This week from Image Comics comes the final issue of their acclaimed series BLACK SCIENCE. Creators Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera send us off with an emotional finale in issue #43.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Black Science debuted back in November of 2013. It unleashed the madness of Grant McKay upon the world as he struggles like any of us to try and navigate the chaos he’s created for himself and his family.
Through forty-three issues we’ve seen brilliant sci-fi concepts pour out of the mind of superstar writer Rick Remender. We’ve been treated to six years of gorgeous Matteo Scalera art that pushed the limit of comic book art and constantly reminded readers why we all love this medium.
It’s sad to see this monumental series come to an end, but at least it was ended on the terms of the creators. Black Science will have a definitive ending, rather than continue on into obscurity once the idea well inevitably dries up.
Our final issue jumps around a bit, utilizing the plus-size amount of pages that we’re provided. The story centers around Grant and Sara, as it should. Their tragic story never gets a “happy ending” but only through the lens of ignorance does any story really happily conclude. Remender reminds us that there is always somebody left behind.
We get a satisfying end to Kadir by the hand of Sara. Grant completely f*ucks up once again and causes their children to die, but as always he promises to fix it. We take a look at the “weathered” Grant and Sara that we encountered long ago in the series as they embark on their own journey to get their kids back.
This infinite onion filled with infinite possibilities and futures doesn’t end and never will. Ending this series was no easy task as there was no real way to close the story. Remender takes the best possible approach to at least send readers off with a smile rather than a pit of despair in their stomachs.
With Black Science #43 we say goodbye to not only these beautifully flawed characters, but their creators as well. Remender and Scalera have been one of the most dynamic duos in comic books for six years now–what happens now? Hopefully we’ll see Scalera again soon enough, his style and creative lens is top-tier.
We can’t forget about colorist Moreno Dinisio either, wherever Scalera pops up again hopefully he takes Dinisio with him. Their chemistry in bringing these obscure and gorgeous illustrations to life is magnificent. Not just character models or creature design, but layouts and landscapes are impossible to ignore as every panel in this entire series is worth getting lost in.
Black Science #43 is probably the best ending we could’ve possibly gotten given the subject matter and commitment these rules and characters. It’s an impressive issue that will satisfy readers who have kept up for an inconsistent six years.
Vault Comics continues its streak of great comics with Wednesday’s Mall #2, which includes equal shares of world building and action.
If you haven’t read Mall #1 or just need a refresher, check out our review here (P.S. the first issue is great).
A Mall Full of Stories
Writers Michael Moreci and Gary Dauberman open Mall #2 with an introduction of Andre’s family. This opening helps expand the world, much like Mall #1’s opening. The duo showcase Andre’s father, who exudes the vibe of a wealthy man of power. Within this conversation about his son’s rescue, the unknowingness of ‘the world beneath’ is expanded upon. This information comes naturally, while adding elements that further the plot.
Andre still feels like the odd one out in this world, as throughout the story he questions everything and is surprised as new facts arise, all while seeing the wrongs that are transpiring. These facts combined make him a great main character, continuing the trend of someone you can root for.
Andre’s skepticism is emphasized by the inclusion of his partner, who at the moment has no name. Much like Andre, she can see the insanity of what’s going on. But unlike him, it seems she goes about her way. Namely with a sword and violence. Lots of it. Moreci and Dauberman don’t give much away of her story or drive just yet. But what they do show keeps the reader interested, primarily due to her similarity to Andre. That and her great witty banter, which elevates serious matters.
That doesn’t mean Mall #2 goes the route of being funnier or completely light-hearted. It keeps the serious themes and moments that Mall #1 had.
The Scenery of A Mall
Mall is a post-apocalypse story, which is amplified by artist Zak Hartong’s work. Throughout the issue, Hartong’s pencils are heavy lined and dirty feeling. This is the exact mood the team is going for.
Hartong’s art also adds great pacing with panel placement and movements. No two pages’ panel layouts are the same. Instead, Hartong plays around with different sizes and placements to make pages feel unique, while keeping the pace fast. This speed is showcased in the way he handles fights.
Each fight draws blood, while hitting hard. Every movement during the fights feel fluid and fast paced, especially when the sword slices. This fluidity isn’t just limited to the fight scenes, as when conversations occur they share the energy.
Adding to Hartong’s post-apocalyptic vibes are Addison Duke’s darker shaded colors. During most of Mall #2, the colors are on the darker side. But when action occurs, Duke livens the mood with brighter, yet still dark colors.
Duke’s coloring shines during an alarm sequence. During this moment of violence and alarms blaring, Duke adds a red filter over the pages. This filter seems simple, but is employed to great effect. Within the chaotically fast paced moments you’ll swear you can hear the alarm.
In fact, you can hear the alarms, thanks to letter Jim Campbell. Throughout the alarm sequence Campbell adds a ‘REH’ flowing through the panels. This sound effects help excel the feeling that Duke’s filter implies.
During the same scene the characters fall under attack via mutantesque creators. Hartong’s design for these creators are great, but Campbell’s ‘SKRRH’ sound effects makes them terrifying.
Closing Time
By delving deeper into its world, Mall #2 expands its view in way that’ll keep readers wanting more. If you enjoyed Mall #1, you’ll love its follow-up.
Memorable Quote: “ Come closer and I’ll tear your nose off with my teeth.” – Andre’s Savior
Little is known about her character as of now. But damn, I’ve already fallen in love.
Dear Faithful Shoppers
How are you enjoying Vault Comics newest series? Let us know below! If your interested in checking out Vault Comics catalog, check out their website. It’s highly recommended!
