in an attempt to intercept the group before they get there. Don’t worry if that doesn’t make sense – go read the other eleven issues, and then come back to me.

You’re back? Okay good.

It’s to Vaughan’s credit that he can fashion an issue almost completely without the main cast, and have it still remain of the highest quality. Aside from the cliff-hanger at the end, Marko and Alana don’t feature at all. Prince Robot IV is a sympathetic villain – he’s just learned that his wife is pregnant, and he is being forced out of his homeworld to hunt people. He’s just a man who served a tour of duty and then thrust back out into the war. It grounds the character in reality, and his motivations for getting the child are purely professional – he just wants to be home with his wife.

D. Oswald Heist is also portrayed fantastically as a disillusioned author who has become a recluse, only allowing “ladies who bring him bottles” to visit. It’s great that the team chose to portray Heist as normal and sarcastic, as opposed to being a typical scholar, but I guess if you’d been paying attention to the excerpts Alana read out in previous issues you’d see why.

Despite Vaughan’s portrayal of Prince Robot IV, the real emotional content comes from a character’s introduction (and death) early on. While the character only appears in a few panels, it still stings when they finally (and gruesomely) pass on, speaking volumes to Vaughan’s ability to make readers care.

Staples’ art, per usual, is fantastic. Robot’s television head allows for Staples to use her artistic skills to convey emotions differently than making them pull a face, and it really lends to how the character thinks, and where his mind ends up in times of stress. Her character designs are also smart, as the cute creatures that Robot encounters only adds to their personality. If you ever needed an example of purely digital art being a viable concept, pick this book up.

So while Saga takes a brief hiatus, with solicitations not mentioning it again until after July, it manages to leave on a high note – as a well thought out cliff-hanger that will keep readers going until it returns. As for me? I’ll be re-reading it again, because Saga is seriously a tale you don’t want to miss.

 

Filed Under: Image

Review: Thanos Rising #1 – Jason Aaron & Simone Bianchi

April 8, 2013 by

thanos-risingUsually when I see Thanos’ name thrown around, it’s accompanied with titles such as “The Mad Titan” or “Avatar of Death”. So when Thanos Rising was announced, it was Jason Aaron and Simone Bianchi’s chance to introduce us to the villain making its rounds on the film side of Marvel. This team has set out to make Thanos more sympathetic, detailing the journey it took to create a villain in a more tragic light. Unfortunately, it seems that there is such a thing as being too sympathetic, as this first issue mostly fails to capture the spirit of a killer.

Thanos Rising #1 kicks off with the birth of Thanos himself, as his first moments in life are his own mother trying to kill him, then jumping forward to his life as a teenager. Seeing Thanos as a teenager is jarring- this is a man who conquers entire worlds and kills millions of people –  but at the moment he’s a soft spoken artist. It seems that some of the appeal of this super villain is lost when you begin to pull away the layers to find an child who has a penchant for not harming animals.

That said, Aaron does manage to fit in some truly disturbing scenes into this first issue. The scene where Thanos recounts a reccuring dream to his mother of how she is trying to kill him, while she sits in a straight-jacket, is particularly memorable, as well as a fairly gruesome scene later in the book when Thanos discovers his friends massacred, thanks to Bianchi’s art. It does sow seeds for what is likely to come, but right off the bat it isn’t enough.

Bianchi’s art is a mixed bag. In the aforementioned scene it is particularly fantastic, but some of his character work leaves something to be desired. Faces appear flat and wide, and the children all have the exact same stereotypical body shape of small body and big head – Thanos included. It’s an odd choice of artist, whose work appears more surreal, and perhaps the story would have benefited from more realistic looking art, but we’ll see how this plays out over the next four issues.

The intent is clear in Thanos Rising #1, and the talent is more than capable of delivering on such a promise, but the execution leaves much to be desired. However this is only the first issue of five, and Jason Aaron has proven himself in the past, so I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Let’s just hope it can find its footing soon.

Filed Under: Marvel Tagged With: , ,

Webcomic Wednesday – Twitter: The Comic

April 3, 2013 by

Hello and welcome to Webcomic Wednesday! Each week I take a look at a webcomic and let you know what I think about it. This week I’m taking a look at Twitter: The Comic, the brainchild of Mike Rosenthal AKA @VectorBelly.

twitter-comic

Oh wow, my sides.

