Monstress by Marjorie Liu graphic novel review

Monstress by Marjorie Liu
Graphic novel review by Joe Tell 
Published by Artvoice Magazine in the Graphic Traffic column
Sponsored by Queen City Bookstore

I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After Graphic Novel Review

I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After

Skottie Young (Author and Illustrator)
Image Comics (Publisher)

Review by Joe Tell

I Hate Fairyland: Madly Ever After marks the return of popular Marvel Comics cover artist Skottie Young, an Eisner Award-winning artist who earned the award in 2011 for his work on The Marvelous Land Of Oz. His work on the Guardians of the Galaxy superhero Rocket Raccoon gained him much critical acclaim. Don’t be fooled by his previous work on the L. Frank Baum Oz books; the hilariously violent I Hate Fairyland is not recommended for children. The series is rated M for Mature audiences and is definitely not a bedtime story for the kiddies. I Hate Fairyland follows the violently vile misadventures of Gert, a grown-up girl trapped in a 6-year-old’s body, as she attempts to escape the magically insane world of Fairyland. Fairyland is a sick and twisted world “filled with wonder, magic, laughter and joy.” Join in on all the mayhem as the extremely bitter Gert wields a rather large battle-axe on her blood-soaked journey through Fairyland, where she meets up with a low-life fly named Larry (Larrigan Wentsworth III) and Queen Cloudia, the ruler of all Fairyland. A bevy of devious, balls-to-the-wall characters like the Slug Lords, Mushroom Men, Zombie Fauns and some demented Barbarians keep things interesting for Gert. Regurgitating elements from the classic children’s stories of “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wizard of Oz,” Skottie Young presents a uniquely twisted tale of dark humor. Skottie takes everything sweet and beautiful and turns it all upside down and inside out. The art is spectacular and brilliantly colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu. I Hate Fairyland: Madly Ever After is very well-written and will leave you excited for the next volume.

Wolf: Blood and Magic Vol. 1 Graphic Novel Review

Wolf Vol. 1: Blood and Magic
Ales Kot (Author)
Matt Taylor (Artist)
Image Comics (Publisher)
Review by Joe Tell

Wolf Vol. 1 Blood and Magic uses the city of Los Angeles as a backdrop for a reality-bending tale about a paranormal investigator. The story follows Antoine Wolfe as he assumes responsibility for an orphaned, teenaged girl who might be the key to preventing an impending apocalypse. Alongside the concrete jungle, Wolf also uses the beautiful scenery of the mountains, hills and woods of Los Angeles to great effect. Wolf combines the best elements of urban fantasy and crime noir to tell a supernatural story. The narrative explores the dark, maniacal things that lurk in the shadows. Things we all know exist but choose to ignore out of fear and loathing. The first panel uses the myth of singer, songwriter Robert Johnson and his famous song Hellhound On My Trial to set the tone of the narrative, the main character is shown singing the line while on fire. Wolf is chock full of many scary characters like vampires, a werewolf, ghosts’ and there’s even a reference to H. P. Lovecraft ‘s Cthulhu. Author Ales Kot is part of a new wave of talented writers that are injecting new, philosophical blood into mainstream American comics. His recent work includes Marvel’s Bucky Barnes and Secret Avengers. Artist Matt Taylor uses weird imagery straight out of nightmares to invoke feelings of horror and terror. Matt’s playful, yet very effective, line drawings are deformed but still manage to look clear and defined. Colorist Lee Loughridge uses psychedelic colors to further enhance the mood of the art. Lee is best known for his work on Hellblazer. The story also touches upon themes such as racism, prison-industrial complex, suicide and menstruation.

Wytches Graphic Novel Review

Do not read Wytches if you plan on going camping soon! Wytches invokes terror and suspense, using a mysterious, well-balanced narrative to incorporate many of our most basic fears into the story. The natural fear of being all alone in the woods at night is used to tell a dark, horror tale. Forget about the Wicked Witch of the West: Wytches delivers a new and scarier witch, shattering all the classic notions we all have of an evil woman riding on a broomstick. The wytches of the story are frightening, disfigured creatures who live in the trees just outside of our bedroom windows. Wytches also uses losing a child—any parent’s worst nightmare—to add heartfelt emotion to the story. The tale is told through the eyes of the Rook family, highlighting a troubled relationship between father and daughter. The Rooks are a tight family unit that has recently relocated. Unfortunately, they go from the frying pan into the fire. The female lead, Sailor, is very likable and it’s easy to see her as your own child. The story also explores wish fulfillment and the secret desires we all keep hidden inside. The wytches can grant any wish as long as you’re willing to “pledge” another human to them, leaving no one safe from their evil grasp. How far would you go to make your darkest dreams a reality? Wytches is the scariest graphic novel you will read this year. You’ll want to look away, but the story will draw you in, making it impossible. Turn the lights on, lock your doors and don’t dare look outside—the wytches are coming.