Shortly after the new Buffy the Vampire series landed at Boom! Studios, fans were thrilled to learn that audience-favorite and series spinoff Angel was getting his own storyline from the new home of Sunnydale’s finest. Fans were even more excited to hear that Detective Comics and Witchblade veteran Bryan Edward Hill would be weaving the tale of the monster-turned-do-gooder, telling horror comics stories as he never has before. Monkeys Fighting Robots sat down with Hill to discuss the first collected volume of Angel (out October 1st), and what we heard certainly had us turning on some lights and pulling up some sheets. Just not for the reason you might expect. Read on for all the spookiness Hill had to impart…
Grant DeArmitt for Monkeys Fighting Robots: This is a really deep, thematic comic, and there’s so much to talk about on things like social media and redemption. But first, let’s talk about the mechanics of this book. Can you tell us about bringing Angel to Boom? What was your collaboration like with Buffy writer Jordie Bellaire? How did you build this new mythos?
Bryan Edward Hill: This all happened because my editor, Jeanine Schaefer, reached out and asked if I would be interested in writing Angel. I was glad to receive the email, because no one understands how much I like horror. Most of my work is sci-fi, or action, or thrillers. Plus, I talk about Tom Ford on Twitter all the time. So Nobody knows I’m a huge horror fan too. That’s a shade to my rainbow that I haven’t been able to explore. So Jeanine reached out and we talked through what this book could be, how it could be relevant. She is one of the most warm and genuine people in the business, and I can’t say enough good things about her. Working with her with a book was certainly something I was interested in doing in general. I’m a huge fan of the show too, of Joss [Whedon]’s work. So it was a natural fit.
Now, as to what Jordie’s doing; because these books are a little siloed, at least prior to [upcoming storyline] Hellmouth, I would be aware of what was going on. There was mutual awareness. But it wasn’t like one person gave the other person rules. It was more like, “Oh what’s happening over there? This might give me an opportunity to do this or do that.” So the collaboration has been very smooth and pleasant and I’m really excited about what happens with the books going forward after Hellmouth. That’ll be really exciting for people. It’s been a beautiful process so far.
MFR: That’s awesome to hear that you’re such a huge horror fan. Can you talk about that a little bit? What kind of horror do you like? What are your influences?
BEH: Well, when I was a kid, I saw a ghost in my grandmother’s basement.
MFR: Wait, what?
BEH: Yep. I saw an actual ghost. I walked into this basement, and there is no wind there, but there was a coat that was on a clothesline. It just started swinging. Back and forth back and forth. Like the blade of a fan, or a pendulum. At one point, it swung to the right, and I saw an older white man in formal wear, but formal wear of the day. It was from the 40s, I imagined? It wasn’t aggressive, but he pointed at me and muttered something. Well, I ran out of that basement. I bounded up those stairs. I too maybe two steps of the whole flight to get up there, which was impressive, because I was a pretty chubby kid. I didn’t go back in that basement for years, but it wasn’t the last supernatural experience I had. So that got me interested in exploring those things. From there it was esoteric thought, and studying the different schools around that stuff.
As far as cinema goes, I think The Exorcist was a formative experience for me. I rented it on VHS from a video store that would rent R-rated movies to kids. And at the time I took it home and I watched it, I didn’t know what a subliminal thing was, what a flash frame was. Then there’s that moment in the movie when Damien Karras is having the dream, and that face comes on screen. I thought that was only on my tape. And I’m like, “Oh no there’s a demon in my television; I’m going to die. I rented an R-rated movie and now I am being punished by the universe.”
So when I got the chance to work on Angel, I saw this really great opportunity to bring in Byzantine, almost classical, horror elements. I looked at the work at Mike Mignola on Hellboy, or even his adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (Which I think is an under-seen masterpiece, it’s incredible.) Being able to do that stuff in comic form, that’s incredibly exciting, especially when I can filter it through a contemporary narrative.
MFR: You talk a lot in this book about evil and its nature. Do your supernatural experiences or interest in the esoteric factor into that? When I was reading this, I got the sense that you were talking about a very modern evil. Namely, bullying on social media. But does that classic, Byzantine idea of evil affect this story?
BEH: One of the things I think about a lot is subjective and objective evil, snd how ethics can shift and change based on how civilization evolves. If we were to go back to ancient Rome, we would find most of what they did to be evil, to be abhorrent. But that was just the way they lived. So there is a subjective definition of evil. But then you wonder: underneath that, are there sentient forces that exist only to destroy? I think that’s been one of the questions that mankind has had ever since the first time the sun went down.
I’ve always felt that what lives in the darkness is what lives inside of ourselves. One of the ways to understand oneself is to understand your own darkness, to confront those aspects of your own nature. Carl Jung talked about it in Psychology and the Occult. When I was growing up, comics were always the place I went to to get discussions about those kinds of broad, almost primal ethics. So when I write books, I tend to write engaging those things. Angel is the story about a character who has been evil. Now he’s trying to be good, but still carrying the memories, and likely some of those desires still.
The question Joss asked when he created Angel, to me, was, “Can a monster be a hero?” I think that’s still relevant question for the day. Is redemption possible? Do you deserve redemption in the face of the things you’ve done before? That’s an ongoing discussion in popular culture right now.
As far as social media goes, I’m very concerned. I’m concerned about what it does to people’s self-esteem. I’m concerned about how it exposes us to so many opinions. We might not be biologically engineered to engage with that many people at a time. I’m concerned with how it forces us to demonstrate our lives to others. It’s performative living. It can be very difficult on a soul.
So I wanted to explore that and ask the question: is there something truly Insidious at play there? If it’s not the cause of it, is it taking advantage of its existence? You can look at social media as its own hive mind, as its own kind of global consciousness. And if it is a global consciousness, what lives in that global subconscious? That seems like a good way to approach a narrative.
MFR: This theme of redemption comes up a lot in your book. Do you think the character of Angel believes that he can be redeemed?
