SPIDER-MAN #5 hits your local comic book store on February 15th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: “The End of the Spider-Verse” continues! See a new side of Peter Parker and the Spider-mythos! Shathra and her forces work towards the extinction of Arachnida sapiens.
PLUS! This issue includes a special super heroic back-up storyfeaturing Spider-Man and Photon celebrating Black History Month!
The issue is by writer Dan Slott and penciller Mark Bagley, with inks by John Dell, colors by Edgar Delgado, letters by Joe Caramagna. The main cover is by Bagley and Delgado.
Check out the SPIDER-MAN #5 preview below:
And a page from the Black History Month backup story by Justin A. Reynolds, Julian Shaw, GURU-eFX, & Joe Caramagna:
Are you reading SPIDER-MAN? Sound off in the comments!
ALL NIGHT & EVERY DAY hits your local comic book store February 15th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive six-page preview for you.
About the issue: It’s time to party! While celebrating is the last thing grief-stricken introvert Michaela wants to do, her friends drag her out for the night and end up trapping her in a hellish curse: a party that never ends, with no way to escape…not even by dying!
Now she must navigate the labyrinth of the legendary Banquet Hideous all on her own and learn its terrible secrets before she is consumed forever!
The 48-page prestige format one-shot will retail for $7.99, and is by writer Ray Fawkes and artist Andrea Frittella, with colors by Sara Colella, and letters by Matt Krotzer. The main cover is by Fritella, and the incentive variant is by Fawkes.
Check out our ALL NIGHT & EVERY DAY preview below:
Are you picking up ALL NIGHT & EVERY DAY? Sound off in the comments!
EDGEWORLD #7 hits the internet February 14th, but thanks to ComiXology Originals, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you.
About the series: On the edge of known space, on the backwater, frontier planet of Pala, magistrate Killian Jess, and native Palan Cheela fight to protect a planet, and people, the rest of the galaxy has forgotten. Battling military occupation, alien invasions, otherworldly infestations, drug running, gang violence, black market traders, and the disastrous, ecological aftermath of a brutal, planet-wide war, they must learn to work together and collect any allies they can from the castoffs, misfits, and aliens occupying Pala, in order to save the world they love.
About EDGEWORLD #7: Things come to a head between Cheela and Killian when a mysterious gunslinger comes to town. But is everything as it seems in this apparently open and shut case?
EDGEWORLD is by writer Chuck Austen and artist Patrick Olliffe, with colors by Lee Loughridge, and letters by Jodi Wynne. The main cover is by Olliffe and Loughridge.
The series is billed as a “far-future noir” perfect for fans of Saga.
Check out the EDGEWORLD #7 preview below:
Are you reading EDGEWORLD? Sound off in the comments!
Marvel Comics sent us the Immoral X-Men #2 connecting variant cover by Todd Nauck this morning. This will connect to variants for Nightcrawlers #2 and Storm & the Brotherhood of Mutants #2, all the Year 100 installments of Sins of Sinister. The female in green is a future Hope Summers. The book hits your local comic shop on March 15. Are you excited about Sins of Sinister?
From acclaimed artist Tyler Crook (Harrow County) comes a new horror series about generational trauma, loss, and a big magic sword in The Lonesome Hunters Vol. 1. Published by Dark Horse Comics, these first four issues create a great opening arc that gets readers into the heads and emotional states of the protagonists while also throwing us into the lore of this world of ancient weapons and old magic. With thoughtful writing and expectedly outstanding art, this opening volume is a must-read for fans of Harrow County and books like it.
“An old and out-of-practice monster hunter in hiding crosses paths with a young girl that forces him to confront these chaotic creatures. As the beasts invade their tenement, they set off on a supernatural road trip to stop these ancient evils in a story that explores the ways that youth informs adulthood and how early traumas can haunt us in old age.”
