Comic Book of the Month Podcast

Dylan's Sequential Theology 03.06.2013

2013-03-08T19:56:00.002-08:00

I'm back again for all of your weekend comic book shopping needs. This time around, we have samurais, witches, and nightmarish creatures that will make you scream colors! Dark Horse is publishing a lot of great books right now, but a lot of them are also ending this month. I just hope their next batch of titles will be as entertaining as these have been.

Ask for these titles at your local comic book store, or online from Dark Horse's official site.

47 Ronin #3
Art by Stan Sakai and Adapted by Mike Richardson

I am enjoying the heck out of this little book. Stan Sakai's characters are simplified, but his panels have deep compositions which are enriched with lush natural details. Whether intended or not, there seems to be a kinship to Herge's Tintin that makes this book feel a little like "Tintin in Edo Era Japan." And much like Herge, Sakai has done his homework. The level of care he took to recreate this world is truly impressive.

But if you are looking for an interpretation that strips the story of the 47 Ronin of all of its embellishments and tries to be a real historical account, look elsewhere. Stan Sakai definitely prefers the drama of fiction. He and Mike Richardson are trying to revel in the legend more than the history. But when there is evidence of place and it informs the story, they really try their best to get them right. From the clothing, to the clan mons, not much is modernized or inaccurate if they could find historical reference.

If you have never read the tale of the 47 Ronin before, this is an excellent one to start with.

Willow-Wonderland #5
Story by Christos Gage & Jeff Parker with Art by Brian Ching

The final issue of the Willow mini-series, and I am a little disappointed. It wasn't bad, but the idea of an ongoing Willow series made the early issues much more powerful. As I had mentioned before, I was looking forward to Willow dimension hopping between different realms of genre fiction. This is something wholly different. Not that it's bad, it certainly develops the character, and ends quite a few threads that have been running in her storyline for quite some time. Jeff and Christos certainly have character voices down, and nothing feels out of place, it just comes to a very abrupt ending after opening so many doors and sharing so many possibilities. Just stop having good ideas, Jeff Parker.

The real joy of this series is Brian Ching's art. It feels like everyone is made out of quicksilver. Characters' features are not always proportional, and they are constantly twisting in the wind like hair on a Steve McNiven character, but it still somehow fits comfortably in the Buffy-verse "house style" while feeling like something from a completely different company all together. I look forward to see the next book he works on.

Again, I can't help that this was different from what I expected, but there's a parallel dimension where Jeff Parker is writing a comic about Willow using magic to stop Captain Ahab from killing Moby Dick, and I await the technology to read it.

Colder #5
Story by Paul Tobin, Art by Juan Ferreyra

Remember back in January when I said I was going to talk about "sharing my sudden disappointment at a particular series that has quickly become my favorite book on the stands?" Well, this is that book.

If you're a fan of H. P. Lovecraft, or any classic horror writers that rely on psychological horror instead of gore, this book is definitely worth your time. Paul Tobin creates a terrifying world that is nestled between the cracks of our sanity, and creates a love story that doesn't make me cringe. I don't want to over-hype this book, but I'm not done yet.

The real powerhouse in this series is Juan Ferreyra. Every twisted idea in Paul Tobin's head is designed so perfectly that you believe it could be real, while your mind reels at the possibility. The level of craft in his storytelling is easily on-par with Gabriel Rodriguez' work in the pages of Locke & Key.

When it began, it had a lot of promise as an ongoing epic series "in the vein of Garth Ennis' Preacher" (as the marketing touted), but alas it is only a miniseries. When I made that last post I caught the "of 5" on the cover and my heart sank. If this book was canceled due to low readership, I can't help but feel personally responsible for not talking about this book with every person I meet.

When the issues are collected, I can GUARANTEE we will be featuring it on the podcast.

That's it for me this week. Hope everyone is enjoying the episode archives. New episodes are on the horizon. And if you haven't checked out our store, we have some great CBotMP t-shirts and stickers thanks to all of our helpful Kickstarter backers.

And as always, if you disagree with anything I've said, then prove me wrong.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 01.30.2013

2013-01-30T17:38:00.001-08:00

For those of you that are looking for another comic to fill out your weekly stack, I have returned with more reviews! I've read a lot of great books this week, but I'm just going to share three that really stood out for me.

As always, you can purchase these comics digitally by clicking on the title, or buy them at your local brick and mortar store. It's a good idea to find it now, so you don't feel supremely awkward when you head over there on Free Comic Book Day later this year.

Angel & Faith #18
Story by Christos Gage, Art by Rebekah Isaacs

I have certainly changed my opinion of this book since I first started reading it. "Angel & Faith" has quickly become my favorite in the Buffyverse. As soon as I put down an issue, I immediately want to marathon old seasons. It's nice to have a book that feels like a natural extension of the series, while still bringing something new to the table.

Rebekah's art has grown on me. Her fight scenes are engaging, and her monsters are very well designed & eerily rendered. They aren't incredibly detailed with every tiny inked bit of sinew. There's a vague fright in the amount of skin they seem to have. Like so much razorblade horror wrapped up in a fleshy bag.

It's full of the snappy-pop-dialogue the show is known for, without feeling like parody. And for anyone that liked Buffy but hated Buffy herself, then this is a series you might really enjoy. The Buffyverse does have a bit of a dense continuity these days, and the comics have added a lot of characters that may not be immediately familiar, but Christos Gage has done his time at Marvel and knows how to sell a character with a small economy of dialogue and a whole lot of action.

The Shadow #9
Story by Victor Gischler, Art by Aaron Campbell

Victor Gischler continues to play with the limit of The Shadow's power, and shows him as much more fallible than he is often presented. I'm not entirely sold on the idea when it leads to melodramatic statements like, "their emotions... they're unknown to me... I must rely on their body language to tell me what they are feeling." But this is a character of theatrics and high-melodrama so it's not inexcusable.

He has certainly amped up the adventure angle that Garth Ennis brought to the forefront in his opening arc. The Shadow is usually much more street-level, but it seems to work quite well. I think it has something to do with the visual of the scarf billowing in the wind.

Aaron Campbell draws an excellent sequence highlighting his sadistic determination as he jumps between airplanes that is quite thrilling, even if at times it's a little muddy. But Aerial combat is a very difficult thing to pull off in a comic book, so I cut him a good deal of slack. While each issue has some small thing that makes me cringe, it's still a fun book that definitely delivers on action & adventure.

Star Wars: Agent of the Empire - Hard Targets #4
Story by John Ostrander, Art by Davidé Fabbri & Wes Dzioba

This series surprised the heck out of me. It's set at a point in time where the Empire and the Old Republic are still trying to figure out if they can co-exist. The clone wars are over, but the rebellion is just beginning.

It follows the story of one Imperial secret agent as he treads the line between doing what is right, and what is in the Empire's best interest (I'll give you a hint, he's a heroic protagonist).
I enjoy seeing that not everyone in the Empire is a generic British person who wants to kill all the Americans that want to separate from the Empire... er...
Anyway, Davidé's art is quite strong, and the velvety guache-like colors of Wes Dzioba makes this book a joy every month. I hope this book finds a way to live on after the Star Wars license reverts to Marvel, but its ultimate fate is anyone's guess.

That's it for me this week. Come back next time when I will be sharing my sudden disappointment at a particular series that has quickly become my favorite book on the stands.

And as always, if you disagree with me, then prove me wrong.

Creator Interview: Jeremy Whitley & Emily C. Martin

2012-12-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

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Download this episode (right click and save) Dylan talks with Emily C. Martin & a very under the weather Jeremy Whitley about the first issue of Princeless Volume 2. We talk about Jeremy's time at the Eisner's, the joys of working on such a collaborative book, and Emily's art school.

You can pre-order a copy of Princeless volume 2 #1 from DCBService.com, or ask your local comic book retailer to order a copy and they will have it waiting for you when it is released on February 27th next year!

Episode 20: Hereville Book 2

2012-11-30T23:37:00.003-08:00

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Chris, Dylan, and Vicky discuss the second book in Barry Deutsch's Hereville saga. Does it live up to the first book? Will Chris and Dylan shut up about their tablets? Listen and find out!

If you haven't read the first book in this series, and you are a fan of Princeless, you really should grab a copy. Makes a great gift this holiday season.

Speaking of Princeless, Jeremy Whitley & Action Lab Entertainment were kind enough to share the first 5 pages of volume 2 with us. It's in this month's Previews, so badger your local comic book shop and demand they order a copy for you!

Watch for our interview with Jeremy and Emily C. Martin in the next few weeks!

Dylan's Sequential Theology 11.07.2012

2012-11-07T14:22:00.002-08:00

With the Kickstarter, and our aggressive advertising bringing in a lot of new people, I thought I would take this time to explain what this column is all about... for the first time. Each Wednesday, I pick four comics that deserve at least a glance. I tend to read a lot of Dark Horse and Dynamite, so you might notice a bias in that regard. I keep spoilers to a minimum, so no worries there.

And always, if you disagree with anything I say, then prove me wrong.

This week, we have samurai, witches, demons, and Vampire Slayers... Although probably not the one you're thinking of.

47 Ronin #1

Story by Mike Richardson, art by Stan Sakai
The story of the 47 Ronin is an old Japanese tale. In some strange way, it's almost the Japanese Christmas Carol. Not in the sense that a rich man learns to love life and spread good cheer because he has learned the true meaning of a national holiday, but more to the extent that it has been adapted more times than might possibly be beneficial for the advancement of human civilization. And yet, with every reinterpretation, writers manage to inform a new generation, and find new facets to the story people have not seen before.
It takes place in Feudel Japan during a time much like France during the reign of the Sun King. Lords live at the estates of other lords in a hierarchy geared towards direct control.
One Daimyo from the country is requested to stay with his lord and learn the ways of the court. The young Daimyo is disgusted by the crassness of his lord and does not take his verbal abuse lightly. This leads to a dispute which has become the seminal literary example of what it means to follow the Code of Bushido.
With so many adaptations, is it possible for Mike Richardson and Stan Sakai to breath new life into this story of 47 men who step outside of Japanese law to follow a greater code of honor?
Yes, I believe there is. Having watched several adaptations of the 47 Ronin ("Chushingura" by Hiroshi Inagaki is an excellent one), they all feel somewhat flat. It's all incredibly well composed, but never quite makes a visceral connection with me. It could be lost in the East meets West translation, but beyond story beats, I tend to have trouble caring for the narrative's many characters. In this version, Sakai's art and Richardson's simplistic writing serve the story well. While it might tell a bit more than show, that was an aspect inherent in the original work. When one man chooses to speak the truth in a room full of liars, he must make his actions clear.
While a lot of people influenced by manga have fallen into the trap of pose-etic works of splash-page flash, Stan Sakai is firmly planted in the Osamu Tezuka school of art. While his characters are melodramatic, the setting is first and foremost. These incredibly expressive people live in a world with seasons and live in a world with a sky. There's something refreshing about seeing such attention to setting in a comic book, manga influenced or otherwise. And since the seasons play such an important part of the 47 Ronin story, Sakai really ensures you are able to enjoy them.
Few artists are able to show just how much fun they are having every time they put the brush to paper. Sakai's line is angular, but full of life. He is no stranger to large atmospheric crowd scenes, and this book is full of them. If you always wanted to see Stan Sakai's excellent cartooning, but find talking animals to be somewhat of a deal-breaker, then you definitely need to pick up this book.