BEH: You know, I think he believes he should try to redeem himself. What makes him heroic is that separation from what I deserve and what I must do. I don’t think Angel is a person that sits and thinks very much about what he deserves. That to me is the essence of heroism. It’s not doing something so that it will change someone’s perception of you. It’s doing something because you know it must be done. I’ve always been attracted to those characters. It’s what drives me to Batman. It’s the idea of becoming a thing, and saying “I might be judged because of the thing I become, but I must.. Because that’s more important than my desire at the moment.” That’s what I’ve kind of always been drawn to with Angel as a character.
I personally believe in redemption. I think when you have a society that will not allow redemption and rehabilitation, then you have a society based on punishment. And if you remove hope from the punished, then you have to make sure that the punished can no longer affect you, which is very difficult to do. Or, you’re going to get people who just never want to be better. If you tell people you can never be better, you can never be redeemed, then why are they going to try to be better? I think it’s incredibly dangerous to remove the concept of rehabilitation and redemption from the world. I’m not saying it should be easy. There should always be a price. But hopefully we can evolve into a society that seeks to do more than punish.
MFR: Returning to the story, you created an awesome new character, a new addition to the Boom Angel universe, and that’s Lilltih. Can you tell us a little bit about who she is and what went into creating her?
BEH: Well, I didn’t create her. Lilith has existed in mythology and religion and esoteric thought far, far before I ever existed. And if I were to say I created her, she might be very angry. (Laughs) but I did decide to incorporate her into the story, at least, a version of her as I understood her. Mainly because I wanted to bring in an ancient archetype into this world. It was really about making [Angel] feel a bit more epic, like a story that has spanned time and space. Having a character that can represent that helps facilitate that feeling in the book.
I’m also interested in her divine archetype: feminine power without regret. Certain cultures and viewpoints demonize her because she simply wanted to be equal to Adam. Other cultures have seen her as the catalyst for not only the empowerment of women, but for the empowerment of anyone who wants to live at the beat of their own drum. Angel is a character that is somewhat of an outcast, by his own choices and the world in which he lives. Lilith has always been symbolic of an esoteric idea about the value of being an outcast. Having this rebellious ancient spirit that is leading this group of vampires and people and other things towards a better end, I thought, would be really cool. And any time I can put a really cool female character into something, I’m certainly going to do that. I grew up with a single mom and, in a lot of ways, my work is always kind of a testament to her and her strength and what was required of her to raise me. That’s how the Night Mother wound up in the story.
MFR: Along with introducing Lillith into the story, you reinvent two very popular Angel characters: Charles Gunn and Fred Burkle. How much of that was your twist on these characters and how much of it was Boom?
BEH: It was all really organic, through those long conversations with Jeanine Schaefer about what I wanted to do a thematically and emotionally. We sort of landed on some things together. I did pick that cast because I thought they would be the most interesting to this first story, but not at the exclusion of other characters. They’re dealt out at their own pace. I’m trying not to change anything I believe is essential to these characters. I like to have a light touch in that way. There are a lot of creators, brilliant creators, who like to come in and turn the apple cart upside down. I’m not that way, I like to find my own way in, but still work with what I think are the basic qualities of these characters.
But I have to give full credit to Boom for giving me as much space as possible to work. Licensed work can be difficult. It can come with a lot of rules, I’ll just be frank. I have turned down opportunities to work on certain projects because I didn’t want to deal with the rules. I never want to write a story where I can’t actually do anything, where the ball just spins but nothing really changes. This isn’t that. I’m able to tell a good story and work with these characters and advance them in ways that a lot of license fiction won’t allow. That’s not me putting an edict down, that’s Boom being willing to create an arena in which myself and Jordie can work with these characters in a way that we feel is best for the stories we are trying to create.
MFR: We’ve talked about social media and how it plays into Angel Volume One. So going back to our hero, what would social media look like to a centuries-old vampire? What does Angel think of this modern thing going into the story?
BEH: I think he wonders why people are so fascinated with themselves. I can’t imagine Angel would understand why anyone would want to see an image of someone else’s lunch. This is a strange thing to him. But the other side of him is that he understands the need to connect, especially the need to connect through an avatar. To find a safe way of building community and self-esteem around yourself, and also be able to live as an imagined version of yourself. I think he, more than most people, would understand the need for that.
But ultimately, Angel likes to fight his battles in the real world. I think he is wary of the lowest hanging fruit of self-esteem that can be out there. And the way that fantasy can enrapture us and also keep us from manifesting what we want in the actual world, with our feet on the ground. So while he can understand the need that people have and the reasons why it is what it is, I think he ultimately will see it as something that might prevent people from manifesting actual change in their lives that can make them happy.
MFR: Volume One is wrapped up now. I know you can’t give us too many details, but what is on Angel’s mind moving into moving into the next segment of the story?
BEH: Many things. The events of Hellmouth are going to shift his perspective for sure. If he has been fighting this battle on his own terms mostly, I think he’ll come to realize that he can’t do that anymore. He’ll come to realize what is truly at stake and how far advanced the march of evil has made it, in a way that he hasn’t been able to see. That’s going to renew his dedication to things.
He’s also forming these bonds with new people. He’s making a pledge to protect them from things that he does understand and some things he doesn’t. That’s the heaviness on him. Sometimes you realize you can be lonelier with people than you are by yourself. I expect him to have thoughts and experiences on leadership and purpose. He’s going to be asking: “How do you bring people into a world of madness without making them go mad?”
****
Angel Vol. 1: Being Human is written by Bryan Edward Hill, drawn by Gleb Melknikov, colored by Gleb Melknikov and Gabriel Cassata, and lettered by Ed Dukeshire. You can pick up a copy at your local comic store on Tuesday, October 1st. Until then, tell us what you think of Angel over on our Twitter page. And for more comic book interviews like this one, plus reviews and discussion, stay tuned to Monkeys Fighting Robots.
