The Serial Squad!

This is a signed issue that I believe I picked up at a con, but I'm not sure which one. It's been sitting among the unread comics pile for quite some time.

Title: The Serial Squad!
Date: 2007
Publisher: Bad Place Productions
Writer: Paul E. Schultz
Artist: Paul E. Schultz
Letterer: Mike Indovina
Editor: Jonathan Hodges
Cover: Paul E. Schultz, Dawn Broadway
Back Cover: Jay Fife

Set during World War II, this 40-page (plus a "making of" essay) b/w standard-format comic is crammed with dieselpunk fun. The basic premise has a group of actors who play heroes in the movie serials recruited by the military to do an elaborate publicity stunt, accompanying a force of US Marines to take out a remote Nazi research station while a film crew gets footage of them "in character".

Of course, things go horribly wrong, and the actors, equipped with real-life versions of the gimmicks that they used in the movies, must take on the mission themselves, facing not only enemy forces, but forces from beyond Earth.

I love the slogan on the front cover: "World War Two just became a two-world war!".

This was pure fun all the way through. I'm a huge fan of the serials of the 1930s and 1940s, and the characters nicely nailed a whole range of serial archetypes, with influences ranging from Captain America to the Shadow to Nyoka to the Rocketeer, not to mention a significant nod to the work of HG Wells.

The book has a big cast, and it does feel crowded in places, and a bit rushed once the action gets going. I was left feeling like I wanted more time and space to get to know the characters better.

That said, this is an enjoyable fast-paced adventure with a clever concept and a good grounding in nostalgia.

Rating: 7.5/10

Timeless #1

Title: Timeless
Issue: #1
Date: 2009
Publisher: Satyr Play Productions
Writer: Mike Indovina
Artist: Mike Indovina

Clever multi-layered story about a female comic book creator whose connection to Greek mythology turns out to be a lot more than just the inspiration for her comics. This had good touches of humor while it handily tied up plot threads involving time travel and reincarnation.

Pyrrha Stavros, the main character, is a terrific heroine. She's strong and geeky, and she is not intimidated by the sudden appearance of mystical forces in her life. Her voice rings true and creator Mike Indovina has clearly put a lot of thought into establishing her fictional line of comic books, so that there are some fun hints of stories within stories to be enjoyed.

The art style is cartoonish and whimsical, and fits the general flavor of the book.

My only complaint is that the story is very dialogue heavy. To the point where one character is mocked for being long-winded, and his speech pattern doesn't come across as all that different than anyone else's. Part of this is the limitation of the webcomic format (this book was originally published as a webcomic), where a certain amount of information needs to be conveyed to the reader with each installment, but it still comes off as a very wordy book.

That being said, it's also a truly fun book to read.

Rating: 8/10