Monday, June 17, 2019

Awakening Comics #1

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics.

Title: Awakening Comics
Issue: 1
Date: Summer, 1997
Publisher: Awakening Comics
Writer: Steve Peters
Artist: Steve Peters, Doug Sheaff, Dave Sim, Paul Pope, Mark Oakley, Matt Feazell, Scott Roberts, Steve Remen, Greg Hyland, Joe Chiappetta, Rick Veitch, James Kochalka, Sam Henderson, Oscar Stern, Rob Walton, Jimmy Gownley, David Nowell

This is an anthology comic that is mostly Steve Peters' solo work, but also includes a jam scection featuring a big cast of guest artists.

The stories cover a range of mystical and surreal topics, including a dreamer visiting an island and joining a battle against invading lobsters, a Hindu afterlife tale that takes a turn in the Norse direction, and a discussion of a long-abandoned roleplaying game campaign.

There is also an alternate dimension of super-powered kids, and a man trapped in a Circus of Heaven.

These were all prtetty interesting, and I especially enjoyed the discussion of what happens to the gaming worlds we invent after we stop playing.

The jam segment in Circus of Heaven was a bit choppy, but that is the nature of jams, and it featured a pretty stellar list of contributors.

Rating: 8.5/10

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Dark Red #1

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics. I bought this from Indyplanet in 2007. I know this because I found the packing slip in with the comic.

Title: Dark Read
Issue: 1
Date: 2007
Publisher: Dark Red Comics
Writer: Lynn French
Artist: Lynn French
Letterer: Joanna McKenzie
Editor: Joanna McKenzie

A young woman who was permanently blinded by a sudden illness discovers that she can see elements of a hidden world: Demons, angels, and magical beings and objects. After rescuing a man from an attack by demons, she is introduced to a hidden world, in which the peace that has existed between the supernatural beings of her city is suddenly threatened, and she is being drawn into the conflict.

This book uses digitally-painted art over photographs for a pretty effective and unique look.

The first issue does a nice job of introducing the lead character, Sarah MacAllister, as well as several members of the supporting cast, while balancing a good amount of worldbuilding. Sarah is instantly likeable, and the world is intriguing.

This was a good beginning that did its job of getting me hooked. I have the second issue and I'm eager to see where we go from here.

Rating: 8/10

Monday, June 10, 2019

How I Became A Pirate #2

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics.

Title: How I Became a Pirate
Issue: Chapter 2
Publisher: Feral Kiwi
Writer: TC McKenna
Artist: TC McKenna

Sixteen-page b/w minicomic that tells the story of a recent college graduate who is given a cursed compass that summons a whole crew of pirates who proceed to occupy the house she is renting.

This installment features a visit from the landlady and the test-firing of the cannons. As you might imagine, neither of these go well for "Cap'n" Christine Evans.

As the (sometimes) helpful parrot gives her some additional information on the nature of the curse, Christine realizes that she's going to have to truly take command of her horde of scurvy dogs before they do further damage.

This is an amusing concept, with the pirate world spilling over (kinda Jumanji-style) into our own, and the main character having to accept her destiny if she is to have any hope of removing or controlling the curse.

There were some funny moments, a few good one-liners, and plenty of pirate-jargon. The minicomic format hurt the legibility a bit, but the concept was entertaining enough that it was worth the effort needed to read every bit of dialogue.

Rating: 7/10

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Free Comic Book Day 2014 All Ages

Title: Avatar: The Last Airbender: Free Comic Book Day 2014 All Ages
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Date: May, 2014
Writer: Gene Luen Yang, Art Baltazar, Franco, David Lapham
Artist: Faith Erin Hicks, Art Baltazar, David Lapham
Colorist: Cris Peter, Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Michael Heisler, Nate Piekos of Blambot
Editor: Dave Marshall, Scott Allie, Jim Gibbons, Shantel LaRocque, Daniel Chabon

Three stories, featuring Avatar: The Last Airbender, Itty Bitty Hellboy, and Juice Squeezers respectively.

The Avatar story has Suki and Sokka dealing with the sexist owner of a collectible seashell shop, in an amusing commentary of the "fake geek girl" trope. The initial action is satisfying in a jobber-squash-for-a-good-cause kind of way, but the ending of the story is quite good and shows some real heart.

Itty Bitty Hellboy has some fun trying to teach a ghost how to do his job, and also plays on the old "cough syrup for the coffin" joke. Not much to it, but I give credit for bringing up a classic dad-joke I got told as a kid.

The Juice Squeezers story involved some kids braving a nest of giant ants to exact a bit of revenge on the local school bullies. I'm not clear on why there are giant ants, but the story did a decent job of representing the "kids on bikes" subgenre (ET, Goonies, Stranger Things, etc). I'd be interested in seeing what this series does when it has more to work with in the way of plot.

Rating: 6/10

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

The Vengeful Half

From the To-Be-Read bookshelf. I've had this for a while.

Title: The Vengeful Half
Date: 2016
Publisher: Catlord Press
Writer: Jaclyn Dolamore
Artist: Jaclyn Dolamore
Cover: Ilicheva Anastasya, Dade W. Bell

Prose novel with comic segments and sketches drawn by the author at the end of each chapter.

Olivia and her mother have been living in hiding in various locations around America, but their past finally catches up to them, as Olivia's mom is abducted by agents from the Hidden Lands, a dimension of magical beings living in a world that has absorbed a great deal of 20th Century Earth technology and culture.

When Alfred, the eldest son of a powerful Hidden Lands crime family, offers to bring Olivia to the Hidden lands to help her mom, Olivia is thrust into the midst of ancient conflicts between powerful forces, including a mysterious telepath who seems to know secrets from Olivia's past lives.

This was a good mix of powerful fantasy with intrigue and romance. The world is intentionally excessively pretty, but it holds many dark secrets beneath the glittering surface, and there is a great deal of background development that adds depth to the story.

The characters are likeable, and there is a lot of light humor and fun, but the ending packs an emotional punch.

The comic segments of the book are mostly short asides that flesh out scenes that got a mention, but were not actually played out in the prose, along with some sketches that give visuals to the characters or add to the worldbuilding. The art style fits nicely with the flavor of the world.

This was fun, and it had quite a bit going on, with plenty of potential for further stories.

Rating: 8.5/10