Azteca #1

My last review from the South Coast Toy and Comic Show. Writer Enrica Jang was one of the guests at the show and I got a chance to pick up the first issue of her comic, Azteca.

Title: Azteca
Issue: #1
Date: November 2010
Publisher: Red Stylo Media
Writer: Enrica Jang
Penciler: Jhazmine Ruiz
Inker: Andre Frattino
Colorist: Andre Frattino
Letterer: Andre Frattino

Crime story set in Mexico. A vigilante is hacking up gang members in a small Mexican tourist town, and the local politicians scramble to use the situation for their own gain.

I liked the backdrop of political intrigue in this story. The mayor, police chief, gang leader, and councilwoman are all pursuing their own agendas, which are nicely intertwined with the mysterious vigilante killings. The character of Councilwoman Pilar particularly stands for her complex motivations and some Machiavellian maneuvering behind the political scene in the town.

I would have liked to see similar complexity in more of the characters, and especially some breaking away from the stereotypes of corrupt politician, snobbish ignorant American tourist, and animalistic thug.

This story has a ton of potential to rise about the cliches and present a truly three-dimensional Mexico while still telling an intense crime story, and I hope that that it reaches that potential as it continues to unfold.

Rating: 7/10

SCTC Showcase #1

Title: SCTC Showcase
Issue: #1
Date: February 2011
Publisher: South Coast Toy And Comic Show
Art Director: Noah Barrett
Featured Writers & Artists: Noah Barrett, Frankie B. Washington, Errick Nunnally, Scott Hamilton, Bob Almond, Enrica Jang, Jason Casey, Jeff Burns, Shawn Corliss, Cesar Feliciano

Very clever promotional item. This is a program for the South Coast Toy And Comic Show in comic form. It includes comic previews from two of the guests and plenty of sample art from others, as well as spaces for sketches and autographs. This was a great way to connect with the artists at the show, and the comic format made for a very nice-looking product (where program booklets from other shows might get thrown out, this was definitely a keeper).

The first story is Oliver Roach by Noah Barrett, and it involves a character being menaced by an angry toon. It's played part serious and part for laughs, and there's enough of a scene here to establish the basic scenario but not all the details of how things work in this world. Still, it looked like a pretty entertaining story that didn't take itself too seriously.

The second sample story is Nightblade by Errick Nunnaly. The scene involves a former vigilante in court-mandated therapy following his release from prison and serves as a compact recap of the character's origin story while namedropping some of the supporting cast. It had a lot of stereotypes (vigilante, gangbangers, hooker-with-heart-of-gold, mysterious FBI agent), but it was effective in its purpose of introducing the story, and there were some potentially interesting plot developments hinted at.

The rest of the book contains profiles, interviews, sample art, and a bit of sample script. This definitely contributed to the enjoyment of the show and from what I observed it was a big hit with the attendees. It's a nice idea and I hope that they will do it again for future cons.

Rating: 7.5/10