Colder #1

Story by Paul Tobin, art by Juan Ferreyra
Dark Horse has a foot firmly planted in horror. While they may not have a strong brand for it like Avatar, a media darling like 30 Days of Night, or as robust a back-catalog as Vertigo, their general output tends towards the supernatural (Hellboy anyone?). Colder is the latest addition to the Dark Horse horror family and they promote the book as being "in the vein of Garth Ennis' "Preacher." Which is a very bold statement that may doom this series from the beginning. But Paul Tobin is certainly willing to try and live up to that moniker. But before you pick up this book and start expecting a philosophical debate about Christianity and the nature of God in modern society set against a Spaghetti Western backdrop, you need to put that idea right out of your head. This series (from the first issue anyhow) has seemingly much more in common with Alan Moore's recent Neonomicon (minus the squiggy sex bits). The world these people reside in feels much more like Lovecraft,s Insmouth than Ennis' journey through the "American Heartland." Its horror stems from a person's loss of control and the inability to trust their own mind instead of gore and sexploitation. All of that said, I'm excited to see where this series goes, if Paul Tobin is legitimately telling a lengthy 70+ issue epic, then I will stick with this series till the end.

The Shadow #7

Story by Victor Gischler, art byJack Herbert
After Garth Ennis' run on the Shadow came to a startling and quite sudden finale last month, Victor Gischler is given quite a strange place to start his arc... Ennis' Atomic Bomb gave a launch pad for any creator to swoop in and tell whatever tale they have in mind for the eternal man of mystery. Would it be a traditional heist gone awry? Perhaps an attempt on the city's water supply? Maybe stopping a faction of Nazis from gaining a foothold in England? No, Gischler has decided to tell a story that feels like a "Year 1" story, but has to be a "Year 300" story.
The Shadow encounters a man who possesses the same gift to mask people's empathy. He feels lost, as though someone has stopped him from being able to hear or see, but luckily they are masked from each other. Gischler does an excellent job of conveying Cranston's fragile state of mind, and Gischler's fortune cookie wisdom works quite well. But there is a major chronological rub that I don't want to spoil.
I gave Dynamite some credit and said "this is a new version of the character, and what I have known doesn't factor into THIS Lamont Cranston/Kent Allard," but the fact that they reprinted Chaykin's "Shadow: Blood and Judgement" and accepted it as canon, leads me to believe this serious could only take place AFTER those events. By that point, Cranston has encountered so many foes that have been capable of replicating his gifts, this would hardly be new for him. Yet The Shadow, through out the issue, acts as though this is within his first couple years of fighting crime. I can only assume that some editors have some major signals crossed.
I try really hard not to be a giant fanboy when it comes to the Shadow, but it's in my blood. I've been reading his stories, watching his serials, and listening to his radio dramas since I was a tiny tike, and his mythos is something I adore. I have given a lot of leeway to a lot of Shadow stories in the past (accepting Chaykin's Shadow was one of the most rewarding), but Gischler is treading a weird line for me. It's not bad, but he does something a lot of writers who are unfamiliar with the character tend to do, and that's assume he is Batman. Throughout the issue he is seen crouching, and behaving like the Dark Knight, and less like the enigmatic man who scouts out the situation first, then wreaks havoc with his twin .45s of justice! He is smoke, he is a spirit, not a dude that crouches on windowsills. Gischler's over-reliance on The Shadow's inner-monologue also destroys some of the mystery of the character. He is at his best when the reader does not know him, but is seen through the eyes of either victim or villain with only the blood curdling laugh as a warning.
"Dylan, could you hate this issue any more?" Yeah. I probably could. Because I actually enjoyed it a lot. While he "committed a lot of crimes" against my personal Shadow continuity, he managed to sell me on Lamont as a person in his early days as the Shadow and showed me the moment when The Shadow deems it is just fine to take a life. If he can tone down the Bruce Wayne, and amp up the cocky ace fighter-pilot, this could be an excellent series.

Willow #1

Story by Jeff Parker, art by Brian Ching
The Buffy-verse has gone through an epic sundering lately, with every character getting their own title. Buffy Season 9 progresses the Slayer's life in the 21st Century with its usual witty satire of popular culture and modern societal norms. Angel & Faith has become the island of misfit toys for all of Buffy & Angel's forgotten yet beloved characters, and Spike's book is... er... a book with Spike in it.
Since Willow hasn't had her own series before, but is such a fan favorite and major player in the Buffy-verse, this series has a bit of anticipation to live up to. Luckily, Jeff Parker is able to deliver. This issue juggles three things rather effortlessly. It ties up where it spins out of Angel & Faith, it presents the reader with everything they need to know about Willow if they have never read or seen any other Buffy stories, AND it sets up the series for the foreseeable future. Jeff Parker gives Willow a task that is big enough that it warrants a solo-series away from everyone else. Willow must dimension hop in order to find a new hold for the Earth's magic after Buffy destroyed it "last season." And as an opening act, Jeff Parker has taken her into the world of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Supposedly, when Lewis Carrol was dreaming up this classic surrealist satire, he was actually visiting this world just beyond our own. Not the most original idea assuredly, but if this series becomes Willow dimension hopping through classic literature and mythology then bring it on, Jeff Parker! I can't wait!

That's it for this week's picks, see you next week for more of my favorite books on the shelves!

KICKSTARTED!

2012-11-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

Our Kickstarter ended last night at 10pm, and there was mild celebration here at Casa De Awesome. The gracious donation early in the day by Michael Firoved made us reach our goal far ahead of schedule. So instead of a New Years Eve countdown style party of excitement and thrills, we just sat back and watched the deadline pass and the last couple of donations trickle in.

By the time it finally ended, we closed out at $57 dollars above our goal. It's not much, but it could be one extra shirt, a better mixer, or even help pay for a table at a convention. We still haven't decided where it's all going to go just yet, but you can expect to see a lot of our new items in our store in the coming months.

We just want to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

To all of our followers, to everyone that tweeted/liked/shared, and to everyone that continues to do so. We have tried to make this show feel different from other comic book podcasts, and we are glad that the response continues to be so positive.

After a month and a half of Kickstarter spamming, we can finally return to our regular updates and comic book insights.

YEAR 3, HERE WE COME!

Episode 19: Batman, Long Halloween

2012-11-01T19:00:00.003-07:00

WARNING!: The audio recording quality of this episode does NOT reflect the quality of a typical episode (past or future). Due to circumstances beyond our control, it is quite garbled and crackly. We understand if you do not listen to it in its entirety, but hope you will go back and enjoy some of our older episodes. The discussion was excellent, and we had a lot of fun recording it, so we thought we would still post it even if it's not necessarily "up-to-par" with our other episodes.

Thank you for listening. We appreciate your support.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Listen to what Boba Fett, Hipster Captain America and The Masked Keith have to say about Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's modern retelling of Bruce's second year as Batman.

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Dylan's Sequential Theology 10.24.2012

2012-10-28T11:01:00.002-07:00

Dynamite has the bulk of my picks this week, but Dark Horse has the always excellent Dark Horse Presents which is full of content to the point that it's almost sensory overload. So in a way, it's a tie.

Chosen #1
Story by Chuck Dixon & Gotham Chopra, art by Diego Latorre
I tend to be a bit skeptical about books with covers that look like they were left-over art from Hot-Topic t-shirts, but this book worked quite well for me. A teenager in Detroit discovers he is the latest incarnation of the Buddha... well, possibly. An order of monks show up at his house when he is a baby and explain to his parents that he is the chosen one and destined for greatness. The parents send the monks away saying they are crazy bald headed freaks and their kid needs to enjoy the fruits of the Detroit public school education. The monks need their savior and return a few years later to kidnap the child and all goes horribly wrong. Flash forward again to the teenage Chosen One, and he is constantly getting into fights and doing poorly in school. He has the wisdom and steadfastness of the Buddha, but the inner rage of Ananda. He is vicious and does not know how to control his temper.
If this sounds familiar, it probably is. It's kind of like Little Buddha on steroids with a twinge of Fight Club. And to be honest, that's what I would expect from a Western reincarnation of the Buddha. Lots of pent up hostility, and a skepticism of authority. Chuck Dixon & Gotham Chopra actually do a great job of bringing the prophecy of the next Buddha to comics. It's been done before by Jodorowsky in his series White Lama, but this is much more of an urban machismo comic than a contemplative comic discussing the nature of reality. If you want a Punk Rock Lama, this will do nicely in your pull list. It will be interesting if it's somewhat over-the-top storylines ever balance, or if they continue to seem oddly comical, but it's still a fun ride all the same.

Dark Horse Presents #17
This magazine is excellent. Getting this every month is such a treat. It's 80 pages of varied and excellent content for $8. You get to try out new series from creators before Dark Horse publishes them individually, and it also as reprints of old masters at an affordable price. This time around I wanted to highlight two stories I'm really enjoying.

Aliens: Inhuman Condition
Art by Sam Keith Story by John Layman
I put Sam Keith ahead of John Layman on this one because he is the star of this tale. Layman's story is excellent, and quite terrifying. It might be a little overcomplicated, and certain elements are impossible to resolve, bit it's quite chilling. All of this is amazingly augmented by Sam Keith's art. If you've never read the Maxx, here's a quick way to see the art of one of the greatest artists of "the Image revolution." His work is atmospheric and drippy, scratchy and frenetic. It hits you in young-primal part of your brain and feeds those pieces that barely understand what the human form looks like. And this tale of a woman shaken by a traumatic experience into a state child-like regression is the perfect place for his work. It should be collected in a hardcover sometime next year, and you should take a look at it.

The Deep Sea
Story by Palmiotti & Gray, Art by Tony Akins, Paul Mounts
Palmiotti and Gray are doing an interesting take on the Fantastic Four in this story... or at least four people have had an accident while testing a bathysphere and wound up traveling fifty years into the future. The character moments in this story are incredibly touching. And the art has a similar look to the sentimental sequences in Creep. A little hazy, pastel pallet, but clean. Definitely a story that's worth your time.

Mind MGMT #6

Mise en Scene by Matt Kindt

This ends the first arc of Mind MGMT. If you aren't reading this series, you should be. The further down the rabbit hole you go, the more you question everything. Are the Immortals even real? If Lyme can make anyone around him feel anything he wants them to, could they actually be a manifestation of his self-aspect that he doesn't want to deal with? I'm probably reaching, but when your main character has the subconscious drive to influence the thoughts and feelings of those around you to the extent that he doesn't know he's doing it, all bets are off to begin with.

