Circadia #2

Second issue of a set of four that I got from the creator's Kickstarter.

Title: Circadia
Issue: 2
Date: 2018
Publisher: 36 Plums
Writer: Jennifer Dugan
Art: MJ Erickson
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover: Eli Baumgartner

Review of the first issue is here.

Zara's double existence begins to unravel as she is transported to Circadia with her full set of memories from Earth.

Some of this chapter involves catching Zara up on things that have already become obvious to the reader, resulting in a lot of fairly predictable reactions. Fortunately, there are enough little revelations and plot twists thrown in to keep the story interesting.

It's also fun to see the role reversal as Zara asserts her own authority and becomes protective of Aderes against the Queen's anger.

The artwork, this time with MJ Erickson on art duties, continues to be lovely, especially the work on Zara in this issue.

Rating: 7.5/10

Everest / Love Fights #1 FCBD 2004

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics and Free Comic Book Day 2004.

Title: Everest / Love Fights #1 FCBD 2004
Publisher: Oni Press
Date: July, 2004
Writer: Andi Watson, Greg Rucka
Artist: Andi Watson, Scott Morse
Editor: Jamie S. Rich, James Lucas Jones

Flip book from Free Comic Book Day 2004.

First up is a pencils-only preview of the Greg Rucka/Scott Morse graphic novel, Everest: Facing the Goddess. This is a short piece that introduces a team of mountain climbers as they attempt a never-before-done ascent in the Himalayas in preparation for the biggest challenge of them all: Mount Everest. The artwork hints at how good the fully painted final product is going to be, and there are enough hints of potential clashes between the characters to foreshadow the danger of the upcoming expedition.

Flip the book over for something completely different: Love Fights by Andi Watson is a comedy showcasing the lives of ordinary people in a world of real superheroes. This had a light sitcom vibe to it that was charming and amusing even when not laugh-out-lound funny. The romantic problems of the main character felt a bit cliche, but the small details of life in a world with superheroes and villains were intriguing.

Two decent previews for books I'd consider giving a second look to.

Rating: 7/10

Circadia #1

I got this one from the creator's Kickstarter.

Title: Circadia
Issue: 1
Date: 2017
Publisher: 36 Plums
Writer: Jennifer Dugan
Art: Keezy Young
Colorist: MJ Erickson
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover: Jen Bartel

A dancer our world dreams of being a princess in the world of Circadia. She is a dancer there as well, but in Circadia, she is in love with the Queen's assassin, Aderes. But when Aderes begins questioning Zara's mysterious disappearances, two worlds begin to come together.

This book did a tremendous job of introducing the characters and worlds in a small number of pages. Zara's personality shines through in both versions of her character, and Aderes, the nonbinary lover of Zara's (maybe not) dream world is a good balance for Zara's romantic side, while still clearly sentimental in their own way.

The art is lovely, and the bits of worldbuilding we get, including a scary look at the villain, are very effective.

This was a very enjoyable read, and I'm glad I picked up the first four issues as a set. Looking forward to reading more!

Rating: 8.5/10

Doom Patrol #44

From the Ramdom stack of unread comics.

Title: Doom Patrol
Issue: 44
Date: May 1991
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciller: Richard Case
Inker: Mark McKenna
Colorist: Dan Vozzo
Letterer: Jay Workman
Editor: Art Young, Tom Peyer

Who runs America? Who runs the world? Why is the Pentagon the shape it is?

Dorothy and Flex Mentallo are prisoners of the Men from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. in a secret chamber beneath the Pentagon, and the machine known as the Ant Farm is about to exterminate imagination and strangeness from the world.

Well, there is no lack of strangeness in this story. I read this issue in isolation, and it has a lot going on, so I'm sure I missed quite a bit. But what I did get was excellent: the wild telephone-company conspiracy theories, the dropped references to everything from the Principia Discordia to Apocalypse Now, and the surreal final confrontation in which Dorothy has to make a dangerous bargain for the power to save her friends.

This was a visual spectacle and a total trip down the rabbit-hole in terms of storytelling. It tried a bit too hard to juggle too many characters, but it had so much delicious strangeness, that I can forgive the somewhat scattered focus.

Rating: 7.5/10

Shuri #1

Got this one at Double Midnight Comics in Manchester NH USA during our Christmas visit to the US.

Title: Shuri
Issue: 1
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Date: March  2018
Writer: Nnedi Okorafor
Artist: Leonardo Romero
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: VC's Joe Sabino
Editor: Wil Moss
Cover: Sam Spratt

I only knew the character of Shuri from the Black Panther film, and the introductory page of this book did a nice job of bringing me up to speed on the character's place in current Marvel comics continuity. Apparently, she had a stint as the Black Panther, and spent some time Dead-In-The-Marvel-Universe (which as we all know, has very little in common with being actually dead).

Now her brother has gone missing on a space mission, and Shuri is trying to figure out where her priorities need to be. Meanwhile Queen Ramonda has convened the Elephant's Trunk, a secret council of women who meet when trouble threatens Wakanda.

The depiction of Shuri here is good. Her energy and positive outlook shine through even as she worries what has happened to her brother, and whether she could be responsible. The visuals of Wakanda, and of Shuri flying with nanotech wings are excellent, and the Elephant's Trunk is an intriguing group of characters.

My one disappointment was that the final outcome of the issue put the story into what felt like the most obvious and least interesting direction that it could have gone it. Hopefully the plot will get some more unexpected turns as the series progresses.

Rating: 6.5/10

Awkward

Also read on the flight back to Shanghai. I bought this over Christmas Break at Target in Bedford NH USA.