Monkeys Fighting Robots, POPAXIOM, and Warner Bros. have teamed up to bring you a special screening of the JOKER!
The screening will be held in Tampa on Wednesday, October 2.
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About the film: Forever alone in a crowd, Arthur Fleck seeks connection. Yet, as he trods the sooted Gotham City streets and rides the graffitied mass transit rails of a hostile town teeming with division and dissatisfaction, Arthur wears two masks. One, he paints on for his day job as a clown. The other he can never remove; it’s the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel he’s a part of the world around him, and not the misunderstood man whom life is repeatedly beating down. Fatherless, Arthur has a fragile mother, arguably his best friend, who nicknamed him Happy, a moniker that’s fostered in Arthur a smile that hides the heartache beneath. But, when bullied by teens on the streets, taunted by suits on the subway, or simply teased by his fellow clowns at work, this social outlier only becomes even more out of sync with everyone around him.
Directed, co-written and produced by Todd Phillips, “Joker” is the filmmaker’s original vision of the infamous DC villain, an origin story infused with, but distinctly outside, the character’s more traditional mythologies. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. Longing for any light to shine on him, he tries his hand as a stand-up comic, but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty and, ultimately, betrayal, Arthur makes one bad decision after another that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty, allegorical character study.
Three-time Oscar nominee Phoenix (“The Master,” “Walk the Line,” “Gladiator”) stars in the titular role alongside Oscar winner Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “The Godfather: Part II”). The film also stars Zazie Beetz (TV’s “Atlanta,” “Deadpool 2”), Frances Conroy (TV’s “American Horror Story,” Hulu’s “Castle Rock”), Brett Cullen (“42,” Netflix’s “Narcos”), Glenn Fleshler (TV’s “Billions,” “Barry”), Bill Camp (“Red Sparrow,” “Molly’s Game”), Shea Whigham (“First Man,” “Kong: Skull Island”), Marc Maron (TV’s “Maron,” “GLOW”), Douglas Hodge (“Red Sparrow,” TV’s “Penny Dreadful”), Josh Pais (upcoming “Motherless Brooklyn,” “Going in Style”) and Leigh Gill (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”).
Oscar nominee Phillips (“Borat,” “The Hangover” trilogy) directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Oscar-nominated writer Scott Silver (“The Fighter”), based on characters from DC. The film was produced by Phillips and Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born,” “American Sniper”) under their Joint Effort banner, and Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“The Wolf of Wall Street”). It was executive produced by Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Aaron L. Gilbert, Joseph Garner, Richard Baratta, and Bruce Berman.
Behind the scenes, Phillips was joined by director of photography Lawrence Sher (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “The Hangover” trilogy), production designer Mark Friedberg (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Selma”), editor Jeff Groth (“War Dogs,” “The Hangover Part III”), and Oscar-winning costume designer Mark Bridges (“Phantom Thread,” “The Artist”). The music is by Hildur Guðnadóttir (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Sicario: Day of the Soldado”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, in Association with BRON Creative, a Joint Effort Production, a Film by Todd Phillips, “Joker.”
An homage to turf war films like The Warriors and The Outsiders, 20 Fists #1 is written by Frankee White, with art by Kat Baumann, and lettering by DC Hopkins. The first issue is currently crowdsourcing on Kickstarter.
Story
20 FISTS is a queer Romeo & Juliet during a break-up meets The Warriors. It’s a tale as old as time. Two women, who met on the battleground, find themselves sorting through the rubble of their relationship in the illegal and unlicensed fight league that runs rampant throughout their city. Issue #1 features two chapters: Round One is the first part of the fight between The No Names & The Big Jackets. Following Round One is a flashback that sets up the growing friction between Chel, Billie, and their crews.
In 20 Fists, writer Frankee White successfully manages to put the reader in the middle of the action right from the get go. There is little dialogue in the first half of this book, which adds to the tension within the pages. It forces the reader to question which one of the rival gangs will strike first, and when. And just as the heated battle begins, it ends, and we are then thrust into the past, getting a glimpse as to why these rival street gangs decided to rumble. In the midst of the brewing feud, there is a romance in the vein of Romeo & Juliet. Here, White brings the much needed exposition, giving the reader a good sense of the individuals who make up these rival gangs.
Art
Artist Kat Baumann crafts a grungy and broken world in 20 Fists #1. The very first page perfectly sets up the tone of the book. The buildings are cracked and dilapidated, with a steeple looming in the background. The sky is black and starless, as if a dark cloud hangs just above. Baumann also does commendable character work, helping distinguish the members of the rival gangs through their hairstyles and clothing.
The lettering by DC Hopkins stands out particularly well, with the clever additions of sound effects, using onomatopoeic words frequently for anything from loud music to glass clinking and cigarette inhalation.
Conclusion
You can pick up a copy of 20 Fists by supporting it on Kickstarter. For more information on this book, follow writer White on Twitter and Gumroad.
Do you have an independent or small press book crowdfunding on Kickstarter to review? Let us know!
A world of prohibition, Gangsters, and Al Capone isn’t enough for Christian Ward as he packs the second issue of Tommy Gun Wizards with magic, mayhem, and a rogue’s gallery fit for Dick Tracy. Dark Horse Comics bring all of this, neatly packaged, to the shelves this Wednesday.
After the scene setting first issue, Ward pushes the boat out on action, adventure and alternative historical drama. Although some of the sequences may seem a little bit ‘out there’, no-body cares because the entire creative team are clearly enjoying themselves.