Shadow #6
Story by Garth Ennis, Art by Aaron Campbell
Normally I'm not a fan of Alex Ross covers, but his cover for this issue is excellent. A great riff on the old pulp covers of George Rozen.
Until the past two issues, this series hasn't really done much for me. Margot Lane has been a non-entity, Cranston isn't likable in the slightest, and everyone walks around explaining their plan, and how their plan suddenly won't work because someone has ruined it. But Garth Ennis now seemed to be at a place where he knew what he was trying to do, instead of just paddling out to sea hoping he'd find land eventually. And the beach his boat lands on, is pretty exploitative. Ennis makes The Shadow's visit to the Orient the major turning point that gives the Allies the tools they need to fuel the atomic bomb. It's a clever piece of misdirection on his part. He sells you on the idea that the Japanese have built a hokey death ray a-la a Republic Serial, but in fact, their invention can be used for something more terrifying. Who knew? THE SHADOW KNOWS!!!
But I shouldn't be shocked by this somewhat blunt use of history. It's expected not only of Ennis, but the Shadow as well. Fans of the Helfer series from the 80s may remember the first annual (drawn by the great Joe Orlando) which featured a woman having sex with her radiation poisoned husband, who survived a brush with the atomic bomb, because she thought their child would become the Atomic Jesus. Say it with me, "Atomic Jesus!"
Ennis doesn't shy away from the blood and guts of the pulps either. Instead of being theatrical with his powers as he is often portrayed. The Shadow shows up and mows down everyone, laughing while he does it. A quirk that Ennis pins on his psychopathic distance from humanity, instead of an affectation designed to scare his opponents. There's more going on under the surface in this series, but it's rather decompressed. Considering this is Ennis' last issue before Victor Gischler takes over next month, it's an epic ending, but might have been a lot better if his story had been plotted a little stronger.

That's it this week. Thanks for reading. And as always, if you disagree with me then prove me wrong.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for October 10th, 2012

2012-10-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Greetings Star Wars fans. Sorry for the delay. But I'm back now and I'm here to talk about the final installment of Star Wars: Knight Errant: Escape, written by John Jackson Miller and drawn by Marco Castiello. Last time we saw Kerra's worst fears realized. Her parents are dead and Lord Odion has taken possession of the Helm of Ieldis, the Sith artifact with the power to destroy all life in the universe (even you!). But there is a glimmer of hope as Yulan's faith in his master appears to be faltering, and all other Sith forces move to attack Odion ensuring that he never gets to use the Helm.

The issue begins with Daiman and the rest of the Sith in hot pursuit of Odion, who in turn is at his orphanage facility on Vanahame. We saw at the end of part 4 that Odion intends to use the despair of his orphan prisoners to fuel the Helm, which draws on the suffering of others to give power to its wearer. His plan to cause the orphans the most suffering is genius in its simplicity. Their lives have been nothing but routine day in and day out. There has always been light in their respective domes, dimming at the beginning of their sleep cycles and coming back to full brightness when it's time to wake up. They always eat the same thing at the same time. They always listen to the same holographic tutor for their daily lessons. Every day of their lives so far has been the same. So what would happen if that routine were violently interrupted?

Something as simple as turning off the lights is all it takes to unleash the imagined horrors in the mind of a child. Multiply that by thousands of children. An ocean of despair and it's all at Odion's fingertips. The effects of the Helm are seen immediately. Odion's disciples turn on one another. The Sith forces, once united against Odion, now tear each other limb from limb. Kerra attempts to free herself and strike Odion down, but to no avail. All hope seems lost until Yulan guns down one of the men responsible for the orphans' chambers.

All of a sudden Odion lurches forward. Something is not right with the Helm of Ieldis. There is no longer any despair coming from the orphans, but instead a horrible wave of relief and happiness. Odion discovers that the lights in the orphans' chambers have been turned back on, and at Kerra's signal, Yulan frees them from their chambers for the first time in their lives. Odion's plan has backfired on him. What was supposed to be his well of concentrated suffering has instead become and inferno of joy that burns him from the inside out. He pleads with Kerra to take him from Vanahame, but she refuses, content to let Odion suffer before the end.

After all is said and done, the Odionate is disbanded and divided among the other Sith Lords, with Damian coming out of it with the biggest share. Yulan is left with the task of finding the orphans' proper homes. It would seem that being the first adult they'd seen in their whole life caused them to imprint on him as their father, and so he feels responsible for them. This suits him just fine as it gives his life purpose, which it has lacked for quite a long time. And Kerra is left to return to her job of protecting the galaxy as a Jedi Knight.

I enjoyed the way this story arc ended. I'll admit I was a tad disappointed that there wasn't a climactic battle between Kerra and Odion, but I can't imagine the issue playing out any better. After reading issue 4, I was imagining all these horrible ways that Odion was going to extract the pain and suffering from the poor defenseless orphans. Many elaborate torture devices were contemplated which made me feel truly terrible about myself as a person for being able to think of them. I never thought that all he'd have to do to truly create fear and despair in the orphans was to turn off the lights. It touched on how I used to be afraid of the dark as a kid and made the moment feel real. It was really uplifting then to see them saved by Yulan.

I'm very interested to see what the next arc will bring as I hope you all are too. Will Kerra be further tempted by the dark side in her next adventure? Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Come back next week, Star Wars fans, for a 2-part review of Darth Maul Death Sentence #3 & 4.

Until then, may the Force be with you.

APE SPECIAL 2012

2012-10-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

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We had a busy time at APE this past weekend and Chris, Dylan, Keith, Nicole & Vicky recorded for quite a while talking about all of the awesome creators we met that weekend. This massive list is just the tip of the iceberg. If you're in the Bay Area in October next year, you need to go to this show.

Photo by Keith Ingram

THE COMIC STRIP CLUB

These gals are awesome! They put out three fantastic comics. If you get the chance to meet them, buy everything they have! You'll recognize their pink sparkly booth. And yell at Kelly Martin for taking so long to make issues of Doctor Lollipop.

Doctor Lollipop #2

The suave pink unicorn PHD returns! This time, the magical forest is plagued with a sickness that is sickeningly sweet. Kelly Martin's book is fun and possibly frivolous, if it weren't for her layouts. This issue feels oddly inspired by J.H. Williams III. She goes all out with her layouts. Her layouts are so well composed, that it is hard to deny she's capable of more than having a lot fun drawing transvestite candy makers and puking forest critters. Doctor Lollipop is such an excellent book, and Kelly Martin is a creator to watch.

RöK Mini!

Katie Longua has been writing RöK for about as long as we've been podcasting. The heavy metal adventures of the norse gods is such an excellent concept, it can be a little hard waiting more than a month for each issue. For APE, Katie made a mini-comic to help take the edge off. She was selling the original art for this mini-comic, and she had drawn each page exactly the same size as it would appear in the mini-comic. It was amazing to see how much detail she was able to fit into each oddly sized page. Find this book!

Captain Kitten #2 & #3

Jemma Salume
Did someone say, "kitten" in front of Dylan? Yeah. They did. Captain Kitten is a series about a female cat that pilots an airship and has exciting adventures in a nondescript prehistoric time full of dinosaurs and sabertooth tigers. The art is a little flat, but a look at Jemma's deviant art shows that she is NO SLOUCH with her art.

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT!

Action Lab is a comic company of the 21st Century. The whole studio is spread out all over the country. With Jeremy Whitley in the South, Shawn Prior in the North East, and Dave Dwonch here in the West, it helps make sure there is an Action Lab booth at every convention in the country, but it also means it's hard sometimes to see your favorite Action Lab creator.

Emily C. Martin - "Artemis" Brett Grunig- "Selene"

Luckily, the new artist on Princeless, Emily C. Martin, is a West Coast creator so we were able to meet her and Brett Grunig. She showed us pages from future Princeless issues, and told us about her art school where she teaches young teens how to draw. At the end of the semester, Megamoth Studio publishes their work and the kids get to have a book with their work on their shelf. If you see the Megamoth booth at a convention, stop by and take a look. She and Brett are really talented artists and they are doing something very important for the future of the industry.

In the same vein of Monster's Inc., "Monsters Are Just Like Us" by Super Ugly is a book that needs to be on every kid's bookshelf. Super Ugly humanizes monsters, and shows them doing every-day activities with bored and apathetic expressions. They aren't scary, their neighbors and friends. Some of the references may go over most kids heads ("They thought it was safe to go back in the water, just like you!"), but it still gives children a fun image to associate with monsters that will make bedtime a lot less scary.

JD Arnold & Tony Guaraldi-Brown turn completely 180, this series is definitely NOT for kids. Action Lab Entertainment may make a lot of money producing stories for children, but that doesn't mean their whole line is kid friendly. The Rabid is a zombie apocalypse with a bit of a twist. Instead of infecting humans, this virus infects small mammals and is gradually making its way up the food-chain to humans. And unlike traditional zombies, they don't die if you chop of the head. These nasty critters keep twitching. You have to squish the things down to nothing to stop them. Tony Guaraldi-Brown's artwork is moody and will induce queasiness in the squeamish.

GINGER RABBIT STUDIO

These people put out some awesome comics! Whether it's clowns fighting each other, or a group of people defending a moon base from alien tourists, you're sure to find something you've never seen. While we were talking at the Action Lab booth, we showed Dave Dwonch a copy of Pluto Moon Base and he said "WHERE'S THIS BOOTH? I want this NOW." And if you're a fan of Dave Dwonch's Double Jumpers, these guys are definitely making books that are right up your alley.

Photo by Keith Ingram

01 Publishing

It was a lot of fun seeing Josh and Kat again. They've been some of our most vocal supporters. This time around they had the re-coloring of Utopiates for sale and if you haven't heard us say it before, it's gorgeous. Their photorealistic style is blended nicely with dramatic silhouettes to create a sci-fi noir book that is unlike anything you've read before.
We also asked them a bit about the fate of Michael Corbet's series Crazy Mary, and while it has had more setbacks than you can count, it is finally being released digitally through Comics+.
If you see Kat & Josh at a convention, tell them "Comic Book of the Month Podcast sent me." They'll appreciate it.

CME- Creative Mind Energy

This family owned comic group is putting out some amazing stuff. They just got started this year, but they already have a great catalog of work. Their books seem pricey, but it is a quality product and their art is incredible. A lot of their stories a silent or light on dialog, the kinds of books that fit right into our wheelhouse. Check out their website to get a sample of this group's amazing art.

FOURTH WAY COMICS & BLACK NOTE MUSIC

These artists dive deep into their subconscious and pull up to the surface whatever they find. Influenced by John Cage, their books are about process and how it informs content. It has to be seen to be understood, so head over to their website and give it a look. Really wonderful stuff.

OTHER COMIC PROJECTS

Adventure Time!