Writing & Plot
Tyler Crook returns to the realm of magic-tinged and character-focused horror with the opening volume of The Lonesome Hunters. Our story focuses on an old and in-hiding monster hunter named Howard. After the deaths of his whole family and everyone he knows as a boy, Howard runs away with an ancient sword that was given to him by his father – a sword that in turn grants Howard a very long life. Now as an old man, he runs into a girl having her own trouble with magical objects, and the old hunter is forced out of retirement to face his demons anew. While the fantasy/horror material is up front and strong in this comic, all the genre trappings take a back seat to the human characterization of the two leads. Howard led a troubled childhood trying to live up to his father’s expectations as a monster hunter. As a old man, he is still emotionally crippled by his trauma and experiences as a boy. Lupe, the young girl he befriends, has lost almost everyone in her family and feels a desperation for people she cares about to, well, not suddenly die on her. The emotional weight of the pair’s past and how they relate to each other carries the book forward as they clash against dark forces. There’s a lightheartedness to The Lonesome Hunters as well; one of my favorite scenes involves Lupe describing an 80’s mecha anime to Harold and the old hunter is absolutely engrossed. There are moments of fun and genuine sweetness that lift the overall tone of the book where it’s appropriate while also making this duo feel more human. Crook’s dialogue sensibilities are solid, with naturalistic delivery but with just enough stylization to make the words interesting and memorable. Crook proves himself every bit the writer that he is the artist with this first volume of his new horror series.
Art Direction
Most people familiar with Tyler Crook’s work will be expecting his unique brand of visual storytelling, and that is exactly what they’ll get with The Lonesome Hunters Vol. 1. The Harrow County artist utilizes his signature spooky atmosphere blended with his detailed character art to make an original lighthearted horror tone that will feel familiar to returning readers of his work. Crook’s soft, thick lines and detailed animations make his characters feel alive and easy to relate to. Crook excels at displaying emotion across all of his characters, making his work feel all the more organic. His background settings feel lived in with an eye for detail that makes the world feel real – and makes the magic elements stick out that much more. Crook’s colors are just as interesting as his pencils, with his sepia-tinged watercolor approach setting a murky tone for the entire volume. Those familiar with his work in Harrow County know exactly what they’ll be walking into here, but with a more urban-tinged and rust-colored aesthetic compared to Harrow’s backwoods greenery. His careful sequential direction carries the story forward at a brisk but steady pace, relying on mostly larger panels that switch between character close-ups and moments of action. Crook’s lettering is as brilliant as ever as well. His dialogue balloons showcase his solid font and structuring that captures a speaker’s tone very well. However, it’s his SFX work that is especially wonderful. Crook blends his lettering into the art itself, making the effects actually a part of the visual experience. It’s outstanding work, and another shininis g example of Crook’s stellar artistic style.
Verdict
The Lonesome Hunters Vol. 1 is a great opening salvo of issues that starts off Tyler Crook’s new original horror series. His writing here brings the fantastical magic/horror in spades, but keeps a clear focus on the deep humanity of the two lead characters. His visual work is as stellar as ever, with great facial animations and a gloomy aesthetic that pulls the reader into the tone of every issue. Be sure to grab this opening volume from your Local comic shop or a bookstore near you!
The upcoming graphic novel by writer Ed Brubaker, artist Sean Phillips, and colorist Jacob Phillips, is aptly named. Night Fever feels just like a fever dream. As you get lost in the story, you find yourself wondering, “What’s happening, exactly?”
Writing
But to simply say that Night Fever is like a fever dream would be reductive. In Brubaker’s afterword, he also describes it as a primal scream. We follow a bookseller in France named Jonathan Webb. Unable to sleep after he’s been reminded of an old nightmare he used to have, he eventually begins wandering the streets. Brubaker makes it immediately clear that we can’t trust Webb’s narrations. He’s on the brink of delirium and he’s making choices that seem to fly in the face of reason.
But before we even get to Webb’s stumble through France, Brubaker tells us everything we need to know about him as a character. As he stares at the ceiling, we begin to wonder whether it’s actually the nightmare that’s keeping him awake — as his narrations want to assure us — or if it’s his sense of inadequacy. Brubaker says more through implications, half-truths, and silences in his script than he does through what’s actually written. In Night Fever‘s script, less is more. That’s not to say that there aren’t moments of nail-biting action. But even when the chaos strikes, Brubaker finds moments to focus us in on intimate character moments too.