I don’t think I have laughed this hard, in so long.

Twitter: The Comic  is just @VectorBelly and a few other artists taking tweets they have found, and making comics about them. At first glance these tweets just don’t make sense – a girl rubs a popsicle on her face, to attract “horned up bees”, or Mitt Romney mistaking a giraffe for Mexico – but when these artists provide their interpretations of these tweets, it is truly something amazing.

It makes me wonder about the nature of the people who tweet these stories. These people are either comedic geniuses, or completely insane. It’s the not knowing that makes these short stories all the more worth while.

If you want to lose an afternoon, you can check out Twitter: The Comic here. It’s absolutely brilliant and a genius idea, one that I’m surprised didn’t get made sooner. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

Have any webcomics you want me to check out? Let me know on my twitter @Pipes815, or send me a message via our contact form.

Filed Under: Webcomics Tagged With:

Webcomic Wednesday – MercWorks

March 27, 2013 by

Hello and welcome to Webcomic Wednesday! Each week I take a look at a webcomic and let you know what I think about it. This week I take a break from the serious stuff and looking forward to some much needed levity, I had a look at MercWorks, the brain child of Dave Mercier.

mercworks

I guess MercWorks reminds me a bit of Three Word Phrase. Dave Mercier seems to put his thoughts on the page and let it go. Unlike Ryan Pequin’s somewhat insane ramblings, which often veer into NSFW territory, Mercier seems to be a bit more… consistent, sticking to humour that is somewhat based on life, rather than sophisticated poop jokes . And that’s a good thing.

MercWorks is great – whether Mercier is trying to poke fun at his own insecurity, or if he’s creating comics about how he is running out of ideas for comics, it’s always wonderfully self reflexive. MercWorks actually feels like I’m getting to know Mercier through his work, as he comments on loneliness and the awkwardness of his everyday life. It also sometimes makes me think about myself, which only further makes it hurt so more.

You can check out MercWorks here. My favourites are this one and also this one. Check ’em out!

Have any webcomics you want me to check out? Let me know on my twitter @Pipes815, or send me a message via our contact form.

Filed Under: Review, Webcomics Tagged With: ,

Review: Constantine #1 – Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes & Renato Guedes

March 25, 2013 by

Constantine-01cvrI was always a huge fan of Hellblazer, and while I eventually fell behind, Vertigo’s longest running series always had a special place on my shelf. With its end last month in issue 300, John Constantine has a new home in the universe of the New 52, standing toe-to-toe with Superman and Wonder Woman. Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes, alongside artist Renato Guedes, are behind the new series Constantine, but has his move to a new home diminished everyone’s favourite anti-hero? Thankfully he’s still the same alcohol swigging cheat he always was in this solid, but fairly standard first issue.

The plot is fairly standard fare for a first issue; it introduces John Constantine, and following a remark about how the world is filled with super-beings, throws him into a case regarding one of his friends, after which he manages to antagonize a fairly powerful sorceress. Just a normal day for our dashing hero. It’s not anything drastically new; it sets up the new world that we find Constantine in now, and also an opening story arc, but it plays it safe.

Playing it safe isn’t necessarily a bad thing – this issue reads more like a proof of concept to fans and makes clear that Lemire and Fawkes understand John Constantine. It has all the elements – his true British dialogue  betrayal, alcohol, and a con job, that makes the story feel like it wouldn’t feel out of place in the realm of Hellblazer.

Renato Guedes’ art looks great, and combined with Marcelo Maiolo’s colouring, it really stands out. While not as smooth as Constantine’s depiction in Justice League Dark thanks to some rough line work, it still manages to impress, particualrly when introduced to the demonic Sargon the Sorceress. Plus, I’m seeing some colours I’d never thought I’d see in a Constantine story, as he travels to an ice hotel in Norway –  a welcome change.

One last thing I will bring up is the nature of magic in regards to Constantine’s introduction to the New 52. Typically in Hellblazer, it was often a battle with Heaven and Hell and anything in between, being grounded within folklore and legend. But with the less religious nature of the DC Universe as a whole, it’ll be interesting if these more traditional elements came in to play some time down the line.

