Warriors: Tigerstar & Sasha Volume 2: Escape from the Forest

 Christmas gift for the Kiddo, bought at Foreign Languages Bookstore, Shanghai, China. This is my last comic review for 2020. I've been mostly focusing on graphic novels lately, but I still have about have of the current Random Stack of Unread Comics to get through, so I hope to make that last me until travel restrictions are lifted and I can get back to the US to buy some new comics.

Title: Warriors: Tigerstar & Sasha
Issue: Volume 2: Escape from the Forest
Date: 2009
Publisher: Tokyopop / Harper Collins Childrens
Writer: Dan Jolley, Erin Hunter
Artist: Don Hudson
Letterer: Michael Paolilli
Editor: Jenna Winterberg

This story is a spin-off from Erin Hunter's Warriors novels, featuring the adventures of kittypet-turned-forest-cat Sasha, after she refuses to be part of Tigerstar's plan to rule the four clans.

Sasha tries to seek out her former owner among the housefolk, but instead finds herself on a tour boat, helping out the captain in some surprising ways.

This was a nice self-contained story (in spite of being the middle chapter in a three-part series), that resolved several plot points. It also featured a lot more interaction between cats and humans than most Warriors stories do,  and it was fun seeing some of the story from the human perspective.

This is a solid addition to the Warriors canon of stories, with some tender moments and some fun bits of action.

Rating: 8/10

Evolution Comics Ashcan #2

Title: Evolution Comics Ashcan
Issue: #2
Date: 1999
Publisher: Evolution Comics
Writer: Margie Spears, Alexei Kondratiev
Penciler: Vince Mielcarek, Don Hudson
Inker: Chris Ivy, Don Hudson
Character Design: Jim Fletcher
Letterer: Arthur Lewandowski
Editor: Ken Gale

This is a photocopied ashcan with samples from two of Evolution Comics' ongoing stories, both from the pages of their Dangerous Times anthology title.

First up is Beleagean Days, a space opera about a group of GILEA (Genetically Improved Law Enforcement Agents! No, really!) officers trapped on an alien starship heading out into space. In this installment, the team members are dealing with the death of a member of their team. There is some a decent amount of insight given here into what is clearly a complex and well thought out world and cast.

The second story is more straightforward, mostly because fewer characters are involved. This is Vidorix the Druid, the tale of an ancient Celtic warrior-priest who travels through time to a medieval Irish monastery. The artwork had a nice realistic feel to it, and the scenario was interesting and introduced well. The story is well researched, a virtue of having the writing talents of celtic language expert Alexei Kondratiev.

The introduction to this book also contains a tribute to comic writer/editor E. Nelson Bridwell, whose writing was the inspiration for the founding of Evolution Comics.

Rating: 6/10