Art
While less is more might be true for much of the writing, Sean Phillips’ art pulls in the opposite direction. Instead of the nuanced expressions we’re used to seeing on Phillips’ characters, we get faces that are so exaggerated that they almost seem comical at times. It’s the kind of thing you’d think you’d only see in the works of someone like the brilliant Kevin Maguire. But with these cartoonish grimaces and scowls, Phillips connects us to the primal scream aspect of this story. At times, the body language almost makes these characters look like cavemen, squaring each other up in some primitive face-off. Yet, when things get truly emotional, that’s when Phillips takes his foot off the gas. It’s the lack of emotion on Webb’s face that often makes us feel the most for him. It’s his subtle smile that has us worrying. Phillips’ work on Night Fever is balanced and beautiful.
Coloring
Jacob Phillips quite fantastically throws realism out the window, for the most part. We get a few scenes that feel like they’re set in a simply lit atmosphere. We see the browns, reds, and blues of normal life. But most scenes are cast in hues of blue, purple, red, or yellow. When Webb goes to a bar to drink with others from his conference, you can tell he has a lot of anger bubbling just beneath the surface. Phillips paints the scene in stunning reds and yellows, mimicking the color scheme of the nightmare he depicts earlier in the book. When the moment passes, Webb returns to his room of melancholic blue. With every page, Phillips makes you feel what’s happening more than anything else. He covers each page in such vivid colors, only using realism to make certain scenes feel lifeless and dull in comparison to the beautiful chaos of the rest of the book.
A panel, as shared in Brubaker’s newsletter “From the Desk of Ed Brubaker”
Conclusion
Night Fever is like a drug-fueled trip through the streets of France, but it’s also so much more. It’s Nihilistic and hopeful, primitive and sophisticated, mysterious and obvious all at once. Sometimes it feels like a stumble through the dark, other times it feels like a scream into a pillow. This creative team puts everything on the page. Image Comics’ Night Feveris out June 14th, 2023. After reading it, you may never sleep again — but it’s worth it.
Welcome to Self-Published Spotlight, a regular interview column where I will be highlighting self-published comics and the creators and small print publishers who make them.
Cartoonist Mahdi Khene recently made a big splash with his Bootleg Spider-Man ‘zine. After getting featured on the Cartoonist Kayfabe YouTube channel, this self-published ‘zine swung its way toward incredible demand and high prices. And rightfully so, as Bootleg Spider-Man was a fantastic bit of comics. But Khene is no one-hit wonder, and his self-published black-and-white comic, Steel Streets is his real masterwork. A knowing homage to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, outlaw black and white comics and 80s exploitation and genre films like Robocop, Steel Streets is a must-read. The insanely prolific and busy artist took some time to answer some questions about his work, process and just comics in general. So sit back, read the interview, and then hit up Khene to grab some of his books (but good luck grabbing a copy of Bootleg Spider-Man!).
Cartoonist Mahdi Khene
Monkeys Fighting Robots: Mahdi, thanks for talking to us! So my first question to everyone is always how they got into comics. What’s your comic book origin? DO you remember your first comic? Mahdi Khene: My pleasure! The preverbal origin story eh? I think I must have gotten introduced to comics as a kid through books like Asterix et Obelix, Lucky Luke, Corto Maltese, etc. I’m from Algeria originally, so the Bandes Dessinees were more accessible to my family and me than what folks were reading in the states. When I was around 3 we moved to New York. Rather quickly after that, I discovered Dragon Ball Z, Spider-Man and all the Marvel comics. The McFarlane & JRJR runs definitely left their mark.
MFR: Do you still read current comics? What books do you read these days? MK:Growing up I phased in and out of comics. I was making music, painting, making collages… So, about a year and a half ago, when I started getting back into it again, I decided to brush up on my reading! So I don’t know about current comics but I’m definitely playing catch up. For example, even though I grew up with TMNT I had no idea it had been a comic! Imagine discovering Eastman & Laird’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at 30… I’m embarrassed!
MFR: It’s never too late to discover TMNT! So when do you decide to create your own comics?
MK:I’ve always drawn since I can remember. All sorts of characters and little one-page stories… I loved the idea of a whole narrative in one picture. I remember in my 20s I had done a series of portraits where each face represented a different neighborhood in NYC. What I’d do is hang out in the neighborhood for a while and then come home and just paint a face that came to mind. Some kind of condensed, internal, sequential art. So the craft was never too far away. Right before comics, I was pursuing a music career! It was going pretty well, I had jobs lined up, residencies, etc. but then the big C happened. Covid sorta took all the gigs away, so like a lot of people I was kinda left to my own device. Then one night after binge-watching Smallville for maybe the 100th time in my life I thought, “Hey, why don’t I make up a superhero.” And that’s how the Zuperhero Universe was born. Comics gave me the artistic outlet that I needed. I fell head over heels!