Story by Ryan North, Art by Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb
This TV show was the big hit of the convention. Just about every booth had some Adventure time themed print ofg one sort or another. KABOOM has the licensing rights to this crazy show, and even though it's a very complex and animator-centric show, Ryan North, Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb manage to really capture the experience of watching the show right down to the character's signature noodly appendages. Nicole loves this series so much, but has fallen behind on the comics. So this was the perfect opportunity for her to pick up every issue. Look for her reviews in the coming months.

Photo by Keith Ingram

JOKO!

What would a Bay Area convention be without everyone's favorite sculptor/turned storyboard artist/turned comic book creator? We had a lot of fun catching up since our interview with him, and talking about what he has planned for volume 2 of the Teddy-1 series. If you ever have a chance, aside from looking at his amazing original art, take a look at his used comic bin that he carts around with him from convention to convention He always has great rare stuff from really talented artists for really reasonable prices. Joko: The one stop comic convention.

This is the fine group of people that put together the Titanium Rain Audio drama you might have heard about. They have been around for a couple years now, and have quite a few series under their belt. And we had the chance to hear Lance Roger Axt's vocal versatility in person. Whether you're a fan of radio dramas, or you can't wait for Titanium Rain volume 2, give their work a look.

JUSTIN SANE

This guy's work speaks for it self, but we are going to explain it anyway.

As you can see, he works mostly in graphic silhouette. It's beautiful, macabre stuff. A great fit for SLG.

Sick Liquid

A warped sci-fi tale of one man's self-discovery, and female assassins. All with twisted colors and layouts from the mind of our listener Adam S. Lichi.

Fallen Sun Asylum

Home for Tomas Overbai's series: Ichido & convention favorite: "You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon..." If you ever hear someone walking around a convention hall saying Han Solo lines with a bad Christopher Walken impersonation, this guy is the culprit. His work is excellent and really deserves some attention. He's going to be launching a Kickstarter for his book Ichido in the next few months and we will be sharing and Tweeting the hell out of it. You can see some of the concept art here.

Model A

Silent mini-comics made by Jef Bambas and published by SLG. Robot high-jinx! CHEAP!

True Believer

This short book (but long comic) by Lucy Bellwood is excellent. She tackles themes of life, spirituality and art in simple poignant terms. You definitely need to get a copy. We will definitely be inviting her on the show at some point to talk about this book.

Expansion

Matt Sheean & Malachi Ward have made a series that is what Prometheus should have been. Definitely worth your time. Hear Dylan's comments on the podcast for more infrmation.

The Thirty Six

Created by Kristopher White, this series is based upon a kabalistic legend about 36 people destined to save the world. But how do you get 36 people to agree on what's best for everyone? George Zapata's art is excellent. You can expect this to be a Book of the Month at some point.

Life in the Analog Age

Gabe Swarr knows his audience. If you were an 80s kid growing up at the death of analog and the birth of digital, this series will give you some serious nostalgia. It might lean a bit too heavy on nostalgia, but it's still a lot of fun.

Fox Head Stew

We kept passing by Jamaica Dyer's table all weekend and finally, as she was packing up her stuff, decided to grab what we could. Her art is beautifully brushy, and versatile. Take a look and drown yourself in its detail.

Kelsey Short

Check out her varied art projects. very cool stuff.

Vacuum Books

We hope you get to experience this booth some day. Don't really want to tell you much about it, because it needs to be experienced to be believed... Although we spoil the hell out of it in the episode...

WEBCOMICS

Erstwhile Tales

A fairy tale anthology featuring often overlooked tales from the Brother's Grimm adapted by Gina Biggs. The first book features art by Gina Biggs, Louisa Roy & Elle Skinner. (Dylan recommends the story All Fur) If you're a fan of the Brother's Grimm, it's definitely nice to see some of these forgotten classics dusted off and retold.

The Bean

Check out this series by Travis Hanson & listen to what Chris has to say about this fantasy webcomic.

Forgotten Order

Writing a fairy tale is a lot harder than it seems. Morgan Bontrager is incredibly successful in just these first couple of chapters. She has decompressed the shortform story to let the characters breath, and what results is a very modern take on a myth that probably never existed. Trystan is an assistant in her uncle's magic shop, and she is looked down upon by the village for not being very adept at magic, but her world changes when she encounters a charmed doll that has a journey it seeks to fulfill. If you love fantasy of the fairy tale ilk, then this webcomic is for you.

Gulls Comic

This webcomic by Jack Kent, is about Seagulls. That's right. Seagulls. While it occasionally has multipart storylines, hitting the Random button is just as entertaining.

ILLUSTRATORS

Megan Elizabeth Carlsen

Robin Holstein

These two artists were sharing a table. Both of them work for TinyCo as concept artists, but are very prolific beyond that. We talked with them for quite a bit and Megan sketched a really adorable frog for Nicole. And the whole time Robin & Dylan kept trying to figure out where they knew each other from. If anyone knows, please let US know.

Dylan & Nicole keep saying "derpy deer!" This is what they are talking about.

Jen Oaks

Another Bay-Area convention regular. Jen Oaks' illustrations are excellent. Her use of pastels are soft and feminine, but not necessarily "girly." Content ranges from nick-knacks, niche-pop-culture icons to curvy pin-up calendars. You should check out her work when you get a chance. And if you're a Breaking Bad fan, check out her husband's podcast: The Roof Pizza Chronicles.

CRAFTY-CRAFT-PEOPLE

ZOMS!

Rick and Jeff Marson have stumbled upon an idea that will revolutionize the way you looks at zombies. These cuddly stuffed zombies are the perfect gift for kids (and adults really) this Christmas. Beyond the large number of themed zombie characters with clever names and backstories, they have created an interactive experience where you can share your zombie attack story on their website, and share it with the ZOMS community.
CAUTION: You may become so desensitized to zombies, that you suddenly find them cuddly, and become worthless during the inevitable apocalypse.

Cuddly Capes

This gal makes some incredibly cute phone charms and fan art.

Photo by Chris Snyder

Yetis and Friends & Shark Bites
These guys produce some great stuff. Check out those yetis and the puppets they make for Shark Bites.

Hweeeew! If you stuck through all of that, you deserve a medal. Or at least a sticker. You'll definitely get a badge that says, "I Survived CBotMP's APE 2012 Recap." Feel free to put it on whatever piece of the internet you call home.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 10.10.2012

2012-10-10T11:00:00.001-07:00

Welcome back to Sequential Theology. I've been away for a bit, but I have the time to write up a pick list. This Wednesday is one of those magically days when the shelves are blessed with a large selection of excellent titles... or it's a curse for your wallet if you don't have the extra cash.
This week Bêlit continue to conquer the harsh snows of Cimmeria, Oxel's mind is slipping as his body continues to betray him, and The Buffy-verse gets its first male slayer!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #14

Story by Jane Espenson and Drew Z. Greenberg, art by Karl Moline

Buffy is no stranger to tackling social issues. With past story-lines involving abortion, homosexuality, religion, and abuse it's no surprise that they would one day invert the tradition and have a gay slayer. What's surprising is that he isn't one with a grand destiny. Billy is a kid with a pretty stereotypical life for a modern fictional gay teenager. He's picked on by jocks who may or may not be dealing with their own sexuality. He hangs out with his gal pal on the hood of a car discussing hot guys while re-enacting the scene from Wayne's World where airplanes land over there heads. Naturally.

But when he has to dust the bullies who have become zompires, and it happens to be in front of the blonde guy he's crushing on from school, things get much more interesting for Billy. His crush is apparently a huge fan of "the Slayer scene in San Francisco" and thinks with Billy's talent for killing zompires, maybe they should form a Scooby gang of their own. Billy is apprehensive because he doesn't have any special powers except his boxing skills (honed out of necessity to defend against said bullies). But zompires' lack of cunning makes it a lot easier for a person with slightly better than average fighting skills to take them down. Thus, Billy the Slayer is born!
This issue was quite fun. Buffy may not always be fine art, but the concept seems to be impervious to damage as its constant twisting only seems to make it more enjoyable... so long as it doesn't go into space.

Conan The Barbarian #9

Story by Brian Wood, art by Vasilis Lolos

Conan's adventures in the frozen North continue in the place where he is most vulnerable: the small town where he was born. The twist of Conan having the life experience of the great barbarian we all know and enjoy, but the emotional maturity of a contemporary twenty-something makes this book easily my favorite take on Conan. I don't know if I'll ever be able to enjoy another Conan story without that reflexive mirror pointing out the fact that when Conan was younger than me, he was brutally murdering people in the name of justice, and his pirate-bride was fighting packs of wolves bare-handed while suffering from snow blindness.

Yeah, the story is highly romanticized, but at the dawn of history life had a stronger sense of survival of the fittest and law was a little more ambiguous.

Vasilis Lolos does an amazing Becky Cloonan impersonation that makes me forget there's fill-in artist. Excellent work that I continue to anticipate every month.

The Creep #2

John Arcudi, art by Jonathan Case

For three months now I have been treated to Jonathan Case's amazing art, and John Arcudi's subtle storytelling. If you enjoyed Blacksad, but couldn't get past the talking animals, than this book needs to be on your pull-list. Private investigator Oxel is searching for something that quite possibly can't be found, closure for his ex-love and for himself. Her child committed suicide and she is searching for a motive. Some grand conspiracy has to be behind the death of her child. Not murder, but something must have driven him to take his life. While Oxel wants to lay his past with her to rest, his now grizzled visage makes him keep his distance. He only talks to her by phone and these conversations are realized with a sort of Douglas Sirk technicolor that gives her end of the line an idilic glow. I am excited for the point when their two stories meet and both of their realities are brought to sharp relief. John Arcudi is constantly playing with personal perception in this series and shows how our memories and even our reality can't always be trusted.

This series seems as though it's produced entirely digitally with it's scratchy even lines, and it's floating "water colors," but Jonathan Case manages to evoke the cold of winter with his incredible understanding of color. The cool color pallet evokes that crisp winter air every time Oxel steps outside. I am going to petition for this to be a featured book when it's finally released, I can assure you.

That's it this week. Thanks for reading. And as always, if you disagree with me then prove me wrong.

Episode 18: Kabuki Circle of Blood

2012-10-10T01:43:00.000-07:00

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Chris, Derek, Dylan and Nicole talk about David Mack's psychological revenge story of an assassin's quest to take revenge against the people who killed her mother. This book brought on discussions of the excess of rape in comics, who we would want to direct a Kabuki film, and David Mack's polite convention manners.

This series needs to be read to be believed. David Mack is an artist that creates visual motifs only achievable in comics. Its themes run deep both in imagery and language. We did our best to point out just a couple of the many personal interpretations one can read into this seemingly simple story.

Theme music by Kyle Hilmoe of How to Make Swords.

Again, we would like to thank Josh Finney and Kat Rocha of 01 Publishing for sponsoring this episode.

Their new book Utopiates has been selling out continually on Amazon. We aren't going to take all the credit, but we will take some of it.