Tommy Gun Wizards #2 Credit: Dark Horse Comics
Magical Scripting
The first issue of Tommy Gun Wizards was a wonderfully written drama that carefully led the reader into Ward’s world. In contrast, this second issue goes full pelt from the opening pages. Ward uses a flash back sequence to allow the reader to become better acquainted with the gorgeous Candice; get a closer look at the relationship between Elliot Ness and the underground wizards; and finally to expand on the history of the source of the magic. There is so much going on in the first four pages that you’ll need a few reads to digest it all.
Moving forward, the action hots up and Ward proves that he can write engaging fight sequences as well as character interactions. The banter between Ness’ Untouchables adds an air of lightness to the scene, creating a bombastic theatrical scene that is a joy to read.
And then Ward introduces Red and the Boys. Without giving too much away, this gang is a cross between the X-Men and Chester Gould’s greatest grotesque villains from the 1940’s. With each encounter, Ward ups the ante with a whirlwind story and several shocking moments, including a mouth dropping final page.
Tommy Gun Wizards #2 Credit: Dark Horse Comics
The Art of Wizardry
Ward gives the rest of the creative team plenty to get their teeth into. The design of the characters and the scenery is a mix of authentic 1920’s Chicago and an otherworldly fantasy almost beyond imagining. Sami Kivela brings both aesthetics together, overlaying them seamlessly to create a natural, logical world. The characters may appear to be larger than life but they fit snugly within the world of underground, black market magic facing a gang of straight laced police officers.
Kivela has a highly detailed style allowing him to cram each panel and page with massive amounts of story and character but does not overwhelm the reader. The coloring and lettering, provided by Dee Cunniffe and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou respectively, in turn enhances the blend of magical and historic making the entire comic function with a single purpose and direction.
Cunniffe uses an array of color to create vast scenes of exuberance, such as in The Curtain Room which is an exclusive magic club. It reflects the opulence of the rich speakeasies as depicted from the early 1920’s but adds a surreal edge. Behind this he gives the scenes a color theme to represent either the action or central character being explored. This allows the reader to adjust to the change in setting and time almost subconsciously, allowing in turn Kivela to keep the story moving at the fast pace dictated by Ward’s narrative.
The lettering controls the readers flow through the panels and across the pages. Caption boxes are positioned, often in a staggered formation, to slow the reader, forcing the eye to move more around the page instead of straight across rows of panels. Otsmane-Elhaou also uses cleverly stylised fonts for some of the title/captions. These work to remind the reader of setting but also stop the reader. The titles are humorous in appearance, as if they are gently mocking the seriousness of other comics that apply similar motifs, especially superhero comics.
Tommy Gun Wizards #2 Credit: Dark Horse Comics
Conclusion
Ward enjoys merging genres and playing in multiple sand boxes at once. Tommy Gun Wizards isn’t your average noir, gangster story. It isn’t even a straight forward magical fantasy tale. Tommy Guns Wizards effortlessly blends multiple genres into an amazingly entertaining read with stunning visuals. It tells a tall tale inspired by Sunday afternoon movies and early adventure comics, and never takes itself too seriously. It mocks itself, and other such stories, in a fun, inoffensive way.
With an additional back up story entirely written and drawn by Ward, the second issue of Tommy Gun Wizards has as much, if not more, to offer than the first issue. The comic is pure escapism and a must read for anyone wanting to disappear into a magical, exhilarating world, even if it’s just for a few glorious moments.
The final cut off for orders are today for MIDNIGHT VISTA #2, so for any retailers and readers on the fence, we have a four-page preview for you to check out below thanks to AfterShock Comics.
About the issue: It’s the news story of the century! Oliver Flores – the kid on the face of every milk carton in New Mexico – has been found.
Recovering at the hospital, Oliver is finally able to reveal where he’s been for the last nineteen years: Along with his stepfather, he was abducted by aliens. And the only real problem with that is…no one believes him. Not the detectives from his case, not the doctors who treated him, not even his biological dad. They’re all convinced Oliver is suffering from massive trauma.
Meanwhile, no one seems to notice the suspicious Strangers in Black trying to silence Oliver for good.
Based on a true story from writer Eliot Rahal (HOT LUNCH SPECIAL), with out-of-this-world art from Clara Meath, MIDNIGHT VISTA will make you believe in little grey men.
MIDNIGHT VISTA is a science-fiction drama from AfterShock Comics about a young boy who gets abducted by aliens, is brought back as an adult and remembers everything. Although the story itself is a fictional meditation on alien abduction, the series was inspired by the writer’s (Eliot Rahal) real-life close encounter.
Now, Rahal will release an extended one-shot podcast that explores the non-fictional aspect of his experience, which will include edited interviews from Eliot’s stepfather, mother, and himself. The recording will be free to download through a QR code that will be included in the trade paperback for Volume 1 of MIDNIGHT VISTA.
MIDNIGHT VISTA was created by Clara Meath and Eliot Rahal, with colors by Mark Englert and letters by Taylor Esposito.
MIDNIGHT VISTA #2 Preview
Are you reading MIDNIGHT VISTA? Comment below with your thoughts.
In the lead up to the Buffy/Angel crossover event Hellmouth, an historic meeting is about to take place. In this week’s pages of Angel from BOOM! Studios writer Bryan Edward Hill retells the entrance of Charles Gunn into the Buffyverse, and it’s a violent as his screen introduction.
Angel #5 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Introducing A Hero
Charles Gunn is an instrumental part of Angel’s group in the television series. Introduced in the first series and quickly becoming a series regular, the street fighting Gunn brings conflict to the team; conflict within himself and conflict between him and Angel. The creators developed an interesting relationship between the two characters that was based on respect but lacked trust. Gunn was there to question what the team were doing and challenge Angel’s mission.