MFR: Amazing “Somebody save me indeed” haha. Steel Streets is your main book, which I adore! Can you tell our readers what it’s about
MK:Thank you! Steel Streets is my homage to the comics of the 80s, the black and white boom, the gritty nature, the Ninja Turtles… It’s my tribute to the indie comics world. It’s about an amnesiac Ninja, who while seeking revenge for the death of his father is tangled up in a covert readiness project that mutates him and sets him on a collision course. I very much wanted to continue the spoofing nature of TMNT. They spoofed Frank, so I thought I’d do the same. Master Stick & Master Splinter? Master Plank! The Hand & The Foot? The Head! It’s all in good fun.
MFR: Yeah, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the first inspiration I can see in Steel Streets, but as a Robocop superfan I see some of Officer Murphy in the main character’s design. Am I right on this? And what other books, films or media have informed Steel Streets?
MK:Haha! Yes absolutely. I think when I opened the 80s pop culture floodgates a lot of different things started coming at me. It’s New York City. I want people to read the characters with thick New York accents. I want there to be synths playing in the action sequences. I even made a fake movie poster where I had Marisa Tomei & Danny DeVito in starring roles. So yeah, spot on!
MFR: From following you on social media, I know you are very prolific and bang out work at an amazing pace. I also know your day job, like mine, is in an extremely busy industry. How do you find time to create so much work with so much quality? MK: Yes… yes… the service industry! I’ve always loved it. I’ve been working in service for over a decade now, waiting, bartending, security, you name it! For me, it’s one of those jobs that lets my mind wander. My cafe job had really great hours that let me basically have a whole day of drawing after my shift. As for finding the time, I mean… it’s all about the hustle. I’d draw on my lunch break, before work, after work (during work…shhh don’t tell my boss!) My goal was always to do art full time so I didn’t stop. I saw a Todd McFarlane interview once where he said you had to do a page a day. So that’s what I did and still try to do.
MFR: What’s your creative process like? Analog or digital? Like how do you create an issue of Steel Streets from start to finish?
MK: It really depends on the day. I’m not a purist by any means so I use whatever tools I have at my disposal. It’s not uncommon for an issue of Steel Streets to have a mix of digital and analog pages mixed throughout. I’m lucky that my style doesn’t change with a different medium so it usually goes unnoticed. For the most part, it has to do with what I’m ABLE to do. I’ll have my iPad with me on days I work at the day job to bang out a panel, but on a day off when I’m at the studio I do enjoy ink on paper. Lately, I’ve been fusing the two where I’ll blue line the pencils digitally, print it out, and then ink traditionally. It’s all good to me.
MFR: I also love all the fake ads and dates you give the issues and ads. Was this fun aspect of the book always part of the plan? And how do you come up with those ideas?
MK: Ha! I like ‘em too. They’re a lotta fun to make. Well, that’s a tradition that comes from the first series I did, “Zuperhero Comics Presents…” Essentially I pretended that Zuperhero Comics (My publishing house) had been around since the 50s. So some books are dated 1952, some are 1965. I was just imagining an alternate world where Zuperhero Comics was pumping out books alongside Marvel & DC. That’s why that comic book is called “Zuperhero Comics Presents…” while the individual issues are called “Black & Red” or “The Adventures Of Zalool”, as if those were individual titles released by Zuperhero Comics. It gets a little Meta. As for the content of the ads… I’m just trying to make people around me laugh.
MFR: So Bootleg Spider-Man was the first thing I read from you. That ‘zine has caused quite a stir. Can you tell us how this big swing got started? Why a bootleg book? MK:I was at Baltimore Comic Con doing a Spider-Man commission. Folks kept telling me they liked my take on Spidey, that I made him look creepy… uncanny… So that kinda launched me into a Spider-Man reading binge where I reread a bunch of Ditko, Romita, & Mcfarlane. Then one day I posted a photo on the Cartoonist Kayfabe Ringside Seats Facebook group with a caption that read “What I wouldn’t give to do a Black & White Spider-Man issue.” Someone commented that I should do a bootleg. That idea never occurred to me before! Then I thought…” Wait a second… I CAN just make a black-and-white Spider-Man issue!”. So I did.