Also, Dylan was mentioned on the latest episode of "Wait, What?" the official podcast of the Savage Critics website. Jeff Lester gets the name of our show wrong, but at least he pronounces Dylan's last name correctly.
They're a pretty big San Francisco comics institution, and definitely worth your time if you're looking for comics news or another comic-centric podcast.

And last but not least, don't forget to check out our Kickstarter! It's been up for two weeks and we have just a little over $600 left to raise. We still have plenty of excellent incentives left and we will be rolling out more as the weeks go by.

If you have a cover photo on Facebook that isn't doing anything right now, we would love it if you would show your support and let people know about us.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for September 19th, 201

2012-09-30T19:49:00.002-07:00

Greetings Star Wars fans. Welcome back for the exciting conclusion of this amazing series: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison. Last time, Vader had just recruited the strongest prisoners from the secret Jedi prison: Prism. He hoped these people would help him attack Headmaster Gentis, a man responsible for an attempt on the Emperor's life. Time is of the essence, as Vader and his forces must rush to intercept Grand Moff Tarkin before he can go to Coruscant and fall into Gentis' trap to take control of the entire Imperial military.

The issue opens with Tarkin's arrival on Coruscant. Gentis awaits with the entire Imperial Academy behind him, seemingly in a show of respect. But of course this is just a ruse. As Tarkin and his entourage exit their shuttle, Gentis orders them taken into custody. Everything seems to be going according to plan. Until all hell breaks loose.

Turns out Tarkin wasn't alone. Vader rushes forth, his subordinates and the prisoners of Prism in tow, and proceed to lay waste to Gentis' forces. They are nothing more than a collection of students who clearly have a lot more to learn when faced with the Jedi's fiercest enemies from the Clone Wars. Among the fallen students is Gentis' last son. As Gentis embraces his son's lifeless corpse, he is engulfed in a flurry of Sith lightning, which courses throughout his body and melts his flesh. It would seem Tarkin didn't only have backup from Vader. The Emperor has returned and he is pissed.

From there we see the Emperor's forces make short work of retaking the Empire. Lieutenant Tohm is given the task of executing the traitors. Moff Trachta is awarded the rank of Grand Moff and appointed Headmaster of the Imperial Academies. And the prisoners are granted conditional freedom as long as they promise to never return to the Empire. However, this freedom proves to be short-lived. As their shuttle takes off from the launchpad, the prisoners explode over Coruscant. It would seem Lieutenant Tohm is truly a ruthless servant of Lord Vader.

Even the Emperor is impressed by this fact. He suggests that Tohm might prove to one day be a suitable replacement to Vader, should anything ever happen to the Dark Lord. Vader sees through the Emperor's words to their true meaning and has a private conversation with Lieutenant Tohm. The Dark Lord intends to give one final lesson to his would be successor, and what follows is one of the most chilling moments in any. Comic. Ever. Period.

This story arc is quickly becoming my all time favorite. It reminds us all why we first loved Darth Vader as a character (and it wasn't his dislike of sand). It is the absolute ruthlessness that he keeps contained beneath his cold mechanical demeanor. To quote a wise Jedi master, "He's more machine now than man. Twisted and evil." He no longer sees the people who serve with him as allies, but as tools to be used and then discarded when they have outlived their usefulness or as threats who must be eliminated. If this arc cemented anything into the Star Wars universe, it's this: you don't fuck with Darth Vader. And I dunno about any of you, but I hope Haden Blackman returns for future arcs of the Dark Lord of the Sith, with Agustin Alessio's art returning as well. These guys produce absolute gold.

Until next time Star Wars fans, may the Force be with you.

Action Lab Entertainment: Pirate Eye Preview!

2012-09-30T10:22:00.001-07:00

Coming this December, Action Lab Entertainment brings you a new twist on the noir genre that is so shockingly obvious you'll wonder why popular culture isn't flooded with rum-shoed detectives.

Join ex-pirate and now high-seas detective Smitty as he searches for a beautiful yet elusive lass who has stolen the heart of an influential politician. But can he find her before her deadly secret is discovered? Blimey!

A new spin on noir and crime drama are unleashed in the world of Pirate Eye!

Written by Joe Grahn with commanding art by Carl Yonder, Pirate Eye is a gripping one-shot adventure for any pirate detective fan! Pirate Eye is available for pre-order (Diamond Code OCT120722) with a December release in comic book shops and various digital distribution outlets.

Don’t be a scallywag; drop your duffle and holystone and pre-order your copy of Pirate Eye!

Indie Spotlight #5: Ape Entertainment

2012-09-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

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Chris, Dylan, Nicole and Vicky review five titles sent to us by Ape Entertainment.

Pocket God: Gem of Life #3
Penguins of Madagascar: Operation Wonder From Down Under 2
Shrek 4 Prequel
Little Grean Men by Jay Fosgitt
Kung Fu Panda: It's Elemental & Other Stories.

We talk about the good, the bad and the awesome! And while we didn't like all of them, each one of us had a book we really enjoyed. Kudos to this company for making strong and varied comics for kids of all ages. Each book also has a backup story that lets very talented artists and writers strut their stuff with these characters. Do yourself a favor and visit their website.

Theme music by Kyle Hilmoe of How to Make Swords.

Again, we would like to thank Josh Finney and Kat Rocha of 01 Publishing for sponsoring this episode.

Their new book Utopiates has been selling out continually on Amazon. We aren't going to take all the credit, but we will take some of it.

And last but not least, don't forget to check out our Kickstarter! It's been up for nine days and we have already raised over $300. We still have plenty of excellent incentives left and we will be rolling out more as the weeks go by.

If you have a cover photo on Facebook that isn't doing anything right now, we would love it if you would show your support and let people know about us.

Thank you all for your continued support, we will see you back here in a few weeks time when we set about the possibly impossible task of comparing David Mack's Kabuki: Circle of Blood with Kabuki: Metamorphosis.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for September 12th, 2012

2012-09-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Star Wars fans! It's time again to get your Star Wars fix. Today I'll be discussing part 4 of the current arc of Knight Errant, Escape written by John Jackson Miller, & drawn by Marco Castiello. The last time we visited Kerra, she had gone with General Yulan to Skarpos, where the forces of Lords Odion, Damian, and Malakite were in a three-way battle for the Helm of Ieldis, a Sith artifact capable of giving it's wearer incredible power. Kerra blows her cover and turns on her Sith companions when they approach the cave where the Helm is said to be, unknowingly leading Odion right to it.

We open on this issue with Odion overlooking the battle. He has found the helm and Kerra is his prisoner, but the helm isn't working the way Odion expected it too. He finds that wearing it grants him no extra power. That is, until Yulan pulls from the caves a locket matching one that Kerra possesses. This is a huge blow to her, as she knows it could only have come from her parents, which Yulan says he found dead. As Kerra falls deeper into despair, Odion starts to feel a sudden surge of power.

Odion realizes that it is the pain and despair of others that powers the Helm. Kerra's pain alone makes him feel like a god. He begins to use his power out over the battlefield, turning ally against ally, controlling the fighting entirely. As more and more soldiers die, Odion's power grows exponentially. Even Damian begins to fall under his spell, but flees before Odion can use him as a puppet for long. With the battle won, Odion leaves Skarpos with Kerra in chains.

Aboard Odion's ship, Yulan visits Kerra to present her with a recording of her parents explaining the power of the Helm. It seems that the Helm, channeling the anguish of thousands of people at once, can destroy all life in the entire universe. Knowing this, Kerra's parents chose to sacrifice themselves in an effort to conceal the Helm from anyone ever finding it. This thought perplexes Yulan, who believes all life has no meaning, and therefore can't fathom why someone would use their death to preserve life.

This thought is interrupted by the ship’s landing. Yulan tells Kerra that he doesn't know where they've been taken, as it was Odion who set the course of the ship. Before they can wonder about this for long though, they discover that they have arrived on the planet of Vanahame, where Odion keeps the Cloister. This facility houses thousands of orphans, all isolated from the rest of the world. Kerra comes to the realization that harnessing the power of the children's suffering will make Odion unstoppable.

This issue did a pretty good job of setting things up for the finale. As it is sometimes said, the night looks darkest before the dawn. And things are certainly dark right now for Kerra and the rest of the galaxy. There is some hope though, as it seems that the sacrifice of Kerra's parents has awakened something in Yulan. What he'll do from here remains to be seen though, as Odion does have a pretty strong grip on his mind. Another thing remains to be seen, and that is how Kerra will react to the deaths of her parents. I pointed out in the earlier issues that Kerra's obsession with finding her parents was putting her at risk of falling to the dark side. Why then should their death's not push her over the brink and plunge her into darkness? Guess we'll have to return next month to find out.

Until next time Star Wars fans, may the Force be with you.

Episode 17: Blacksad

2012-09-06T13:39:00.002-07:00

Episode 17: BLACKSAD

by Juan Diaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido

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Chris, Dylan, Keith and Nicole talk for just a little less than an hour about Blacksad. This pulpy noir series with an anthropomorphic twist is written by Juan Diaz Canales and masterfully painted by Juanjo Guarnido. With nothing but good things to say, it left us a little at a loss for words. Since it's a European production, they are aloud to take their time and produce a real work of art. Even if you have to wait two to five years for the next volume, we guarantee it's worth the wait.

This book sparked conversation about plenty of 1950s social issues. The crew discussed race relations, the Red Scare and even the Hayes Code which sanitized many of the films this book was inspired by. It is a truly incredible series, and you really should be reading it.

The intro song is, "I'm Just a Lucky So and So" by Ella Fitzgerald.

A Word from Our Sponsor
A big thank you goes out to Josh Finney & Kat Rocha at 01 Publishing for sponsoring this episode! They just recently published their webcomic Utopiates as a graphic novel and it is definitely worth your time.

In the near future……science is able to distill human personalities into a drug-form. Called utopiates these drugs allow users to swap personalities with the “mental imprints” of other people. Every user has their own reasons for seeking chemical escape, but all soon learn the cost of soul swapping is extremely high. Follow the interconnected lives of four individuals addicted to injecting the “souls” of others in the sci-fi series the Huffington Post calls “...riveting”. and Newsarama says “ …mixes the swirling abyss of addiction with the cyberpunk leanings of drug-obsessed futurist writers.” At its core, UTOPIATES Vol.1 is an unflinching portrayal of human behavior at its most extreme.Utopiates: Now available on Amazon.com , iVerse/Comicspl.us and on 01Publishing.com

Tune in next month when we will be spotlighting Ape Entertainment, and comparing David Mack's Kabuki: Circle of Blood to Kabuki: Metamorphosis (find a used copy if you can, or try your local library).