Bryan Edward Hill clearly understands this aspect of the characters and Gunn’s introduction into the comic draws many parallels with the television series. Gunn is a hero on the streets; he has a strong internet following; and he protects those who can’t protect themselves. Hill sets up the character by showing the reader his strengths, his popularity but also shows his weaknesses. This issue of Angel centres on Gunn and concentrates 90% on building his character. By the end of this issue Gunn’s life has been laid out.
Hill makes sure that Gunn is shown interacting with a number of characters in a number of situations so that the reader can get to see the many sides of the complex character. This is not just another Vampire hunter, he has a mission fuelled by a traumatic incident in his past. He also understands diversity and contradictions. This is shown through his first conversation with Angel where he does not judge based on appearances and accepts that a Vampire can be more than just a demon.
Angel #5 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Drawing a Gunn
This issue allows Gleb Melnikov to show off his vast range of character acting. The attention to detail in the facial expressions not only give the cast some character but also adds context to the narrative. The subtleties of Gunn’s character, insinuated in the script, are visually portrayed on the page through the panel transitions and compositions. Gleb portrays Gunn as heroic as well as vulnerable. The scared face of a child explains as much about Gunn’s mission as a series of fight scenes and voice overs.
There is an overriding sense of battling against darkness in this issue of Angel, and the concentration on Gunn as a character requires this. The atmosphere is upheld by the gloomy darks of the night streets and the distance flashes of city lights. Despite his internet presence, Gunn fights off the grid, a concept illustrated perfectly by Roman Tutov’s colors.
The darkness of night and prevailing cloud enveloping Gunn’s character is present on every page, bleeding into the black gutters of the panels. There are very few moments where a sense of hope is expressed through the coloring. Even when the greys and dark blues are replaced it is often by colors invoking worse imagery.
The most notable is the flashback sequence of Gunn’s first meeting with Lukas, the vampire that has plagued his life. The panels become soaked in a blood red that represents the fear, horror, and violence of the encounter. It has a profound , lasting effect on Gunn and the reader.
It is also in this moment where the lettering really stands out. A maniacal laugh is etched into the night, becoming the background, just like the incident becomes the birth of Gunn’s fight against the vampires.
Ed Dukeshire has to use a number of different fonts throughout this issue, marking the difference between texting, speech, and sound effects. One of the simplest, and most effective, weapons in Dukshire’s arsenal is the different balloon styles for the heroes and the villains. The vampires, except Angel, have uneven, wavy borders on their speech balloons whereas the heroes have smooth borders. This difference is especially effective during a scene where a saviour becomes a threat. The style of balloon changes to hammer home the moment ,giving the narrative and the images a third signifier to help the storytelling.
Angel #5 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Conclusion
This issue of Angel builds the world around the central character beautifully. It introduces a character who has changed very little from his T.V. counterpart but who feels brand new. The interactions between the cast member’s are moving and humorous and tell a full, rounded story. With the exception of the ending, issue 5 of Angel is a magnificent, stand alone story.
With exceptional art, engaging narrative, and a cast of diversely interesting characters, Angel is a joy to read. This is a great issue to start with if you want to get to know the characters and the tone of the series, even if you are not interested in the upcoming crossover event.
What would you sacrifice to see your dreams come true? This is what Azzarello and Llovet ask in the season ending of Faithless from BOOM! Studios. After six exhilarating chapters Faith’s journey is coming to an end. Or is it really the beginning?
Warning: Faithless is abound with adult content and is definitely not safe for work. It’s a no holds barred erotic adventure that takes a few unexpected turns.
Faithless #6 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Testing Faith
Azzarello has taken Faith on a journey of enlightenment, sexually and artistically, since the first issue. He has surrounded the central character with new highs, exceptional experiences but also doubt and unbelievable loss. This final issue is no different.
Opening with a full frontal sex scene that leaves nothing to the imagination, Azzarello tests not only the characters boundaries but also the readers. By now the contents of Faithless should not be shocking, you know exactly what you’re getting before you pull back the cover. Having said that this issue definitely pushes as far as it can go.
The reason Faithless isn’t just sex for sex sake is that everything that happens, each element of the narrative, is important for character development. Therefore, you may think the opening sequence is over the top and unnecessary but as the issue progresses Azzarello makes you understand that it is all apart of Faith’s growth. She is being tested and pushed to become the very best that she can be. This issue sees Faith being offered a choice and the decision she makes relates to the sexual experimentation as much as the artistic and personal development.
This series has been about a character embracing a brand new world in order to become something she has dreamed about. For some she has gone too far, for others not far enough. It is up to the reader to decide if Faith has been manipulated down a particular path and if it’s the correct path to follow. The reader has an advantage because they can see what has happened around Faith much better than she can but when the devil comes calling, would you be tempted?
Faithless #6 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Building Faith
Without question the gorgeous artwork makes the seductive narrative believable. With the sweeping images flowing from panel to panel it’s perfectly clear that Faith is being swept along by the beauty and magic of the moment. Maria Llovet draws Faiths world with such an eye for attraction and seduction that the images suck you into the panels. The reader is caught up by the same sensual eroticism that has bewitched Faith. It is so easy to forget the horrific things that have happened.
The visual journey through this comic is a delight. Llovet’s inks are free and loose with colors that are bright and alluring. Sequences of panels dance across the pages with the images breaking the borders, blurring the lines and removing some of the stability of time. This heightens the dreamlike quality of the work and advances the magical elements.
The final element stamping home the otherworldly feel of the comic is the superb lettering by AndWorld Design. In this issue there are some outstanding musical lyrics woven into the fabric of the pages. They break all of the rules of the comic book, sweeping across the panels, borders, and gutters with wild abandon.
The large, colorful text helps to set the scene and mood. It also draws attention to the narration spoken above the images. The contrast between the garish lyrics and the small, white text in a black caption box immediately creates a juxtaposition on the page making the reader look for hidden meanings and depths.