The SOLD-OUT Bootleg Spider-Man!
MFR: What’s the response been like for you because I have seen it listed for sale at some outrageous prices. How did you feel when all that awesomeness started happening? MK:Getting my own Cartoonist Kayfabe episode was a real honor. Felt like I won an award. To get so many eyes on the bootleg was amazing… but then to have those people stick around and enjoy my other work was surreal. It launched me to another level in my cartoonist career and obviously, I’m enjoying every second!
MFR: As a reader, I know what fun a bootleg book is to read and see, but as a creator what does the bootleg concept do for you? MK:It’s fun! It’s a parody. I don’t think I’d do a serious bootleg. It’s a fun way to tribute characters that I love and make them do insane things. I’m all for it. I think it’s the only way to push the envelope a little bit. It’s cathartic in a way.
MFR: Besides Steel Streets, what else are you working on? MK:Steel Streets is definitely my main squeeze right now but I have all sorts of little projects running around. There’s a fun underground comic I’m doing called “Full Power” & and a retro sci-fi kinda thing called The Country Gentleman And of course, Light Wood Magazine might get a second issue… All in due time!
MFR: Finally, where can readers find you and your work? MK:You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Patreon under @mahdikhene. And all my books atwww.zuperherocomics.com.
The premise is simple: read one comic every day for the entire year. It seems like a simple task but there is no way that I read 365 comics last year, even if you count the individual issues in collections. So, this year, I have committed myself to this reading challenge, in the hope that I can broaden my reading habits and fully engage with my favorite hobby again.
Last week had a superhero slant, with Spider-Man featuring a lot, and I still have many more Spidey titles on my reading desk for the next few weeks. This week will probably be a mixed bag as I haven’t specifically picked anything out or have any reading agenda. Next week, however, will be focused heavily on one thing. You’ll have to come back here then to find out the what and why of it.
But I’ve got 7 comics before then, so without further ado..
Doctor Who Classics Credit: IDW Publishing
Comic Number 29: Doctor Who Classics Volume 3
Everyone is familiar with Grant Morrison’s mind bending, philosophical superhero comics, and Dave Gibbons is the Watchmen artist, so big, BIG names on display here. But it’s also a well known fact that if you’re a British creator and born after 1963 then you’ve had a go at Doctor Who at some stage. Every single British actor has been in the series (not an actual fact, but not far off) and every writer or artist has worked on a strip for Doctor Who magazine. Are you even British if you haven’t?
So, it should come as no surprise to find both Morrison and Gibbons in this little collection of stories featuring Doctors numbered 4, 6, and 7. Today, I read the opening few stories with numbers 6 and 7 worming their way through some bizarre backwaters of the universes.
A fun read with plenty for Whovians, like myself, but it’s not groundbreaking stuff. It won’t change the way you look at Doctor Who or comics. But, it is quintessentially Doctor Who.
Secret series Credit: Image Comics
Comic Number 30: Secret
When it was first announced, Secret was to start coming out at the same time as another Jonathan Hickman title, The Manhattan Projects. At the time, I decided to buy one on a monthly basis and the other, if it was successful enough, I would wait for the trade. I settled on Secret as the monthly, and I’m still not sure if I picked the right one or not. The Manhattan Projects was by far the more successful of the two, which meant that it had a regular release and was collected fairly quickly. Secret, on the other hand, took two years from issue 1 in April 2012 to issue 7 in April 2014.
Jonathan Hickman knows how to tell a story. It’s the reason he is so successful. His early work Pax Romana and A Red Mass for Mars are sufficiently groundbreaking for a new voice in comics. He then made his name with his phenomenal Fantastic Four run followed by a massive stint on the Avengers comics. But all the while, he’s produced indie books such as The Black Monday Murders, Decorum, and the aforementioned The Manhattan Projects. That’s not including East of West, which I will no doubt do a read through later this year as it is simply one of the best comics of the last 50 years.