Special thanks to Queen City Bookstore and Artvoice Newspaper.

Sex: The Summer Of Hard Graphic Novel Review

Did you ever wonder how Bruce Wayne would spend his free time if he gave up being the Caped Crusader? The narrative contained within the pages of Sex explores the extraordinary life of an ex-super hero called the Armored Saint. Now that billionaire playboy, Simon Cooke has decided to give up his alter-ego we find out that Simon is not mentally prepared for his new way of life. He has trouble dealing with women, co-workers and friends. His biggest problem is dealing with the pressures of being the CEO of his own company. The physical activity Simon is privy to is shown in explicit detail and is mature in subject matter. Just like Batman has Catwoman to contend with, the Armored Saint had a cat-like female foe called the Shadow Lynx. The tumultuous relationship between the two former foes heats up after they run into each other at a high-society sex club. The story also follows the heroes former villains as they run rampant in Saturn City. The evil Old Man takes a hostage and after torturing him throws his body into a river. The Prank Addict has problems adjusting to life without his prime protagonist and is living in the past. The Alpha brothers try to capitalize on the absence of their adversary but they run into a small problem. The Armored Saints’ former sidekick has decided to stay in the crime fighting game. The martial arts expert hacks into the Alpha Brothers database and is messing with their cash flow from the inside. Sex is an interesting psychological drama that exposes an often overlooked part of the superhero genre.

Special thanks to Artvoice Newspaper and Queen City Bookstore.

Graveyard Shift Graphic Novel Review

Image Comics has served up Graveyard Shift, a modern, sexy twist on the vampire legend. Copperhead writer Jay Faerber and veteran artist Fran Bueno have teamed up once again after their run on Noble Causes proved to be a great success. Faerber and Bueno have come full circle with Graveyard Shift, which the creative duo crafted way back in 2007, predating the “Twilight” movies and the True Blood TV series. While Faerber acknowledges the fact “that vampires are a bit played out,” he also admits that he has “always been fascinated by them.” Any way you slice it, this book proves to be well worth the wait. The contrast created by the artistic mix of light and dark shadows proves to be very effective. The dramatic narrative is a unique mix of crime, horror and undying romance. The story is centered on a homicide detective named Liam and his blonde fiancee, Hope. All of the vampire blood takes a back seat to the love the young couple have for each other. The interaction between the young couple and how they learn to deal with the fact that Hope is now an undead vampire makes this book a real page-turner. After Hope succumbs to her first bout of blood lust, Liam is taken aback by her lack of a pulse and the way the blood meal makes her act like she’s drunk. The allure of a great vampire story has proven to be timeless, and Graveyard Shift capitalizes on this fact. Fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Lost Boys, Salem’s Lot and The Night Stalker will find Graveyard Shift hard to resist.

Special thanks to Queen City Bookstore and Artvoice Newspaper.

Spread: Vol. 1 No Hope Graphic Novel review

Spread rhymes with red and dead and those words are a big part of what makes Spread so grossly enthralling. Plenty of bloody, red gore and violent, horrific killing. It's not all slice and dice, all of the bleeding is supported by a great, post apocalyptic, narrative. The title of Volume One is interesting because it uses the names of the two characters names that are on the cover, No and Hope. No, who looks like Wolverine, is a loner who is immune to the Spread virus. No becomes Hopes caretaker after he rescues the baby from a band of wayward thugs. There is a big problem though, No has no way of feeding Hope and this is where Crazy Molly comes in. After No rescues the enslaved Crazy Molly, she feeds Hope with her breast milk. There is a great scene in the book in which the reader finds out just how important Hope and Crazy Molly are to the storyline. Five minions of the Spread are eradicated with Hope's super vomit. Hope's bodily fluids destroy the Spread and the baby becomes a savior to the living and a target for the Spread. The art of Kyle Strahm draws the reader in with it's mind blowing, gruesome horror. Every page displays murder in a new way and at least 1 droplet of blood, you want to look away but you can't. The Spread is a huge creature that comes in many shapes and sizes. It stalks humanity seeking new victims to infect in it's quest to take over the planet. Once infected a human being becomes a shape shifting, servant of the vile organism. Fan's of 80's slasher flicks will love Spread.

Special thanks goes out to Queen City Bookstore and Artvoice newspaper.

Madman Atomic Comics, Vol. 2 review

 

SEE! Madman fight off a ghost with an extension cord!

READ! An entire comic filled with double paged panels featuring giant evil snakes with huge lips!