Title: Awkward
Date: July, 2015
Publisher: Yen Press
Writer: Svetlana Chmakova
Artist: Svetlana Chmakova
Colorist: Svetlana Chmakova, Ru Xu, Melissa McCommon
Letterer: JuYoun Lee

"There are bad people who hurt others for fun. And there are good people who do it by accident."

When Penelope shoves the "school nerder" on the first day of school, she regrets it immediately. But telling him that she is sorry just seems too... awkward. Besides, Penelope has found friends in the art club, and the boy she pushed, Jaime, is in the arch-rival science club.

But they keep finding each other as the school year goes on, and their friendship begins to slowly grow, even as hostilities between the clubs reach a boiling point.

This was an enjoyable story of friendship that featured a wonderfully diverse cast of characters. While the club rivalry felt very over-the-top in a manga sort of way, most of the characters and plot developments in the story felt honest and real.

This was a school story with heart, and Chmakova's artwork, which I enjoyed in Dramacon, was even better here, with a wider range of characters to work with.

Rating: 8.5/10

My All-Time Top Rated Comics (And New Instagram)

While I'm doing beginning-of-the-new-year things...

I've started an Instagram for this blog. Find me @dailycomicreview! Please follow if you're on Instagram. Admittedly, it exists primarily to link back to this blog, but it will feature different photos of the comics "in the wild" (of my apartment, mostly).

Here is something I haven't updated in a while: My all-time top reviews!

9/10

All In The Family Part Two: Angel

Amulet Book Two: The Stonekeeper's Curse

Amulet Book Seven: Firelight

Dog Man And Cat Kid

Life With Archie #16

Lumberjanes Volume 3: A Terrible Plan

Machiavelli

Understanding Comics

Warriors: Graystripe's Adventure

With the Light Volume 2

9.5/10

Amelia Rules: When the Past is a Present

The Arrival

Castle Waiting Volume 1

I Kill Giants

The Prince and the Dressmaker

Vietnamerica: A Family's Journey

10/10

Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic In One Volume

I've already added one book to this all-time list with my first review of 2019. Looking forward to reading more awesome comics as the year continues!

The Prince and the Dressmaker

Bought over Christmas break in the USA and read in one sitting on the flight back to Shanghai. This is my first review of 2019.

Title: The Prince and the Dressmaker
Date: 2018
Publisher: First Second Books
Writer: Jen Wang
Artist: Jen Wang

Set in Paris at "the dawn of the modern age", a young seamstress is recruited to work for the Prince of Belgium, and she is soon let in on the secret that he keeps from his royal parents: Prince Sebastian loves to wear dresses, and he soon recruits Frances into helping him establish an alternate identity as the flamboyant Lady Crystallia.

As the King puts pressure on his son to marry, and Frances' designs begin to gain popularity, the secrets they have been living with start to unravel, threatening their friendship and their futures.

This is a beautiful story with a lovely art style, some clever plot twists and a great ending. The setting and flavor of Paris are brought to vivid life, and the characters are wonderfully expressive.

This was a good choice to start the year with.

Rating: 9.5/10

2018 Comic Review Recap

I spent 2018 living and working in Shanghai, China. I reviewed 107 comics in 2018.

Highest Rated Comics Read in 2018


Amulet Book Three: The Cloud Searchers (8/5/10)
Amulet Book Five: Prince of the Elves (8.5/10)
Babalon Babes #3 (8.5/10)
Daredevil Noir (8.5/10)
Erstwhile: The Clever Farmer's Daughter (8.5/10)
Ex Machina Volume 1: The First Hundred Days (8.5/10)
Heavenly Bride Book Two (8.5/10)
Infinity Countdown: Black Widow #1 (8.5)
Nail Polish (8.5/10)
A Prelude to Penemue (8.5/10)
The Sleeplessness: 2015 Special (8.5/10)
Robin Red and the Lutins #1 (8.5/10)
Swamp Thing #43 (8.5/10)
Tree Rats! Or the Crepuscular Hobbyhorse (8.5/10)
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume 1: Squirrel Power (8.5/10)
The Widow Reminisces Over a Plate of Vegetables (8.5/10)

All in the Family Part Two: Angel (9/10)
Amulet Book Two: The Stonekeeper's Curse (9/10)
Amulet Book Seven: Firelight (9/10)
Dog Man and Cat Kid (9/10)
Lumberjanes Volume 3: A Terrible Plan (9/10)
Warriors: Graystripe's Adventure (9/10)

I Kill Giants (9.5/10)

Lowest Rated Comics Read in 2018

DC Nation #0 (3.5/10)
True Believers: Daredevil: Practice to Deceive #1 (3.5/10)
Ultimate Spider-Man #52 (3.5/10)

Ex Machina Volume 1: The First Hundred Days

Catching up because I didn't have access to google while traveling.

I got this from the book sale room at the Plymouth MA public library last summer.

This is my last comic read in 2019.

Title: Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days
Issue: Volume 1
Date: February, 2005
Publisher: DC Comics / Wildstorm
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Tony Harris, Tom Feister, J.D. Mettler

Fun superhero story that serves as the background for an excellent political drama.

Public Works employee Mitchell Hundred gains the power to control machines. His attempt at becoming a superhero is full of mishaps and mistakes, so he decides he could do more good by running for mayor of New York City.

His unlikely political victory leaves him with a whole new set of challenges to face.

A really strong supporting cast of characters and a solid grasp of politics help keep this story interesting while weaving a complex array of subplots and twists. There's a good mix of humor and tragedy, and excellent use of flashback to slowly reveal the events behind the main storyline.

This volume collects the first five issues, including one of my all-time favorite ending splash pages at the end of the first issue.

Rating: 8.5/10