The new home and new creative team may have initially made some worry about a change in quality, or if it could even hold a candle to the original series. Fear not – Lemire, Fawkes and Guedes have shown in this first issue that they get John Constantine, and have set up our hero in a new and exciting world.

The old Constantine is dead; Long live Constantine.

Filed Under: DC, Review

Review: Wolves of Summer #1 – Tony Keaton & Andrew Herbst

March 19, 2013 by

Wolves of Summer #1When I was a kid I always imagined being a soldier. Many times I’d live out exciting Star Wars fantasies as I fought in my own imaginary battles in a galaxy far, far away. Now being older and wiser I know that war isn’t being a hero and getting the girl – it’s a much more dark and dangerous event.

But what if you were a child, what if you did get thrown into a war that you did not fully understand? Wolves of Summer, a new mini series courtesy of Tony Keaton and Andrew Herbst, deals with this idea of children and war, It follows John, the sole survivor of his “Werwolf” squadron of Hitler Youth and the first issue sets up a strong introduction, as we begin to find out what really happened that last summer in World War II.

Issue #1 follows John as he tries to live his adult life, haunted by the events that occured during the war. John is depressed, and following a failed attempt at suicide, wants to simply die. The action often flashes back to the events during the war, as the group of boys escapes into the forest following the death of their commanding officer Heinrich Aust. These are children who have little grasp of the events beyond the knowledge that their commander is dead, and Keaton manages to show that.

Aside from a few child-like interactions between the boys that feel somewhat clunky, Keaton has a firm grasp on how little the boys know of what is actually happening, hanging onto the words of the propoganda of their losing side. They treat this escape into the forest as little more than a camping trip, with the boys laughing and joking as they set up camp and traps as the Allied forces move onto their position. It’s effective dialouge, as this naïveté only further heightens the sadness of the impending annihilation of many members of the squad.

Herbst’s art also serves the story excellently. While at times the faces appear to lack detail to truly be expressive, he manages to slip in visual cues that add layers of depth to John’s story. Repeated motifs of wolves and panel layouts give the sense that John has done this all before, drawing parallels between his dark life now, and the life he had in the Hitler Youth. There is also a brilliant page where Josef Goebbels addresses the Werewolf, only to turn into one himself as he belts out propaganda to his men, giving him a more fantastical feel. The boys view Goebbel and the Reich as more than men, playing up the notion that these boys are in above their heads and don’t fully know who or what they are fighting for.

Wolves of Summer #1 is a fantastic first issue for tale of the doomed Werewolf squadron. With its intelligent visual storytelling, and  grasp of child-like naïveté, I cannot wait to see what is going to happen next.

 Score: 8.5/10

Filed Under: Independents, Review Tagged With: ,

Review: Batman & Robin #18 – Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason

March 14, 2013 by

batman-robinWARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM BATMAN INCORPORATED #8

So passes another Robin. Damian Wayne, slain in the pages of Batman Incorporated #8 has left a large hole in Bruce Wayne’s life. Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason’s series Batman & Robin takes the full brunt of the fallout, exploring how Batman is coping with the loss of his biological son – but this issue is different. Batman & Robin #18 has not one line of spoken dialogue, leaving most of the burden up to Gleason’s art, which thankfully delivers on an issue that is full of emotional impact as Batman spends his first night in the aftermath of losing his Robin.

This issue shows how Batman grieves the only way he knows how- by burying himself in his work. Bruce takes to the streets of Gotham with the rage and determination of a man who has lost almost everything, and he becomes particularly violent in this case. The anger that Batman shows, which was previously reserved for only his most dangerous nemesis, comes out in full form as he appears to have his most eventful night. It’s dark stuff, and it seems that this may be the one event that could push Batman over the edge, which provides an interesting set-up for how the future of Batman comics could play out.

Where this issue really shines is when the action takes a break and the family is left to think. From the opening pages where Alfred allows himself a moment of tears, before straightening up as Bruce walks into the room, through to any time Batman looks over his shoulder expecting to see his son beside him – each of these actions speak louder than any line of dialogue could. It’s a great touch leaving out any spoken words, and shows that words could not even describe the pain that the family feel.

