The Kitchen Ollie Masters (writer), Ming Doyle (artist), Jordie Bellaire (colorist), Clem Robins (letterer), Becky Cloonan (covers) Vertigo Comics November 2014 As superhero properties continue to be optioned for film and television by the dozen, there are fewer choices for those of us who aren’t super into all things, well, super. My level of excitement…
WWE #15: It Got Worse
WWE #15 Dennis Hopeless, Tini Howard (writers), Serg Acuña, Hyeonjin Kim (artists), Douglass Garbark (colorist), Jim Campbell (letterist), Dan Mora (color artist) BOOM! Studios March 21, 2018 In my review of WWE #14, I called the issue “underwhelming.” I was disappointed in the issue, feeling like it was “just coasting and hoping nobody will notice.”…
Twisted Romance #3: A Space Age Love Song
Twisted Romance #3 Alex de Campi, Jess Bradley, and Margaret Trauth (Writers), Carla Speed McNeil and Margaret Trauth (Artists) Image Comics February 21, 2018 As you would hope with any book featuring the word “twisted” in the title, Twisted Romance does not play it safe. Alex de Campi’s ambitious romance anthology stars diverse creators who…
I Shouldn’t Mention Thunderbirds: Pop Culture References in Dialogue
It’s easy to be cynical about pop culture references in dialogue. It’s easy, and often enough, it’s fair. I don’t much need to explain why. What I do want to consider is an example of the opposite, when a pop culture reference in a piece of written dialogue becomes intensely concentrated communication, contextually useful and…
Blade of the Immortal: Brutally Beautiful
Blade of the Immortal Omnibus V Hiroaki Samura (Art and Story), Dana Lewis & Toren Smith (Translation and English adaptation), Tomoko Saito (Lettering and Retouch) Dark Horse Manga 27 March 2018 Blade of the Immortal began its manga run in 1993, finally finishing in 2012. During this nearly 20 year run, it spawned one anime…
Just Say No: Jersey Shore’s Awkward Situation
The Situation #1 Paul Jenkins (writer), Talent Caldwell (artist), Paul Mounts (colorist), Bill Tortolini (letterer) Wizard World July 2012 Some days you wander Comixology, only to come across an undiscovered gem of a comic, and the heavens shine down on you. Other days, you find The Situation.
Thorgal: A Folk Metal Song in Pictoral Form
Thorgal Jean Van Hamme (writer), Grzegorz Rosiński (illustrator) Cinebook Thorgal is a silly name. It doesn’t inspire confidence. The art is what attracted me to reviewing this classic European series—one that still goes on today, albeit with writers changed out. Grzegorz Rosiński’s art is extraordinarily well-composed, to the point of being cinematic. Scouring the pages was…
Mermaid Project: Whiteness and Capitalism in a Soft Cyberpunk Murder Mystery
Mermaid Project Volume 1 Leo & Fred Simon & Corine Jamar, Europe Comics, izneo.com IZNEO HAS PROVIDED WWAC WITH A VIP ACCESS PASS. Mermaid Project tracks a young woman trying to prove herself as a detective in the Paris of the near future. She becomes unexpectedly linked to an international, industrial scandal and is sent to America…
Eternal: A Beautiful and Savage Viking Tale
Eternal Ryan K Lindsay (Writer), Eric Zawadzki (Artist), Dee Cunniffe (Colours) Black Mask Studios 29 January, 2018 The Viking village of Hvallatr no longer has any men. Shieldmaiden Vif has gathered a group of strong female warriors, and together, they protect their village against hordes of invaders. Their greatest enemy, however, is Bjarte, a magician…
Quickstep, Tango, Foxtrot: Let’s Dance a Waltz
Let’s Dance a Waltz, Volumes 1-3 Natsumi Ando (story and art) Kodansha April/June/August 2015 There’s a romance inherent in the flowing dresses, crisp tuxedos, intricate footwork, sweeping turns, and bright-eyed smiles of ballroom dance. This makes it a perfect partner for a love story, even (especially?) when the dancers are teenagers, and Let’s Dance a…
Hipster Manga: Imawa no Kuni no Alice
Imawa no Kuni no Alice Haro Aso (writer and illustrator) Shogakukan 2010–2016 [Content warnings for this one include: suicide, (foiled) sexual assault, people dying, people being grievously injured or dismembered.] In today’s media, the book Alice in Wonderland is as much a motif as it is a piece of media on its own, inspiring works…
American Gods Vol 1 is Not Quite A Melting Pot
American Gods Volume 1: Shadows Neil Gaiman (Story and Words), P. Craig Russell (Script and Layouts), Scott Hampton, Walt Simonson, Colleen Doran, Glenn Fabry (Art), Lovern Kindzierski, Laura Martin, Colleen Doran, Adam Brown (Colorists), Rick Parker (Letterer) Dark Horsem February 28, 2018 The American Gods comics adaptation is both beautiful and well-paced. P. Craig Russell…