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for August 29nd, 2012

2012-08-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Star Wars fans. This week's Star Wars book is Darth Maul: Death Sentence #2 by Tom Taylor & Bruno Redondo. Last time we saw our horned hero, he and his brother, Savage Opress, had tracked down the one responsible for the bounty on their heads. Before they could dispatch retribution though, they were confronted by a trio of Jedi sent from Coruscant to investigate Maul's return.

As you may remember, I was a big fan of the previous installment. I thought the story and artwork wonderfully captured the incredible savagery that is Darth Maul. It confirmed that Maul should have been the prequel trilogy's equivalent to Vader, and how it was a criminal mistake to cut him out after only 10 mins of screen time. I mean come on Lucas, if you're going to base the bulk of your marketing around a single character, the obvious choice is to let said character come back in future films. Luckily though, there are other media formats for Maul to continue his legend.

This issue picks up right where the last one left off and jumps right into battle. We're shown quite a bit: the power of the two brothers when combined, Savage's lack of control or foresight, the capability of Maul's new legs, and the fact that there is most likely no line that Maul won't cross. Maul is taken by surprise and wounded in the confrontation, causing him to flee and leave behind his incapacitated brother to the mercy of the Jedi. The heat of the desert beyond the mines proves too much for him though and he loses consciousness.

Maul begins to hallucinate and struggles against his doppelganger with the body of an enormous spider. Spider-Maul then transforms into a creepy as hell Obi-Wan and declares that Maul will never be able to stand against him. I really enjoyed how this scene harkened back (or is it forward?) to the cave scene from Empire Strikes Back. Maul eventually awakens from his nightmare among the people of the desert. They inform him that he is the "Demon in the Light" the elder foresaw coming to “lead their people against Ja'boag so that they can return to their homes in the caves before the day of the three suns burns them all alive.” Maul accepts this role, hoping that these people can help him save his brother from the Jedi.

This issue did a great job of keeping up the intensity. I always wanted to see what the next page had to offer. Whether this is because Darth Maul is just so inherently badass or because it's just such a well written and drawn book, I'll leave to you to decide. A few interesting new questions were introduced: What will the Jedi do with Savage Opress? What do the desert people mean by "Demon in the Light"? Will Maul help the people overthrow Ja'boag or does he have some ulterior motive? Guess we'll have to wait the four torturous weeks until next month to find out.

Until that time everyone, May the Force be with you.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 08.29.2012

2012-08-29T14:29:00.001-07:00

Welcome back to Sequential Theology! This time around we have the continuing adventures of "Angel & Faith: Trans-dimensional paranormal investigators," more wacky highjinx from the Nicolle brothers on Axe Cop, and Darth Maul: Death Sentence is a giant robot kick to the teeth.
As always, if you disagree with me, prove me wrong.

Angel & Faith #13
Story by Christos Gage, art by Rebekah Isaacs

When we last left our heroes they were in the hell dimension of Quor'toth attempting to
a) Restore magic to their dimension
b) Save a tribe of demons that worship Connor (Angels' son) as a messiah
c) Not die.
All while Quor'toth slowly corrupts each of them and makes them give in to their dark side. Being a fan of crazy Faith, it was great seeing her struggle with that aspect of herself, and this series has the potential to bring some much needed motivation for her which was lacking when she was in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4. She was crazy, and wanted to live life to the fullest, but that's not a character motivation and Christos Gage uses internal monologue to its fullest advantage with her.
Since this is the penultimate issue, this little detour to Connor's "homeworld" was pretty brief, but definitely fun. Not sure why I accept the over the top fantasy aspects in Angel & Faith, but can't stand it in Buffy... Most likely the general concept of "cheerleader living a normal life while fighting demons at night" tends to box in the rules of what is "too big." Anyway, I digress. If you want more Faith and Willow, this book is excellent. I don't know if I'd recommend it to Buffy & Angel fans outright, but it's definitely worth a look.

Axe Cop: President of the World #2
Story by Malachai Nicolle, art by Ethan Nicolle
My god, this kid can write. This series may have absolutely nil characterization, but the stories are fantastic. It feels like a Lee/Kirby era comic from the 60s or a comic from the 30s. Just endless imagination on every page. What most writers would stretch out to three years worth of story, Malachai & Ethan give you in 20 pages. It may be "too ADD for your internet," but if you miss reading comics about Gorillas on their tippy-toes with missile launching fists fighting robots, than this is the book for you.
It twists and turns in directions that are obvious, but because of our jaded modern minds and expectations of logic, their payoffs are incredibly satisfying. With everything flying at you all at once, the simplicity of story (cop with axe becomes president of the world; fights evil) hides the ever complex onion-esque layers of this series. There is the over arching plot, the plot of each rather self-contained issue, and then the backstories of each character introduced. This formula happens every time, and can possibly feel tedious, but Malachai creates backstories full of fodder for Ethan to flesh out with his art.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I also don't know if it's possible. Just know that in this issue, a giant Chee-Rex (half cheetah half t-rex) rides a flying motorcycle, and tries to destroy the world, and that's just the splashpage on pages 4 & 5.

Darth Maul: Death Sentence #2
Story by Tom Taylor, art by Bruno Redondo

When it was announced that Darth Maul would return to the Star Wars universe in a larger role, I was excited about the prospect. But at the same time, wasn't too sure if his re-introduction to the Star Wars universe was necessary (as if his death was). And when I saw his robot legs, I just mentally re-imagined him as having regular legs due to a long stint in a Bacta tank and I was merely misremembering the robot goat legs. But that's the design they are going with, so I guess I'd better get used to it.
But, I was optimistic to see how Tom Taylor would flesh out everyone's favorite Dathomirian beyond being the one-dimensional icon seen in Episode I. And he really nailed it by showing his relationship with his brother. The first issue was a lot of explosions and very little characterization from Darth Maul, or his brother (the reasonable replacement if horribly named) Savage Opress. And while I don't expect too much characterization, the first issue told me little more than "these two are badasses and they do badass stuff." This time around, there was much more characterization and I was able to really get into the story.
More violence, more crazy action, but it becomes more than that as Darth Maul fails and has to pick himself up. By the end of this issue, Darth Maul is in charge of the lives of many innocent people, and what this dark lord of terror and hate does with that power will be very interesting indeed.

Not convinced you should buy Darth Maul: Death Sentence #2? Here's Chris' much more in depth review.

Before I end this, I want to also point out that Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #4 came out last week, but I didn't get to it until this week. This book really deserves the praise it's getting from other comics review sites. If you love the Star Wars universe, definitely pick up the trade when it is released. It's easily one of the best things to happen to the franchise since the Dark Empire trilogy.

Thank you all for enjoying what we do here. If you haven't yet, please listen to our latest episode where we interview Joko Budiono, his latest book Teddy-1 really deserves your attention.

Creator Interview: Joko Budiono

2012-08-27T23:18:00.002-07:00

Thank you to everyone for your patience. This episode took a little longer than expected, but it is well worth it.

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Download this episode (right click and save)

Chris, Dylan, Keith, and Nicole do an in-person interview with Joko Budiono about his new wordless graphic novel: Teddy-1. He talks about world building, his lengthy drawing process, and the very unusual way he got into drawing comics. This episode is worth it just to hear his story about crowd funding through Kickstarter.

Joko is an amazingly humble artist and even though this is his first graphic novel, this is the work of a truly seasoned artist.

And we can't stress this enough, BUY THIS BOOK!

The intro song is "Mayan Pilot" by Splashdown.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for August 22nd, 2012

2012-08-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Star Wars fans! I'm sure you were all as eager as I was to read the latest issue of "Darth Vader and The Ghost Prison." The last time we saw the Dark Lord of the Sith, he had just taken control of the Jedi Council's secret prison with the assistance of Lieutenant Tohm and Moff Trachta. Elsewhere, General Gentis, headmaster of the Empire's military academies, continues his plan to kill the Emperor and take control of the Empire so that he can bring peace.

Boy howdy, did this issue ever hit the ground running. The last issue ended with Tohm suggesting to Vader that they free the prisoners held captive by the Jedi. And then rather than see the course of events play out directly after that point, we're instead dropped right in the middle of the aftermath of that decision. This choice on writer Haden Blackman's part really helps us to feel the hecticness of being in the middle of a battle. As the battle plays out, we're introduced to two new characters, Baron Nax Cirvan and Captain Shonn Volta.

Cirvan and Vader have a history that is repeated briefly during the battle. At the first sign of Vader being off his guard, Cirvan won't hesitate to stab him in the back to seize power. Volta is given much more development in this issue, as we learn why it is that she hates both the Jedi and the Republic. Hearing her reasoning, one might even agree that she's in the right. Not only do we get her backstory, but we learn more about Lieutenant Tohm, and it continues to make the reader empathize with him. One might even start to like Trachta as he gives a pretty good speech to the remaining prisoners to get them to join Vader in the fight against Gentis' forces in exchange for their freedom.

Gentis is given even less time in this issue than the last (a mere two pages). I realize that it's called "DARTH VADER and the Ghost Prison," but I'd still prefer to see a bit more of Gentis' side of the story. Or at least have his dialogue feel a tad less expository. I'd rather see him put his plan in place rather than hear him talk about it with his accomplices. But I'm sure we'll see more in the next issue, seeing as it's the final part of the arc. It's just so sad we have to wait a whole month for it.

Until next time Star Wars fans, may the Force be with you.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 08.22.2012

2012-08-22T12:37:00.002-07:00

This week, I've got quite a few books to recommend and one actual trade that is now available for pre-order because I can't stop talking about it! As always, lots of Dark Horse, and a couple Dynamite. There's a new creative team on Vampirella, Matt Kindt's continually amazing work on Mind MGMT, another giant issue of Dark Horse Presents, and lastly but not leastly, SIGURD DRAGONSBANE!

Dark Horse Presents #15

A lot of people did a lot of stuff.

Dark Horse Presents may be pricey, but there is easily enough content to warrant the $8 price tag. Each month the book is filled to the brim with talented comic artists from past an present playing in just about every genre from comedy to tragedy. Honestly, if I were only able to spend $8 a month on comics, this series is all I would need.

Sadly, there's a lot in here and I have a lot of other books to talk about, so I'll give you the bullet points for why you should pick up this pricey book this time around.

David Chelsea's stream of consciousness Girl With the Keyhole Eyes is something you can't really be prepared for.

Rex Mundi.

More Sam Keith drawing Xenomorphs. And a cold terrifying sadness in the pit of your stomach.

Nate Cosby and Evan Shaners' Buddy Cops NEEDS have its own monthly series. No, it needs to be twice monthly. It needs to never end. Read the funny pages people! Laugh at the robot! HE DOESN'T THINK LIKE YOU!

Twisted tales of romance from Kim W. Andersson's Love Hurts

More Sabertooth Vampire!

This issue is also fantastic because it includes the second chapter of the BEST trade paperback I read this week...