Gleason really goes all out with his art in this issue, as he manages to capture the full emotional impact of the grief.  While some of his character work appears to look more like mannequin than human, this issue boasts some particularly stand out panels, such as what appears as the last image (for the time being at least) where we see both Batman and Robin together. It’s obvious that Gleason enjoyed drawing the Boy Wonder, and this panel is particularly impressive, as he manages to capture  the spirit of Damian Wayne’s Robin – it serves well as a one last hurrah.

Batman & Robin #18 says goodbye to Damian Wayne in a way that is wholly unique. It’s incredibly sad to see one of the more intriguing Robins in recent memory pass, especially considering his relationship with his father was finally reaching a point of normality within this title. It’s emotional and heavy, and as the final pages play out, as the impact of the event finally hits, you’ll find yourself in a similar state of mind.

Goodbye Damian Wayne. You will be missed

Score: 8.5/10

Filed Under: DC Tagged With: , , ,

Webcomic Wednesday – The Fox Sister

March 13, 2013 by

Hello and welcome to Webcomic Wednesday! Each week I take a look at a webcomic and let you know what I think about it. This week I’m taking a look at a Korean supernatural thriller courtesy of Christina Strain and Jayd Aït-Kaci: The Fox Sister

foxster

The Fox Sister, set in Korea, is probably one of the most impressive looking webcomics I have seen. It’s a beautifully crafted tale of revenge – which in itself is rather contradictory, but Jayd Aït-Kaci’s art is absolutely stunning. Even the more sinister parts of the tale look fantastic, with Jayd Aït-Kaci’s work invoking that of water colour paintings. I cannot recommend it enough on art alone.

Thankfully Christina Strain’s tale is fantastic as well. Following Cho Yun-Hee as she takes revenge for her sister against a Kumiho – a fox demon that takes the form of a woman before it kills- who has taken her sisters form. It’s a take on Korean myth mixed into a classic thriller as Yun-Hee’s mission of revenge teeters on obsession.

It’s not all doom and gloom in Yun-Hee’s world though as the supporting cast of the story produce much needed levity in the form of her dog Soot Bull, and the new American man in town Alex. Both of these- especially Soot Bull- are well realised and contrast Yun-Hee’s often dark personality, elevating The Fox Sister to depths way beyond a horror comic.

The Fox Sister is updated every Thursday. It’s midway through Chapter 3 and you should definitely check it out here

Have any webcomics you want me to check out? Let me know on my twitter @Pipes815, or send me a message via our contact form.

 

Filed Under: Webcomics Tagged With:

Webcomic Wednesday: Broodhollow

March 6, 2013 by

Hello and welcome to Webcomic Wednesday! Each week I take a look at a webcomic and let you know what I think about it. This week I’m checking out another horror comic courtesy of Kris Straub: Broodhollow

Broodhollow

Broodhollow is the story of Wadsworth Zane, a highly superstitious, encyclopedia salesman who receives a letter informing him that a distant relative of his has passed away. When he finally reaches the town of Broodhollow, he  starts to succumb to a series of weird occurrences; dreams, visions and hallucinations that lead him to believe that something a bit more sinister is going on in this sleepy town.

Broodhollow draws influences from Lovecraftian horror, with a bit of Twin Peaks mixed in. It has an eccentric cast of characters, each with their own quirks and personality that help to set the tone of the story. Its Lovecraft influences come from the horror, drawing from the human mind as opposed to real life monsters. The constant question of Zane’s sanity, combined with scepticism from his psychoanalyst creates an interesting back and forth for the reader.

Kris Straub’s art style is also a nice touch. The day to day dealings of Wadsworth Zane are cartoony and simple, but not in a bad way – it sets the tone for his daily life, where his interactions are quite unique. When the comic delves into horror, the art style changes to a darker tone that incorporates more detail. It’s not different enough to pull the reader out of the comic, but it’s enough to notice that the events in the horrific parts may not be part of Zane’s world. It’s a subtle way of pointing out that these events may not actually be happening.

You can check out Broodhollow here. It’s an ongoing comic so you should give it a shot. It’s well worth a read.

Have any webcomics you want me to check out? Let me know on my twitter @Pipes815, or send me a message via our contact form.

Filed Under: Webcomics Tagged With:
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