MARVEL! at the amazing origin of It Girl and Madgirl!

READ! An amazing introduction by the creator of The Goon, Eric Powell! 

Are you tired of the same old run of the mill superhero stories? Madman presents a exciting alternative to the big 2. Every panel is full of psychedelic, sci-fi surprises. The intro by my fave new artist, Eric Powell is worth the price of this graphic novel alone. It's absolutely brilliant and full of fabulous, interesting insights, making this aptly named, paranormal paradise volume a must have. 

I need to thank Michael Allred and Laura Allred for renewing my interest in the amazing art form that is the comic book. Thank You!

BONUS SECTION:

Madman And The Atomics was drawn by Mike Allred, who resembles Madman, and colored by Laura Allred (who just happens to look alot like It Girl). This series includes all the classic elements that made Marvel comics so great back in the 60's. The art is superb, the coloring makes the art really pop and the storylines serve up plenty of action and suspense. The Image graphic novel reprints all the original AAA Pop comics in one volume.  

Airboy #1 - Image Comics review

The cover of latest version of Airboy comics, published by Image Comics, from 6/15.
For those of you are unfamiliar with the character of Airboy here's a little history, Airboy was a young, expert pilot who helped the Allies fight the Axis during WWII. The first series ended after a ten year run in '53 and the character was resurrected by Eclipse Comics back in the 80's. 2 more versions of the book have been published since 2000.

The first issue of the latest version is unlike any comic I have ever seen and in no way, shape or form resembles the original version of Airboy. The story focuses on the actual writer, James Robinson and comic artist, Greg Hinkle as they try to revamp the classic character for Image Comics. Seeking inspiration the creative duo rent a hotel room to exchange ideas and come up short. So they decide to "Go Get A Drink" and end up on a alcohol fueled, drug induced bender that I will not describe, it has to be seen in the comic to be believed. (This comic should be rated XXX and is definitely not for the kiddies.) The idea men @ Image really got their creative juices flowin' on this comic even though the characters in the comic cannot, it's an interesting juxtaposition. Airboy makes a surprise appearance on the very last page as the hung over pair are trying to figure out exactly what happened the night before. I'm curious to see how this unique premise will play out in the issues to come. With Airboy #1, Image Comics has proven that they are on the cutting edge in the comics industry.

Airboy made his first appearance in 11/43 in a 10 cent comic called Air Fighters Comics.

The comic was renamed Airboy Comics in 12/45.

Ministry Of Space Graphic Novel Review

Ministry of Space is a fascinating graphic novel that documents an alternate/what if? history following World War II. Warren Ellis delivers some of his best work with an excellent, conceptual story that resembles The Right Stuff. His inclusion of Winston Churchill and Dr. Wernher von Braun adds a sense of realism to this jolly good piece of historical fiction. The seamless blending of fact and fiction results in a narrative that is highly believable and realistic. The artwork of Chris Weston is beautifully intricate and highly convincing, so much so that you may believe his rockets and space ships actually exist. The coloring of Laura Martin is so vivid and realistic that the images jump off the pages. The Nazi V-2 rocket bomb and a British version of the United States secret project, Operation Paperclip, are used as a starting point to kick off a bloody good story about the post-war space race. The story is told through the eyes of a ruthless, egotistical pilot who lacks basic moral values. His life is consumed with a patriotic ambition to bring the British Empire back to its former glory. No expense is spared and nothing is considered sacred in the name of King and Country. British pioneering advances include launching the first manned spacecraft, building several operative space stations, landing on the moon in 1960, building a base on Mars in 1969 and even landing on Saturn. All of this groundbreaking innovation is funded by a black budget that is cloaked in mystery until the very end of the story. Ministry of Space is an imaginative page-turner that any history buff will have a hard time putting down.

Special thanks to Artvoice Newspaper and Queen City Bookstore.

Outcast: A Darkness Surrounds Him Graphic Novel Review

Outcast is Robert Kirkman’s followup to The Walking Dead, the popular comic book that was turned into a hit TV series. Kirkman admits that with Outcast, he wanted to create a series that “is way scarier” than The Walking Dead. Indeed, Outcast is filled with plenty of senses-shattering scares. The story begins as the insatiable hunger and unspeakable horror of demonic possession rears its ugly head. Kyle Barnes, the main character of Outcast, spends his time dealing with demons. Kyle is a loner who leads a desperate life as he seeks answers as to why demons have been haunting him his entire life. Several horrific flashbacks reveal that many members of his immediate family were all possessed. A priest, who recognizes Kyle’s supernatural power, calls on the anti-hero to help with the exorcism of a young boy. Paul Azaceta’s art is very dark and atmospheric, setting the stage for the subject matter. Kyle’s skill as an exorcist involves bloody violence as he literally beats the hell out of the demonically possessed to rid them of their inner evil. Even though Kyle has a record of being a violent offender, the local police force enlist Kyle’s help after a former policemen kills his wife and shows signs of possession. Every possessed person Kyle comes in contact with recognizes him and a plan to take Kyle out of the picture seems to be taking shape as the story progresses. You can’t argue with success, and Cinemax has decided to produce a TV series based on Outcast. If you’re asking yourself whether or not Outcast is that good, the answer is yes, it is. Fans of The Exorcist will love Outcast.