RIVEN
Story by Bo Hampton & Robert Tinnell, Art by Bo Hampton

When most people ask "Vampires or Werewolves" there's an instant gut reaction. It calls out from our very core. Mine, is werewolves. BUT I hate their portrayal in popular culture. There has only been a handful of good werewolf movies American Werewolf in London, Wolf, The Howling & Ginger Snaps. Compare that to the veritable nonstop onslaught of excellent vampire movies. And I'm sorry, but there is no way Twilight can even remotely destroy the greatness of Interview With a Vampire, Nosferatu, Shadow of the Vampire, Dracula, Underworld, 30 Days of Night, Blade, Let the Right One In, The Hunger, The Nightwatch Trilogy, From Dusk Till Dawn, and Francis Ford Coppola's new film Twixt is a fantastic vampire film that needs to be on every vampire fan's must-see list.

As a quite often disappointed werewolf fan, I can't recommend this book enough. This is the best werewolf movie I've never seen. It's available for pre-order on Dark Horse's website and if you are a werewolf fan, I STRONGLY urge you to do so.

Bo Hampton's watercolors lend an incredible atmosphere to this tale of one girl's coming of age under very supernatural circumstances. And for a werewolf story, it succeeds where so many others fail. So many werewolf stories get caught up in the fact that the person can transform, that they forget about the person at the heart of the story. Bo manages to let you into the mind of a girl who is not only displaced due to her linage, but also a very strange condition... Even if the characters are a little simplistic at times and the ending can be seen from a ways off, Bo still tells a fantastic werewolf story that I can't shut up about.

Mind MGMT #4
Mise En Scene by Matt Kindt

As we continue to tumble down the rabbit hole, Matt Kindt shows us the incredible good that mind altering can bring, and the constant questions it presents as its user begins to unravel. Lyme tells the story of his time learning at Mind MGMT and what it's like to be trained from a very early age to control the motives of others. He talks about the first time he used his abilities to stop a kid from bullying him, and the repercussions put most tales of Catholic guilt to shame. He has a desire to do good in the world, and ensure the happiness of the people around him, be he doesn't know if tinkering with them is the right way to get it. Life inside the Mind MGMT compound is a constant struggle between the people who want to use these children's gifts as weapons, and the children whose overwhelming empathy makes them desire to never harm a living thing. The section where Lyme talks about his involvement in the first Iraq war was just one more lightbulb in this series subtle way of making you reexamine your world.

Matt Kindt's art continues to impress as the form of this book ads layers to its content. His watercolor brushwork is not complicated over rendering, but his gesture puts a piece of himself onto the page, and that texture plays up the desire for humanity in a world whose aim is to make a world without them.

Vampirella #21
Story by Brandon Jerwa, Illustration by Heubert Khan Michael

Yet another Vampirella issue I feel perfectly justified recommending to anyone that loves seeing strong female characters and vampire themed superheroics. Especially with all of the Buffy reviews I've been doing here. If I were Dynamite, I would be shouting this new creative team to the heavens! This creative team classes this book up a good ten notches from where it has been.

The last storyline was miserable. Terrible murky art, and monsters that looked like seedlings from Little Shop of Horrors. And the artist had serious difficulties rendering her costume in motion (ahem). But Heubert Khan Michael has given this book a much more Marvel house style akin to Leonard Kirk or Stewart Immonen. Which subconsciously tones down that she's running around wearing implausible fabric (one can only assume it's made of unstable molecules).

But I digress. I'm not well versed with the Vampirella universe so if the people they reference, aside from Vampirella herself, are supposed to mean something to me, I can honestly say they don't. But Heubert Khan Michael does a great job of using contemporary comic book language to at least sell the moment as something interesting.

Brandon Jerwa has Vampirella facing off against the Inquisition with cosmic deities cheering her on from the side lines. Think Dan Brown's DaVinci Code if Vampirella were the main character. It's just a heck of a lot of fun watching her beating up cardinals and trying to save her friend who is possessed by an evil spirit who may or may not have been a Nazi. Why wouldn't you want to buy that?

Okay, so the costume's a little off-putting. My feminist ideologies continue to do battle with Vampirella's costume, but the fact that the overtly sexist costume was designed by none other than Indie Comix legend Trina Robbins, and that Vampirella is a strong female character that more often that not doesn't feel like a "dude with boobs" tends to win out.

I have a bigger difficulty with the men that are choosing how to promote the character. Three of the variant covers for this book are just absurd and solely exist to titillate in the most childish way. With a character like this it can be a difficult tightrope to walk between disgusting chauvinism, and female empowerment.

Seriously, it's a great read and I hope this team stays on the book for a long time.

Kirby: Genesis-Dragonsbane #3
Story Robert Rodi, Illustrated by Fritz Casas

Did you ever want to read a team-up with Thor and Hercules but without the Marvel Universe attached? I give you Sigurd Dragonsbane, the Mighty Ulysses and the NORSE GOD SQUAD! It really is a Thor book without Thor. As I was reading this issue I became more and more fascinated with Kirby's interest in creating these characters to begin with. Why would he feel the need to revisit Asgard? They aren't entirely the same, but the Kirby designs make it impossible to overlook.

The plot of this series revolves around the worlds of myth beginning to merge and all of the gods are entwining into each others legends. So a Turkish goddess is being rescued and returned to her homeland by Sigurd and Ulysses, along the way they meet a terrible demon and mad monk. It's simple fantasy stuff, but the scale of their powers and their deity status makes their interactions preposterously awesome, especially with Kirby's technicolor yawn suits. Definitely worth a look if you are in the mood for superheroics next to godliness.

As always, do you disagree with me? Prove me wrong.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 08.15.2012

2012-08-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

BIG week for me on the Dynamite front. Also, a rather violent one... Which is not always my cup of tea, but you can't always help what's in the pull box (or uploaded to your digital comics service). And we also have an issue of Saga, which is actually the first since our indie spotlight episode! Not much for people under 17 this time around, unfortunately. As always, disagree with my picks? Prove me wrong.

Saga #6
Story by Brian K Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples

Despite all the wonderful press the first issue received, I was not completely sold on this series based solely on those first issues. In fact, it took up until issue 4 for me to finally get into the series and really buy into the world Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples had created. The world was fun, but never really hooked me. It felt like a bunch of crazy ideas that didn't add up to much.

Yes. Two alien "star-crossed" lovers are running away from evil bounty hunters. They need to get off the planet and save their newborn child. TV headed aliens speak in random images on their faces. It's all good stuff, don't get me wrong. It still wasn't as "human" as some of the Brian K Vaughan work I've come to know and love, and have missed since his departure from comics in order to write for Lost.

He's a master of twist endings spawned from pleasantly simple hooks that kept you coming back for more, but this series is a SAGA. A giant intergalactic implausible superstory that is beautifully rendered by Fiana staples. There is little for me to anchor myself to aside from the character's speech patterns which is decidedly modern. But now, it seems like Brian K Vaughan knows where he's going and isn't just setting up chess pieces. I get the feeling this first book will read MUCH better in trade, but his writing style is such that it's amazingly memorable from month to month and never feel lost after a thirty day gap. Fiona Staples art on this really does make this book one of the best books on the shelves right now. It's hard to deny that there is nothing as elegant, refined and as clean out there. It could be her digital process, but it really doesn't matter. Each issue feels like an art object, and the decision to print this book on whatever nicer grade paper they are using is definitely worth it. Im sure the colors SING on this book in the digital format, and I'm sure Chris will discuss it when we feature the first volume on the podcast in due time.

This issue brings the first arc to a close. I laughed out loud twice, and finally got the cliffhanger I'd been waiting for. Thank you Brian K. Vaughan. It's great to have you back.

Michael Avon Oeming's The Victories #1

Mise En Scene Michael Avon Oeming

If Frank Miller were any more insane, this is the book he would write. A man and a woman are having a romantic carriage ride through the park when a vigilante named the Jackel attacks them. The man turns out to be a crooked judge and the Jackel wants to have him pay for his crimes against the city and its innocent populous. The man agrees that he is guilty and says he SHOULD be punished for the crimes he has committed for they weigh heavily on his soul, but the Jackel should leave his innocent wife alone. The Jackel scoffs and says that denial is a crime just as horrible and that she must now witness the brutal murder of her husband.

Once the Jackel is done with his grizzly brand of justice (which at its most polite involves severing the man's head from his body), a "superhero" named Faust shows up to save the day!

Er...

Well...

Faust does admit that he is sorry for being late. The two battle for a few pages and discuss the difference between the Jackel's brand of justice and Faust's desire to uphold the status quo. Jackel insists that there is little difference between the two of them and they share a Dark Knight "are you going to kill me?" moment. Faust is brought to the breaking point and is in a horrible state at the end of the issue. He may act like Robin when he's acrobatically fighting with the Jackal, but he's emotionally angst-ridden like Batman when he takes his mask off. This duality is rather intriguing and I can't wait to see it explored further in future issues.

Michael Avon Oeming has a great concept for a series with Faust... wait... This series is called The Victories... In the last few pages, news reporters (courtesy of Frank Miller's Geek Chorus) explain that The Victories are this world's somewhat lawless superhero team and that maybe Faust is the most normal of the bunch. As this five issue series unfolds we will surely get to see the rest of this team and the off-kilter world they inhabit.

Oeming's art on this series is excellent. His flat style always seems like cave paintings to me, and while it's not always fitting for a superhero book, his action is fantastic! I can't wait to meet the rest of The Victories and see what other Superhero tropes Oeming decides to lampoon.

Pathfinder #1
Story by Jim Zubkavich, and illustrated by Andrew Huerta

Brief history lesson: There's a role playing game called Dungeons and Dragons which involves people sitting around a table rolling dice and eating pizza while talking about movies and what they saw on tv since they last got together. Over the course of four hours of this, dragons are slain, treasure is recovered, towns are saved and friendships are forged on the battlefield. A few years back, some of the people that make this game said "we have a better idea for how people should roll dice while eating pizza" and created a seperate game using a lot of the old ideas. They called it Pathfinder. This is the comic.

Also, over at Image there's a book called Skullkickers which is kind of like the best parts of the Dungeons and Dragons movie mixed with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. But better than that. It's received a good deal of acclaim amongst Fantasy comic enthusiasts and has even crossed over with the Princeless universe. Naturally, when Dynamite needed to create a fantasy comic featuring the continuing adventures of the Pathfinder Archetype characters, they called Skullkickers' creator Jim Zubkavich to bring these characters to life.

With all of that noteriety walking in to it, does this book live up to the hype? For me, not really. There's a lot of great stuff going on here. You're dropped into the action as the main characters are attacked by a horde of plague infected goblins, they go to an inn and get into further fights, and then they leave town with a newly formed party to find the source of the goblin infestation. Classic D&D campain stuff. But my issues weren't with the plot, but the manga UBERarmor in the concept designs. It's really never been my cup of tea. I understand that protection is key when facing off against large creatures that can spit hot fire, but maneuverability has always seemed more important to me. And Andrew Huerta's art only serves to make me want sleeker armor. His art is frenetic, and if it were more densely laidout it could certainly go toe to toe with certain Fantasy manga. Record of Lodoss War and Berserk come to mind but not NEARLY as twisted as Berserk! The sparceness beyond the figures makes me feel like Im looking at action figures on a playset instead of really being pulled into the world. Also the dialog is a little weak. There were several points where I felt like Jim Zubkavich was trying to be clever and twist a cliche on its ear, but really just added an extra line of dialog that wound up making character exchanges feel clumsy.