Faithless #6 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Conclusion
Faithless is a thought provoking, love letter to fashion, theatre, and Art. The creators have clearly enjoyed crafting the magical world of lovers and inner demons, and the resulting comic is mesmerising and beautiful.
Azzarello and Llovet have embraced the adult nature of the story and not shied away for depicting scenes that aren’t often found in mainstream comics, especially in America and the UK. The erotic scenes, some might say pornographic, are not exploitative and serve a narrative purpose. It won’t be to everybody’s taste but the industry is better for having a diverse range of material available.
Issue six of Faithless is a beautiful, if a somewhat down beat, ending to the first act. And just like the central character, the reader is taken on an unexpected, exhilarating journey.
Scout Comics has been on the rise for a while now. With a truly diverse set of titles that range in all sorts of genres, the indie comics publisher has a title for just about anyone. One of their latest, Midnight Sky (check out our review of the book here!), is written by Scout Comics CCO and Publisher James Pruett, a life long veteran of the comics industry. James was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule writing comics and helping run a comics company to talk to us at Monkeys Fighting Robots about, well comics of course! Check out the interview and then make sure you check out Midnight Sky and all the great comics Scout has to offer!
Monkeys Fighting Robots: So, James, you’ve had quite an extensive career in comics! Can you fill our readers in on your career?
James Pruett: I started my career in July 1993 by co-creating the award-winning anthology series NEGATIVE BURN with my twin brother, Joe Pruett, and Charles Moore. This was my first professional writing credit, as well. From there I got to know the Publisher of Caliber Comics, Gary Reed, and by the next year, I went on staff at Caliber Comics as the Managing Editor/Associate Publisher.
While at Caliber, I created and wrote the APPARITION, BLACK MIST, SOJOURN, NEW WORLDS, CALIBER CORE, KAOS MOON (co-scripted) and STRAIT JACKET, among others (which later evolved into MINDBENDER for Scout) I stayed at Caliber until the end of 1999 and left to work for the family business back in GA and still continued to write and edit freelance. It was during this time that I was lucky enough to write an X-Men Unlimited story with Mike Deodato, which is still one of the highlights of my career.
MFR: How did you link up with Scout Comics?
Around 2015 or so, my brother Joe became one of the founding members of AfterShock Comics and I found my creative urges coming to the forefront again and decided that I wanted to get back into writing and pulled out a script I had written around 2003 and began shopping it around to various publishers in early 2016. I had read a little about this new company, Scout Comics, and met a creator that was writing ELASTICATOR for Scout at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC and started asking him questions about them. We hit it off pretty well and he eventually put me in contact with Brendan Deneen and after our phone conversation the next thing you know I became the Publisher of Scout Comics.
MFR: What’s your role as CCO and Publisher at Scout Comics like?
Pruett: The easiest way to describe what I do at Scout is that I’m pretty much responsible for most of the day-to-day functions on the publishing side of the company. I deal directly with Diamond, the printers and most of the creators. I attend a large number of conventions for Scout and do a lot of face-to-face meetings with retailers trying to build the Scout brand awareness. I edit and review every single title before it goes to the printer. I’m one of 4-5 of the Scout Team members that review every single submission that comes to us. I’m responsible for scheduling all of Scout’s titles and making sure that everything comes in on time and gets sent to the printer. Basically, the entire publishing process falls into my lap. I’m sure there are other areas and responsibilities I’m not covering here, but you get the idea.
While my role deals with the more day to day maintenance of the publishing side of the business, the reason for our success is due to the entire Scout team of partners that contribute with their own expertise in all avenues of publishing and multimedia. It really is a team effort and that is the key to our increasing market presence in both the publishing world and multimedia industry. My hat is off to James Haick, Brendan Deneen, Tennessee Edwards and our newest partner, Don Handfield. Great guys, Great team!
MFR: What do you think that smaller, more indie publishers offer the comic book market?
Pruett: I think that independent publishers bring variety and diversity to the market that the larger publishers are either unwilling or unable to do. Scout brings fresh voices and fresh ideas to the comic industry. Now, I’m not saying that other publishers don’t, but I really stand by the stories and the artistic visions that we’ve introduced over the last few years and feel that we have a unique approach that sets Scout apart.
MFR: What are some of your current titles?
Pruett: Some of our more successful current titles currently are ELECTRIC BLACK, STABBITY BUNNY, MIDNIGHT SKY, HEADLESS, THE MALL, RED WINTER, CRUCIFIED, SOLAR FLARE, GUTT GHOST, THE SOURCE and RISE.
The Mall #2 from Scout Comics
MFR: What does Scout Comics have planned for 2020?
Pruett: Our plan is to continue to grow our market share and introduce new creative talent that should be the next wave of great comic talent. Some upcoming titles that I’m really excited about include GENETICAA, a new series from industry legend Paul Jenkins;DEVILREAUX, an upcoming new series from Walking Dead actor Vincent M. Ward making his comic writing debut; NORTH BEND; A TOWN CALLED ELSEWHERE; SAM AND HIS TALKING GUN; ASSASSINS AND SON, among others.
MFR: Okay so on to Midnight Sky! We reviewed the book earlier this summer and loved it. For those who might not know what the title is about, can you give us a synopsis?