Secret is a bit more low key than other titles, but it is still a stunning piece of work. The artwork by Ryan Bodenheim is emotionally charged, making the violence so much more violent. And his character work is stunning. Michael Garland provides minimalist colors — a style that was becoming more popular in 2012. The contrast this created not only suits the story but enhances the overall tone.
And then there’s Rus Wooton’s lettering. Wooton’s work doesn’t just tell the reader the story, it is embedded into the narrative with perfectly placed word balloons and superb text layout. Take, as an example, the panel below. The script is telling you about something that has happened but the balance of the lettering, the shape of the two stacked balloons and the placement within the image, gives the speech physical and emotional weight. The hand is virtually holding the two balloons in a balanced shape but the gap between the fingers and the speech adds an element of uncertainty, as if the whole thing is about to topple over and come crashing down. It’s almost like a fore shadowing of what’s to come.. Surely comics can’t be that clever. Can they?
It’s genius.
Panel detail from issue 2 of Secret Credit: Image ComicsSuperZero series Credit: AfterShock Comics
Comic Number 31: SuperZero #1
More from AfterShock Comics, this time one of their earlier titles, released in the publisher’s first year, 2015. This is a superhero comic with a difference: there’s no actual superhero in it. At least, not in the first issue.
The mini-series was created and written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, who produced a large volume of Harley Quinn comics, and there is something of the outcast element in this story. In fact, the central character, Dru, is just a geek like one of us, trying to find her place in the world. Years of indulging in comics and counter culture may have given her a distorted view of the world around her, but her desire to be important in some way is something that most people can identify with. The obsession with detail and being able to use pointless, extensive, knowledge for something other than trolling people online is the driving force behind Dru’s motivation to become a superhero.
The artwork draws on superhero traditions while also expressing the mundanity of normal life. Dream sequences explode with color and action shots, cementing Dru’s impression of the superhero life. However, this doesn’t always flow into her ‘real’ life. The pain is shown on the characters faces and through the body language; almost too close to the bone in some instances.
The first issue is an impressive opener to the series. It is quite word heavy, however, this suits the narrative as it becomes more of a comment on superhero and comic culture rather than an actual superhero story.
The Origins of the Hobgoblin Trade Cover Credit: Marvel Comics
Comic Number 32: The Amazing Spider-Man: Origin of the Hobgoblin
I may have mentioned before that I’m a fan of Spider-Man, especially the late 1970s/early 1980s’ stories. And the Hobgoblin is one of my all time favorite characters, more so than the much more famous Green Goblin and the infamous, uber popular, Venom. Give me the orange mercenary with a ridiculously convoluted history any day of the week.
What I enjoy about this collection is that it sets the scene for the creation of the character. The first three comics, which are the ones I’ve read today, are from The Spectacular Spider-Man issues 43, 47, and 48, and feature the villainous Belladonna, whose manipulation of the fashion world introduces Robert Kingsley to the world. Kingsley will go on to play a major role in the Hobgoblin story, but in this opening arc, he is a weasel of a man who is pushed to breaking point.
The scripts by Roger Stern combine exhilarating action and tragic comedy which is captured on the page by the various artists: Mick Zeck, Steve Michell, John Costanza, Bob Sharen, Marie Severin, Bruce Patterson, Rick Parker, and Ben Sean. Phew, a lot of people worked on this story. As a set up for the coming Hobgoblin storm, these three issues are brilliant. A self contained story that arranges so many pieces for future stories.
Life Is Strange Credit: Titan Comics
Comic Number 33: Life Is Strange #6
I bought a grab bag of comics from a local shop this week. 10 comics for £10. All surprises (it was a sci-fi bundle, so a small idea of what to expect. I have in the past bought the Horror bundles and got some utter gems).
Two of the comics inside were Life is Strange issues 6 and 7. I’ve never heard of the comic before but I have seen Emma Vieceli’s work on a few things, namely Doctor Who and a manga version of Hamlet. After reading the first issue I am definitely going to track down more issues of this. The time bending story is fueled by a realistic, emotional character almost to the point that you could easily forget the science fiction element of the comic, especially in this issue. There are a few hints to a stranger, larger picture, but for the most part it about the relationship between friends. Vieceli’s characters are honest portrayals of young adults, with identifiable lives and problems. The artwork by Claudia Leonardi (with colors by Andrea Izzo) makes the mundane interesting through clever set up panels and great character design.