Special thanks to Queen City Bookstore and Artvoice Newspaper.

Trees, Vol. 1 Graphic Novel review

Trees, Vol. 1 Graphic Novel review

Trees is a science fiction story based on chaos and the fear of the unknown. In desperation as a bunch of criminals flee a futuristic police force in Rio de Janeiro. A tree interrupts the chase, spewing green slime, resulting in massive death and destruction. The story begins ten years after the trees landed on earth. The presence of the trees creates a global atmosphere of unpredictable, semi-controlled chaos. The trees are giant, stem-like space ships that do not emit any sound or move, just like an earth-bound tree. The story is told from several points of view, as all of the characters deal with the constant tension of the controlled chaos in their own special way. In arctic Norway, a team of scientists discovers a deadly new side effect the trees are having on the world. The most interesting location is Shu, China, which was built around the trees and walled off from the rest of the world. In this walled-off city, now a special cultural zone which allows a young transgendered female and her friends the freedom they desire. Since the premise of the story is like no other, Warren Ellis has free reign to create a great read full of unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader interested from the very first panel.

Special Thanks goes out to Queen City Bookstore and Artvoice newspaper.

Ghosted: Vol. 1 Haunted Heist Graphic Novel review

Ghosted: Vol. 1 Haunted Heist Graphic Novel review

The splash page for Ghosted #1 immediately catches the reader’s attention through the sheer brutality of the scene. The main character of Ghosted, Jackson Winters, appears to be on the path to becoming just another prison statistic when he is broken out of prison by a very attractive blonde woman who starts a prison riot. Markus Schrecken, a rich collector of paranormal antiquities, deems Jackson’s skill as a criminal mastermind to be useful for his desire to acquire a ghost from a haunted mansion—an element that adds purpose and a new direction to the story. As the assembled ghost-hunting team explores the creepy mansion, the demonic entities within reveal themselves with deadly consequences. After Jackson learns the truth about the mansion, he uses this truth to save his life. He bribes the psychic medium on the team, setting into motion a plan only he could concoct and carry out to fruition. In the end, the moral of this ghost story is the basic rule of karma—what goes around may just come back around to haunt you...to death. Fans of the films Ocean’s Eleven, Ghostbusters and The Shining will be sure to enjoy Ghosted.

Special Thanks to Queen City Bookstore and Artvoice newspaper.

Southern Bastards Graphic Novel review

Southern Bastards Graphic Novel review

Southern Bastards is a bastardized, violent version of the classic movie, Walking Tall. Walking Tall turned up to 11. The story is set in a small southern town in Craw County, Alabama. The town is run with an iron fist by local BBQ restauranteur and high school football coach, Euless Boss. Coach Boss calls all the shots in this hick town along with his gang of ragtag Runnin' Rebs football players. The Runnin' Rebs keep the peace through intimidation and the threat of violence. An familiar face returns to Craw County Alabama and on his first visit back into town Earl Tubb runs into a lifer named Dusty. Dusty has a pair of eyes that are as red as the sun, it's not demonstrated why this is so the reader is forced to draw their own conclusion as to why Dusty's eyes are beet red, which makes you wonder... Dusty has a beef with Coach Boss so Earl decides to be a stand up guy and help out his old friend Dusty with the problem. This is where the story takes on a new and violent turn. Earl tries to destroy his past by chopping down a old tree, instead he finds a new beginning that coincides with a supernatural message from beyond his father's grave. The colors are dark matching the grittiness of the story but the color palette turns red when tempers rise and the violence begins. Earl Tubb, the towns latest rebel rouser, goes head to head with Coach Boss in a violent battle with the entire town watching on. The final battle that ensues is very graphic and the story concludes with a bittersweet ending.  

Special Thanks goes out to Queen City Bookstore and Artvoice newspaper.

Buffalo Comicon 2012 Comic Books, Comic Book Convention, Buffalo NY, Buffalo Marriott

I was able to take advantage of the Free Comic Book table that was generously set up by Queen City Bookstore. I will be scanning all the books I picked up at the show so look for any books I bought and promised to promote soon...
 to be continued...