Pruett: For a little over a decade, the world has been at war with an invisible, secret enemy that is undetectable because they look like everyone else. Changelings, inter-dimensional beings from a dying world, find themselves in need of a new home and have chosen Earth, but in order to do so, they must first transform the atmosphere and climate to one better suited to their own needs. Using the warming climate change as incentive, the First Changeling, who came to Earth through a dimensional portal that scientists had mistakenly opened to their world, is able to manipulate plans that scientists were using to attempt to reverse the warming process by cooling the atmosphere. What was hoped to be salvation turned into Armageddon as particles placed in the Earth’s atmosphere for cooling purposes were instead used to greatly block the sun’s rays from penetrating the Earth’s atmosphere resulting in an eternal Midnight Sky of darkness. This resulted in massive food shortages and brought on catastrophic weather patterns making much of the earth’s surface inhabitable. The humans that were left were forced to migrate to what were formally the more tropical climates as these areas still contained tolerable temperatures.
There are three main protagonists, Jennifer, an immigrant mother originally hailing from Panama, and her two children, Elita, who is half human and half Changeling as Jennifer’s husband had been replaced unknowingly and they conceived her, and Alejandro, a Changeling that replaced her birth son as an infant and whom she has raised for the past 15 years. They are on a quest to Cape Canaveral hoping to find the permanent portal to the Changeling’s dimensional world in an attempt to recover the child that was taken from her as an infant by the Changelings. The main problem is that in order to do this, she would have to sacrifice the Changeling child that she has raised since infancy and that calls her mother. Jennifer has a nearly impossible task of deciding whether motherhood is limited to just giving birth to a child? Will she be able to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save her natural child?
MFR: What was the genesis of this idea?
Pruett: Dreams. Seriously.
MFR: Which character is your favorite to write? Which one proved most difficult?
Pruett: I’d have to say Elita is my favorite character to write. She’s a lot of fun. She’s a 13-year-old girl born into this crazy world of despair and thrust into a role as a possible savior, something she never wanted or prepared for, and she’s still just a big kid at heart. She’s so pleasant and personable she makes me smile even as I put her into some of the darkest and most dangerous situations of all the characters She gives me hope.
MFR: What led you to work with Scott Van Domelen on this title?
Pruett: Scott Van Domelen was introduced to me by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, the writer of the Scout Comics series, SMOKETOWN. It’s no secret to anyone that knows me, but SMOKETOWN is one of my favorite all-time comic series. I didn’t know Scott before SMOKETOWN, but as the series developed, I just fell in love with the raw emotion that Scott was able to bring to each story. He is excellent in portraying character’s emotions just through subtle facial expressions or body language. I just knew I had to work with him someday. So, when I was looking for an artist for MIDNIGHT SKY I thought of Scott. He’s a true talent and has a bright future in the industry.
MFR: What’s the day to day or week to week creative process for you with Scott?
Pruett: Scott’s a dream to work with. Due to all the demands on my time, both from my day job and from being the Publisher of Scout, I tend to write most of my scripts by scenes (3-5 pages at a time). I have an outline of each issue of things I want to touch on and address as I write, but Scott’s enthusiasm sometimes derails that, but in a good way. Scott will constantly send me emails with his thoughts and some really interesting suggestions as to what might be cool and ideas of where our creations could go. I love his interaction and the fact that he is relating to these characters as much as I am. You couldn’t ask for a better collaborator. That being said, I’ll usually send him 3-5 pages at a time. He’ll break my scripts down into thumbnails and share with me. I’ll either say “good to go” or “let’s make some changes here” and then he’ll touch those up and send me pencil pages for review before finalizing the inks. Then it’s on to the colorist, Ilaria Fella, who’s great, and we start over with a new scene.
MFR: How long of a story do you have to tell?
Pruett: That’s a trick question. Like all the comic series I create, I always have multiple storylines in my head just dying to get out onto paper. Because of the difficultness of doing ongoing series for independent publishers, I write in story arcs of 4-8 issues with every intention of continuing each series as long as the readers and retailers want to read more. So,MIDNIGHT SKY is envisioned as an ongoing series with multiple story-arcs, but, ultimately, that will be up to the reading audience. I would love to write 100 issues of MIDNIGHT SKY and keep it going forever. We have enough material to go on for years.
MFR: Who are your biggest creative influences, both in general and on ‘Midnight Sky’?
Pruett: I have a lot of creative influences and I don’t want to leave anyone off, but probably will. Of course, I think every writer is influenced by Alan Moore in some regards, and I’m no exception. Not comparing myself to him, but acknowledging my respect for his works. I’m a little old school in some regards so I find some of my characterization probably comes from a little of Chris Claremont from his early X-MEN days. Don McGregor showed me that comics didn’t have to just be about action and fights from his stories on Black Panther in JUNGLE ACTION, Killraven in AMAZING ADVENTURES, and SABRE from Eclipse Comics, which was the comic that truly made me realize that there was another world outside of Marvel and DC in the early 1980s.
As for MIDNIGHT SKY, I think the obvious influence would be the 1970’s movie version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In fact, for issue 2 we did a special homage cover to this movie poster, just for fun.
MFR: What do you hope readers take away from ‘Midnight Sky’ as a series?
Pruett: At its core, MIDNIGHT SKY is a story about survival, hope, desperation, trust, and most importantly, defining the true definition of family. Is it blood or does it go much deeper than that? Nothing is more important than family, but how you choose to define family is left to many interpretations and realizing that the classic definition isn’t always the only option available.
MFR: Can you tease any future story developments?
Pruett: I think I already gave away a large part of the storyline in some of the answers previously. Probably should have kept some closer to my chest. Oops!
MFR: Anything else you would like to let our readers know about? What are you working on next?
Pruett: I always have some things percolating. I’m helping to script the upcoming DEVILREAUX series, but that’s more so just to get things rolling. I’m developing a new series called TOXIC with Raymond Estrada, an extremely talented new artist. I’m also in the very rough beginning outline process of co-writing with my son, Alex Pruett, a historical comic based on the life of Alexander the Great since we’re both huge Greek history fanatics.
You can check out Midnight Sky and all the other Scout Comics titles on their official website or check out their books at your local comic shop as well.