I’ll be honest, the cover to the issue 6 that I have put me off but I have learnt not to judge a book by it’s cover thanks to the 4 issue masterpiece RunLoveKill which had the most deceptive covers ever. They in no-way represented the contents of the comic.. which is part of a much larger conversation.
Life is Strange is great and this issue is enough to hook me into reading more.
Harrower #1 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Comic Number 34: Harrower #1
Who doesn’t like a bit or murder and mayhem on a Friday night? Just after reading this (which is due out from BOOM! Studios next week), I watched the movie Smile. Thematically, the two are very similar because there is an unknown murderous force praying on unsuspecting people but there is also something else, darker, more complex, going on behind the blood soaked bodies.
Harrower is a homage to classic slasher and cult horror movies dating from the 1960s onward. It plays with the clichés of the genre, introducing the characters you can instantly recognize as the ‘jock’, or the ‘loner’, but doesn’t fall into the trap of being tired or rehashed. There is a vibrancy and an energy in the comic that makes you flick through the pages with excitement and trepidation. You know that something horrible is going to happen and you want to get to it as soon as possible, to get it out of the way, but at the same time you don’t want to see what it is.
Justin Jordan and Brahm Revel have put together a wonderful take on a classic horror narrative and I am hooked. Towns with secrets that cause bloody mayhem.. what’s not to like?
Bit of a punt, this one. I haven’t read anything with the Silver Surfer in it since (checks comic collection) his appearance in the Planet Hulk story line. My knowledge of the character is therefore limited, but I get the gist: herald of Galactus, flies on a surfboard, wears a suit that makes it difficult to accessorize. One of the space heroes in the Marvel Universe.
But, all flippancy aside, this new number one is a very good read. It has a dramatic opening page which leads sweetly into the main story: a drama set around a family who have just moved to a new, quieter town. John Jennings gives each of the family members their own unique voice, appropriate to their age, and the art work (by Valentine DeLandro) flows through the pages like a man on a silver board. Matt Milla’s colors give the scenes the required amount of tension and make the science fiction elements really jump off the page.
This was a fun read for an early Saturday morning and I think fans of the Surfer will love this.
Over a month into the year now. Where is the time going? This week has been the first week that I’ve struggled. Not the actual reading, it’s easy to find 10 minutes to pick up a comic, but writing about each one has been difficult this week. Partly due to the fact that a comic like Secret deserves thousands of words written about it and not just a paragraph or two. And partly because I have not had the time on specific days to write about what I have read. I also planned on reading all of SuperZero but only read the first issue. The question is do I now devote additional days to the other issues in the mini-series or drop it to find something new? Reading different eras or titles of a comic, such as Spider-Man feels somehow different to spending a week on one title like SuperZero.
We shall see how Week 6 goes, especially as it’ll be a little bit different to what I’ve done so far.
So, see you next week, and don’t forget to let me know in the comments what you’re reading!
BLACK PANTHER #14 hits your local comic book store on February 8th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: ENTER NAMOR!
Battered and beaten after his grueling battle with Captain America, T’Challa has everything to prove and nothing left to lose. So when Namor arrives on the scene, Black Panther is determined to make him pay for the pain he’s inflicted on Wakanda in the past. But the terrorists of his making still loom large, and Namor never goes anywhere without a plan – and an angle?
The issue is by writer John Ridley and artist Germán Peralta, with colors by Jesus Aburtov, and letters by Joe Sabino. The main cover is by Alex Ross.
Check out the BLACK PANTHER #14 preview below:
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THE ONES #4 hits your local comic book store on February 22, but thanks to Dark Horse Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for our readers. The book is written by Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Jacob Edgar, K.J. Diaz drops the color, and you will read Joshua Reed’s letter work. Mike Allred with Laura Allred created the variant cover. Enjoy the preview below.
About THE ONES #4: A whole new thing by Brian Michael Bendis and Jacob Edgar! THE ONES–every single person in every mythology that was told they were THE ONE teams up to defeat . . . THE ONE. The actual one. The real actual one. Well, that’s what the prophecy said, and it didn’t happen. So, is this entire prophecy about the Ones a bunch of crap or what? I mean, we’re just going to let toddler Satan do whatever the hell he wants? Will the chosen ones live to fight another day or are we all effed?