The big issue with Fantasy stories is how generic they can feel. The mighty barbarian, the wizened wizard, the kindly cleric, all stock characters that never quite get past their archetype and this book (despite giving you the feeling that you have been journeying with this charaters for years), never quite makes you care for any of them. Maybe that will change, but considering the blank slate Jim Zubkavich had to work with, he did not do much to break expectations in this first issue.

Jennifer Blood #15 (im)Mature Readers
Story by Al Ewing, illustrated by Kewber Baal

More shock and crazy violence from Al Ewing this week. I gotta say, this title is growing on me. It's definitely a (im)Mature Readers book, so kids ask your parents for permission before you plunk down your shekels. Al Ewing makes no apologies for that. When Jennifer Blood takes revenge against the woman that has been sleeping with her husband, it is grizzly, naked and epic. I was repulsed and taken aback but also thought WHY THE HELL NOT!? She hates this person and she's a sadistic soccer mom. She's going to reach inside herself and come up with the most demeaning death she can think of! Does this panel of naked torture death elevate the medium to a place of fine art? No. But that's not why anyone is reading this book in the first place. Watching a suburban mom go "Reservoir Dogs" on people is a gimick for sure, and it drives everything in this series, but Al Ewing does a great job of dragging the reader through the narrative by the nosehairs. The previous issues I've read focused on the unlikeable (definitely intentional) supporting cast and just made Jennifer out to be the irritating stereotype of the nagging housewife. This issue she finally cuts loose and shows what happens when you mess with her suburban paradise. It's a bit like Breaking Bad on mescaline as every little problem in life is cranked up to eleven, and if your looking for a homicidal romp with a strong female lead, than look no further.

Vampirella Vs. Dracula #6
Story by Joe Harris, illustrated by Ivan Rodriguez

"DYNAMITE SHOULD BE RAKED OVER THE COALS FOR CASHING IN ON THIS ALAN MOORE CONCEPT! THIS IS AN OBVIOUS CASH GRAB THAT SULLIES THE OEUVRE OF ONE OF COMICS' GREATEST CREATORS!"
-Said no one on the internet... ever.

Chris' Midichlorian Corner for August 8th, 2012

2012-08-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow Star Wars fans, I'm writing today about the 3rd issue of Star Wars: Knight Errant: Escape. Previously, we saw Jedi Knight Kerra Holt masquerading as a Sith. Working for Lord Daiman, she was sent undercover to infiltrate his brother, Lord Odion's forces. While executing her mission, she discovers that her long lost parents are actually still alive and have been forced to look for the Helm of Ieldis for Lord Odion. Risking her cover being blown, Kerra investigates the whereabouts of her lost parents, only to discover they had learned the location of the Helm- the planet Skarpos, which has just been conquered by Odion! Taking an even further risk, she decides to accompany General Yulan to Skarpos in an effort to beat Odion to the Helm.

Rather than jump right into where Kerra goes next, the issue instead begins with some backstory on why Lord Odion has such a rivalry with his brother, Daiman. Apparently there's a large fortune to be inherited by whichever brother proves himself to be a true Sith by conquering the most worlds. It's a nice peek into how Sith family and political dynamics work in the Old Republic. We're also shown the beginnings of Odion's connection to the Force and how he first started to feel pain from the existence of others. The implication that he resolved himself to the slaughter of all life in the universe at such a young age is certainly chilling and shows Odion in a much more menacing light.

The next scene only exacerbates this when Kerra discovers a massive chamber filled with orphans, who have been cut off from each other by their own individual domes. Their only companionship being their holographic tutors. General Yulan explains to Kerra that this is to produce a massive army of soldiers for Odion, completely devoid of all hope and ready to give their lives for him. Yulan explains that he once lost his children to disease, and it drove him to suicide. But before he could, he was recruited by a Claimer and told that life and death have no meaning. Latching onto this concept, he drives himself to become an ultra-efficient killing machine.

Kerra arrives on Skarpos amidst a 3-way battle between the forces of Lords Malakite, Daiman, and Odion, all of which are searching for the Helm. Upon learning of Daiman's presence, Yulan orders Kerra to search for the helm while he keeps the enemy forces occupied. When they find a tunnel leading to the Helm, Kerra quickly turns on her Sith companions, inspiring a cringe-worthy line reminiscent of the "we'll meet again" uttered by so many comic book villains past. Kerra proceeds through the tunnel and finds her mother's satchel. This fills her with such single-minded hope, that she rushes forward into the next chamber completely unaware of the ambush that awaits her. Someone has beaten her to the Helm!

I liked what this issue had to offer the series. It fleshed out 2 of the main villains very nicely and also gave us a taste of the consequences that Kerra will suffer by putting her personal interests above her mission. Her time among the Sith has changed her enough that she has lost her focus and can't see the danger around her because of her obsessive desire to discover the whereabouts of her parents. And it is because of this that someone else reaches the Helm first and takes control of its power.

What does this mean for Kerra and the rest of the galaxy? Guess we'll have to return next month to find out. Until next time everyone, may the Force be with you.

Dylan's Sequential Theology 08.08.2012

2012-08-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

Another good week for Dark Horse, and while I did enjoy Dynamite's Vampirella Annual #2 in stores this week, my personal stance on censorship conflicted with the "all-ages" feeling I try to give this site. But if you want to see Vampirella save a town full of NOT Twilight fans from being eaten by vampires (don't worry, plenty get brutally eaten in the bargain), I do recommend it. And Stefano Cardoselli has a digital Heavy Metal issue dedicated to his work out this week. Just a heads up, those links are probably not safe for work.

ON TO THIS WEEKS BOOKS!

BUFFY SEASON 9, #12
Story by Andrew Chambliss, Pencils by Georges Jeanty, Inks by Nathan Massengill, & Colors by Michelle Madsen

In this issue Buffy helps Mark Zuckerberg try and shutdown a portal to hell by shutting down HAL 9000.

You heard me.

Okay, it's not ACTUALLY Mark Zuckerberg, but Theo Daniels looks remarkably like him, and he is the founder of a social media site set to go public called "Tin Can." And the Tin Can servers look A LOT like HAL...
Anyways, in order to secure enough money for Theo Daniels' startup, he accidentally gave a large portion of control in the company to a cabal of demons (naturally) that are using Tin Can as a portal to our world. And considering the timely severing of this world to demon realms (thanks to Buffy's actions at the end of Season 8) this portal is a prized commodity to other realms.
Due to Spike's recent departure, Buffy now has to rely on a new more-pointy-faced-demon-friend and the "All New Scoobies" destroy the Tin Can servers and sever the link between this world and the beyond! They run into a Cthulhu-esque demon, and excitement and calamity ensues.
This series continues on its course and if you're missing your regular dose of Fubby the Sampire Vlayer, this book continues to deliver the goods. And the Phil Noto variant covers are a real treat as well.

CONAN #7
Story by Brian Wood, Art by Becky Cloonan, Colors by Dave Stewart

The first six issues of this series were typical Conan adventuring that will fill anyone's need for pre-historic Cimmerian carnage. The mighty Conan saves his pirate queen love by hacking and slashing through an entire city. The blood and chaos their love brings to all who cross their path is the stuff of legend! No one can stop this pair of lovers from ruling the world they have carved for themselves... Except Conan's mom.
When Conan decides to go home and bring justice to a man who has been committing atrocities against the Cimmerians in Conan's name, he gets to bring his great pirate queen, scourge of the seven seas! home to mother. The entire introduction goes south real quick as Conan is rather taken aback when his mother refers to her as a prostitute and the entire village laughs and mocks her as though she is a clumsy stupid child. Brian Wood built up to this twist so beautifully, I was laughing in commiseration with Conan over the treatment of his beloved. I probably should not have spoiled that moment, but that is precisely what sets this story apart from the usual swords and sorcery. Brian Wood shows us Conan "The 20 Something" instead of Conan the mighty warrior! And while the series has had plenty of blood and brutality up to this point, this issue of pause and perspective was excellent.
If you are not reading this series already, you really should. If not for Brian Wood's contemporary twist on the Cimerrian, than for Becky Cloonan's incredible brushwork. She brings a youthful arrogance to Conan that completely sells the story, while at the same time allowing you to believe that magic can exist in this time long ago before history began.

CREEP #0
Story by John Arcudi, Art by Jonathan Case

Another series spinning out of Dark Horse Presents, and I can't wait for this mini-series! Although this pilot issue is a great self-contained story in and of itself, John Arcudi's pumpkin-jawed private detective is elegantly rendered but richly detailed by Jonathan Case. The Frank Miller cover leads you to think you're in for a spin-off to Sin City when you're more likely in for a quiet piece about urban life and the unexpected paths life can send us down.

It's a simple story where "The Creep" is hired by his former highschool sweetheart to investigate the suicide of her son. She suspects a sinister plot lurks underneath the surface of this tragedy, and hopes that Oxel will be able to get to the bottom of it. Despite his reservations about helping her, he has a soft spot for the dame that thankfully doesn't lead to her betraying him or his untimely demise... yet.

MASSIVE #3
Story by Brian Wood, Art by Kristian Donaldson, Colors by Dave Stewart

Two Brian Wood books from Dark Horse this week! The trap set by Russian pirates last issue is sprung and the crew of the Kapital fend them off thanks to the "unorthodox pacifism" of Mag, Captain Callum's long time friend. This brings the crew to discuss the necessity for security and protection. I'm a sucker for stories about nation building, and the crew of the Massive and Callum Israel's idealism for a better tomorrow mixed with the realism of a man who has seen his dreams dashed to ribbons, makes him an interesting "ruler" of this floating nation. His word is final because he had the vision to believe in a better world, but he feels possibly more lost than those that follow him.

He decides to steer the ship to Unalaska, Alaska. A place so far from civilization, that the U.S. government overlooked the succor it gave to Soviet fishermen during the cold war. There they stock up on supplies, and weapons before they return to sea to continue searching for The Massive.

And apologies to Kristian Donaldson in my last review for not properly fact-checking his gender, HIS art is still continuing to cut like a knife. There is a coldness that pervades this series that really sells the post-apocalyptic nature of the piece. Even though the world feels very much intact, everyone seems to be sleepwalking through life, unable to cope with their individual losses.

The timelines and text back-up pages at the end of these issues may not be vital to understanding the story, but they do add layers of nuance that might otherwise be missed in the quiet and all-too-serious lives of these environmental Cassandras.

Why aren't you reading this book?

Disagree with me? Then prove me wrong.